I Cannot Believe Its True Altruism

I think pure altruism is bullshit. I was sitting in my CPR class and there were a couple of people in the class needing CPR for nursing school, Everyone was giving them the "do it for people, not for money" speech. Why is it so wrong to make good money at a job that one enjoys and helps others at? Why is being poor and in service to others considered more pure than having money and being altruistic? You want to know why? Because it justifies poverty and the lives of those who perform those jobs. It is a way of the employer telling the employee "Great job! We are only going to pay you nine dollars an hour, but Wow!, you are fucking spectacular, keep up the good work." It is a way to justify paying people less than what they are really worth, can't pay'em in money, pay'em in pats on the back.

I do not think that I would fully trust someone who said their objective in serving people and the planet were totally altruistic. The contradiction when someone says they do x, y, z for the benefit of others with no benefit in it for themselves AT ALL again is bullshit. We, as human beings, do everything we do because we get something out of it, be it self-worth, ego, feeling good, safety, financial and physical gains and whatever else. I work with handicapped people. Gee, I must be a fucking saint *laughs*. I am far from a saint. The reason I work in this field is that I am intimately knowledgeable with it. I have a disabled child. As a job, that serves me.

I feel good helping people. That helps raise my self-worth and ego. I enjoy the company of the people that I serve. That brings me happiness. I receive a paycheck that pays my bills, gives me money and that keeps a roof over my head. That brings me financial gain and physical security. I do not perform my job out of the cockles of my heart; if I said so I would be a liar.

If in the process of getting all the things that I get from my job and performing it well, I can bring love and happiness to those that I serve, it is a win-win situation.

The word "interdependence" is key to reciprocal altruism. I realize that I must be willing to give to others what they need to survive and thrive in this life in order that they might *laughs again* want to give me what I need to survive and thrive in my own life. That is Reciprocal Altruism. There will always be selfish assholes who cannot reciprocally give and would not know altruism from headcheese, but the majority of people in the world get the concept.

Give in order to get, yes that is what I wrote. Give in order to get. When you give people what they need to survive and thrive, you give a little bit of balance to the world and yes, that does benefit you. This planet, all beings on it are interdependent on one another. The wise altruistic person is someone who realizes that their needs and the needs of other beings are all interlocked together in a delicate pattern.

Hiatus

The main author of The Journal Anima (that would be me) is currently on a temporary hiatus. For more information on this, go here.

If you would like to contribute to The Journal Anima, please fill out this contact form and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

See you all on the other side.

Science Fiction Inspires Reality

Usually, fiction is inspired by reality. However, especially in the case of science fiction, fiction can inspire reality. Those geeks who grew up watching Star Trek are now working at NASA. Those cell phones with their flip open design look an awful lot like Starfleet communicators. The iPhone and iPad are not unlike the touch screen consoles in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Voice recognition has advanced to the point where you can give commands to your car or video game console. The Microsoft Kinect gaming device will respond to voice commands in much the same way that Captain Picard gave commands to the Star Ship Enterprise's computer. All that's left is for us to invent warp drive and figure out how to properly interchange energy and matter.

What technological breakthroughs do you believe were inspired by science fiction? Do you believe the breakthrough was for better or worse?

Wand Making

This is the very first wand that I have ever made. It was made very simply with copper wire and a clear quartz crystal. Although wands can assist in spells, this wand was primarily designed to be a healing wand. Due to it's twisted wire design, it takes a little more focus to channel energy through it since there is no straight path. However, it's been proven to be an excellent tool for relieving pain. It's much more affective than a clear quartz crystal would be on it's own.

There are sites out there that have pre-made wands for sell, but I decided to make my own since I wanted it to be a personal tool. That does not make buying a pre-made wand inherently bad. It's just that the wand will likely be more attuned to your own energy and be easier for you to work with if it is a personal creation. However, this can also be said for any wand that you feel suits your character. It's just a personal choice. Many pagans who work with wands simply find a stick in their yard that catches their eye. No matter where you get your wand, it's all about whether you have made a personal connection with said wand.

I may start selling pre-made wands in the future. If anyone would be interested in this, please let me know.

Also, if anyone would like to share their wand making experience or thoughts, please do so as well.

Perceptions

At first glance, this radar image may seem like just an ordinary radar image, but what if I told you that the dominant thunderstorm cell in this radar image looked like a human fetus? You undoubtedly see it now.

Others suggestions have a powerful impact on how we see things. Just a few weeks ago, a friend pointed out a street sign to me and proclaimed that it read "Firefox." At first glance, I read the sign as saying Firefox as well. This would have been humorous seeing as how a popular Internet browser goes by the same name. However, at second glance, I discovered that the street sign actually read "Fox Fire." This was vastly different from the word "Firefox," but my brain was tricked in to seeing what it wanted to see thanks to my friend's suggestion.

Your eyes may not always tell you the truth. It's best to double check things whenever possible.

The Universal Language Of Music

Music is not only a form of entertainment. Music brings people together. It moves and inspires us. For some, music is life. Music can be very powerful. When an experienced musician picks up an instrument or sings a verse, they put their heart in to it. For the audience, there is nothing but them and the music. It's a way to release stress and get away from the daily grind of life.

Music is also universal. Many musicians travel the world to play for fans in other countries. When they can feel the music, there's no need for them to understand the lyrics. It reaches their ears in a way that words cannot.

Music notes image by Vera Kratochvil.

The Power Of Imagination

Some would say that having an imagination is silly. However, if it were not for imagination, humans would not have accomplished as much as they have. Imagination is the driving force behind innovation and discovery. Those who grew up watching Star Trek are working for NASA today.

Imagination, while not as powerful as words, is still a great driving force. This invisible force shapes our world. It's no wonder that it plays such an important part in magic and energy work. Your imaginations can become as real as you want them to be, even if it does not become a reality in your life time. Leonardo DaVinci imagined flying machines in his lifetime. Today, flying machines are an everyday occurrence. What seems impossible or like magic now can become a scientific reality in the future.

When The Power Goes Out

As I sit in my car during a power outage while my netbook's battery is charging via a car adapter, I can't help but notice how reliant we are on electricity. This is something that we often do not realize until it's gone.

Back before electricity, no one missed it because it had not been invented yet. These days we become lost without it. We stumble in the dark looking for a flashlight. We worry about the parishable food items that we just bought. We wait and wait for the electricity to come back on so that we can go back to our normal lives. Even to the most rugged of society, it's a huge inconvenience.

So how would we react if it was gone for good? Would we convert back to the old ways, or would there be chaos?

The Internet was originally a DARPA project designed to survive a nuclear attack. However, I can't access it over a broadband connection while the power is still out. It requires a modem that runs on electricity. I am writing this in Notepad with intention to upload it later. I did get some electronic work done thanks to my boyfriend's car adapter. However, I've only been able to get online in small spurts at various establishments with free Wi-Fi.

I do all my work online. I actually need connectivity. More and more people are starting to as well. The attendant at the gas station told me that the electric company would have the power back on by 7AM. I really hope so.

Violet light image by Teodoro S Gruhl.