Comments on: Those Rusty Brains http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/ "A tiny act can have profound effects." Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:09:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: cmaverick http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-3/#comment-18187 cmaverick Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:55:19 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-18187 The world today is becoming less and less personable, and much of it is coming from our selfishness. We don’t want to ask the deep questions because we’re either lazy or just don’t care, and that’s just plain sad. Everyone has a mind and a heart that needs to be attended to, and that starts from our own. Like so many others, I’ve eavesdropped on many conversations around campus from time to time and heard dialogues that only reach the surface of what’s going on between two people. I appreciate being involved in a Christian community where real questions should be asked to dive deeper into each other’s minds and hearts, and I plan to use this kind of communication when befriending or making acquaintances in classroom settings and, in the future, my workplace. I’ve been involved with a Christian organization on campus since my freshman year, and as I am on the homestretch to graduation this semester, one thing I learned from my family at Penn State from this organization is that at the end of the day, people matter. We need to ask the tough questions that will make things uncomfortable and, sometimes, unintentionally offensive. We won’t learn anything about ourselves or each other until we get to the roots of human nature by figuring out why we decide the beliefs we want to believe in, how we want to live the way we live, and so much more. As for the video, I’m not surprised that these politician supporters don’t know as much as they should when deciding who should govern and control the very nation they live and take pride in. As one can tell, these supporters base their decisions on outer appearances: she’s a “strong woman,” “stands for the American people and not for other people,” “a “breath of fresh air,” “fairness and realness,” and so much more. It goes the same for Barack Obama, as many of his minority supporters can easily say he represents the minorities that don’t get a say, he offers “a new hope,” he will bring CHANGE because “Change is coming.” In my opinion, people don’t know enough about the issues that center the presidential campaign and, ultimately, each American’s life because they’re unaware and possibly apathetic. If they did care, they would at least have to know something they’re supporting! As the American people, we want a leader who knows what he’s doing to give us the best lives we can live for. The problem is that when our president offers something to the table, like a reformed health care plan, so many people overreact and get all crazy because that’s not what they want. But in reality, not everyone will get their favorite piece of the pie. The world today is becoming less and less personable, and much of it is coming from our selfishness. We don’t want to ask the deep questions because we’re either lazy or just don’t care, and that’s just plain sad. Everyone has a mind and a heart that needs to be attended to, and that starts from our own. Like so many others, I’ve eavesdropped on many conversations around campus from time to time and heard dialogues that only reach the surface of what’s going on between two people. I appreciate being involved in a Christian community where real questions should be asked to dive deeper into each other’s minds and hearts, and I plan to use this kind of communication when befriending or making acquaintances in classroom settings and, in the future, my workplace. I’ve been involved with a Christian organization on campus since my freshman year, and as I am on the homestretch to graduation this semester, one thing I learned from my family at Penn State from this organization is that at the end of the day, people matter. We need to ask the tough questions that will make things uncomfortable and, sometimes, unintentionally offensive. We won’t learn anything about ourselves or each other until we get to the roots of human nature by figuring out why we decide the beliefs we want to believe in, how we want to live the way we live, and so much more.

As for the video, I’m not surprised that these politician supporters don’t know as much as they should when deciding who should govern and control the very nation they live and take pride in. As one can tell, these supporters base their decisions on outer appearances: she’s a “strong woman,” “stands for the American people and not for other people,” “a “breath of fresh air,” “fairness and realness,” and so much more. It goes the same for Barack Obama, as many of his minority supporters can easily say he represents the minorities that don’t get a say, he offers “a new hope,” he will bring CHANGE because “Change is coming.” In my opinion, people don’t know enough about the issues that center the presidential campaign and, ultimately, each American’s life because they’re unaware and possibly apathetic. If they did care, they would at least have to know something they’re supporting! As the American people, we want a leader who knows what he’s doing to give us the best lives we can live for. The problem is that when our president offers something to the table, like a reformed health care plan, so many people overreact and get all crazy because that’s not what they want. But in reality, not everyone will get their favorite piece of the pie.

