Kids, the Internet, and the End of Privacy.

Great article about teens, etc, living their lives in the public.  I certainly know a few teens who do this, though not all.

Myself, being older, I still keep a type of semi-obscurity, though of course, I can be found.

The more spiritual question is, how much is the public exposure, a type of narcissism, and how much is "healthy"?

Being an "old fogey", I have quite a lot of sympathy to the opinion that it's all narcissism, the public display.  But, I'm probably bound by my own somewhat private nature, and the social nature I was raised in.

It's hard to know though. 

Kate's a bit older than me, and she seems to display both an awareness of the "share anything" vibe, and uses her life, and awareness, in mainly a very conscious way.  As well, a lot of the 20 something spiritual types tend to be fairly unself-conscious about using the "public internet" to share any ole thing.

Thoughts on this?

From the guy a   more »

From Zen Habits:

Thanks to Integral Options for the link.  Good advice for integral practice.

For myself, sporadically keep various goals.  Sometimes it is better, sometimes worse. 

That's something you don't see the Steve Pavlina's of the world talk about. 

For me, there are three versions of what to do - "what I must do", and "what I want to do that's rewarding", and "what I do that fun, but an empty time waster". 

1."Must do", includes things like going to work, cleaning up, paying bills, etc. 

2. "What I want to do" are the various integral practices that make for a fulfilling, balanced life.  Exercise, meditation, volunteering, playing my guitar, learning a language, tech study, etc.  Even better, expanding my career, finding the next opportunity, integraly study, etc.

3. "What I have fun doing that's an empty time waster" is things like browsing the internet for hours on end, playing a video game, reading a pedestrian sci-fi novel, etc.  Watch movies, comedy shows with my sweetie.

I'm not too bad at the first category on the list.  And some of the activities that would be in category 2,  I do well - I meditate regularly, and I exercise regularly.  But some of the other goals there, I do much less.

Now category 3?  3, I'm pretty good at.  If I spent as much time on category 2, as I do on category 3, wow, I'd be an accomplished guy!!    (Internet, and the tv, as wonderful as it is, is a great tool for mental masturbation).

My longterm goal is to substitute more category 2 activities, for category 3 activities.  In terms of time.

And I've done a lot on this ground -

a.  Visualized my motivations - daily
b.  Setup umpteen schedules for activities.
c.  Started a regular practice of activities - that then falls away.
d.  Attempted various, and different, structures, to do more  activities. 

Still, 3 always ends up being what i do more of. I fall of the wagon.  I get distracted (except for meditation and exercise).  I go for three days, then go three days off, or a week off.

I've probably gone on a self-improvement kick - attempting to do more of category two activities more than category three activies - more than one hundred times in my life.

It's REALLY annoying to read these self-improvement guys, such as Pavlina, who basically don't acknowledge the move towards the baseline, of human nature.

Funny enough, I'm old enough now, that I don't "beat myself up" about doing less of category 2 than category 3.  First off, lots of time I spend "doing nothing" is spent in a pretty incredible place, where the "I" slips away, and only Being is happening.

But it is also pretty clear that the inherited habits (my own childhood background, was lacking both in any form of wealth, or much actual examples of spending a lot of time in category 2), tend to dominate actual living, the activity of this body.

Which is a shame, really - as the information on "how best to live", is pretty much all over the internet.  Working with resistance, changing those habits, moving out of baseline - as Wilber has said, what ACTUALLY causes change, in a person, what ends up actually motivating a person, despite the tens of thousands of hours of research, is still a mystery.

From the Washington Post

Wor   more »

Worth reading!

Links to a 4 part series.

This site has been recognized by Holon News.  I am pleased that this site has been recognized, as a "Staff Pick", in the bookmarks.

I've been writing this Integral Practice for going on three years (2 and 1/2?), so it is nice to know that people are getting some use from it. 

I said at the beginning, about this site - I write as a fan, as an enthusiast, as an analyst, not as an expert.

As such, sometimes posts here are mediocre, but sometimes, posts here are very well thought out - maybe even have a bit o' wisdom in them. 

At least, I hope so!

There has been a recent wave of popularity over The Secret - witness the features of The Secret on Oprah.

Also, look at this interview with James Ray over at Steve Pavlina's place.

Notice some of the language used on The Secret's webpage:


This is The Secret to everything - the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted.

Wow, that's a pretty good secret!   

I truly think the vendors of this secret need to go over to Iraq, and start teaching "the secret" to people in Iraq.

It sure looks like they could do with some "umlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth".

Somehow though, I don't see The Secret team on a plane to Iraq to share the wealth, anytime in the immediate future.

Do you?


Despite the snark above, clearly, there is truth to the "law of attraction".  There is truth to "creating your own destiny", and making a difference in the world, that inspires and encourages others:

Whereas the fifth wave is still characterized by dichotomized, either/or thinking, the sixth vision-logic wave is integral-aperspectival: the individual can simultaneously hold multiple, apparently contradictory perspectives in his attention and, through synthesis and integration, can conceptualize networks of interactions among the various perspectives . In this wave, existential concerns characterize the self, which Wilber has labeled the centaur.

And, if you can take new perspectives, you can envision newer possibilities, you hve the potential to EMBODY those potentials - walk the talk for that you envision.

Notably, the prerational magical thinking, does have some cause and effect - meaning, if you engage in some magic, lots of times STUFF HAPPENS.    It isn't a bad idea to become skilled in working with the archaic/magical dimension of life and self, as the rational self oftentimes does not notice these influences.

But I don't believe that this is one's highest self, merely another version of New Age Marketing in new dress.  It can be a version of pathology,  if taken to the extreme.

From Salon here:

Simply click through the ad, you should be taken to the article.

Very comprehensive article on Google Reader.

One of the things you don't see covered much in integral theory, or in spirituality, for that matter, is the nature of power relations, both how they function and flow, in the context of a spiritual life, or a spiritual organization.

The actuality of power relations, both in society in general, and in spirituality, cover a wide range. 

From the "how high sir?" mentality of the military, to the "whatever you say guruji" of oldline spiritual authority, on the one side, to the flattening of the power dynamic in certain IT companies, and the "spiritual helper" dynamic of New Age circles, how power is used, utilized, and dealt with from a social perspective, would be good to examine.

Usually the "great charismatic Godman", tends towards a power dynamic of domination, rather than an egalitarian power dynamic - and that is true whether it is Ken Wilber, Adi Da etc.  The same thing that is attractive about these folks - i.e., their intelligence, drive, and charisma - is the same thing that creates a power relation that is "old school", in its effects.

Even more important, spiritual seekers often have an unexamined relationship with their own inflexibility in preferences, for power relationships.  It's actually a good growth opportunity to have DIFFERENT experiences of power dynamics.   Be the "grunt" in either a military or spiritual circle, who will be willing to "say yes" to whatever is asked.  Do that for six months, to change one's internal dynamics of resistance.

Then do the student/teacher relationship, where guidance is given, but not enforced, and see if you can be the will for own self, in transformation.

Then, do interactive groups, (what is that process called?  The Open Circle, or something?) whereby everyone is brought to a "yes", through a long, (and drawn out) collaborative and inclusive process.

There are pluses and minuses to each of the above.   In all of the above, where one wants to end up with is "doing what is needed", from the best perspective available at that time. 

Both power and status end up being significant motivators, more than are acknowledged in either the spiritual or integral world - and these TYPE of relations should be exposed as more explicit, than implicit.