Since I'm here... (Friday Five)

[krickets]

For today's thefridayfive:

1.Do you believe in reincarnation?
I like the idea of reincarnation to an extent but I don't actually believe it happens.

2.Have you ever felt that you knew someone the first time you met them?
All the time but only based on looks - usually based on nothing. There's no reason they should be physically familiar, but they are. Not as in "I know you down in your soul." Although I do think we all have common threads between us and you can totally "GET" someone you just met.

3.Have you ever visited a foreign country or city for the first time and found that you knew exactly where things were?
Never ever. Terrible sense of direction in all ways. In fact, I barely know where things are in the city where I live! (Only been here 10 months, but still!)

4.Have you ever looked in the mirror and 'seen' a different face?
I mean, yes and no. People change.

5.Is the belief in UFOs, aliens, phsycic powers, etc, growing because the belief in religion is dying?
I actually think both the belief in the paranormal/extra terrestrial life AND religiousness are dying. (Very slowly, not in our lifetimes, or even the lifetimes beyond that.) We just know too much. Also technology/science has advanced too much. Scientifically aliens and UFOs aren't impossible, though. So maybe that one will be the last hold-out.

Comments

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Wow, your last answer is very interesting. I'd thought that belief in the paranormal, etc, was on the upswing, but I can see what you mean. There do seem to be fewer things to 'discover' these days.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

So fewer things.

It's kind of sad. I am not a religious person so I don't mourn the loss of that. But maybe just.. the loss of innocence?

Similarly (but on a completely different note!), I think that we know SO MUCH so fast that it's hard for us to appreciate little things. Not only to believe in amazing things, but to just... feel real gratitude or amazement at simple things in life. Because nothing is simple anymore. And kids! They are just super jaded these days because of easy access to technology/information. The difference between the kids I know who have practical unlimited access to screens, versus the kids that are only allowed an hour a day or so, is remarkable. And the ones without constant access are not by any means lacking in their knowledge of the world. They're more likely to be avid readers, so they tend to have stronger vocabularies. And they're just more positive in general, inquisitive, curious, and more easily amazed/impressed. It's refreshing. I sound like an old fuddy duddy when I say these things, I realize. But I am not against technology, I just feel like we shouldn't focus so much on that that we forget the real world. Especially in children.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is a loss of innocence and it seems to start at an earlier age all the time. There used to be mysteries, but not as much anymore.

Not a fuddy duddy at all for I feel the same way, Kids aren't allowed to be kids and just discover the world around them on a visceral level. They are plugged in and turned on. I can remember taking a book and disappearing into the woods for hours, just reading and letting my imagination run wild. Everything was possible because everything felt possible. I love my computer and being able to connect with so many people so easily, but at what cost? Conversation is a lost art and people are getting to the point of not being able to talk with anyone unless they have a cellphone in their hands. It's a sad path we seem to be following.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's the one thing I can't get used to. I hate sitting in a room with people and 3 out of 4 of us are on our phones. I'm not saying I'm never on my phone, but more often than not I'm one of the few who is staring at their hands during the awkward silence while people scroll through their facebook feeds, lol. Depressing!

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

It's sort of sad. Even my friends do it. They aren't kids and they should know better, but even when we are having a dinner party, we have one guest who has to sneak away to check e mails. Maybe I'm just the only one who doesn't have a phone attached to her hip (it stays in the car for emergencies) or any important friends to get an e mail from, but I have a feeling it's the new norm. Sigh

[crickets.livejournal.com]

My motto is kind of "be here. now." I am constantly having to remind my friends about that. Mostly new friends. I didn't realize until now that most of my old friends don't do this! I guess I used to be more picky about my friends! LOL.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's being pickier about friends or just that cellphones have become so much more pervasive in our lives. Technology makes us want to think we can't exist without them. Reminds in of the Dr. Who episode, "Rise of the Cybermen."

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I'll have to watch that one.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

It's too scary and too close for comfort!

[crickets.livejournal.com]

By the way, I have friended you!

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Then I will need to friend you right back! :D

[soundofsunlight]

I feel the same way about technology and the internet. I think it's a great tool; I love having easy access to information, and being able to talk to friends all over the world, but the extent to which people are plugged in all the time is not healthy.

Sometimes I worry that if things keep going like this, eventually people will forget the real world altogether. I mean, they'd still go places, but going from home to work, from work to the mall, etc, everyone is indoors all the time, and not paying much attention to their surroundings even now. I think the crux of the problem may be that they're not even aware that they're missing anything of value.


As far as aliens and UFOs, personally I don't consider those possible. If we're talking life on other planets, that's not only possible but probable; when you think about the size of the universe, what are the chances that complex life only developed on this one rock? But when people talk about "aliens and UFOs" (using those words specifically), they're talking about aliens secretly coming here, and that makes no sense. First of all, interstellar travel is all but impossible, and even if someone out there could do it, I think they'd have better things to do than sneak around in corn fields. :P

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Haha oh yes. I mean, life on other planets, even developed life that has like, technology and civilizations, (and not just single cell organisms) is still something I'd say is possible but I have zero belief that they've visited our planet.

As for the plugged in bit. Yes, yes and yes. It is really nice that you can connect so easily these days without being chained to a computer desk. But if you think about it.. we (collective we) are chained even more tightly than ever before. It's sad!

I think this is one of the reasons I still like LJ even though I haven't used it much over the past couple of years. It takes time to be an active participant. You have to read and think and really put effort into it. So even when I DO spend time on LJ (an hour or two a week at most, less more often!) it's like, thoughtful? I don't know. It's not like tumblr/twitter/facebook in that it's just so easy to post/share things without REALLY being an active participant.

[soundofsunlight]

Yeah, I love that about LJ. I don't mind putting more effort into something if I also get more out of it, and I get a lot out of LJ. I've tried other social media and felt like it was kind of pointless. I do have a facebook, but I mainly use it to talk to friends via the chat. I love thoughtful conversations, and since most of my friends live far, it's either LJ or chat for me.

Spending too much time at the computer makes me restless, so (apart from checking email a couple times a day) I generally spend my days doing things in the real world, and then catch up with people online in the evenings. And that way, I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. 100%.

And yeah I am on the computer at work so I rarely get on at home. I have only been on my computer a few times in the past 10 months. And the few times I have been on it was for taxes (once) and work (twice.)

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I am adding you to my flist! :)

[soundofsunlight]

Added back!