]]> By: Veggie_man http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-3/#comment-17187 Veggie_man Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:13:46 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-17187 There are always going to be dumbasses on both sides of the isle, but it sure seems like those conservatives love showing how stupid they are. Granted, I know there are stupid people on the left, but it seems like the right almost enjoys to highlight their stupidity—to show how ‘real’ they are. When you look at Bush and Palin, they are a prime example. The intellectuals on the left are elitist, but the right wing stars are down to earth. It’s crazy. And I know this looks like a partisan attack, but I don’t fit into either of those ideologies. I think everyone has different idea’s and some are good and some are terrible. In saying that, I think the only reason the republicans have the popularity that they do is because of this stupidity of America. Look at the republican strong holds—the south in mid-west. Look at the education levels of those regions (and of course income follows education). They are the worst in America. Look at the liberal strong holds—the north and west—the regions which bring in the most money and the regions that are the most educated. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. In regards to the video, the people in this video have such distorted views of policy. They don’t know what the policy is, nor do they care. They were asked about cap and trade, health care, foreign policy, and abortion, but had no idea what those actual policies entail. They proudly held Palin’s policies on top, but had no idea what her policy ideas were. One woman was asked what spending she would like to see cut, and she said all of it. By the looks of it, she wouldn’t be too happy if her Medicare was taken away. You could tell a lot of these people were legitimately scared of what the Obama administration is doing. They think he is repealing everything in this country, disregarding the constitution, and destroying everything he can before he’s kicked out. The last guy looked like he was so scared he was going to cry. And it wasn’t just one or two people’s opinion—it was everyone. When asked about where they got their news from, of course Fox news was mentioned. I think that is exactly where they are getting all of this miss information. All they hear is opinions on Fox news and take it for actual news. These people are now living in such fear because of this politically oriented new organization. Granted, all the other news programs are biased as hell, but they certainly don’t instill fear in people(besides Keith Olberman crying). Lastly, why did that woman start crying about PETA when she is talking about drilling? There are always going to be dumbasses on both sides of the isle, but it sure seems like those conservatives love showing how stupid they are. Granted, I know there are stupid people on the left, but it seems like the right almost enjoys to highlight their stupidity—to show how ‘real’ they are. When you look at Bush and Palin, they are a prime example. The intellectuals on the left are elitist, but the right wing stars are down to earth. It’s crazy.

And I know this looks like a partisan attack, but I don’t fit into either of those ideologies. I think everyone has different idea’s and some are good and some are terrible. In saying that, I think the only reason the republicans have the popularity that they do is because of this stupidity of America. Look at the republican strong holds—the south in mid-west. Look at the education levels of those regions (and of course income follows education). They are the worst in America. Look at the liberal strong holds—the north and west—the regions which bring in the most money and the regions that are the most educated. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

In regards to the video, the people in this video have such distorted views of policy. They don’t know what the policy is, nor do they care. They were asked about cap and trade, health care, foreign policy, and abortion, but had no idea what those actual policies entail. They proudly held Palin’s policies on top, but had no idea what her policy ideas were. One woman was asked what spending she would like to see cut, and she said all of it. By the looks of it, she wouldn’t be too happy if her Medicare was taken away.

You could tell a lot of these people were legitimately scared of what the Obama administration is doing. They think he is repealing everything in this country, disregarding the constitution, and destroying everything he can before he’s kicked out. The last guy looked like he was so scared he was going to cry. And it wasn’t just one or two people’s opinion—it was everyone. When asked about where they got their news from, of course Fox news was mentioned. I think that is exactly where they are getting all of this miss information. All they hear is opinions on Fox news and take it for actual news. These people are now living in such fear because of this politically oriented new organization. Granted, all the other news programs are biased as hell, but they certainly don’t instill fear in people(besides Keith Olberman crying).

Lastly, why did that woman start crying about PETA when she is talking about drilling?

]]> By: JBR5079 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-3/#comment-15614 JBR5079 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:18:28 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-15614 It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening, yet the honest truth, that this video was not at all surprising to me. This video is about far more than politics, but rather about the human brain and how people think and are so incapable of changing viewpoints when so set on something. The perfect description of this really is "the rusty brain". People, and yes, me included, fail to think. If people were to ask me what party I was , I would say democratic. I would also continue to say, that I would never vote for a Republican candidate, regardless of if they were better fit to lead our nation. I wouldn't even dare to consider voting for a Republican, and find a way to twist around everything they proposed in their campaigns to use it against them as candidates. My back up? I would say I disagree with what the Republican party stands for. (In all honesty, writing this and watching this video, what does that even mean?) However, if a Democrat were not as fit for a position as a Republican, I would never admit to it, due to my stubbornness and incapability, like many others, to actually think about my stance and viewpoints, and possibly have them changed would most likely never happen. But this lack of thinking, this lack of openness to change, and actually to extend even further, lack of experience, is what plagues our society. This does not just effect politics, it effects social interactions, race relations, and even more specific things like advancement in school and personal and societal discovery. Our parents and/or guardians, families, teachers, and overall aspects of our environment affect how we view "our" world. We are raised to think about things one way or another. I think I am SUPPOSED to marry someone Jewish, because my mother has always told me so. This is the way it SUPPOSED to be, so that's the way I will try to make it. What about your earliest science classes? Your teacher stood up in front of the class and told you the earth was round. Anyone ever question a teacher? What about ask him or her to prove it? Chances are, your answer is no, because you're not SUPPOSED to question a teacher. What about a friend you've met here, at Penn State, who has never met a black person in their life, a person who comes from a small white country town? They are most likely, like many of the people I have met from these places, going to have a negative view of black people (overgeneralization or not) Regardless of if they meet someone and become great friends with a black person at Penn State, they will still hold a viewpoint of them regardless of if they realize it or not. Yes, many people may argue me on this, that a person's opinion can change. But that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that views and "supposed to be's" are drilled into from our individual environments and we then develop views that we THINK have substantial support, yet how many times are our viewpoints even accurate? What's so wrong with branching out? What is so wrong with thinking? Chances are its fear; fear of change, fear of being wrong, fear of challenging what "is". It is lack of exposure, lack of experience. People need to open up a little more and look at the whole world, rather than the "one they live in". It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening, yet the honest truth, that this video was not at all surprising to me. This video is about far more than politics, but rather about the human brain and how people think and are so incapable of changing viewpoints when so set on something. The perfect description of this really is "the rusty brain". People, and yes, me included, fail to think. If people were to ask me what party I was , I would say democratic. I would also continue to say, that I would never vote for a Republican candidate, regardless of if they were better fit to lead our nation. I wouldn't even dare to consider voting for a Republican, and find a way to twist around everything they proposed in their campaigns to use it against them as candidates. My back up? I would say I disagree with what the Republican party stands for. (In all honesty, writing this and watching this video, what does that even mean?) However, if a Democrat were not as fit for a position as a Republican, I would never admit to it, due to my stubbornness and incapability, like many others, to actually think about my stance and viewpoints, and possibly have them changed would most likely never happen. But this lack of thinking, this lack of openness to change, and actually to extend even further, lack of experience, is what plagues our society.

