Month: March 2023

Angela,

                I laughed to myself when we were assigned review partners.  Your essay happened to be one of the essays I looked over before starting my own.  I obviously like the topic we choose.  I found the structure of your essay well laid out.  The summary was spot on.  The way it was written, I was able to sit and read it without being distracted because I was interested in “what came next”.  In your last paragraph, I couldn’t tell if you were summarizing or quoting your source.  Also, in that last paragraph I believe you meant to say “experts” instead of “expects”. 

                I feel as if the ending could use more “you”.  More of your own thoughts/opinions/experiences to maybe back up or reiterate your point of view.

In relation to the article regarding connective statements, I found section 8 of our book, Transcendent Goal, very smooth.  Keeping in mind what was read beforehand, this part of the book seemed to seamlessly move through multiple topics & points. 

Bridging Statements:  “While all five possess compelling qualities, it is worth exploring each one to see whether it offers not just a far-sighted and inspiring goal, but whether it also makes us good ancestors”.    

“So where, then, should we direct our long-term aspirations?”.

Transitions:  “Similarly, utopian religious movements, such as Mormonism, have taken the long view in their efforts to create a vision of heaven on Earth,…”

“Consider geoengineering…”

“As such, we will never keep below the international target…”

“Yet this is precisely what human beings have been doing…”

Signposts:  “The final form of techno-liberation…”

”… a fifth long-term goal for humanity…

Section 2 of The Good Ancestor:  A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking, written by Roman Krznaric, discusses what Roman describes as two time horizons within the human mind; Marshmallow brain and acorn brain.  Marshmallow brain is described as a short-term instant gratification way of thinking, and in contrast, acorn brain is based upon long term greater results.  Out of the first six sections of this book, this section I feel as if a understand and agree with the most.  The context of this section is extremely helpful with understanding this concept.

Roman starts off by explaining that our brains are wired simultaneously for short and long term thinking.  He believes that these two ways of thinking are in a constant state of battle against each other.  This battle is stretched across all aspects of our lives, as well as society. 

Examples of short-term addictive and impulsive traits are used to describe the marshmallow brain, such as craving chocolate and the “buy it now button”.  Society is widely viewed as primary having marshmallow brains.  A study involving rats having access to the ability to provide a positive stimulant to their brains was referenced to demonstrate the science behind the theory.  The author conveys a negative view of the marshmallow brain, and leads us to believe that it may be the original form of thinking for humans.

Planning for the future is the central concept for the acorn brain.  Examples such as planting a seed for a crop, or saving money for retirement simplifies this topic.  The evolution of mankind is used as proof for the acorn brain.  The fact that history proves where we as humans started, just objects on this planet, to what we have surrounded ourselves with demonstrates our ability to think and plan ahead.  Roman goes to great lengths to portray a positive view of this way of thinking.  He writes that the acorn brain way of thinking is the only way mankind will exist for generations to come. 

Four main factors are contributed to long term thinking: wayfinding, the grandmother effect, social cooperation, & tool innovation.  These four factors are the main contributors to what Roman discusses as humans growing long brains.  This is a history lesson on how humans have evolved, mostly mentally, but also physically. 

Roman ends this section of the book with what I will describe as a plea.  A plea the readers to take a step back from their lives, and take a hard look at the big picture.  How everyone needs to consider our future generations, and act with their best interest at heart.

Now I said early on, this section thus far in the book I agreed with the most, but I am not on board with everything.  I enjoyed the back and fourth between hard facts and relatable feelings/events that were used to really bring out the marshmallow & acorn brains.  Not only did I feel as if I received a history lesson in this section that didn’t put me to sleep, I felt as if it forced me to take a good hard look at my life, specifically what kind of effect I am having on future generations, specifically my own. 

The impression I get from the author is that he has strong feelings against the marshmallow brain, as if you were a member of society that only focuses on short term thinking, you should be punished.  On the flip side, anyone that devotes themselves to long term thinking should be idolized.  Now I know he is trying to get his point across, but while I read I am envisioning the author yelling and pointing his finger at me.  Is that how he is trying to get his point across? 

