Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photojournalisim and 9/11
From: Allan Wafkowski <allanwafkowski@mac.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 14:54:15 -0400

Kim, I can't disagree with what you have written, but I do disagree with 
your apparent prognosis.

"People (the human animal with a reptilian brain) are far more inclined 
to engage in pleasurable pursuits than painful ones" is a remark that 
leaves little room for our power to reason. We are all inclined to what 
is easy, fun, and pleasurable; but we can override that through the use 
of our reasoning ability. It's become difficult because the notion of 
absolutes is much diminished in our society, and there are a couple of 
generations bouncing around who are looking inward to their egos for 
answers. Still, we all know students who worked harder than their peers 
to get into the school they wanted, or know of parents who used family 
resources for the pleasure of their children in lieu of their own 
pleasure. Discipline and sacrifice are not popular, but our reasoning 
has always had the power to take up beyond animal instincts.

Allan


Teresa299@aol.com wrote:
>
> I think it goes to the point that people (the human animal with a 
> reptilian
> brain) are far more inclined to engage in pleasureable pursuits than 
> painful
> ones.  This is why a well casted action flick is going to sell more 
> tickets
> than a somber documentary on nazi death camps, why changing ones 
> clothing
> (from straight legs to bell bottoms) is going to be more popular than
> changing ones mode of transportation (from car to public transit) why a
> movement of music (rock) is going to fill stadiums whereas groups 
> dedicated
> to (let's say) ending world hunger will gather a couple hundred. A 
> corollary
> to my pleasure over pain theory is that it's easier to purchase change 
> rather
> than commit to it, and it's easier to speak of it rather than to act 
> upon it.
>
> I disagree that the things that are fed to us, don't make an impact on
> us....they do.  The national corporate news pretty much dictates what 
> the
> masses debate, because until it's in the corporate news channels, most 
> people
> either aren't aware of it or don't consider it the "truth."   Just look 
> to
> the beating war drums on the US's impending war on Iraq....it's being
> reported almost fait accompli...and so far...folks are pretty much 
> accepting
> it as so.
>
>
> -kim
>
>
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