This does not just effect politics, it effects social interactions, race relations, and even more specific things like advancement in school and personal and societal discovery. Our parents and/or guardians, families, teachers, and overall aspects of our environment affect how we view "our" world. We are raised to think about things one way or another. I think I am SUPPOSED to marry someone Jewish, because my mother has always told me so. This is the way it SUPPOSED to be, so that's the way I will try to make it. What about your earliest science classes? Your teacher stood up in front of the class and told you the earth was round. Anyone ever question a teacher? What about ask him or her to prove it? Chances are, your answer is no, because you're not SUPPOSED to question a teacher. What about a friend you've met here, at Penn State, who has never met a black person in their life, a person who comes from a small white country town? They are most likely, like many of the people I have met from these places, going to have a negative view of black people (overgeneralization or not) Regardless of if they meet someone and become great friends with a black person at Penn State, they will still hold a viewpoint of them regardless of if they realize it or not. Yes, many people may argue me on this, that a person's opinion can change. But that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that views and "supposed to be's" are drilled into from our individual environments and we then develop views that we THINK have substantial support, yet how many times are our viewpoints even accurate? What's so wrong with branching out? What is so wrong with thinking? Chances are its fear; fear of change, fear of being wrong, fear of challenging what "is". It is lack of exposure, lack of experience. People need to open up a little more and look at the whole world, rather than the "one they live in".