The majority of society has been placed under this umbrella of the marshmallow brain.  Everyone out for themselves so to speak.  Society needs to change to encourage the acorn brain.  A thought that has crossed my mind is why?  Why does everyone need to change?  Why does everyone need to embrace the acorn brain?  It is my belief that we need both marshmallow thinkers as well as acorn thinkers.  Balance would be key.  (I would like to elaborate more)

To put things into perspective for myself, I look to family court.  Recently going through a divorce, as well as of family court related litigations, I see the marshmallow/acorn concept.  When I first filed for divorce, I was angry, hurt, and looking down a very narrow road.  When I filed for divorce, there is a waiting period for things to start actually happening, roughly four-six months.  Now my major life changing decision to get a divorce was not a rash decision.  I had weighed all of my options, looked at the pros and cons, and really put some thought into it before I pulled the trigger.  Once I did, I had to wait six months for my first court date.  You may think six months doesn’t sound like a very long time, but I can rest assured you if you are in a very unhappy situation, six months can feel like years.  There was a lot of opportunity for me to really go over my decision in those six months.  I could have changed my mind back and forth hundreds of times.  This period of time, which to my understanding is normal, would give any normal person who has filed for divorce using the marshmallow part of their brains, would be ample time for even a small part of their acorn brains to maybe kick in a bit to really evaluate what was going on.  I honestly believe the court system does this on purpose.  Give people the opportunity who may have made a quick decision to really have the time to consider what they are doing. 

As a business man, I found a simpler version of the topic of this section of the book in a Forbes Magazine article written by George Deeb, Don’t Let Short-Term Thinking Hurt Long-Term Success.  This article focuses on a business owner spent more time worried about how much a business service would cost, rather than how much that business service would help their business in the long run.  The article ends with “And, remember, it is impossible to maximize long term growth and short term profitability at the same time, you have to pick one or the other”.  This section of the book has thus far intrigued me the most.  It has gotten the most mental stimulation from me personally.  I like the concept.  I agree with the most of the points.  The way this section was laid out was easy to follow, as well as explanation of the topic didn’t require me to have to look anything up to understand.  What I dislike is the fact that I feel like a criminal for having marshmallow thoughts.  I do believe that corn thinking is better for long term success, but, I feel having both (marshmallow vs acorn) is important.  These two ways of thinking offset each other, and in certain situations, perfectly complement each other.  I also feel as if changing society as a whole, or in large numbers will be a task that will require more than a book to accomplish.  The way society has evolved, especially with technology, to force a shift to more acorn thinking would require somewhat of a reprogram or even restart on how society operates.  I commend Roman for taking on this hardly criticized topic.

Section 2 of The Good Ancestor:  A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking, written by Roman Krznaric, discusses what Roman describes as two time horizons within the human mind; Marshmallow brain and acorn brain.  Marshmallow brain is described as a short-term instant gratification way of thinking, and in contrast, acorn brain is based upon long term greater results.  Out of the first six sections of this book, this section I feel as if a understand and agree with the most.  The context of this section is extremely helpful with understanding this concept.

Roman starts off by explaining that our brains are wired simultaneously for short and long term thinking.  He believes that these two ways of thinking are in a constant state of battle against each other.  This battle is stretched across all aspects of our lives, as well as society. 

Examples of short-term addictive and impulsive traits are used to describe the marshmallow brain, such as craving chocolate and the “buy it now button”.  Society is widely viewed as primary having marshmallow brains.  A study involving rats having access to the ability to provide a positive stimulant to their brains was referenced to demonstrate the science behind the theory.  The author conveys a negative view of the marshmallow brain, and leads us to believe that it may be the original form of thinking for humans.

Planning for the future is the central concept for the acorn brain.  Examples such as planting a seed for a crop, or saving money for retirement simplifies this topic.  The evolution of mankind is used as proof for the acorn brain.  The fact that history proves where we as humans started, just objects on this planet, to what we have surrounded ourselves with demonstrates our ability to think and plan ahead.  Roman goes to great lengths to portray a positive view of this way of thinking.  He writes that the acorn brain way of thinking is the only way mankind will exist for generations to come. 

Four main factors are contributed to long term thinking: wayfinding, the grandmother effect, social cooperation, & tool innovation.  These four factors are the main contributors to what Roman discusses as humans growing long brains.  This is a history lesson on how humans have evolved, mostly mentally, but also physically. 

Roman ends this section of the book with what I will describe as a plea.  A plea the readers to take a step back from their lives, and take a hard look at the big picture.  How everyone needs to consider our future generations, and act with their best interest at heart.

Now I said early on, this section thus far in the book I agreed with the most, but I am not on board with everything.  I enjoyed the back and fourth between hard facts and relatable feelings/events that were used to really bring out the marshmallow & acorn brains.  Not only did I feel as if I received a history lesson in this section that didn’t put me to sleep, I felt as if it forced me to take a good hard look at my life, specifically what kind of effect I am having on future generations, specifically my own. 

