IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN DO? SECOND TOURIST ATTRACTION IN THE US. LAS VEGAS IS THE FIRST
JUST UPSET MY NEIGHBOR BY A MINOR CRIT OF HER HOUSE. INTERPRETED AS A MAJOR SLAM TO HER LIFE. I COUNTERED WITH AN APOLOGY AND PRAISING HER LIFE, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS DONE.
DRIVING ON HWY 101 THE OTHER DAY WITH A SEASONED FLOWER CHILD WOMAN THAT IS TOTALLY INTO ORGANIC GARDENING AND IMPROVING THE EARTH I WENT INTO A TIRATE ABOUT ALL THE AWFUL BUILDINGS THAT MESS UP THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. I COULD SEE SHE WAS SHOCKED WITH MY ANGER AND DISGUST AT WHAT SHE PROBABLY ACCEPTED AS NORMAL AND HARMLESS. WHEN SHE BROUGHT UP NEW ALCHEMISTS GROUP, I COUNTERED WITH THEY WERE NOT INTO UPLIFTING ARCHITECTURE AND WERE PEDESTRIAN IN THEIR APPROACH, HER FRIEND JOHN TODD, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS. I COULD SEE HER AMAZEMENT THAT I WOULD BE CRITICAL. I REALLY DO NOT THINK THEY EVER LOOKED AT THE GREEN MACHINE NOR BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. THEY STOPPED AT FULLER. BUT IN GENERAL THE GREEN MOVEMENT TREE HUGGERS CAN NOT SEE THE BIG PICTURE OF TOTAL DESIGN, THEY LOVE NATURE, BUT SHUN THE INTERACTION OF HIGH DENSITY SYSTEMS. THEIR HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, BUT SEEM UNABLE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO PUSH CHANGE OF CONSEQUENCE THAT ENABLES TRANSFORMATION. THE SIERRA CLUB REFUSED TO ENDORSE THE GREEN MACHINE, THEY MIGHT THINK DIFFERENTLY NOW, BUT THAT IS A LONG WAYS FROM COMPLEX POPULATIONS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ENDORSING URBAN GREEN EVOLUTION. BUT, TIMES CHANGE AND THE OBVIOUS AWARENESS HAS EVOLVED TO A POINT THAT DEMANDS CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION.
MILICA, MY EX ARCHITECT WIFE CLAMS THESE CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ARE THE CURSE OF THE ARCHITECT. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I AM ALMOST IN CONSTANT PAIN LOOKING AT BUILT ARCHITECTURE AS MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND SEEING MOST BUILDINGS NEEDING TO BE REMODELED . IT IS NOT A MATTER OF ECONOMICS, IT IS A MiND SET OF JUNK THAT IS JARRING TO MY SOUL LIKE THE SCRATCHING OF A BLACKBOARD.
CHRISTINE, MY ELDEST 50 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLAIMS ALL HER LIFE I HAVE BEEN SCREAMING HOW BAD THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS.
BEING BACK ON THE OREGON COAST, WHERE THE DRIVE TO THE SUPER MARKET IS LIKE A SCENIC CRUISE, I SHOULD BE CONTENTED. A HUGE POSITIVE CONTRAST TO JUST LAST YEAR WHEN LIVING IN ALAMEDA CALIFORNIA IN A PRISTINE SAN FRANCISCO BAY ISLAND COMMUNITY WITH ALL THE GOODIES OF QUAINT SUBURBIA . MORE VICTORIAN HOUSES THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN CALIFORNIA AND TWO RESTORED MAIN STREETS, LOTS OF TREES WITH CANALS, BEACHES AND PARKS WAS OK, BUT ONCE ACROSS THE DRAWBRIDGE THINGS CHANGED BY ENTERING OAKLAND, THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE HOMICIDE KILLING PER CAPITAL OF ANY U.S. CITY.