]]> By: vmartinez_0903 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-3/#comment-15508 vmartinez_0903 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:58:18 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-15508 Thought and thinking are mental forms and processes, respectively ("thought" is both). Thinking allows beings to model the world and to represent it according to their objectives plans ends and desires. Words referring to similar concepts and processes include cognition, science, consciousness, idea, and imagination. The world today has found a way to totally destroy the whole theory of thinking. We have technology that does all of the thinking for us. When a person is challenged to think, they are stuck. The other day I was on the bus and over heard a conversation. The topic was about health care. I am not going to go in depth about the conversation, but let’s just say that the facts were not know. People are lead by the thoughts of others. The meager thoughts of those who half read and understand the facts are the ones that are always listened to. People have become accustomed to having everything handed to them without even thinking about it. When they have to actually think about what to do they have no way to go about handling the situation. They’re “opinions” on things are not well thought out. Without critical thinking you basically become a parrot, just mouthing the voice of others. Some think that critical thinking involves going against the popular view of things, but not every rebel is a critical thinker. The key is to consider the viewpoint of the source of your information, as well as understanding your own biases. Many claim to be giving unbiased facts, but in reality everyone has a viewpoint that guides how we present and absorb information. The trick is to know your bias, and consider how that may cloud your judgment. If you challenge everything, you can stand confident that you aren't being fooled. We live in an age in which we are bombarded with information. It is not unusual for people of the current generation to assimilate their perceptions rather than making changes to individual mental maps. We (all generations) are predisposed to assimilating (collecting) ideas and thoughts. If we don't examine world events, our reactions and our perceptions, it is extremely difficult to live a life of satisfaction. We need to make accommodations or changes to our mental map. If individuals cannot think critically it may be because many people cannot think abstractly. I suspect many people are too self absorbed to think critically. Without critical thinking we cannot change our minds and are only collectors of the thoughts of others. We can never be creative if we lack the ability to alter ideas and thoughts and form our own personal ideas. It is difficult to stop and reflect but reflection enhances our consciousness of self and others. Both the impact of our personal experiences and the impact of world events are altered by judgments. Informed decisions (true judgments) come from critical thinking. Critical thinking leads to response rather than reaction. "You be the judge." Thought and thinking are mental forms and processes, respectively ("thought" is both). Thinking allows beings to model the world and to represent it according to their objectives plans ends and desires. Words referring to similar concepts and processes include cognition, science, consciousness, idea, and imagination. The world today has found a way to totally destroy the whole theory of thinking. We have technology that does all of the thinking for us. When a person is challenged to think, they are stuck. The other day I was on the bus and over heard a conversation. The topic was about health care. I am not going to go in depth about the conversation, but let’s just say that the facts were not know. People are lead by the thoughts of others. The meager thoughts of those who half read and understand the facts are the ones that are always listened to. People have become accustomed to having everything handed to them without even thinking about it. When they have to actually think about what to do they have no way to go about handling the situation. They’re “opinions” on things are not well thought out. Without critical thinking you basically become a parrot, just mouthing the voice of others. Some think that critical thinking involves going against the popular view of things, but not every rebel is a critical thinker. The key is to consider the viewpoint of the source of your information, as well as understanding your own biases. Many claim to be giving unbiased facts, but in reality everyone has a viewpoint that guides how we present and absorb information. The trick is to know your bias, and consider how that may cloud your judgment. If you challenge everything, you can stand confident that you aren't being fooled. We live in an age in which we are bombarded with information. It is not unusual for people of the current generation to assimilate their perceptions rather than making changes to individual mental maps. We (all generations) are predisposed to assimilating (collecting) ideas and thoughts. If we don't examine world events, our reactions and our perceptions, it is extremely difficult to live a life of satisfaction. We need to make accommodations or changes to our mental map. If individuals cannot think critically it may be because many people cannot think abstractly. I suspect many people are too self absorbed to think critically. Without critical thinking we cannot change our minds and are only collectors of the thoughts of others. We can never be creative if we lack the ability to alter ideas and thoughts and form our own personal ideas. It is difficult to stop and reflect but reflection enhances our consciousness of self and others. Both the impact of our personal experiences and the impact of world events are altered by judgments. Informed decisions (true judgments) come from critical thinking. Critical thinking leads to response rather than reaction. "You be the judge."

]]> By: RDF5046 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-3/#comment-15476 RDF5046 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:23:36 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-15476 It is incredibly amazing, yet not surprising by any means of how uninformed the general public is in our nation as a whole. People say that "our generation" are the ones that are not "civicly active" and generally do not follow what happens in our government and in politics. This is not just our generation. The majority of those who were interviewed in this video were 40+ years old. Others might say also that it may because of the area that these people were from. However, I am willing to bet that you can pick any random street corner in the US and you receive many of the same results. For example, Howard Stern did an "experiment" (I guess you can say) of sending an interviewer out onto the streets of Harlem to see who the people were deciding to vote for in the past Presidential election. The catch was that the interviewer decided to swap the policies of the two candidates, Obama and McCain. He would ask a question like "How do feel about Obama's decision of picking Sarah Pahlin to be his Vice President?" It is unbelievable that not one person questioned the interviewer but rather just trusted them to be telling the truth and just agreed with whatever they said. You can find it on youtube. The most astounding part; however, is not that they didn't know anything whatsoever about the presidential election, but that they tried to carry a conversation and act like they did. I am no where near the most informed person when it comes to politics, yet I definitely don't act like I am either. To be honest, I can not sit here and say that I wish I could be more politically active and I can't say that everyone should strive to be so either. I do my part to vote and understand what going on in the world and just do enough to merely be informed. Whether or not some said something to someone else or gave money to someone on the Senate floor or something, really will not effect my everyday life. I will still wake up tomorrow and carry on with my day just like it is any other. You can say I am not fulfilling my duty of being an American and being apart of a democracy, but when here things like this video and the Howard Stern clip, What does that even mean? Is my knowledge going to make a difference when we have people like these who either don't vote and when they do, they vote for them because some guy told them they were 'good'? The conclusion is that our country is incredibly uniformed as a whole. It is not certain groups of people. Generally, it really is our entire nation. It is incredibly amazing, yet not surprising by any means of how uninformed the general public is in our nation as a whole. People say that "our generation" are the ones that are not "civicly active" and generally do not follow what happens in our government and in politics. This is not just our generation. The majority of those who were interviewed in this video were 40+ years old. Others might say also that it may because of the area that these people were from. However, I am willing to bet that you can pick any random street corner in the US and you receive many of the same results. For example, Howard Stern did an "experiment" (I guess you can say) of sending an interviewer out onto the streets of Harlem to see who the people were deciding to vote for in the past Presidential election. The catch was that the interviewer decided to swap the policies of the two candidates, Obama and McCain. He would ask a question like "How do feel about Obama's decision of picking Sarah Pahlin to be his Vice President?" It is unbelievable that not one person questioned the interviewer but rather just trusted them to be telling the truth and just agreed with whatever they said. You can find it on youtube. The most astounding part; however, is not that they didn't know anything whatsoever about the presidential election, but that they tried to carry a conversation and act like they did. I am no where near the most informed person when it comes to politics, yet I definitely don't act like I am either. To be honest, I can not sit here and say that I wish I could be more politically active and I can't say that everyone should strive to be so either. I do my part to vote and understand what going on in the world and just do enough to merely be informed. Whether or not some said something to someone else or gave money to someone on the Senate floor or something, really will not effect my everyday life. I will still wake up tomorrow and carry on with my day just like it is any other. You can say I am not fulfilling my duty of being an American and being apart of a democracy, but when here things like this video and the Howard Stern clip, What does that even mean? Is my knowledge going to make a difference when we have people like these who either don't vote and when they do, they vote for them because some guy told them they were 'good'? The conclusion is that our country is incredibly uniformed as a whole. It is not certain groups of people. Generally, it really is our entire nation.