The impression I get from the author is that he has strong feelings against the marshmallow brain, as if you were a member of society that only focuses on short term thinking, you should be punished.  On the flip side, anyone that devotes themselves to long term thinking should be idolized.  Now I know he is trying to get his point across, but while I read I am envisioning the author yelling and pointing his finger at me.  Is that how he is trying to get his point across? 

The majority of society has been placed under this umbrella of the marshmallow brain.  Everyone out for themselves so to speak.  Society needs to change to encourage the acorn brain.  A thought that has crossed my mind is why?  Why does everyone need to change?  Why does everyone need to embrace the acorn brain?  It is my belief that we need both marshmallow thinkers as well as acorn thinkers.  Balance would be key.  (I would like to elaborate more)

(I would like to discuss family court and how things are greatly timed out as a personal experience to government enforcing acorn thinking)

(I need to do more research for a source.  Not 100% what direction I am going with that yet)

(positive thoughts for the author)

(closing it all out)

If I was tasked with the allocation of $100 million for the welfare of humankind, I would start with mental health.  The mental health crisis effects society on several levels.  The obvious in front of our faces effects of mental health issues are easy to define, and see their effects.  Aside from the people that are in immediate distress, take a step back and look at public safety/health care systems that are affected.  These systems are taxed to great degrees while tasked with battling this crisis.  If mental health became less of a burden on society, I believe society could focus more time and energy into other issues.  Fix a large problem to assist fixing smaller problems.  As a public safety professional, I feel as if we are behind the eight ball so to speak with mental health.  It has seemed to be more of a reactive approach, rather than a proactive approach.  Prevention could lead to greater impacts.   

I would then take a look at research into ways of how we as a society could actually help our future generations.  Trying to determine what will help mankind should not fall onto a single person’s shoulders.  It should be a collective process.  I do not visualize this process as a think tank, or group discussion.  I imagine it a process that includes facts, not speculation.  Scientific theory rather than opinions or guesses.  I am confident technology and research would be of great assistance in this process.   

I am sure that the number of right and wrong answers to a question similar to this are endless.  Focusing on helping current society mentally and physically seems like a good start to overall improvement in looking towards the future. 

After realizing I had missed the deadline for the rough draft for essay #1, I panicked.  I rushed through the process to try and put something together.  My rough draft definitely touched upon the thoughts in my head, but lacked substance, thought, and effort.  I knew my final draft would have to be better.  I missed the peer review process, so the only input I had was from our teacher.  She picked up on my lack of substance very easily.  The direction I received most definitely played a part in the process that was already going through my head.  Some of the experiences included in this piece were not easy to relive.  After reading the assignment, and choosing a topic, I was not fully prepared for the emotional roller coaster I would put myself through, never mind going through them multiple times.  Reviewing other student’s essays helped my process of putting thoughts and emotions onto paper.  This actual assignment has given me a different perspective on life and life experience in a very positive way.  

After reading “The Maker’s Eye” I could not help but think how critical I am of myself on a regular basis.  I feel as if I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to criticism.  I by no means consider myself a professional writer.  As I go through the assignments in this class, the concept of a first draft being the beginning of the writing process shine very brightly.  I have experienced once I start writing, most of the time, I just want to keep going.  Write something down, re-read it, and think of other ways to phrase it, or other details to include. 

Ancestors.  Many believe this noun means blood line relatives.  Could it simply mean people we descend from, or could it be a description of the road we came from?  What if what we thought our ancestry is was not the case at all? 

            Part of the reflection for this piece brought me back many years.  I remember being ten years old, and while playing with my three other siblings in our small ranch bedroom with three beds stacked up inside.  I came across a picture.  I picture of this blonde-haired blue-eyed child sitting in the lap of a man he did not know.  It was obvious to me at the time even at ten years old that I was the young boy in the picture, but who was this man?  I have never met this man, but yet here I sit in his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around me, smiling ear to ear.  I took the picture, and walked down the hallway to my dad who was sitting in his chair, watching his evening show.  “Dad, who is this?” I asked.  As he glanced at the picture trying to figure out what I was inquiring about, it was easy to notice his eyes widen, and the tan is his face fade away.  What I didn’t know was that he was trying to figure out how to tell me that was my dad. 

