Wiring

I want to talk about wiring today.. no quotes, no sentences, just a word and what it means to me..

Wiring is basically how a system is set-up, how a certain system will process it's stimuli and then direct it to accomplish a certain goal.

My focus with this is the individual wiring of the people around you; and maybe how you are wired at your core... Some people call this the ego, or the subconscious.

Essentially, we are all wired from birth and through our socialization as we are taught by our parents or nurturers how to conduct ourselves in the modern world. Typically, it's the events in our early-childhood that will wire us into the adults that we are to become; and very rarely are two people ever wired exactly the same.

At it's core, you could say that your wiring is synonymous with your "rationale".

Ever seen someone over-react, become depressed for what seems to be no reason, become uncontrollably attached almost instantaneously to women/men, drugs, the drink, partying, pets, etc?

These are almost always reactions that are caused by the way we are wired as human-beings. (A = stimuli or something perceived, X = subconscious emotion, R = reaction). Something in our rationale, tells us A= X, and because X is rooted to a specific emotion (positive or negative) it will cause R... your reaction.

Ex. 1) You grew up as a sibling of many and, because of strained resources and over-worked parents, you never received much individual attention (or a close connection with your family members).

During socialization, this typically could cause the given person to feel a personal loneliness; and as socialization ends and young-adulthood begins you're subconsciously susceptible to become attached quickly to people who show you individual affection or interest (thus fulfilling the subconscious emotions of loneliness).

When, and if, this affection/interest is suddenly cut-off, the person will immediately feel a pang of resentment/negativity/anger/drop in self-esteem. Causing the person to react tangibly to others or to him/herself through one, or all, of the given emotions.

(So in this case 1. The positive stimulation from another will cause X = feelings of happiness, and being wanted. AND 2. The negative removal of this "positive" act causing X2 = feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, anger, resentment)

You know these people, everyone knows someone who over-reacts terribly when [seemingly] small negative things happen to them.

If this is confusing, sorry. It's a little abstract and may take a read or two to understand.

So here's the point.

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HOW TO KNOW

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When you feel an overwhelming emotion, or when you observe this happening to someone else ask yourself. "WHY"

Why am I reacting this way?

-Because A happened... and it caused X. (Because this person did something that made me feel a certain way)

Okay, so why do I feel that way?

-because X causes me to feel a certain way and makes me react

Did the person who caused A do it to intentionally make me feel X, or was this person doing something for their own personal reasons?

-Probably not...

So why do I REALLY feel this way, and what REALLY made me react how I did?

-Only there will you really find your true answer. And it's an answer only you can truly find...

It's like a chemical equation... if the end-product isn't desired, then you need to change the equation.

If the emotions you're reacting to aren't desired, then maybe you have to question your own rationale and your own subconscious to "find the change you wish to see in YOUR world".

Much love

-Inspire

People are asking me about the race problem...

People are asking me about the race problem.... I know of no race problem. The great problem that confronts the American people to-day is a national problem -- whether this great nation of ours is great enough to live up to its own convictions, carry out its own declaration of independence, and execute the provisions of its own constitution. (Frederick Douglass)

I had an interesting bit of racism happen with me yesterday. Social networking is an interesting thing, no matter how many people it will connect you to, in the most diverse settings, people still have the very real possibility of being wholly ignorant and socially irresponsible.

I was speaking to a friend of mine when someone, whom I've never met, decided it would be his place to jump into a conversation that had nothing to do with him to make a racist remark aimed at me... I looked him up and found out he's a 2nd generation Polish-American, while interestingly enough, I am 3rd generation (about the same as the majority of "Ellis Island" immigrants from the early 1920s), so my family has been in the USA longer than his has... so where's the rationalization?

The question that I raise to myself everytime I've ever experienced racism is "why".

Essentially, what would bring this individual to hate and detest me on such a level that he/she feels a need to act in such a negative manner towards me?

Possible answers: ignorance, socialization, negative experiences

But racism is such a COMPLEX topic now isn't it? We can't just answer it with one word.

But in this case I could take a guess that this individual had an upbringing that caused him to perceive other races/ethnicities/cultures as "unfit". From what I know about Immigration and the new socialization of families in a new culture is that, statistically, the majority of families hold on to their traditions and remain very family and ethnically oriented.

