Having fun creating paradigm shifts in our lives.

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The Oxford English Dictionary defines a paradigm shift as a fundamental change in approach or in the assumptions underlying something. It is said that we need some paradigm shifts in our world in order to strive for global peace and harmony. Most of us are not in positions of significant influence in our societies, but global paradigm shifts can only be achieved when a majority of us ordinary folk change how each of thinks. So I have drafted up some paradigm shifts which we may enjoy creating in our own lives and which may lead to the global paradigm shifts which we need. Your comments and suggestions are solicited.

1. A shift from having a necessary job, to having an enjoyable vocation. (There is dignity and satisfaction in any job, done well.)

2. A shift from a money-based life, to a pleasure-based life. (Happiness cannot be bought. It comes from within ourselves.)

3. A shift from a profit motive, to a fulfillment motive. (Seeking inner satisfaction, over monetary rewards.)

4. A shift from keeping up with the Joneses, to being different from the Joneses. (Acknowledging the influences of others in our lives, but living by our own standards and principles.)

5. A shift from being subjected by rules, to being guided by rules. (Upholding the intent, rather than just the wording of rules & laws.)

6. A shift from indoctrination, to education -- from cramming information into our heads, to drawing insights out of our minds. (Learning HOW to think, instead of just WHAT to think.)

7. A shift from assigning blame to resolving problems. (Focusing our energies on things we can do something about.)

8. A shift from being defensive, to being receptive. (Seeking insights in the opinions and judgments of others.)

9. A shift from engendering fear, to engendering trust. (Learning the power and rewards in relationships of trust.)

10. A shift from competing, to cooperating. (Seeing the strengths of others as resources, not obstacles.)

11. A shift from fighting enemies, to creating allies. (Finding and supporting the goals and ideals we have in common.)

12. A shift from criticizing differences, to acknowledging and utilizing differences. (Strengthening our perspective and resolve by supplementing or contrasting them with differing perspectives.)

13. A shift from being skeptical, to being curious. (Being open and receptive to new ideas.)

14. A shift from punishing, to rehabilitating. (Learning the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of rehabilitation.)

15. A shift from competing with price, to competing with quality. (Raising qualities of goods and services, instead of just manipulating prices.)

16. A shift from hoping, to doing. (Taking action now, rather than waiting for someone else to take action in the future.)

17. A shift from dwelling in the past, to creating the future. (Focusing our energies where they will be most effective.)

Having Fun:

Doing things that we want to do.
Doing things that we are good at.
Doing things that help us to explore, discover and reinforce our own capabilities.
Doing things that help us to feel good.
Doing things that we think are praiseworthy.
Doing things about which our own feelings are more important than the possible criticisms, put-downs and make-wrongs of others.

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@mindlink,

mindlink;43067 wrote:

2. A shift from a money-based life, to a pleasure-based life. (Happiness cannot be bought. It comes from within ourselves.)

How is it that you equate 'pleasure' with 'happiness'. They aren't interchangeable as far as I can see.
Money buys pleasure (but there is no proof that it cannot also buy 'happiness'...). I think that you make a false dichotomy.

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4. A shift from keeping up with the Joneses, to being different from the Joneses. (Acknowledging the influences of others in our lives, but living by our own standards and principles.)

How about a shift to being one of the Joneses? We all are inherently unique. You are suggesting a shift from egoic view to egoic view. Another , perhaps, false dichotomy.
Long live the Borg!!

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5. A shift from being subjected by rules, to being guided by rules. (Upholding the intent, rather than just the wording of rules & laws.)

Another false dichotomy in the guise of a 'rationalization' and 'justification'; to maintain present 'Perspective' and make it 'feel' like a Perspective shift.

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13. A shift from being skeptical, to being curious. (Being open and receptive to new ideas.)

Now thats just plain nasty!
Throw away our critical thought in favor of mindless uncritical acceptance of whatever happens to flow into our ears (or mind, for that matter)? Fine for some that exhibit such characteristics, but hardly a 'goal' in life for others... The religions are full of fine examples of such, and the horrors that they propagate.

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15. A shift from competing with price, to competing with quality. (Raising qualities of goods and services, instead of just manipulating prices.)

See your #10!

2 Replies

@nameless,

Thank you for your opinions.

I sure am glad that I don't share them.