]]> By: cbd5023 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-2/#comment-14986 cbd5023 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:01:14 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-14986 I think that the You Tube video says it all. Does anyone really think that people in this country are elected to public office by a knowing and well informed electorate? We live in a world of sound bites. It is rare for our candidates to be forthright in their positions and similarly uncommon for our television journalists to inform us properly of the contender's thinking on the issues. Whether the zealous advocate is a Palin fan or an Obama follower most people only know buzz words or repeat what they have heard over the most recent news cycle. Because so many voters tend to be one issue advocates it is no surprise that "rusty" rules the world. Abortion, war, the economy, jobs, taxes...take your pick. A perceived understanding regarding a candidate's position on only one of these emotional issues will usually generate support and a vote. Why bother to think more than one has to. Power to the people. I think that the You Tube video says it all. Does anyone really think that
people in this country are elected to public office by a knowing and well
informed electorate? We live in a world of sound bites. It is rare for our
candidates to be forthright in their positions and similarly uncommon for
our television journalists to inform us properly of the contender's thinking
on the issues. Whether the zealous advocate is a Palin fan or an Obama
follower most people only know buzz words or repeat what they have heard
over the most recent news cycle. Because so many voters tend to be one
issue advocates it is no surprise that "rusty" rules the world. Abortion,
war, the economy, jobs, taxes…take your pick. A perceived understanding
regarding a candidate's position on only one of these emotional issues will
usually generate support and a vote. Why bother to think more than one has
to. Power to the people.

]]> By: eds5092 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-2/#comment-14802 eds5092 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:26:32 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-14802 I have no idea why many people, and personally me, do not know a lot about politics and current events. My lack of knowledge on everyday subjects really makes me feel stupid and embarrassed. As a well educated human being shouldn't I know about what is going on around me? Instead of discussing politics with others I simply do not give any opinion because I am afriad I will sound dumb and also because I feel like politics is such a touchy subject and I do not want to argue about it. Me being afraid of expressing my opinion, however, has led to me not exactly knowing how I feel. Ever since I was young I always took on my parent’s point of view as the “right” way to think without ever stopping to ask myself my own beliefs. Looking at it now I still cannot make my own decisions because I feel in order to make one I have to know all the facts. With all the technology out there today it is easy to get information on the latest events but sadly me, and most of my friends, do not even have the passion to take time to look at what is going on around us. I do feel that since I am an adult now I should be interested in our country’s policies however since I have never looked into it before it has been hard for me to get started. I really wish that I took the time to learn more about politics but I do not make it a priority and maybe that is beacuse I cannot see how it directly affects my family and friends as well as myself. When news is put in front of me I do take interest and feel good about being able to discuss and know what is going on when I hear the topic brought up. For example, as I was waiting to go into a meeting, CNN was on and they were discussing the Hati disaster. I found myself very interested in how these people were going to be helped, but at the same time when I turn on the television I turn right to MTV and skip over the news because I have a preconceived notion that news is boring. Personally, I would think there was something wrong with me for the fact that I rather watch snookie being punched than hear about the new health plan, except most other people I know and hang out with do the exact same thing. So is it possible that my generation just was never taught to take interest, or is it merely the environment that I was brought up in? My parents, however, are always talking about the latest discovery or wildly arguing about their health care policies. Maybe it is the fact that because my parents take care of everything and understand what is going on I have not had to think for myself or even learned how. Growing up in a small neighborhood I have never been tested or questioned why things are the way they are. I feel as if I have a lack of experience in life and even though I was "well educated" during high school I learned nothing about life in general even with all the resources I have been given. I have no idea why many people, and personally me, do not know a lot about politics and current events. My lack of knowledge on everyday subjects really makes me feel stupid and embarrassed. As a well educated human being shouldn't I know about what is going on around me? Instead of discussing politics with others I simply do not give any opinion because I am afriad I will sound dumb and also because I feel like politics is such a touchy subject and I do not want to argue about it. Me being afraid of expressing my opinion, however, has led to me not exactly knowing how I feel. Ever since I was young I always took on my parent’s point of view as the “right” way to think without ever stopping to ask myself my own beliefs. Looking at it now I still cannot make my own decisions because I feel in order to make one I have to know all the facts. With all the technology out there today it is easy to get information on the latest events but sadly me, and most of my friends, do not even have the passion to take time to look at what is going on around us. I do feel that since I am an adult now I should be interested in our country’s policies however since I have never looked into it before it has been hard for me to get started. I really wish that I took the time to learn more about politics but I do not make it a priority and maybe that is beacuse I cannot see how it directly affects my family and friends as well as myself. When news is put in front of me I do take interest and feel good about being able to discuss and know what is going on when I hear the topic brought up. For example, as I was waiting to go into a meeting, CNN was on and they were discussing the Hati disaster. I found myself very interested in how these people were going to be helped, but at the same time when I turn on the television I turn right to MTV and skip over the news because I have a preconceived notion that news is boring. Personally, I would think there was something wrong with me for the fact that I rather watch snookie being punched than hear about the new health plan, except most other people I know and hang out with do the exact same thing. So is it possible that my generation just was never taught to take interest, or is it merely the environment that I was brought up in? My parents, however, are always talking about the latest discovery or wildly arguing about their health care policies. Maybe it is the fact that because my parents take care of everything and understand what is going on I have not had to think for myself or even learned how. Growing up in a small neighborhood I have never been tested or questioned why things are the way they are. I feel as if I have a lack of experience in life and even though I was "well educated" during high school I learned nothing about life in general even with all the resources I have been given.

