Categories
culture

Communities Are a Subset of Networks

Build Community
Photo by Niall Kennedy

I have long been interested in the need for and value of communities and the fact that we have lost the value and sense of communities to a large degree in our modern society. I have said many times in private and even in public that most of our problems in society would be improved if not altogether eliminated by a revival of community life. Prior to reading Communities vs Networks however, I had never really paid attention to the specific similarities between networks and communities. After pondering the post however I would suggest that rather than networks and communities being on different ends of a continuum the reality is that communities are networks by definition even if most networks don’t rise to the level of community. Allow me to support that claim by sharing tweaked versions of the statements from that post which contract networks and communities:

  • Networks May Be Artificial, Top-Down; Communities Are Organic, Bottom-Up (originally “Networks Are…”)
  • Networks Allow Passivity and Consumption; Communities Require Action and Contribution (originally “Networks Encourage…”)
  • Networks Can Be Location Independent; Communities Are Usually Attached to a Place (added “Usually”)
  • Networks Often Divide a Person Into Parts; Communities Nurture the Whole Person (added “Often”)

Based on those statements a community would be defined as a network that functions organically, requires action and contribution, and nurtures the whole person and that such groups are usually attached to a place. The question in distinguising communities then isn’t whether the group is more like a community or more like a network. Rather, it is how much the particular network fits the definition of community.

Categories
life thoughts

My Wealth Target


photo credit: Dvorscak

When defining how much wealth you want it is important to first define what wealth is. It can’t simply be income because I think most people would agree that the person who earns $100,000 a year and spends $60,000 is better off (wealthier) than the person who earns $1,000,000 and spends $1,060,000. (Amazingly Congress does not believe this.) A few years ago I stated it this way:

Wealth is not about cash, it is about cash flow – to be wealthy all you really need to do is flow less cash out than in.

While I still believe that statement to be true, I consider it to be an incomplete definition of what it means to be wealthy. If you have more cash flowing in than flowing out then I think it is safe to say that you appear to be heading toward being wealthy as opposed to heading towards poverty but there must be a reason for keeping that extra cash flowing in which gets to the heart of what it means to be wealthy.

Categories
life thoughts

Attack the Hills


photo credit: OldOnliner

Once upon a time I was a member of my high school cross country team. On the last race I ran with the team (end of the season) I learned a very valuable lesson about running. We had gone over the course in advance of the race so during the race I knew where I was relative to the end of the race – I knew how much further I had to go and how much energy to put in so that I would not run out before the finish line. As I came to the last long incline before the end of the race I knew that I could push myself and I decided to attack the hill. I was a short distance behind another runner, perhaps 15 yards, and I knew that I was in tenth place overall. As I attacked that hill I quickly closed the gap and overtook him shortly before the course turned and went down a steep incline to the final flat to the finish line. As I passed him, he sped up, not wanting to lose a place. I was still ahead when I got to the edge of the hill and I stretched my stride and let gravity carry me down faster than I could have sprinted and certainly faster than I could have gone if I had tried to remain in control of my pace. I got going so fast down that hill that my momentum on the flat carried me to very quickly catch up with two more runners who had not even been in sight when I started attacking a the bottom of that last hill.

Categories
culture life thoughts

Minorities That Matter


photo credit: More Than Maths

Last week I received a new donor card from the Red Cross and a letter to go with it. The letter contained an interesting statistic that the Red Cross receives a large majority of their donations from only 30% of their donors. Just to be clear, the statistic is that 30% of those who donate – not 30% of the total population – provide much more than half of the blood supply. Specifically it is the 30% who donate repeatedly and of course the message of their letter is that they want me as part of that minority of donors.

Later in the week I was at the temple when the thought struck me that although I have no statistics on it, I think it highly likely that the great majority of temple work done is performed by a minority among those who go to the temple. I realized that this is a consistent pattern. Only a small minority of Boy Scouts perservere in their scouting and advance to the Eagle rank. A minority of families raise the majority of children in each succeeding generation. A minority of active voters participate in the primary process and earlier activities to get informed and select candidates for office. A minority of religious people actually attend services regularly and keep their respective churches operating.

Categories
culture thoughts

What Does It Mean to Forgive?

