What we share with a banana

Some of you may know of my interest in psychology and the why and the how of the human mind.

My study of psychology, to date, has not convinced me that it is anything other than a pseudo-science. Shoot me if you like but as far as I am concerned trying to reconcile the objective, the human body (which is a bundle of atoms and molecules) – with the subjective, the life essence itself, thoughts and emotions (which can only be guessed at) is fraught. To me such a reconciliation cannot be done. To do so you will have to convince me that the brain and the mind are one and the same thing (as far as I am concerned they are not).

The body is a physical entity that can be touched and measured whereas thoughts and emotions and the very essence of life itself are but ‘objects’ of pure speculation. They cannot be seen, touched or measured in any way.

To emphasise what I mean I have learned, from my text book, that we share half our genes with the humble banana. Where does that place psychology!!

Pre-what?

There seems to be a wide use of the term ‘pre-warned’ in Australian English. This, I assume, means to warn someone BEFORE they are warned! With normal English usage someone is ‘warned’ that an event or situation may arise – this is perfectly understandable and to my way of thinking a ‘correct’ use of language. But to ‘pre-warn’ them? This makes no sense at all.

I am no Latin scholar but I do think that I have a reasonable grasp of the English language. Now as far as I know ‘pre’ is from Latin meaning ‘before’ or something that comes in ‘front’ of a word to give that word a different meaning and has come into the English language with the same meaning. Hence the words ‘prefix’ (ie. in front of a word), ‘pre-empt’, ‘precursor’, ‘pre-adult’ etc. So to place the prefix “pre’ before the word ‘warning’ is, I don’t know – an oxymoron maybe? It is certainly superfluous and unnecessary.

So why use it? I will refer to my dictionary to confirm all this.

I stand corrected after referring to my English Language bible!! I will always admit an error (see my halo?)

The Oxford English Dictionary (henceforth the OED) states under ‘pre’ that ‘pre-warn’ is a rare usage and means to give advance warning of an event. Of course there is the perfectly good term ‘forewarned’!!

But I still stand by my original comment that ‘pre-warn’ is not good English (hence the ‘rare’ comment by the OED). And I stand by my comment that a warning is a warning and that an advance warning or to be forewarned is still a warning – that however one is warned a warning is a warning. Also that pre- or advance- or fore- are all superfluous. A warning is sufficient. No?

What do you think?

The Goose with the golden eggs

I have said this before, but I wonder at the fact that people never seem to learn from the past. We seem to have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to our relationships with others and our ethical conduct.

I am particularly commenting on the ABC TV Four Corners programme screen this evening (27th July) about the education college scam.

Some 3000 years ago in Greece a freed slave called Aesop collated hundreds of wise and pithy comments saying and stories which have come down to us as Aesop's Fables. They are as true today as they were then - human nature does not seem to have changed a bit does it?


Aesop’s fable (CIV)

The goose with the golden eggs


Their was once a man who was lucky enough to own a goose that laid him a golden egg every day. However, since the process was so slow and since he wanted the entire treasure at once, he became dissatisfied and eventually killed the goose. After cutting her open, he found her to be just what any other goose would be.

Moral:- The more you want the more you stand to lose

Be suspicious of what you want

Many non-Muslims (like me) may have never heard of Rumi. He was a poet and a mystic in the Sufi tradition. He was born 30th September 1207 in Balkh, Afghanistan and died on 17th December 1273 (I think in Konya, Turkey).

Rumi must have been a great man – many people, and not just Sufi Muslims, read his works today. Some of his poems are great fun. He obviously had a great irreverence for life and his union with God – life was fun and there to be enjoyed!

I think this quote is worth repeating (I am using a translation of his poems by Coleman Barks called ‘The essential Rumi’):

From something called ‘On Resurrection Day’ –

On Resurrection Day your body testifies against you.
You hand says, “I stole money.”
Your lips, “I said meanness.”
Your feet, “I went were I shouldn’t.”
Your genitals, “Me too.”

That is so good! I wonder how many of us can relate to that verse?

In another poem he writes:-

I plot to get what I want
And end up in prison.

I dig pits to trap others
And fall in.

I should be suspicious
of what I want.