THE CRAP UNDER AND AROUND THE FREEWAYS, THE HOMELESS LOST SOULS DARTED HERE AND THERE. THE TEMPORARY PLYWOOD BOARDED UP WINDOWS IN A SHOPPING DISTRICT ,TWENTY SQUAD CARS PARKED AWAITING THE VERDICT ON A POLICE SHOOTING KILLING CASE. THE TREACHEROUS APPROACH ON RAMPS WITH THUNDERING TRUCKS PRESSING FOR CONTROL, AND DRIVING UP THE FREEWAY TOWARD THE BAY BRIDGE, ALL UGLINESS POUNDED ON MY SOUL. THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC,THE BOMBARDMENT OF THOUSANDS OF CARGO CONTAINERS WITH STAR WAR CRANES YELLING AT ME TO USE THEM IN A POSITIVE WAY. THE JAM OF CARS AND TRUCKS PUSHING AND PRESSING EACH OTHER TO GO THROUGH THE RIGHT TOLL BOOTH LANES. THE COLD HARD EXPRESSIONS ON THE TOLL MONEY CHANGER FACES, A MISSED TURN THE ULTIMATE TRAMA TO GET BACK ON TRACK. MORE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THAT ONLY MADE SENSE BY LISTENING TO PUBLIC RADIO AND GETTING ANOTHER DOSE OF ALL THE INJUSTICES OF THE WORLD. THE ROAD RAGE OF PEOPLE HONKING AND SCREAMING AT ME. THE BART TRAINS WHIZZING OVER HEAD, THAT DO NOT GO TO ALAMEDA, ON A CONCRETE SUPPER STRUCTURES THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY COULD HOLD A TWENTY STORY BUILDING. THE THUNDERING SOUND OF THE STEEL DECKING ON THE BAY BRIDGE WITH UGLY RAILING BLOCKING THE VIEWS OF THE BAY. THE NEW BIG BROTHER CAMERAS TO CATCH YOU LATE INTO AN INTERSECTION SO THE CITY CAN MAKE A FEW HUNDRED BUCKS OFF YOUR HIDE. THE SKYLINE OF A TON OF UGLY BUILDINGS THAT I WANTED TO REDESIGN. THE PARKING UNDER THE FREEWAY AND THE TENSE LOOK ON THE ATTENDANT FACE, WORRIED ABOUT THE HOMELESS CENTER ACROSS THE STREET. STRANGE CHARACTERS WITH ATTACK DOGS AND DYED BLUE HAIR AND STREET PEOPLE SLUMPED ON THE SIDEWALK. THE COST OF PARKING MORE THAN THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY. THE METERS COSTING TWO BITS FOR 3 MINUTES.
OH YES,THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL SAN FRANCISCO WHERE MY PREDOMINATE FOREIGN RICH STUDENTS HAD FLOCKED TO GET AN EDUCATION IN ARCHITECTURE. WHEN THE HOMELESS DISCUSSION CAME UP, THE STUDENTS SAYING THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE POVERTY IN THEIR COUNTRIES. THE STUDENTS SPORTING THE LATEST CHICK DRESS AND EATING THE BEST OF GOUMET FOOD. THE GUARDS AT THE ENTRY , NAME TAGS ECT, TO SEAL OUT THE RIFF RAFF ON THE STREET.
THE CONSTANT SIRANS OF POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS DARTING TO THE NEXT SCENE OF PROBLEMS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. I SEE ALL THIS AND SAY IT COULD BE SO MUCH BETTER AND I GET MAD AS HELL. THE CITY FOLK ACCEPTING ALL THE WEIRD HAPPENINGS AS NORMAL AND NO BIG DEAL. THE HIGH BROW EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS, SOPHISTICATED SHOPS, AND THE CULTURAL THINGS YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE A PILE OF MONEY. HOW WONDERFUL. THAT IS WHY SAN FRANCISCO HAS MORE MILLIONAIRES PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER US CITY.