This is why when you look at urban settings, you'll see broad differences in "race" by neighborhoods and districts. Ever heard of "chinatown" or "little italy". Or take a look around south Philadelphia at South Philly Italians, Somerton Russians... how about the FACT that through the 2000 Census entire city blocks and sections of the city are measured 69-100% of it's residents that speak languages other than English?

Is this wrong? of course not... People naturally want to find groups that accept them; and hopefully that they accept as well...

But think about it...

What is race? Race is socially constructed. DNA testing and empirical research tells you humans are all 99.9% identical yet, as people, we still let the subjects of "color, race, religion, ethnicity, hometown, neighborhood, sports team, political views, etc." separate us.

Why do we separate ourselves then? (I say ourselves because technically, we are all the same)

We separate ourselves because we hold the belief that people [from the other group] are "less" than we are; this comes from ignorance or negative experiences with a MINORITY of the group. So we find excuses.... this is where stereotypes are made....

Creating stereotypes is antagonistic in nature and causes both groups now to create stereotypes against the other group...

SUDDENLY you find each group growing through time and each group suddenly starts adopting the stereotypes that their "opposite" brethren created...

Why would a group buy into the ignorant stereotypes then that were made against them?

They're basically like wearing team colors... They believe that the other group is their enemy so they have to be "more hardcore christian and preach to those who don't want to hear it, more black and get the street rep they think they need, more... you fill in the blanks..."

SO WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

Nowhere

Race doesn't exist.... we created it. If we don't believe in it... then it's like it never existed huh?

Is it that simple? No of course not. But people reciprocate how they're treated.

But we can start when we ask ourselves why we feel a certain way about a group of people... The loudest voice is the most heard.. So if you keep hearing the same message, maybe you need to open yourself to a little objectivity and ask yourself if what you're hearing... if what you're believing is, at it's core, legitimate. (but that's a topic for another day I'm sure I'll cover)

Much love

-Inspire

Success is a full-time job; so is being a fuck-up

Success is a full-time job; so is being a fuck-up. -Hernandez

This is something I came up with that I like to come back to and remember every once in a while.

A lot of people blame their lack of accomplishments on their inability to achieve any "sizeable" goals or to reach any milestones. What I think these people fail to realize is that "Rome wasn't made in a day".

Michael Jackson wasn't born into being the king of pop, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't genetically freakishly Hulkesque, Bill Gates' father surely wasn't the last richest man on the planet....

MJ had a LONG singing career starting at an early age, Arnold was born into poverty in Austria, Gates wrote, and sold, his first computer program at the age of 12.

Success isn't based on your huge goals, it's based off of the little decisions you make each day that reflect action for those goals.

You'll never get fit till you clean up your eating and get a suitable excercise plan.
You'll never do well in college until you organize and learn how to study.
You'll never date the beautiful girl until you go up and talk to her, and maybe do a little legwork to get her interested...

Life isn't short. We just remember the milestones.
Life is long; and in each day we're given choices to decide which direction we want to go in.

Much love
-Inspire

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. -Emerson

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit, by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

What you see in your environment will always be off of your "spirit"; it will be based off of the person you are, your beliefs, and your learned characteristics.

If you and I were walking through the woods during autumn and there's dead leaves surrounding us, on the trees, on the ground, falling, and I said look at all the beautiful colors, and you said look at all the death surrounding us.

We would both be right... Wouldn't we? At least to ourselves we would both be.

Basically, you see what you want to see in life.

But this has a double meaning... you get out of life, what you see. If you only see negative options, you'll only get negative options. Also, if you try to focus on positivity, then, in turn, you will get positivity in return.

Nature, your environment...

always wears, will look...

the colors of the spirit, exactly how you want it to(according to your beliefs)

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit/Your environment will look exactly how you want it to(according to your beliefs)

Much love.

-Inspire

Getting Started: An Introduction

Hey guys! My name is Jonathan Hernandez and I've been through more life than you could imagine. I'm currently a student studying Political Science and minoring in Sociology at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. For awhile now people have asked me to share my thoughts, reflections, perceptions, and ideas about life and the world with the world. So in this blog I will do my best to post a quote everyday of the week and reflect on it with a short essay of what it means to me, and how I feel others can learn from it. I will be more than happy to take requests and questions. Any questions, just e-mail me. Much love

-Inspire