How very true! To me this just shows that no matter who we are and what culture we were born into we are basically the same – members of the species Homo Sapiens. Those born centuries ago had more time to observe human nature and think about why we get into the trouble we often find ourselves in.

Today we are rushed and so have little time for contemplation; so little time to read the lessons learned by others – more is the pity.

Our ego and us

We all know an Autocrat, the ‘controller’. We all know a person who is always right, who knows everything, who has an opinion on everything and who’s way of doing things is always the best and only way. But I wonder if such a person is ever at peace within him/her self? To be constantly aware of what others are doing – so that they may be corrected, because you are sure they will inevitably do something wrong – must be very tiring. It must wear the person down.

There will never be peace, anywhere, until people have ‘peaceful’ minds and ‘peaceful’ thoughts. How can it be otherwise? Peace will never eventuate from warlike and violent thoughts or actions. Look, I don’t just mean international peace. I include in this term peace from ALL violence – domestic, civil, social, sectarian and international and I would include in this our predilection to anger when crossed or thwarted. We are all of us guilty of this one at times.

I know that it would be naive to believe that there will ever be a time when everyone has ‘peaceful’ thoughts – it will never happen, the human condition being what it is. But why should we accept this deplorable state of affairs? Why SHOULD there be violence; why SHOULD there be so much anger? What is the purpose and what does it serve? So what if we are thwarted in our endeavours; so what if others don’t have the same goals in life as we do – why get angry or violent about it? I do not believe that there can ever be any ‘benefit’ from anger or from violence – that these two are a complete waste of time and energy, both of which would be better spent elsewhere.

Is it possible for most of us to have peaceful thoughts? I am sure it is.

It maybe that there is a ‘tipping point’ such that when the majority of people have ‘peaceful’ thoughts then there is more likely to be peace than otherwise (which is logical I suppose - and somewhat of a blinding glimpse of the obvious). So what does it say about the general thought content of the average person that there is so much violence and lack of ‘peace’ in the world? It would appear, that as a world, we are some distance away from that ‘tipping point’!!

Anger I believe arises from our egos. When our ego (our idea of who we are) tells us that it has been diminished in some way – that we have been shown up as a lesser person than our ego allows for – then anger may arise. A very typical example is road rage – say someone cuts in a queue of cars and immediately pushes us one vehicle further from the ‘feeder’ arrow at the intersection. Our immediate reaction is to think “Who does she think she is pushing in like that? I am just as important as she is – bloody female driver!” (Or whoever – I am NOT anti-female please believe me!). Anger arises and we activate the horn in no uncertain manner and also give the finger and generally show that we are extremely displeased.

Can you relate to this? But does it really matter? Maybe the woman is an unemployed single mother who has an urgent appointment to meet with a potential new employer – a reasonable enough excuse, don’t you think? But no! Our ego tells us that it has been diminished and slighted and that this slight must be redressed in some way. Less than charitable thoughts arise and anger and violence, that inevitably accompany such thoughts, always intervene and turn a tricky situation into a possibly violent one. All for what – just to please the ego?

In a perverse way lack of peace may be considered as a positive! Having an ‘unpeaceful’ mind may lead someone to re-appraise their perceptions and ideas which may lead to innovations in human relations or helping those less fortunate or in medicine or to innovations in any field of human endeavour.

There is always a positive to be found somewhere – even when the ego is involved!

Tall Poppy Syndrome

We never seem to learn do we – "we" as in the human race I mean. Something like 2500 years ago Herodotus, the Greek historian (born c 484 BC and who died sometime between 421 and 415 BC) stated in his famous “The Histories” that:

“It is always great buildings and the tall trees which are struck by lightning. It is God’s way to bring the lofty low.... For God tolerates pride in none but Himself.”

He was referring to humans and how we try to gain some, often unfair, advantage over our fellow being. This is of course usually in the context of money (what’s new?). Herodotus also recorded that the Greeks had astutely observed the fact that:

“Human prosperity never abides long in the same place.”

To my way of thinking all human life has one purpose and one only – the well being of humanity. And I wonder whether all the technological advances we have made, and continue to make, on an exponential growth pattern, actually do HELP humanity. Money is very useful in this regard if used to assist those in need – to purchase their requirements. But do we need huge arsenals of weapons; do we need to spend countless billions on developing new or more ‘refined’ ways of killing each other? Wouldn’t it be much better to spend this money trying to right some of the wrongs and injustices of the past, to the extent that those who may have felt they had been treated unjustly or in some other way wronged, feel compensated and have no need to take further action?