I HAVE AN ARCHITECTURAL FRIEND COUPLE THAT LIVE IN A CONDO ON TOP OF A PARKING GARAGE NEXT TO HIGH RISES ALL AROUND THEM. SUBURBIA IN THE CITY. THEY ARE INTO ARCHITECTURE, FOOD, WINE, MUSIC, ART AND LIVING WELL. THEY LOVE BEING IN SAN FRANCISCO. THEY HAVE LOTS OF MONEY AND ARE GOOD PEOPLE. MY WIFE TELLS ME. WHY ARE YOU MAD AT RICH PEOPLE, THEY GOT THEIR ACT TOGETHER TO BECOME RICH? LET THEM BE. ONE, I AM JEALOUS OF THEIR MONEY. TWO, I FEEL THAT I HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY TO BETTER THIS PLANET AND MANKIND AND I AM BROKE. THREE, IF I HAD THEIR MONEY I COULD DO SO MUCH GOOD WITH IT TO BETTER THIS WORLD. YOU WOULD THINK PEOPLE WITH MONEY WOULD BE SEEKING TO CREATE EXAMPLES TO SHOW THE WORLD. I DO NOT SEE IT HAPPENING .THE PEOPLE WITH MONEY COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN. BUT THEY DO NOT. WHY NOT? THAT IS WHY I CONDEMN THEM, I HAVE NO PITY, THEY ARE AWARE. THIS IS THE AGE OF INFORMATION.
DO YOU GET IT? ARE YOU UPSET AS WELL? EXPOSED TO THE REAL TRAGEDIES THAT ARE HAPPENING CONSTANTLY WOULD CREATE A MELT DOWN OF OUR SENSITIVE SOULS. SO WE LIE IN BED, STARE AT THE FIRE, SIP WINE, READ A NOVEL, WATCH TV, DESIGN A BUILDING, PLAY WITH OUR COMPUTERS, HAVE A COCKTAIL OR JET OFF TO AN ISLAND PARADISE. LIFE GOES ON. WE ALL CAN ESCAPE. MY GRANDKIDS SHOWED ME THEIR LATEST CREATION THEY BUILT ON THEIR COMPUTERS. I HOPE THEY WILL GET IT RIGHT.
THE DESIGN DISEASE IS ADVANCING AT AN ALARMING PACE WITH MY BLOG TO SHOUT TO THE WORLD. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, MY RELEASE FOR YEARS WAS TO STUDENTS. NOW HAVING TIME TO REFLECT AND LEARN THE OBVIOUS UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CORRUPT CIVILIZATION HAS BECOME IS REACHING EPIC PROPORTIONS .
THINK BIG, DO NOT COMPROMISE AND WORK HARD HAS HIT SILENCE, THE ULTIMATE FORM OF WAR.
GLEN
In the movie Head of State, the Vice President of the U.S. says “God bless America, and no place else”.
Each of us has the ability to think we are right, and nobody else. You’ve got to think about that when being critical of those who do not think like you.
CARLOS,
MY POINT OF VIEW, YOUR POINT OF VIEW, ETC. POINT OF VIEW.
I DO NOT SEE ANY IMPLIMENTATION AT A SIGNIFICANT SCALE TO EXPERIENCE MY POINT OF VIEW.
WHAT I SEE IS OTHER POINTS OF VIEW IN CONTROL AND I AM DISCOURAGED BY THEIR RESULTS. MY KNOWLEGE IS LIMITED, SO PLEASE POINT OUT THE SUCCESS STORIES OF NATIONS THAT YOU FEEL ARE CORRECT. WILL THEY PASS THE GLEN SMALL ARCHTITECTURAL STANDARD?
GLEN
ANGRY SMALL AT LARGE
I WENT INTO A TIRATE …..
MY ANGER AND DISGUST …..
I AM ALMOST IN CONSTANT PAIN ….
…ALL UGLINESS POUNDED ON MY SOUL
…I GET MAD AS HELL
…I AM JEALOUS OF THEIR MONEY
…I CONDEMN THEM, I HAVE NO PITY…
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
Nothing Glen. I think the day you are big and famous, and your projects recognised and built, your attitude will be different.
