Theories of Mind

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind ....... www.amazon.com/Sociological-Insight-Introduction-Non-Obvious-Sociology/dp/0195074424

We make deals with the animals

Because us humans, we are so flexible

Beyond the walking vegetables

We learn more now, than the instinct

And so it makes a life more convincing

Into one festival for the skeptical

We will bathe in this non obvious,

But now we're trapped inside the plentiful

Closer together, but further apart,

As avatars in these beautiful junkyards

Forgetting how the contents of my mind

Are not the contents of yours...

Primed to show all of these worlds 

How, yet we all of us are blind

     still, we all of us paint pictures...

And We know this to be an instinct

One that can never be learned

One that must only be lived

To be truly returned

Author's Note

Reviews

[KWP]

There is something in that instinct being lost - to me this is what has made us lose our connection - you poem summarizes humans perception at this point in time - yes we are trapped inside this plentiful - layer upon layer of consciousness, fragents of your reality crossing over on my reality, the millions of trajectories of peoples stories spinning off like the universe itself - the truth covered up, the original mustard seed now buried so deep in interpretation we may as well have just cooked it in a curry - the thought without a beginning or an ending - and life goes on.

I wanna get back to that basic instinct - for starters :)

[Davidgeo]

You should read a book called "sociological insight: an introduction to non obvious sociology" by a dude named Randall Collins. It combines at least 6 different classes across three different subjects in less than 225 pages. Most "modern' academics are not capable of writing anything that doesn't bore the fluid out of your eyeballs on a regular basis.

[KWP]

yes dear - I will take a look now - I am back to reading novels again to watch writing styles.

[Davidgeo]

It's not a novel. It's really well written academic bullshit. I stress the word bullshit. These fellows are over invested in sounding more intelligent than they actually are.... don't forget. (but some of it is, irreplaceable. Have you ever heard of a fellow name Erving Goffman?)

[Davidgeo]

..."named"

[KWP]

Who is Erving ?

[Davidgeo]

He wrote two books that are directly responsible for how modern psychology and sociology are taught today. "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" and, I think more importantly, "Asylums" aka 'essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates'.

[Davidgeo]

(The presentation of self is his key work.... I'm just a borderline crazy person so I always pretend "asylums" is his keystone work.... it's not... but it is great... if you're a borderline crazy person)

[KWP]

sometimes I think I am borderline crazy - or at least just not run of the mill - I get bored so damn easily - I like stimulants in any from - from nature to not nature - I think you have a lot of time to read - can you read this stuff to me please - while I sleep?

This morning I woke up to the alarm at 4:15am (normal time) but the last thing someone said in my dream was 'JUST DO IT ALL' funnily enough I have been theorising on just this in recent times - all - no attachments - just all - just life experience - to gain life experience so next life the experience is not priority because the learnings are already solid and in place - know what I mean?

[Davidgeo]

That is absolutely not how it works.

Somebody owes me some f****n' pushups if I'm wrong.

[KWP]

Pushups are not my strong point - chocked interval training is my focal point just now ...

[Davidgeo]

I love me some pushups. Especially when you alternate lifting one leg up in air every other ten. It's good for balance and getting those hidden little muscles that are rarely used to liven up when you do that. I think though, the best pushup routine I ever had to do was what we called 50 to zero. You do 50, then 40, then 30, then 20, and so on. You never leave the pushup position and you can only take 45 seconds in between (every once in a while you mix in some diamonds or wide position). It sounds easier than it really is. Eventually I got up to 100 to zero, but, that was a long time ago when I was getting paid to work out. If you can do 50 to zero.... you're a stud.

I'm still a bigger fan of the pull up club though. Not chin ups. Pull ups. Ten at a time, four times within 15 minutes twice a day, every day... it'll turn you into a f*****g monster I promise. You're back will look like the map of a very treacherous mountain range.

[Bivita]

life as we know it. a nice way to put the thoughts into words. liked it!

[Spookers]

Pretty good. Made me think a bit and had to reread a couple of times to understand it better.

[Davidgeo]

That's good. That's a good thing. Thank you.