The three basic requirements of humanity seem to be slipping further out of the reach of many – adequate food, adequate shelter and personal security. These still seem to elude the one billion people (according to the World Health Organization) currently at the point of starvation, who often live in the most hazardous regions – particularly South America, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. So what are the wealthy doing about it?

As I said before the purpose of human life is to help humanity. Why aren’t we doing it? There is enough food thrown away in the developed countries to feed all those in need. Are we those “great buildings and the tall trees” to be laid low by God because He “tolerates pride in none but Himself?” To consider oneself ‘above’ or ‘better’ than others, who are starving with lack of shelter and without any personal security, is surely ‘pride’; is surely ‘hubris’.

This, surely, is pride asking for a fall?

Also consider the observation that “Human prosperity never abides long in the same place.” It would seem that not many in Wall Street read Herodotus or if they did they didn’t think it would apply to them – they cared for no one but themselves and the money they were ‘making’ through their obscene commissions (vide the 2008 Global Financial Crisis). Certainly, I would guess, the Australian banks and insurance companies thought they were above all this ‘nonsense’ – how wrong they were (they also obviously never read Herodotus).

If you follow my thinking that as humans our main purpose in life is to help our fellow beings you will understand my continual reference to the "Law" of Cause and Effect (or if you prefer, You Reap What you Sow), and to the importance of ethics in our relationships. It is needful to be always fair, honest, kind, compassionate, empathetic, moderate and just in all our dealing. To be anything else is to invite the Gods to cut you down to size and to ‘bring the lofty low’.

In colloquial English - call this the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome – and in Australia at least we seem to take a perverse pleasure in seeing the ‘self promoted mighty’ laid low and cut down to the size of normal human beings.

Injustice revisited

I have previously written about the injustices perpetuated by the Israeli’s against the Palestinians and particularly those in Gaza. These continue and the recent change of Government in Israel will not, I fear, alter this deplorable situation a great deal. Again this is autocratic governance and tyranny to maintain the status quo, to the ‘benefit’ of the Israelis. Again all in the name of God, (Yahweh) – all above board, apparently, because the Israeli’s use their army to enforce their autocratic rules and because we have been told, by the Israeli’s or course, that the Israeli army is the most moral (and presumably ethical) army in the world.

While I certainly abhor the terror tactics used by Hamas and others of that ilk, I also strongly believe that Israel is wrong to use the methods they do.

Then there is North Korea, Burma, Zimbabwe and of course China, to name but a few of the current countries with dubious records, all tyrannies and in the case of North Korea, Burma and Zimbabwe, basket cases as well.

But there is no need to look far afield. We have injustice at home. The Aborigine has been shockingly treated – the history of abuse (shot, chained and flogged), neglected (health and education) with virtually no representation (the Australian constitution was changed only in 1967 to allow full citizens rights) suffered by the original inhabitants of Australia is appalling. And don’t forget that the Aborigines in Tasmania were exterminated with official sanction. In Tasmania they had survived 12500 years isolation (since the melting of the last ice age inundated Bass Straight) to the 18th Century, but were all dead within about 200 years – how is that for injustice.

Also don’t forget the abuse of women and children in Australia – those who are most vulnerable. The Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes figures measuring the extent of violence (physical and sexual) against women which is quite shocking (the figures do NOT show other forms of abuse – emotional, social, financial etc). Would you believe that 23% of women who have ever been in a long term relationship have experienced violence at some time during the relationship? Or that 42% who had been in a previous relationship had suffered violence from that previous partner? And so it goes on.

Now why? Why would any sensible person want to commit a violent act, of any sort, against someone they purport to love? And someone who, to boot, is weaker and more vulnerable than they are?

I have been looking for any statistics (which I have yet to find - which i will soon) to prove it, but I feel sure that much of this violence is alcohol induced. This of course is a whole new subject of its own – I mean excessive consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol, as with all things, in moderation is ok. But when one drink leads to another and another, and there is a predisposition to anger or violence then the can of worms is exposed and innocent people suffer.