However I ask, WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?
Millions of people in third world countries sleep on the streets, shit on the streets and eat from the streets.
They strive to be in our place (and even enter our ugly buildings), and we strive never to be in theirs.
Yet, I’m sure many of them sleep well at night, have no demons within and live happier lives than us.
Wonder if it is their attitude to accept their conditions, their families, their belief in God that gives them their peace of mind or is it something else?
It is their belief in God that gives them their peace, or their opium, as Marx would have it. They know that they are on this wretched earth to suffer the consequences of St. Augustine’s “original sin”… and are comforted in the beatitudes that theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and the meek shall inherit the earth (after the not-so-meek have their way with it, and with them as well).
But not all sleep well at night. Not the tin miners in Bolivia. Not the maquiladora workers in Tijuana who work 12 to 14 hours with timed restroom breaks. Not the sex-slaves from all over the hemisphere and beyond in Guatemalan brothels. Not the guy on the street corner in Managua who lost both arms, both legs, and his balls to a U.S. Claymore mine.
What’s wrong with us? We don’t sleep well because our client changed our design, and Apple gave us the iPhone 4s and not the 5 that we wanted.
CARLOS,
ALL RELATIVE, THE BIG HOPE THAT ALL OF HUMANITY WILL LIVE WITH DIGNITY AS THE GIVEN RIGHT.
A LEVEL PLAYING AND EXPERIENCE FOR ALL.
WHAT THAT IS CAN BE DEBATED, BUT THE MONSTER GAMES MY GRANDKIDS PLAY ON THEIR COMPUTERS IS NOT THE ANSWER.
YOU WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE A CONSESUS OF THE GIVEN RIGHTS OF MANKIND THAT COULD BE ENACTED IN OUR MODERN WORLD OF PROSPERITY.
GLEN
Glen,
I think if approached as individuals, every person on this planet (with the exception of psychopaths) would agree that humans have a basic set of rights. “That is, as long as those rights don’t impinge on my right to make a profit” would follow the capitalists,
Carlos
Well Said.
MITM,
CONTENTMENT, MY BLOG MAN TOOK OUT MY PART ON” CONTENTMENT IS THE DISEASE OF DEATH.” I THINK HE THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP. I SAID NOTHING, BECAUSE I HAD MADE MY POINT WITHOUT THAT LINE.
MY VISITS TO THE SHRINKS HAVE ALL BEEN ABOUT THAT. BEING CONTENT WAS THEIR AIM OF KEEPING ONE WELL ADJUSTED. I LIKE THE IDEA OF CONTENTMENT, BUT I SEE IT AS NOT BEING AWARE OF THE OBVIOUS.
YOU ARE RIGHT, I AM COUNTER PRODUCTIVE WITH MY ANGER, BUT IT IS A POSITIVE MOTIVATOR FOR ME, THAT OTHERS WILL QUESTION.
DOING THIS COMPETITION NOW BRINGS UP THE POINT TO ME ABOUT MAKING MY DREAMS AVAILABLE TO ALL, AND THAT MEANS THE THIRD WORLD LIVING IN THE STREETS TOO. IT TAKES A WORLD CONSCIOUSNESS OF RESPECT FOR LIFE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
GLEN
Glen,
If Contentment is the disease of death, then I’d rather die, than suffer in pain.
I know of a collegue a couple of years younger than me who has made it big time with 80 Architects working for him and has won many awards. I do not believe that he is more talented than me. I am envious of him but at the same time happy for him and not jealous. Being content gives me the ability to be happy for him, and in turn not be jealous and suffer in pain.
I get my contentment from my children.
I may be wrong, but I believe,
if you achieve fame as an Architect, you will be happy and positive,
if you do not get recognised in your lifetime, you will remain angry and negative.
I hope this competition gets you on the path to realize your dreams.
