Sweet wine from the grapes of wrath
I’ve had an interesting set of talks recently, and I thought I’d digest them and share. Firstly, and old friend of mine and I spent some time doing a post-mortem on our shattered hopes. We decided that the key element is that people are still acting like a bunch of frightened children. Something in them wants a Father figure... an infallible protector who can keep the monsters safely in the closet where they can’t hurt them. I can just remember what that was like, if I try really hard. But something happened to me... something horrible... I grew up.
This isn’t the first time this has some through my mind, (see this reply to one of ljhornmoy‘s posts.) But it comes down to this:
Patriarchy Is Evil
Yep. That’s how it is. I find nothing in anyone’s philosophy more annoying than co-opting the position of parent for anything that is not my actual parent. I don’t even have that kind of relationship with my real parents. They are people, with their own sets of flaws and gifts, not guardians, far from infallible, et cetera.
I don’t mind listening to wandering fanatics that knock at my door... until they start talking about God’s parental role and plans for His children. See, I know for a fact what any even vaguely adjusted person wants for their children: to grow up, be healthy and be successful. That is three different things. Health and success are easy to measure, but ’grown up’? It means making your own decisions. It means knowing yourself, what scares you, and how to do right anyway. It means being a good person, not because someone is watching over your shoulder, but because it’s harmful to yourself.
But hidden in all of that, is that by growing up you cease to be a subordinate. You become a peer, with rights and responsibilities of your own. This is what we want in a democracy: a society of equals. A society where people can grow up into the best people they can be.
More silliness...
I have discovered something: Physics departments spoil their students. PhD canidates get money. Not just ‘financial aid’ but real help, and automatic employment. The schools themselves pay for it. And I think I figured out why.
At CSULA there are fewer than 20 physics majors. This includes the grad students. Even us lowly undergrads get our own mailboxes at the department office. So why is there support for this tiny cadre of brave souls? Simple: Engineers. They have to learn physics. So do mathematicians, chemists, biologists and any student in a field of study in physical or life sciences. And... we don’t really have to go over to /their/ classes for our own education.
Frankly, I think it’s a long time coming.
This isn’t the first time this has some through my mind, (see this reply to one of ljhornmoy‘s posts.) But it comes down to this:
Patriarchy Is Evil
Yep. That’s how it is. I find nothing in anyone’s philosophy more annoying than co-opting the position of parent for anything that is not my actual parent. I don’t even have that kind of relationship with my real parents. They are people, with their own sets of flaws and gifts, not guardians, far from infallible, et cetera.
I don’t mind listening to wandering fanatics that knock at my door... until they start talking about God’s parental role and plans for His children. See, I know for a fact what any even vaguely adjusted person wants for their children: to grow up, be healthy and be successful. That is three different things. Health and success are easy to measure, but ’grown up’? It means making your own decisions. It means knowing yourself, what scares you, and how to do right anyway. It means being a good person, not because someone is watching over your shoulder, but because it’s harmful to yourself.
But hidden in all of that, is that by growing up you cease to be a subordinate. You become a peer, with rights and responsibilities of your own. This is what we want in a democracy: a society of equals. A society where people can grow up into the best people they can be.
More silliness...
I have discovered something: Physics departments spoil their students. PhD canidates get money. Not just ‘financial aid’ but real help, and automatic employment. The schools themselves pay for it. And I think I figured out why.
At CSULA there are fewer than 20 physics majors. This includes the grad students. Even us lowly undergrads get our own mailboxes at the department office. So why is there support for this tiny cadre of brave souls? Simple: Engineers. They have to learn physics. So do mathematicians, chemists, biologists and any student in a field of study in physical or life sciences. And... we don’t really have to go over to /their/ classes for our own education.
Frankly, I think it’s a long time coming.