When Elizabeth Smart testified last week there was a renewed flurry of media coverage of that infamous case. While the contents of her testimony were shocking (as expected) there was nothing in her testimony that actually surprised me. I remember a couple of weeks after she disappeared when I thought that I hoped she was dead because if she was still alive at that point the nature of her ordeal was all too easy to guess. I’ll just have to say that all the evidence I have seen since her return (including the way she has stayed largely out of the spotlight) has proven that fleeting wish to be completely misguided.

As I saw the coverage of her testimony a scripture crossed my mind and got me thinking.

I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. (D&C 64:10)

This includes Miss Smart despite her horrific ideal. I don’t mean to imply that I can or should judge whether she has or will forgive Mitchell – her ordeal just happened to be the subject at hand when I had the thought. The reason that I bring it up is that her situation, including her giving testimony, specifically apply to my thoughts on the nature of forgiveness.

First, the Lord is not required to forgive Mitchell – that’s between the two of them and Elizabeth has no say in the matter – that’s the crux of my realization. Second, no matter how heinous his crimes against her the Lord expects her to pursue that path of forgiveness with regards to her captor. So again the question – what does it mean to forgive – especially in a case such as this?

I believe that what Miss Smart has done since returning to her family in 2003 is perfectly compatible with the proper forgiveness that the Lord expects of her. She has helped to write a book on survival for abductees, she has testified very forcefully against her abductor, but perhaps more importantly she gives no evidence of defining her life by that experience. Of course I have never met or talked to her – I give this strictly as an unconnected observer – but considering her apparent poise and maturity I believe she must have personally forgiven the man she testified against even as she seeks to ensure that justice is done. I don’t believe that she could move on with her life so successfully as she appears to have done if she were dwelling on the crimes committed against her. Dwelling on that past would be a hallmark of non-forgiveness. Doing everything she can to protect herself and others from the person who committed a crime against her is not at all incompatible with the path of forgiveness. In fact, holding Mitchell accountable for what he did is the kindest thing she could do for him. If he ever wants to repent of his actions he will have to take responsibility for what he has done – that’s a necessary component to repentance.

As Elizabeth appears to have forgiven and set herself firmly on the path of healing, I think the saddest part of this whole case is that the chances of justice being served are so low. I would guess that Wanda Barzee – who is as much victim as criminal – is more likely to be found competent to stand trial than Brian David Mitchell – who is all criminal in this case (meaning he is absolutely culpable) but who is intelligent enough and disciplined enough to live off of taxpayers while successfully avoiding real consequences for his criminal behavior by successfully playing the part of being insane. Even if he were somehow to be found competent he would spend the rest of his life with society paying for his crimes while he lives a life that is no more meaningless and irresponsible than the one he was living while perpetrating this crime.

Categories
life

Mists of Fog

Last night was very foggy in the valley. I got to drive around in the very thick fog to run some errands and it got me thinking about the “mists of darkness” that Lehi saw in his dream. (see 1 Nephi 8) I noticed that the fog did not seem dark itself, it just muted all the lights so that my field of vision was extremely short (sometimes less than 100 feet to even see a light). The thought struck me that the “mists of darkness” might be just like this fog. They need not be dark themselves so long as they impeded the lights from outside them from penetrating to those within the mist.

In fact, within the fog (especially while walking) it did not seem dark at all. Again I suspect that this is like the mists that caused so many in Lehi’s dream to lose their way. It may not be that they felt that they were in the dark at all. Without an eternal perspective (which the fog would impede) everything within the fog seems just fine, even if there is reduced visibility.

As I was driving home I started lookinng to see how close I would have to get to the temple before I would have any glimpse of its very bright lights. The answer was surprising. I caught no glimpse of the temple until I crossed Davis Blvd. (about a mile west of the temple). When I crossed that street I not only got a hint of light from the temple, but I saw it across that mile with great clarity because the fog ended abruptly at that street. 10 feet back I could see nothing, but once I passed that boundary of the fog I could see everything. I guess those who stick to their goal even through the mists while they cannot see are safe if they do not forget their goal because of the lack of long-distance sight. Once they pass the msits they see clearly again.

Categories
culture politics

Challenge vs Competition

I don’t recall what triggered the thought, but over the Thanksgiving break I had a little insight into the vital difference between a challenge and a competition. A competition is something like a sporting event where there can only be one winner (excluding ties). It is an event where the winner is determined as a function of relative position. A challenge is an event where there can be multiple winners because winning is determined as a function of achievement based on static criteria.