1 Reply

@mindlink,

Tim Minchin has some great words for this in one of his songs:

"If you open your mind too much, your brain will fall out."

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@mindlink,

mindlink wrote:

2. A shift from a money-based life, to a pleasure-based life.

They are the same thing... practically.

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@mindlink,

mindlink;43113 wrote:

Thank you for your opinions.

I sure am glad that I don't share them.

This is a philosophy forum. You don't have to share any opinions, but you are 'expected' to be able to support and defend your own OP... Rather than... 'this'... which is not 'philosophy'.

1 Reply

@nameless,

"nameless", besides being without a name, is also apparently without a place, without an education, without a background and without any qualifications whatsoever for anything. I choose not to engage in a discussion with such a nonentity.

2 Replies

@mindlink,

Nameless, what did you expect. This is an armchair philosophy forum. We don't debate, we argue; generally speaking

1 Reply

@Holiday20310401,

Hi Holiday20310401;
My experiences have indicated to me that when I focus on the pleasures in life, like get-togethers with family and friends, playing with my kids, acting on stage, singing in choirs, playing tennis, swimming laps in the local pool, volunteering for worthwhile causes, then money drops its priority in my life. My pleasure activities make life enjoyable even when I don't have money, and have sometimes opened up for me new opportunities for earning money.

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@nameless,

Quote:

Now thats just plain nasty!
Throw away our critical thought in favor of mindless uncritical acceptance of whatever happens to flow into our ears (or mind, for that matter)? Fine for some that exhibit such characteristics, but hardly a 'goal' in life for others... The religions are full of fine examples of such, and the horrors that they propagate.

Nameless,

Being curious does not mean throwing away critical thinking. why do you assume this?

there is a time for curiosity and a time for reflection(critical thinking).

1 Reply

@Joe,

Joe;43368 wrote:

Nameless,

Being curious does not mean throwing away critical thinking. why do you assume this?

there is a time for curiosity and a time for reflection(critical thinking).

What part of 'critical thought' is invalidated by 'curiosity'? I have been under the impression that 'curiosity' is the beginning of 'critical thought'. There is no 'versus'.

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A shift from being skeptical, to being curious. (Being open and receptive to new ideas.)

How do you satisfy 'curiosity' without use of critical thought? Put the finger in the fire again and again and again?
Skepticism and curiosity and critical thought are all bedmates, all necessary for good enquiry. People have various abilities.. If you have no skepticism, with no critical thought, but merely 'curious' and accepting any sort of 'explanations', you are a gullible fool. Not that being a gullible fool is a bad thing, it does have it's drawbacks, but one would be a 'good' consumer (from a corporate perspective), anyway.

1 Reply

@mindlink,

mindlink;43281 wrote:

"nameless", besides being without a name, is also apparently without a place, without an education, without a background and without any qualifications whatsoever for anything. I choose not to engage in a discussion with such a nonentity.

It's ok to be unable to reply. Just don't. This little rant that you offer in excuse of your inability to respond thoughfully and rationally to my observations is unnecessary, you could have just ignored me, as you almost did. Not everyone is capable of 'critical thought'. I offered valid observations and rather than intelligently respond, you get insulted and rude; this is a forum for critical thought, philosophy. Child, it appears that you are in the wrong place.

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@mindlink,

Though there are definitely times that critical thinking should be abandoned in the name of enjoyment, for example enjoying Heath Ledger's performance and ignoring Christian Bale's wrong-side-of-the-sandpaper voice.

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@nameless,

nameless wrote:

What part of 'critical thought' is invalidated by 'curiosity'?

I never said curiosity invalidates anything.

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I have been under the impression that 'curiosity' is the beginning of 'critical thought'. There is no 'versus'.

Indeed.

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How do you satisfy 'curiosity' without use of critical thought?

you cant.

So from what Ive read from your posts, you seem to be arguing that Critical thinking is more important then curiosity. If so i suggest a new thread. Its a good topic.

1 Reply

@Joe,

Joe;43394 wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by nameless
What part of 'critical thought' is invalidated by 'curiosity'?

I never said curiosity invalidates anything.

Yeah, that was me. I was making a point.

Quote:

So from what Ive read from your posts, you seem to be arguing that Critical thinking is more important then curiosity.

