I woke up in a good mood as I usually do. Had my coffee. Ready to take on the day. Avoided media because there is no point at the moment. Thought about communication and conversations which have been less than satisfactory of late.
Then noticed that despite my efforts, a midge had made it into the home. Someone in my household reacts and as I learned it's actually a tropical wasp that camouflages as a fruitfly, except that it has orange eyes and warning stripes on closer inspection. It means that I have some hunting, swearing and squishing ahead of me. Welcome to global warming.
I'm an extrovert, I'll smalltalk with anyone, except that phones have turned everyone into experts who at times must share their opinion and convince me of it. Agreeing to disagree is no longer an option, there is a rise in aggression that I have never encountered before and no longer know how to deal with. This is not normal behavior.
Among the many almost daily examples was someone in the caregiving industry (the irony does not escape me), who was helping me with my father, and who had not gone to university. I don't look down on people and never have. I am well aware that life happens and there is little correlation between IQ and University. Many people are autodidactic and can gather enough science information later in life.
He called, we made arrangements and then we chatted. He initiated the topic that Bill Gates was killing African Women by making them infertile through pesticides.
I corrected him and told him that Gates was funding several projects through business philanthropy to make mozzies infertile and that this was mostly through genetic modification, which, if successful, will lead to lucrative patents. It won't affect humans in any way because the propagated myth that we share 98% of DNA with a fruitfly is a persistent myth. My personal opinion is that it won't work. Although I wouldnt mind if mozzies went extinct. Maybe I'm too influenced by Crighton's Jurassic Park in which nature always finds a way.
Rather than the expected civil discussion, he became irrational, belligerent and insulting:"You don't know what you're talking about...you idiot!...He's going to kill us all...". Yikes. One of those. We haven't spoken since and he is no longer working in that field.
People no longer know how to communicate. They no longer listen. They have forgotten how to engage in discourse. It is deeply troubling and concerning as the alternative is to no longer engage in conversation.
I went to the washroom just now. Learned that the tropical visitor, resistant to chlorine and bleach, also uses water in its lifecycle. Instead of saving it, I flushed. Sometimes problems take care of themselves.
As an introvert, this reads like a nightmare. However, you planted a seed amidst the toxic nonsense (a bit like having a blog), and sometimes those seeds grow. Please persist.
ReplyDeleteP.S. All is well with me, just busy.
Codex:
ReplyDeleteAs a social human being with manners, this HAS become a nightmare. It doesn't matter what the topic is, people prefer to argue than to learn or discuss. Doubt he was listening.
@db
DeleteThese people cannot be reached. They engage me rather than the other way around. They are just angry and not much else. Thank you for the encouragement though.
@Anonymous I should have been more clear: please persist... in being yourself, saying what you know is true, and recognizing that one's influence is like seeds...sometimes they grow after years of drought.
DeleteI agree with you about people. Intellect and education are not the same thing. But unfortunately I think that lack of education, a sound basis in how to learn and exposure to historical and scientific fact has left people open to believe the most outrageous things and once they glom onto something they can't be convinced otherwise. Maybe it has something to do with self esteem and correction feels like attack so they attack in response. And so many people don't read and don't have any intellectual curiosity.
ReplyDeleteI read about Gates' effort to sterilize mosquitoes to reduce the terrible diseases they transmit and the article in which it was referred to, the author thought it would have a disastrous effect on the ecosystem overall. All the other lifeforms for which mosquitoes are a major part of their diet would suffer.
Codex: Mozzies are not Niche prey, most predators (birds bats fish) will easily eat other insects and larvae. Biologists try to save everything and I have come around to realizing that the ecosystem is so diverse that not everything can and should be saved. Nature ALWAYS finds a way.
DeleteTropical diseases are a major problem. I personally think (and I could be wrong) that it's not a good idea. It happened with salmon; in order to replenish wild salmon we have farm raised which escaped and cross bred, making wild salmon more susceptible. So our interference made the problem worse.