]]> By: JBR5079 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-2/#comment-14835 JBR5079 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:10:21 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-14835 It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening, yet the honest truth, that this video was not at all surprising to me. This video is about far more than politics, but rather about the human brain and how people think and are so incapable of changing viewpoints when so set on something. The perfect description of this really is "the rusty brain". People, and yes, me included, fail to think. If people were to ask me what party I was , I would say democratic. I would also continue to say, that I would never vote for a Republican candidate, regardless of if they were better fit to lead our nation. I wouldn't even dare to consider voting for a Republican, and find a way to twist around everything they proposed in their campaigns to use it against them as candidates. My back up? I would say I disagree with what the Republican party stands for. (In all honesty, writing this and watching this video, what does that even mean?) However, if a Democrat were not as fit for a position as a Republican, I would never admit to it, due to my stubbornness and incapability, like many others, to actually think about my stance and viewpoints, and possibly have them changed would most likely never happen. But this lack of thinking, this lack of openness to change, and actually to extend even further, lack of experience, is what plagues our society. This does not just effect politics, it effects social interactions, race relations, and even more specific things like advancement in school and personal and societal discovery. Our parents and/or guardians, families, teachers, and overall aspects of our environment affect how we view "our" world. We are raised to think about things one way or another. I think I am SUPPOSED to marry someone Jewish, because my mother has always told me so. This is the way it SUPPOSED to be, so that's the way I will try to make it. What about your earliest science classes? Your teacher stood up in front of the class and told you the earth was round. Anyone ever question a teacher? What about ask him or her to prove it? Chances are, your answer is no, because you're not SUPPOSED to question a teacher. What about a friend you've met here, at Penn State, who has never met a black person in their life, a person who comes from a small white country town? They are most likely, like many of the people I have met from these places, going to have a negative view of black people (overgeneralization or not) Regardless of if they meet someone and become great friends with a black person at Penn State, they will still hold a viewpoint of them regardless of if they realize it or not. Yes, many people may argue me on this, that a person's opinion can change. But that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that views and "supposed to be's" are drilled into from our individual environments and we then develop views that we THINK have substantial support, yet how many times are our viewpoints even accurate? What's so wrong with branching out? What is so wrong with thinking? Chances are its fear; fear of change, fear of being wrong, fear of challenging what "is". It is lack of exposure, lack of experience. People need to open up a little more and look at the whole world, rather than the "one they live in". It is extremely unfortunate and disheartening, yet the honest truth, that this video was not at all surprising to me. This video is about far more than politics, but rather about the human brain and how people think and are so incapable of changing viewpoints when so set on something. The perfect description of this really is "the rusty brain". People, and yes, me included, fail to think. If people were to ask me what party I was , I would say democratic. I would also continue to say, that I would never vote for a Republican candidate, regardless of if they were better fit to lead our nation. I wouldn't even dare to consider voting for a Republican, and find a way to twist around everything they proposed in their campaigns to use it against them as candidates. My back up? I would say I disagree with what the Republican party stands for. (In all honesty, writing this and watching this video, what does that even mean?) However, if a Democrat were not as fit for a position as a Republican, I would never admit to it, due to my stubbornness and incapability, like many others, to actually think about my stance and viewpoints, and possibly have them changed would most likely never happen. But this lack of thinking, this lack of openness to change, and actually to extend even further, lack of experience, is what plagues our society.