MITM
WE DISAGREE., STARTING TO BE A HABIT. YOUR CONTENTMENT INDICATES DEATH, YOU ARE IN DENIAL OF THE POSITIVE MOTIVATING POWER OF ANGER.
CARLOS CONFUSED TO ME ,HE WAS VERY ANGRY, BUT DELIVERED IT WITH PROSE THAT YOU COMPLIMENTED HIM ON.
I AM ENJOYING THE CHALLENGE OF THE COMPETITION, BUT MY BODY OF WORK IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON RECORD AND WILL SURVIVE LONG AFTER I AM DEAD. MAYBE TAKE SOME RESEARCH TO FIND, BUT IT IS THERE.
I DISAGREE THAT MY CONTENTMENT WILL COME WITH A BOOMING OFFICE AND RECOGNITION., I WOULD BE ABLE TO SPREAD A LITTLE MONEY AROUND AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE SPREADING THE WORD, BUT MY ANGER WILL PROBABLY INCREASE WITH MORE INFORMATION AND OPPOSITION. NOBODY REALLY IS IN DANGER OF MY PRESENCE , I AM JUST AN OUTSIDER.
ONE REALLY GETS SLAMMED WHEN THEY SPEAK OUT AND THEY ARE A BIG FISH. THEY OFTEN END UP WITH A PREMATURE DEPARTURE..
WISHING YOU THE BEST,
GLEN
Glen, yes, I did confess (not confuse) to you that I wrote in anger. I often do that.
Most quotable thinkers, among them Einstein and Mark Twain, speak eloquently against anger as if it were a spigot to turn on and off by choice. Oops, I left the anger running?!?. I disagree. there is absolutely nothing wrong at all with anger (feeling or expressing it). Those who claim otherwise are in self-denial of a basic part of their humanity.
Aristotle said it best, “Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and it is not easy.”
Focus the anger Glen.
CARLOS,
ONE OF MY FLAWS IS PROOF READING, AS YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ELIMINATE THOSE UNINTENTIONAL ERRORS, I MESS UP A LOT. I GET ENOUGH FLAX WITH NO ERRORS. .
HERE YOU GO AGAIN WRITING PROSE.
I HAVE OFTEN WITNESSED CONTROLLED ANGER AS A DEBATE TOOL AND MARVELED AT HOW CONVINCING IT SWAYS PEOPLE. AS YOU HAVE CONVEYED TO ME, MY STYLE IS DIRECT, WHICH SOME LIKE AND OTHERS DO NOT.
THANKS FOR TRYING TO NUDGE ME.
GLEN
Glen,
Yes, we do disagree, now a habit. Actually, we seem to be finally agreeing!
Your discontentment indicates constant pain and suffering.
It is human to get angry. I get angry too. But to live your life in anger gets you nowhere.
I’d love to hear more from you about “The Positive Motivating Power of Negative Emotions ( Anger )”
Cheers
MITM
THIS IS GETTING TO BE A HABIT. YOU COULD PLAY MY STRAIGHT MAN. WE SHOULD GO ON TOUR.
PAIN, DISCONTENT, ANGER, ALL POSITIVE MOTIVATORS. CONTENTMENT BEING DEATH.
IT IS SO SIMPLE. IF ONE IS CONTENT THEN THEY WILL ENJOY THE EXISTING AND HAVE NO DESIRE NOR INTEREST IN TRYING TO IMPROVE THINGS. THEY LIKE IT ALL JUST THE WAY IT IS. OH THEY MIGHT CLEAN IT UP SOME, OR GIVE IT A NEW COAT OF PAINT, BUT IN GENERAL EVERYTHING IS OK.
