Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an African philosophy. If you want to learn more about it Click Here. The word 'Ubuntu' originates from one of the Bantu dialects of Africa, and is pronounced as uu-Boon-too. The ubuntu philosophy teaches us that about ourselves and our relationships with each other and the world. There is a common connection between all human beings and we can our own human qualities through this bond. Recognizing each other’s humanity and existence, we can confirm our own humanity. I’m starting to like this “Ubuntu” concept because it’s a way for people to connect; a way for people to respect and love each other. It seems that the African people who believe in ubuntu have already figured out a way to empathize with each other. By setting differences aside and recognizing others as human as similar to you we can grow stronger and closer as a species. In Jeremy Rifkin's RSA Animate "The Empathic Civilization" he talks about humanity as a whole and our ability to empathize and connect with each other. If you haven't watched this great Animate Video yet, Click Here. Naturally, these two things can be connected. In Jeremey Rifkin's Animate I found it interesting when he discussed the "mirror neurons" that are found in humans. We have the ability to feel what others are feeling; the ability to empathize and to connect with each other. The Ubuntu philosophy talks about how all people are connected physically to the earth and to each other. The common theme is that we have so much in common as a species. I thought deeply about Rifkin's point concerning the extension of empathy to the entire human race. Obviously the whole world won't be able to adapt Ubuntu. It's just not going to happen. There will always be people who oppose things. But if all cultures, religions, and groups of people can adapt their own "Ubuntu" philosophy then that's something special. If we can do that we can learn to love and respect each other. We can spread empathy to the entire human race. I think Ubuntu connects to a lot of what I want to learn in this unit. I want to gain more knowledge about what humans want and need. I want to know about when and how people can come together as a unified people. With the Ubuntu philosophy, I feel like some of these questions can begin to be answered

Humanity-Empathize

I thought that Jeremy Rifkin's video "The Empathic Civilization" was incredible. If you haven't seen it Click Here. I agree with Ms. Mystrena, the talk-turned animate thing is a pretty cool thing. Though, I'll admit it was hard to listen at some points because the animations were so interesting. I had to watch the video a couple times to be able to understand it. And I still couldn't absorb everything in the video! I thought that the whole part about human beings being soft-wired, with mirror neurons, to observe others feelings and emotions and be able to feel them ourselves was very interesting. It's so true! I also found it intriguing when he was talking about the empathic growth of human. At 2 1/2 years old you can recognize yourself in the mirror. At 8 you learn about life and death and how fragile life is and you begin your existential trip in life. It’s all so interesting and I can only wonder how scientists discover these kinds of things. Rifkin also said that empathy is opposite of utopia because in a utopia there is no suffering. People don't empathize with each other; n one cares for each other. Speaking of caring for each other, this video reminded me of the movie 2012. In 2012, towards the end of the movie when the characters in the ship/ark thing are faced with a decision to begin moving or allowing thousands of other people to board, one guy who wants to allow the people to board says "the moment we stop caring for each other-that's the moment we lose our humanity". Of course they decide to let the people board the ship. This video made me think of that movie scene. Empathy is grounded in the acknowledgement of death and the celebration of life. We all know we’re going to die. We all know life is precious and fragile. Knowing this, humans have amazing ability to care for each other. For example, when the earthquake struck Haiti, within hours the rest of the world knew and shortly after people began to rush to support Haitians in need. I think that we can connect our empathy to a single race writ large in a single biosphere. As humans we've already connected on blood ties, religious ties, and national ties why wouldn't we be able to empathize and connect and share as one people? As humans. We can. We just need to be forgiving and tolerant. We're all people. We have so much in common. And Mr. Taylor would say that our skin color isn't very deep at all. On the inside, we're all the same.

Ezra Klein/Roger Ebert Reading Reaction

First I just want to say that all three articles were very interesting. I was able to take something away from each of them when I was done reading. The three articles I'm talking about of course are Ezra Klein's Being "Fully Human" Online article (If you haven't read it Click Here) and Roger Ebert's articles All The Lonely People and A Meeting of Solitudes (Click Here to read Ebert's articles). My initial Ezra Klein’s article was that I never realized how big the internet is to some people. Sure I know we live in the "Internet Age" or "Technology Era" or however you wish to name the beginning of the 21st century, however I never realized just how big the Internet is to some people. The story in the article about Jason Rowe was quite touching to me. The article, combined with the term "avatar" in the article made me think of James Cameron's AVATAR. When thinking about Jason Rowe playing his Star Wars Galaxies and feeling  powerful, strong, and free I couldn't help think about the beginning seconds of the intro in AVATAR  when Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is soaring high above the trees (in his dreams of course). Jason Rowe opened my eyes when he said "The computer screen is my window to the world." After reading the article I thought about what it would be like to be severely disabled. To be crippled. To be a loner. Thinking about it heavily, I realized that the internet would be my sanctuary.  I could soar zip around on an Imperial Speed Bike or race around in an online NASCAR game. I would surf the web for movies, pictures, articles, information, anything! And of course i would be in the safety and comfort of my own home. Obviously I can and do some of these things already. But if I was living under different circumstances, yes the internet would definitely be my window to the world. I was also impacted by Roger Ebert's articles. I was forced to think when Ebert said
"But what all lonely people share is a desire not to be -- or at least not to feel -- alone." It's true. All lonely people desire to be loved, to be cared for. Or at least they have the desire to feel this way. Yet, all human crave it. We all need affection, love, and companionship. Someone to share our story with. I was also affected when Ebert said "We want to say "I am alive" in a billion billion different ways." We do. People want to be found, to be noticed, to be complimented. Through the internet we can be. Emails, tweets, facebook posts, blogging, online games, websites the list goes on and on. Here's the key I think; there are so many ways to be noticed these days without actually being seen. I'm not saying it's good or bad I'm saying it's true. And everything is instantaneous. We can communicate more efficiently and quickly now than ever before. As Ebert said, "The internet has isolated us in virtual worlds."The shy people and the loners can be loud and proud, can have a voice- in words on the web. Both of Ebert’s articles really got me thinking. The man sure is very good at evoking thought from his readers.