This does not just effect politics, it effects social interactions, race relations, and even more specific things like advancement in school and personal and societal discovery. Our parents and/or guardians, families, teachers, and overall aspects of our environment affect how we view "our" world. We are raised to think about things one way or another. I think I am SUPPOSED to marry someone Jewish, because my mother has always told me so. This is the way it SUPPOSED to be, so that's the way I will try to make it. What about your earliest science classes? Your teacher stood up in front of the class and told you the earth was round. Anyone ever question a teacher? What about ask him or her to prove it? Chances are, your answer is no, because you're not SUPPOSED to question a teacher. What about a friend you've met here, at Penn State, who has never met a black person in their life, a person who comes from a small white country town? They are most likely, like many of the people I have met from these places, going to have a negative view of black people (overgeneralization or not) Regardless of if they meet someone and become great friends with a black person at Penn State, they will still hold a viewpoint of them regardless of if they realize it or not. Yes, many people may argue me on this, that a person's opinion can change. But that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that views and "supposed to be's" are drilled into from our individual environments and we then develop views that we THINK have substantial support, yet how many times are our viewpoints even accurate? What's so wrong with branching out? What is so wrong with thinking? Chances are its fear; fear of change, fear of being wrong, fear of challenging what "is". It is lack of exposure, lack of experience. People need to open up a little more and look at the whole world, rather than the "one they live in".

]]> By: dancinqueen http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-2/#comment-14695 dancinqueen Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:13:37 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-14695 While reading this post, I couldn’t help but stop and think, “Yeah, we really don’t have conversations with people around us.” Everyone’s minds are so stuck in high gear that we rarely take a second to stop and think about what we are actually saying. I know I do it. I’m already planning what to say next while I’m talking to someone else. I’m probably not even listening to what they are actually saying, and then again, are they even listening to me? I believe our society is so caught up in technological and psychological demands that we are more robotic than anything else. We are programmed to follow social cues. But now when I reflect, I rarely see people exchange meaningful conversations or even act well mannered at that. It is pretty rare to see students hold the door for other students; maybe they do for elders but rarely for peers. I have to be honest, I too find myself too worried about where I need to be or what I need to be doing, but I have taken some time to have real conversations lately. About a year ago, I started spending more and more time with a few girls from my hall. We would just hang out, get ready together, go eat at the Commons, you know the normal things friends would do. It’s pretty funny because whenever we would be eating over the weekend, we would always get into an hour long debate over something. We still do this all the time; it’s never forced or interrogating, just our thoughts on whatever comes up. And we have talked about everything; religion, politics, race, gender, homosexuality, how we feel about abortion. And we don’t always agree, but that’s what makes it fun. I think what I’ve come to realize in all of this is that you probably really need to feel comfortable with people and confident in your perspective to engage in these types of conversations. I think that’s why we aren’t thinking, we are either too nervous to put our feelings out there too early in an interaction or we just never formed an opinion in the first place. It’s true, school doesn’t really teach you how to learn or think, and it’s pretty much expected. I want to be a teacher some day, yet school doesn’t really promote thought anymore. Education values accuracy and quantity over quality; I guess basically everything contradictory to what teachers say they want. So, what I get out of this is that I may not know more than those around me or even know the right answer, but I have been occupying my time with enough thought provoking conversations to keep my brain working and I hope that I can challenge my students to interact with one another and society in a similar way. While reading this post, I couldn’t help but stop and think, “Yeah, we really don’t have conversations with people around us.” Everyone’s minds are so stuck in high gear that we rarely take a second to stop and think about what we are actually saying. I know I do it. I’m already planning what to say next while I’m talking to someone else. I’m probably not even listening to what they are actually saying, and then again, are they even listening to me?
I believe our society is so caught up in technological and psychological demands that we are more robotic than anything else. We are programmed to follow social cues. But now when I reflect, I rarely see people exchange meaningful conversations or even act well mannered at that. It is pretty rare to see students hold the door for other students; maybe they do for elders but rarely for peers.
I have to be honest, I too find myself too worried about where I need to be or what I need to be doing, but I have taken some time to have real conversations lately. About a year ago, I started spending more and more time with a few girls from my hall. We would just hang out, get ready together, go eat at the Commons, you know the normal things friends would do. It’s pretty funny because whenever we would be eating over the weekend, we would always get into an hour long debate over something. We still do this all the time; it’s never forced or interrogating, just our thoughts on whatever comes up. And we have talked about everything; religion, politics, race, gender, homosexuality, how we feel about abortion. And we don’t always agree, but that’s what makes it fun.
I think what I’ve come to realize in all of this is that you probably really need to feel comfortable with people and confident in your perspective to engage in these types of conversations. I think that’s why we aren’t thinking, we are either too nervous to put our feelings out there too early in an interaction or we just never formed an opinion in the first place. It’s true, school doesn’t really teach you how to learn or think, and it’s pretty much expected. I want to be a teacher some day, yet school doesn’t really promote thought anymore. Education values accuracy and quantity over quality; I guess basically everything contradictory to what teachers say they want. So, what I get out of this is that I may not know more than those around me or even know the right answer, but I have been occupying my time with enough thought provoking conversations to keep my brain working and I hope that I can challenge my students to interact with one another and society in a similar way.

