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Reality and Perception
The image below of a box of candies was a surprise novelty in a candy store at the Prudential Center,Boston, MA, USA. I was assured everything was edible in the store.
Such a gift should tell something about you and the recipient when this is given as a surprise on a special occasion. What is the intent of the giver and how will it be perceived by the recipient. But then again, with the right person and with a more open mind, it might just be the gift that is worth giving.
This potential gift attracted my attention because it delves into issues of "reality and perception" -- a more general interactive dynamics we share everyday.
The ideal situation would be when the recipient of the gift understood the intent of the giver. Quite often, that may not be the case. It requires familiarity and a meeting of mind to achieve the first. However, even if those conditions are met, it is possible that our past experiences and the time we live in become the foundation of what we call our set of beliefs or sense of morality and values; thus also define our character.
We then become a prisoner of our space and time.
A more abstract example is an artist inspired to create a work of art and how it is viewed by those who see the work. Near the end of the 19th Century, when Claude Monet first showed his work:
Impression: soleil levant (1874)
Paris, then considered the center of arts and culture, was scandalized. The art critics of the time did not understand Monet and other artists whom we now categorize under the art movement we now call as Impressionism . They could not get the conventional art galleries of the day to exhibit their work, so they staged their own public exhibits in the streets of Paris.
Just before the onset of the 20th century, the vestiges of the Inquisition still remained. Similarly, while the era of absolute monarchy had begun to erode, their influence on socio-cultural values and relations still remain. [Well, even to this day, those who were lucky enough to win the Nobel Prize, were still expected to bow to the King during the award ceremonies.]
Those influences affect how we as a society think and behave when we interact. Those influences also dictate what is considered Art and Literature.
The aforementioned historical example, we can use safely because the curators of today, and even many who profess to like art, find beauty in the works of impressionist artists. In museums though, it is not unusual for some visitors, who would loudly proclaim "even I can do that", "a monkey can create that", "my 1-year old child can do that", etc., etc. -- to show disdain to more contemporary art. And to do so loudly, i.e., for other visitors to hear, is a proclamation not only of disdain but that they knew better, and their perspective is the correct one. [And, of course, in writing so here, I am declaring my own perspective of such a proclamation.]
The above examples are more tame.
Let us take more controversial examples. When the second President Bush*** decided to invade Iraq, it was under the pretext of ridding the of a dictator and bring democracy to the Iraqui people. The American people -- with the September 11, 2001 event, fresh in their mind -- thump their hearts and went along. At the time, anyone who voiced opposition to the invasion of another country was dubbed unpartriotic and a traitor. When American casualties (not even considering the much greater casualties among the Iraqui people) begin to mount, many realized what a mistake the war had become. This dramatic turn in perception was a key reason for the Democratic party gaining power in Congress -- after a dozen years in the minority.
So, were the original protestors against the invasion of Iraq correct in their analysis and patriotic? Or have they become so only after a majority of the American people decided to join them?
It is worth noting that the first President Bush, the father of the second, also invaded Iraq. In contrast, after removing the forces of Saddam in Kuwait, the first President Bush (i.e., the father of the second Bush), opted to stop short of invading Bagdhad. I wonder sometimes what the first thinks of the second Bush. Can both the first and the second Bush -- taking different decisions -- be both right (or both wrong) based on the different circumstances? Or, if only one of them made the correct assessment, would that mean that the other is wrong?
The "Fathers" of the American revolution were considered insurgents or in our modern lingo "terrorists" by the the British during their time -- so they were hunted and imprisoned, and some executed. They were, obviously called freedom fighters by the American people of the time, and now our revered heroes.
Once, the Catholic Church imprisoned Gallileo because his scientific finding that the earth revolves around the sun --- and not the other way around -- did not agree to the Pope's reading of the bible, considered as word of god, thus infallible by many Christians. Of course, even a young child would now know how incorrect the Catholic Church was, and even the Pope acceded to the folly of their historical views and apologized to their treatment of Gallileo -- many centuries long after Gallileo was gone. And, this is not the first time that the Catholic Church had to concede that its literal interpretation of the bible was proven to be utterly incorrect.
Remember the 7-day creation of the world, as so stated in the bible -- the word of god? There was a time it was considered blasphemous to think otherwise. Period. Now, ask any bible scholar or a theologian -- and you will be given a long and winded discourse. Bottom line, no one can find the foundation of their interpretation.
In spite of all the known inconsistencies and now considered incorrect interpretations of the bible -- many Christians still consider the bible infallible the word of god -- rather than interpretations or recollections of man about how they perceive god. And so, having decided that it is infallible and the word of god, many Christians have used to bible to impose their views on other people. Anyone who opposes that view is considered a sinner condemned to eternal damnation -- some take this view to the extreme and even committed murders, in the name of god. [It does not matter that the 10 commandments -- also considered the laws of god -- say otherwise.]
Comments
[2]rokbot[2]y says:
some unusual gift to give. =D
cgc0202 says:
Yeah, I was surprised myself to see it in a candy store, and not in a novelty shop or adult shop.
sweetsexything says:
and the obvious message : tease me tease me baby...:)
cgc0202 says:
My first “risqué” image. *smiles* I placed it in one of the Pinoy groups, and it was removed. *grins* I think the moderator did not even read the added text.
munsterinc says:
Great photo. I first thought it was shot in the underwear section of a dep't store if not for your description.
Really, they removed it? Hindi naman malaswa.
cgc0202 says:
Thanks munsterinc for visiting. I was surprised myself to see it in a confectionary store. Yeah, one group removed it. I guess whoever removed it did not bother to read the text.
_Anne says:
is this gift really intended for the recipient of the gift or the giver? *wink* *smile*
cgc0202 says:
That's a fresh perspective, Anne. *smiles* I have not thought of that.
JAD Snippets says:
I found the narrative very interesting and lends much light into the photo. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and too bad about the photo being deemed "offensive"!
I demonstrated with thousands of anti-war protestors in the SF Bay Area against Gulf War I and did the same thing against Gulf War II...no confusion on my part as to the "correctness" of my analysis and actions. As a historian, unfortunately wars for "empire building" is a consistent theme for the US, whether it was Mexico in 1848, the Philippines and Cuba in 1898, Vietnam and Southeast Asia in the 1960s, Central America in the 1980s and now the Persian Gulf. The sad news is most Americans never study or read history.
Peace
cgc0202 says:
Thanks JAD Snippets,
I am glad there are people like you who understood this and the text. Are you a Filipino? Have you considered joining the Likas-Philippines group to share your own perspective?
Cornelio