"They have forgotten how to engage in discourse.", this is probably the most descriptive Sentence I've read about what's disturbing in Today's Social decline. So glad to have found your Blog and add it to my Sidebar. I do think Man's interference with Nature is almost always a Mistake, we can be an arrogant and ignorant Species at times, thinking we can improve upon the Natural Order of things, which works out pretty well if left to Be and sort itself out Naturally. Here in Arizona we now have Killer Bees, Africanized Escapees from Labs in South America, and they deserve their Name and Reputation and can be quite terrifying... plus, replace the gentler Species of Bee we all were used to having Naturally in America. Greed for more Honey was the catalyst for the "Experiment". I do admire Bill Gates Philanthropy tho' and I do think he's honestly trying to make the World a better place by using his Fortunes in Positive ways. That's kind of refreshing these days among Billionaires, so, I'll leave it at that. *Winks*
ReplyDeleteCodex@Bohemian. Hello. Gates has his issues, but built his empire the old business way. Not sure if his intent is altruistic, and gmo mozzies might become a problem. We shall see.
DeleteDidn't know about the bees, assumed they had migrated or been imported.
I'm still building this blog, so I'll be a little slow on the follow back. Appreciate the patience and welcome.
Codex: @Ellen. You are right in normal cases. I don't walk around with a sign. These guys want a fight. They want to provoke. This started ever since you know who called scientists "the elite" (if only). If I were to take a glass art class, my self esteem would be fine, I just would not have a clue what I'm doing until I learn it. I just don't know how to deal with that type of hatred.
ReplyDeleteIn my native language people like the one you wrote about are called Querdenker, which some poor misinformed foreign journalist translated as lateral thinker (and Edward de Bono briefly turned in his grave) but which actually means someone who cannot think straight. Now, we can disagree on what straight thinking is but there are circumstance where I would always go for it.
ReplyDeleteCodex: Ahhhhhh. Is that how it happened? It's called transliteration. Yeah. Sorry. It's mean, but we call them nutbars. Where did they all come from?
Delete@Sabine. I must confess I never heard of him, but of his terminology. What is his most important book? Anything else you can tell me about De Bono?
DeleteDoes lateral visual thinking have anything to do with him?
Edward de Bono is regarded as the inventor of the concept of lateral thinking, the skillful deviation from traditional thought patterns.
Delete"As long as you dig an existing hole deeper, you can't dig a second hole in a different place." etc.
https://www.debono.com/about-and-contact
Codex: @Sabine. Hoped you can recommend one of his books. Lateral visual thinking is something else.
DeleteIt's been ages and I don't really remember if I actually read it or just a brief version, Six Thinking Hats (1986). I did go to a lecture/workshop about it around that time where we actually had different coloured hats to work it all out. There are lots of online versions, posters and abstracts and so on. Also videos.
DeleteCodex: Thank you though. Is this access to unique and interesting stuff a German thing? Sounds like a fun workshop.
DeleteIf I remember correctly the workshop was part of a training course on conflict resolution organised by my trade union in Ireland for members actively involved in anti apartheid protests.
DeleteNot just that he called scientists and those with higher education degrees 'the elite', he has given people tacit approval to be their worst selves and indulge in the behaviors and emotions that they harbored all along but suppressed because of social pressure. The first thing he attacked was was being 'politically correct' and now they feel avenged, now they are able to get their revenge, all those pent up feelings of helplessness have been turned into anger which he encourages people to act on. Doesn't matter that 'the other' was not at fault for the condition of their lives.
ReplyDeleteCodex: @Ellen. Exactly. Civilized societal norms held that behavior in check. As it should. Same with your recent experience. I know the psychoanalysis but how do I keep them at a healthy distance?
ReplyDelete@Ellen. I may remove my own comment, but this guy (one of many) was in the home care business with no qualification. I can't be around 24/7. I gave but a snippet of the convo. Angry.
ReplyDelete