]]> By: arc5169 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2009/11/those-rusty-brains/comment-page-2/#comment-14595 arc5169 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:30:46 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1306#comment-14595 This excerpt deals with the rational ignorance of voters. Information is too costly so it is very difficult for voters to look into every spectrum of the political elections. If voters were to look into every issue and every stance by politicians then they would be wasting much of their time. This rusty thinking leads to shortsightedness by voters. However these voters are extremely ignorant and view Sarah Palin as an idol and a symbol rather than looking into her viewpoints. The people in the video say that Palin “sticks up for the American people” and is the epitome of “freedom and liberty.” And yet, they have no arguments to back up their statements. This is what makes elections and campaigns so biased and unstable. Most voters get their information from newspaper and television shows. The news is biased to only show information which they feel is most important and these issues do not always coincide with the voters interests. The mainstream media plays a significant role in the information that is expressed to voters and this can affect the way we vote. This past election shows a great example of this ignorance and shortsightedness. On Penn State campus, most voters were “following the trend” and intensely behind Barack Obama, yet if you had asked students various questions on the election, then they probably did not know any of his political stances. Most students just voted for him because the idea of Obama was engraved into their minds that everything they heard about him was thought to be the best idea any candidate could conceive. People follow the mainstream and insist on pursuing what everyone else is doing. It is disappointing that people fail to think for themselves and follow their own ideas. As stated, often people have “ideas that are different from those we espouse.” Because people are not thinking for themselves we are conforming to the mainstream and not sticking up for our own beliefs, if those even still exist. The one man on the video stated that American is “just another country” which is extremely offensive to think of the United States as losing its strength. But with everyone conforming to the same ideals, we are losing the basis of America which thrives on independence and freedom. In my opinion, some people are afraid to have their own opinions because they are afraid of rejection. They must feel that if they just agree or take a back seat ride instead of standing up for themselves then they won’t be noticed for their opinions but this rejects the basic ideas of liberty. We have been conformed to such tight strings since early childhood that it may be hard for some people to deter from this. Yet it is very disheartening to think people are having “rusty thinking” and aren’t curious enough about issues to form their own opinions or conclusions. This excerpt deals with the rational ignorance of voters. Information is too costly so it is very difficult for voters to look into every spectrum of the political elections. If voters were to look into every issue and every stance by politicians then they would be wasting much of their time. This rusty thinking leads to shortsightedness by voters. However these voters are extremely ignorant and view Sarah Palin as an idol and a symbol rather than looking into her viewpoints. The people in the video say that Palin “sticks up for the American people” and is the epitome of “freedom and liberty.” And yet, they have no arguments to back up their statements. This is what makes elections and campaigns so biased and unstable. Most voters get their information from newspaper and television shows. The news is biased to only show information which they feel is most important and these issues do not always coincide with the voters interests. The mainstream media plays a significant role in the information that is expressed to voters and this can affect the way we vote. This past election shows a great example of this ignorance and shortsightedness.

On Penn State campus, most voters were “following the trend” and intensely behind Barack Obama, yet if you had asked students various questions on the election, then they probably did not know any of his political stances. Most students just voted for him because the idea of Obama was engraved into their minds that everything they heard about him was thought to be the best idea any candidate could conceive. People follow the mainstream and insist on pursuing what everyone else is doing. It is disappointing that people fail to think for themselves and follow their own ideas. As stated, often people have “ideas that are different from those we espouse.” Because people are not thinking for themselves we are conforming to the mainstream and not sticking up for our own beliefs, if those even still exist. The one man on the video stated that American is “just another country” which is extremely offensive to think of the United States as losing its strength. But with everyone conforming to the same ideals, we are losing the basis of America which thrives on independence and freedom.

In my opinion, some people are afraid to have their own opinions because they are afraid of rejection. They must feel that if they just agree or take a back seat ride instead of standing up for themselves then they won’t be noticed for their opinions but this rejects the basic ideas of liberty. We have been conformed to such tight strings since early childhood that it may be hard for some people to deter from this. Yet it is very disheartening to think people are having “rusty thinking” and aren’t curious enough about issues to form their own opinions or conclusions.

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