            After being told “wait for your mother to get home” I waited very anxiously for her arrival back home.  I did not understand why he could not answer my question, but dad always knew best, so I waited.  When my mother arrived home, I could see them discussing something in the kitchen, but they were too quiet for me to hear.  When I was asked to come sit down in our living room, I sprinted down that hallway.  I knew my question was about to be answered.  With my mom and dad sitting across from me, the picture of the man sitting on the table between us, they looked at each other, nodded, and then focused their attention on me.  “Adam, that man is your dad”.

            Confusion set in.  My question was answered, but I was instantly filled with more questions.  The man in the picture shared zero resemblance of the man sitting in front of me.  The man I was sitting across from, the man I call dad, did not have a mustache.  He lacked the full head of hair the man in the picture had.  He had fifty or so more pounds than the other man.   Do I have two dads?  Where is this man you call my dad?  I remember sitting there, looking at my parents, my mind racing at a speed that I can not even explain.  Tears starting to fall down my cheeks. 

            At that time, it was explained to me that my biological father passed away when I was eighteen months old.  Mike, the person I had been calling dad for as long as I could remember, was in fact my stepfather.  This was a lot of information to process for the mind of a ten year old.  Subjects that in fact I could not fully understand at such a young age.  I remember very distinctly being angry with my mom and Mike.  I felt like they had been lying to me, and in fact my whole life was a lie. 

            Reflecting over the past thirty-six years Mike has been a part of my life, that anger I felt did not last very long.  I consider myself very fortunate to be given a second opportunity to have a father.  Mike, a man who married my mother, and went on to have three children with her, took me in as his own.  His parents were my grandparents.  His brothers and sisters were my aunt and uncles.  Mike and I were family, and his family was my family.  There was never a “step” label on any of our names.  Even though he was indeed my step father, he was just dad to me.  The concept of being a bloodline relative never mattered to us. 

            Mike is a business owner.  He worked long hard hours to make sure his business thrived, and to be able to provide a life for our family.  It is easy to remember him leaving in the morning for the shop seven days a week, coming home for dinner, and then venturing back off in the evening to close everything up.  His work ethic was a trait he inherited from his father.  Pepe indeed, spent his life working hard to provide for his family.  From the stories told about my grandfather, great grandfather, and beyond, this seems to be a common theme with the men in this family.  I have these men to thank for the groundwork instilled in me, by the family that took me in as their own. 

            Our family experienced a grave tragedy two years ago.  My mother was taken from us many years too early.  My father, two brothers, and sister all gathered in the hospital room that night.  Anger, and grief took over that room.  Tears were cried, and words were not spoken.  In that room I realized something that night.  Dad had just lost his wife, the mother of his children, his life partner.  It was at this point that I realized we were sitting at opposite ends of the table we once sat at thirty something years ago.  It was my turn to indeed take care of him in a time of great loss, just like he took care of me in my time of great loss. 

            I consider my ancestry something I absorbed rather than inherited.  Not something I was born into, but something I was brought into.  Many people in this world do not have a choice in their ancestry, but I consider mine a choice.  I was chosen to be a part of a family, and, when given the opportunity, choose to remain a part of that family.  I consider myself very fortunate, especially while I see my father spend time with my two boys.  I can only hope my boys reflect at some point about their lives and consider themselves as fortunate as I consider myself.    

To my brother and I, he was dad, and to our children he was “Pa”.  He was a son, a brother, and a friend.  Some days he wore a coach’s hat, and other days he would put on his fire fighter hat.  At night would be his dinning room teacher’s hat, or his card dealer’s hat with that table full of young Uno players.  No matter what role he was trying to fill, he always managed to make the best of it.

 We always wondered why he did so many things.  For Adam, it was always about doing what was best for his family, and making a conscious effort to do what was best for who he could do it for.  He did this not by speaking those words out loud, but by his actions.  He did not like being thanked or recognized for anything he did, he just enjoyed doing it. 

He made it a life long goal of his to make sure we understood the concept of doing the right thing.  Part of that lesson was understanding that the “right thing” had many different meanings.  Obviously, some of the simple things such as doing our dishes, being respectful to others, honesty, hard work, and obeying the law were a given, but would always challenge us by asking, “how could you be better?”  He wanted us to understand that being better was a theory larger than we could ever imagine.  It wasn’t just about making more money, or having nice things.  Being better was about optimizing the chances we had in making as much of a difference as possible however we could. 

Did he accomplish this goal of his?  Only time will tell based upon the actions of future generations of our family.