A marathon provides a good example of both. Winning a marathon is a competition. The winning time of any one race has no bearing on the outcome of other races. Your time in one race may be too slow to win while the same time in another race would constitute first place. Finishing a marathon is a challenge – any marathon runner will congratulate any other on the accomplishment of running that 26.2 mile race. Finishing a marathon in under 3 hours is a challenge – no matter how many people accomplish the feat, my finishing in under three hours does not diminish your success in finishing in under three hours.

The distinction here might seem trivial, but I believe that we can find valuable benefits from being able to distinguish between a competition and a challenge. For some non-athletic examples: getting elected to a political office is a competition (assuming you are not unapposed) while getting into heaven is a challenge.

Categories
culture life

Love Waxing Cold

I won’t link to this kind of news article, but suffice it to say that the prophecy in Matthew 24:12 is clearly coming to pass in our day.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (emphasis added)

The news that proves this is not exclusive to today, or this year, or even this age, but it is increasing in frequency as the coldness of heart that exists in the absence of love becomes more widespread. People are more likely to cling to fear and hopelessness when they do not have the warmth of love in their hearts to sustain them. Sin has a chilling effect on the heart.

I take comfort in the promise that those who endure to the end shall be saved because it implies that we cannot be dragged down eternally without our choice. I am also comforted by the next phrase:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (emphasis added)

UPDATE 9/25/08: I found an example where I am willing to share a link.

Categories
life

Deep Connections

I made an interesting connection yesterday during a conversation. Interestingly, I just realized that this connection also ties into a scripture that struck me forcefully the other day:

And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me. (Doctrine and Covenants 59:4 – emphasis mine)

I’m sure there are those who are familiar with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who would say that “commandments not a few” is the defining characteristic in the lives of members of the LDS church. The connection that I made mentally yesterday was about how those “commandments not a few” come.

The conversation was centered on the practice of preparedness through food storage. As we talked about the intricacies of how to store food so that it would last, rotating food that you had stored, and being physically prepared to use that food if the need arose I realized that people who do not heed the counsel to store food are never very aware of the challenges that must be overcome for effective preparedness.

People who begin storing start learning about rotating their food and the need to consume that food as at least a portion of their regular diet. Those who pursue that course of action will find that they are living in direct accordance with some of the aspects of the Word of Wisdom (often called the Lord’s Law of Health, found in Doctrine and Covenants section 89) that are often overlooked. The reason is that we don’t pay attention publicly to the counsel to eat mainly grains, and meat sparingly. When it comes to food storage it is impractical to store food for a diet that does not rely heavily on grains. If you are preparing your body to survive on your food storage by eating it (this also serves to rotate the storage so that it does not site for years unused until it is unusable) then you will be forced to make grains a substantial part of your diet even if they were not very prominent before heeding the counsel to store food.

So, food storage as an incentive to obey the Word of Wisdom more completely – that’s not something you think of every day.

Categories
life

Full Court Press

I have heard the sentiment expressed from many sources that every time you feel like you are getting ahead it seems that something comes up to keep you from staying too comfortable. I suspect that most people have said, or heard similar sentiments expressed in their lives.

This morning I woke up thinking about that sentiment, and my own experiences that agree with it, and I realized that life is like a basketball game and it is unreasonable to think that we going to get to take our shots uncontested. In basketball the only shots that are consistently uncontested are the ones that are only worth one point.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that if life is like a basketball game it’s not an NBA game, it’s more like a pickup game on the street. The various players in the game often have vastly different skill levels and though the rules are pretty well established they vary a bit from location to location and from game to game.

If we could expect that we would not be challenged when we started to get comfortable with our current game then I would say that life was like a game of HORSE – you get to set up your shot, take your time, and the only real challenge is getting you skills to the point of being able to work within the rules of physics that govern where the ball will end up. That does not have the effect of producing players with enough skill to interact with others (both teammates and opponents) in a real basketball game.

As I started writing this post I realized the timing on this post – it’s playoff season in basketball (the NCAA tournament just ending and the NBA tournament just starting). Maybe this analogy is my unconscious response to the sports news.