Nope, perhaps if you re-read then you'll find that I said that 'skepticism' and 'curiosity' and critical thought are "bedfellows". From a 'cause and effect' Perspective, skepticism 'causes' curiosity, no? 'Critical thought' gives rise to curiosity and (as 'truth' is discovered') skepticism (the base of science inquiry). If one is unwilling to accept the superficially obvious, one becomes curious and explores more deeply. One excellent means of exploring the 'object of curiosity' is by the liberal application of copious amounts of 'critical thought'.
Seems like three sides of the same coin, to me.
Peace

1 Reply

@nameless,

nameless wrote:

Yeah, that was me. I was making a point.

oh. I guess that Question mark at the end threw me off.

Quote:

Nope, perhaps if you re-read then you'll find that I said that 'skepticism' and 'curiosity' and critical thought are "bedfellows". From a 'cause and effect' Perspective, skepticism 'causes' curiosity, no? 'Critical thought' gives rise to curiosity and (as 'truth' is discovered') skepticism (the base of science inquiry). If one is unwilling to accept the superficially obvious, one becomes curious and explores more deeply. One excellent means of exploring the 'object of curiosity' is by the liberal application of copious amounts of 'critical thought'.
Seems like three sides of the same coin, to me.
Peace

I agree. I was merely commenting on your first response to this thread. But I think we've worked that out. Although when people talk about skepticism it is a very individual aspect. As is curiosity. I think what Mindlink's 13th paradigm means, is people should take more time to let go of personal attachments more often. These attachments to certain ideas and principals can be restrictive. Its kind of like your mother telling you as a young child, not to leave the house while she's gone because its dangerous. Seems logical, But............ lol, hope you catch what I mean.

1 Reply

@Joe,

Joe;43586 wrote:

These attachments to certain ideas and principals can be restrictive. Its kind of like your mother telling you as a young child, not to leave the house while she's gone because its dangerous. Seems logical, But............ lol, hope you catch what I mean.

Yup, same page. Thats what I was talking about regarding Buddha's reference to 'suffering', and 'attachment' to fleeting moments and all..
Peace

0 Replies

@mindlink,

mindlink wrote:

... It is said that we need some paradigm shifts in our world in order to strive for global peace and harmony.

Interesting list.

Yea, I'm with you - nearly all of these are goals I see as worthy. But assuming we ever come to a place (as a species) where these are realized, a ton of 'shifting' is going to be needed on many levels spanning, probably, dozens (hundreds?) of generations.

As far as this issue of pleasure and happiness goes: I can't quite understand where the confusion is. They are terms which may or may not have a relationship, depending on your point of view, what's being discussed, what makes you happy as well as what you consider to be pleasurable:

Getting a good night's sleep may be pleasurable, but it doesn't necessarily lead to 'happiness'.

Conversely, I may be experiencing a feeling of happiness without enjoying any particular pleasure.

I believe there are pleasures in life that can contribute to a feeling (temporary or long-term) happiness

I also believe there are pleasure that can actually usurp ones' happiness

I think I can also well imagine a state of happiness void of individual pleasures

There are some situations/conditions that contribute to both ones' happiness and pleasure

So yea; these terms might be cousins or even co-workers, but I wouldn't say they're twins.[INDENT]Watch me argue about the concept 'round' with Bill; he imagines his fat neighbor while I talk about it while envisioning a boxing match. Flexible terms meant to convey generalized concepts need framework definition before they can be coherently discussed, imho.
[/INDENT]Hope this adds constructively

Thanks

1 Reply

@Khethil,

Thank you one and all for your comments on the differences between pleasure and happiness. I greatly appreciate these kind of informative and constructive critiques. I had fun trying to summarize my philosophy of life in a few "one-liners" that might be of interest to others, and I realized that there would most likely be a number of inadequacies. When I solicited your comments and suggestions, I was also hoping that people would suggest other personal "paradigm shifts".

Helping to create these kinds of paradigm shifts is my way of trying to support the current President of the United States in bringing about the changes which he is urging us to make:
to replace fear with hope;
to replace conflict and discord with unity of purpose;
to put an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics;
to set aside childish things;
to stop giving up our ideals for expedience's sake;
to return to the values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism;
to create a new era of responsibility.

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Having fun creating paradigm shifts in our lives.

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