All this injustice, both national and individual, for what – pleasure? An ego trip? Control and/or ‘power’? Human nature is fascinating isn’t it, though sometimes for all the wrong reasons.

The Chinese Take Over

What will happen when China recovers from this current economic malaise first and overtakes the US as the largest functioning economy in the world? I make a prediction (based on nothing but a gut feeling) that by 2030 China will surpass the US as the largest economy in the world.

I know that this is a bold prediction. But I was correct about a much easier one – the US invasion of Iraq. At that time I wrote to the US Embassy and asked them to pass on a message to Bush that he would live to regret his invasion, that it was wrong – whatever the motives. I never got a reply - which I never expected anyway.

This time I base my prediction on trade and population. The US has about 305 million people and China about 1.3 billion. Much of the US’ previously unassailable position was based on intellectual property, manufacturing and exports. Now their exports are declining – they have ceded much of their manufacturing might to the Chinese – who make most of the world’s electronic and white goods and clothing. And the Chinese are learning fast so their intellectual capabilities are expanding rapidly. The Chinese also control much of the worlds cash reserves (the US has none!) and cash, as always, is king. In fact the Chinese are bolstering the US economy by holding trillions of dollars worth of US Treasury bonds.

No one likes what the Chinese have done to Tibet, nor how the communist regime tries to control the general population – it tries to control access to the internet, it controls the number of children any family may have (which is causing a huge gender imbalance). But the Chinese Government does have an agenda – they wish to raise the standard of living of their people as quickly as possible.

I also base my prediction partly on an article written many years ago now by Lt General John Glubb, known also as “Glubb Pasha” (a British general who commanded the Arab Legion before and after the Second World War) for Blackwood, an British monthly magazine. He called his article “The Fate of Empires” in which he determined that the average empire survived for 250 years. He went back in time to the ancients and followed the creation and fate of empires through to the 20th Century.

Generalising a great deal one could say that the British Empire lasted from about 1750 to about 1950 – say 200 years. Glubb stated that the Americans were slightly different in that they never had much of an ‘external’ empire and that theirs was rather an ‘internal’ empire. The American continent was so rich in resources, internally, that they never (until recent times) had to look abroad for resources to feed their economic growth. So now taking 1776 as the start of the American ‘empire’ and, while they are obviously not finished yet, taking my, predicted, date of 2030 as a cut-off, that makes 254 years.

No matter when the American’s lose their control of the world economy – and they will eventually, they will find it difficult to play second fiddle to anyone. Particularly if they are treated the way they have treated others over the years.

More on Injustice

I have written before on this but I want to say some more about injustice. Injustice is a pervasive cancer and a blight on the lives of many and a major impediment to peace in the world. Wherever there is autocratic governance, wherever there is tyranny and terror, wherever there in uncertainty - whatever generates fear - there you will find injustice.

Why and for what?

It is all about “power”. It is all about the “prestige” that accompanies power, and of course it is all about ego. Power gives the impression that the powerful are “better”, are “different” from the rest of society and therefore “deserve” the panoply that goes with the power and the position.

But as the Romans said two thousand years ago “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. So power leads to corruption, which cascades down the line to injustice, to uncertainties and because no one knows what to expect next – this leads to fear. And fear gives the “powerful” a greater sense of their power which leads to more injustice, more fear and ultimately to terror and tyranny, in a fairly predictable sequence of events.

Those who are autocratic, those who terrorize and create an atmosphere of fear have the most to lose and they know it – think Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and currently the Burmese Junta and Mugabe (just to name a few). States ruled by terror never last. Those in ‘control’ live increasingly isolated lives for fear that their own lives may be cut down in one way or another - the immutable law of cause and effect will always prevail – they will reap what they sowed. It has always been this way and can be no other. This is justice balancing out the injustice by taking out the instigators of the original injustice – even though it may take a significant period of time – justice will prevail.

The recent tragic events still unfolding in Iran are a case in point. The Iranian ‘Guardian Council’ is there, principally, to ensure that those in power remain there. It is also there to, presumably, keep the Islamic faith intact and pure. But who determines what ‘purity’ means? So to keep themselves safe and to maintain the faith this Guardian Council pays a militia (which is above the law) to kill, maim and create fear – all presumably in the name of God, of Allah the Merciful.

One can only wonder at the mentality of these people and despair.