[Himaya Ka]

"But now we're trapped inside the plentiful
Closer together, but further apart," Very true!

[Diane]

A make you think kind of poem. Well done and thank you for the read.

[Erudite]

How, yet we all of us are blind
still, we all of us paint pictures...

Paint a picture you did not. I saw a creeping towards meaning between lines here and there. But, after having read your poem, I've gained nothing. Neither insight nor delight at the prospect of a slice of life having shone on it a bright light.

[A Soap Mess Stories]

Loved the imagery in your poem.

[LJ]

I like the internal rhyme that shows up at least once "...one festival for the skeptical...." I think the rhythm skips around but the message seems fairly clear, how we do indeed "all paint pictures," even in these days of covid-19. And online of course, where we're usually represented by avatars and paint as much as we can. I guess some of us are driven people, accompanied by a muse that takes many forms but rarely leaves, except the moment we finish a piece. A moment only. I think this poem will and does pull out truths that lurk behind words... oh well, and sometimes in front of them. 'Giving' is very much like 'getting' for some of us as we continue a stroll (or run) through reading, writing, talking, listening and more.

[Davidgeo]

I'm not very good at maintaining a consistent rhyme scheme. I've kinda given up on that, I just... write things now.

Your review hit on a lot of things. The take on the online existence and our increased reliance on it is the most significant I think. Every day seems to be getting either stranger for some and more normal for others which ultimately, is probably not a good thing in the long run. But in the short term (year or two), it might end up being a good thing. The avatar lifestyle is not sustainable, or if it is.... it's not at all healthy on an individual level.

I like how you said.... "except the moment we finish a piece." I would like to think that we have good muse's and we have bad muse's. But just because something is good does not mean it came from a 'good' muse.... and vice versa. It's nearly impossible to tell the difference in situ though. I think you can only see how it really is long after it's been written or if you're a completely different person.

[LJ]

I agree, and think that's the reason we write reviews/critiques for each other on writing sites. We act as the "completely different person" for a few minutes, hopefully in a helpful way. Also, agree about time between writing a piece and remembering it years later... then we read our own work as if it was new. And sometimes, when/if work is published in print, we also see it "new." My favorite way to get reactions has long been in-person writers' groups. Not done in the days of the virus however, so online is it for me.

[Troy Henson]

thought provoking write indeed. Leaves me wondering what our purpose here actually is....
Wonderful thank you

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Dave ... Our Country is under-going a Change.... the Skies are filled with mystery and unanswered prayers. We need to understand that many people are suffering and need to be healed physically and mentally. It is my prayer that all people are considered when laws are made in our changing world for health and prosperity. gently, Pat

[Davidgeo]

"prayer" and "laws" should never be mentioned in the same sentence for any reason. But that's just my stance; it's good to have a divergent take on things. I don't think it's irrational to be spiritual, it's just a different kind of ball game than the one I'm used to playing. As with pretty much everything else in the world, I bet the best outcome lies somewhere in the middle.

[Patricia Wedel]

I agree... in the middle... we all have a Spirit which helps us use our best wishes for everyone. It seems to me that birds and animals have a Spirit. I think our Brain has more capability; however, it is good at times to be “High Spirited as long as we are not destroying things of value or hurting people of all cultures. It is a privilege to live in a Country where we have many choices in many venues. truly, Pat

[Davidgeo]

Life unfortunately does not exist without death. We can't avoid that. Our privilege's here do not come for free. I know what it takes, it gets dark, it has to. If you look closer you will see. It is the destruction of what does not agree with us en masse that made this place, that makes this place. We're not sewing sweaters over there.

[Patricia Wedel]

I like your reasoning and your last line...
Peace and please believe in yourself and it shall follow as the night the day.. you cannot be false to anyone. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Our minds are mazes. Thank goodness we aren't cloned. The differences make us understand perspective and question our own thinking.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

True. You speak the truth.

Have you ever seen a movie called "Pan's Labyrinth"? It addresses this, "question", in a beautifully abstract way. It's a visual garden with some very interesting philosophy seeding the momentum of it's presentation. I promise you will enjoy that movie in one way or another.