WHERE AS I LOOK AT THE SAME THINGS AND ENVISION HOW THEY COULD BE IMPROVED SO OTHERS WILL ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE MORE AND NUTURE THE PLANET. I AM INTO FUN THINGS THAT BRING WOWS OF DELIGHT. I AM PRESENTLY IN A COMPETITION THAT YOU TURNED ME ONTO, BECAUSE I AM DISTURBED ABOUT WHAT IS ACCEPTED AS GREAT, WHEN I KNOW IT IS DESTROYING THE PLANET AND WANT TO SHOW OTHERS HOW TO EVOLVE WITH POSITIVE REALISTIC WOW SCHEMES.
I KNOW MY EXAMPLES ARE VAGUE, BUT YOU CAN REFER TO MY BUILT AND PROPOSED WORK I HAVE DONE IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER. THAT IS MY DISCONTENT WITH THE EXISTING CHANNELED IN A POSITIVE WAY. I AM NOT PERFECT AND I MIGHT QUESTION SOME OF MY DESIGNS, BUT NOT THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THEM.
HERE IS TO DISCONTENTMENT TO DRIVE POSITIVE PROPOSALS.
GLEN
“IT IS SO SIMPLE. IF ONE IS CONTENT THEN THEY WILL ENJOY THE EXISTING AND HAVE NO DESIRE NOR INTEREST IN TRYING TO IMPROVE THINGS”.
Glen, you are an unreasonable man. What you wrote aboe is a wonderful statement and reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man”.
-George Bernard Shaw
Carlos
A post appropriate to your all CAPS approach to blog writing.
A while ago, when knowing how to draft was enough to get a client and design a complete building in Brooklyn, I would come across drawings that did not use all CAPS in the filing and CD seys….lower case letters on construction dwgs..a sure sign of the construction that was to come.
Then I read a post on a forum that th generation growing up on txt msgs thought CAPS meant you were angry and they thought drawings looked silly all in CAPS.
I believe the all CAPS is to avoid letters that go below the lines, but I prefer the theory that contractors never read dwgs so making the text all in CAPS is to get their attention.
Don’t mean to sidetrack your angry rant.
CHRIS,
NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN AWHILE. A DIVERSION FROM MANINTHEMIRROR AND CARLOS.
I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THE ALL CAP THING A NUMBER OF TIMES, BUT I WILL REPEAT IT AGAIN.
I WAS RAISED ON ALL CAP PRINTING ON DRAWINGS. IT WAS A VERY PRECISE THING. MANY A JOB WAS BASED ON HOW WELL ONE COULD PRINT IN ALL CAPS. THERE WAS ONLY PRAISE FOR GOOD CAPS.
I REMEMBER SEEING RAY KAPPE USING ALL TYPES IN LETTERS AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED, BECAUSE HE IS ALL ABOUT WHAT LOOKS BEST.
ALL UPPER CASE LOOKS BETTER. WHEN IN DOUBT MAKE IT LOOK GOOD.
I FIND IT VERY EASY TO TYPE USING ALL CAPS. I GOT A ” D” IN TYPING CLASS AND DO NOT LIKE TO USE THE SHIFT KEY. I DO A LOT OF TYPING THESE DAYS, SO I AM COMFORTABLE TYPING IN CAPS
MY EYESIGHT IS GETTING WORSE AND THE LARGER CAPS ARE EASIER FOR ME TO READ.
I ACTUALLY LIKE TYPING CAPS, SO I AM NOT ANGRY WHEN DOING SO.
I APOLOGIZE IF THE PROPER RULES OF THE INTERNET ARE BEING VIOLATED BY ME, I MEAN NOTHING HARMFUL BY SO DOING OR POUNDING MY CHEST IN A EGO WAY. WHAT A SILLY RULE.
IN FACT I FEEL HUMBLED BY HAVING TO TYPE.
I TYPE MY SPECIFICATION IN CAPS TOO, HOPING SOMEBODY WILL READ THEM, IF THEY ARE SCREAMING AT THAT POINT IT IS OK TO GET ATTENTION FOR A MEANINGFUL PURPOSE.
KEEP CLOSE,
GLEN
Glen, tour sounds good. World wide tour even better. How about calling it the “Power of Discontent”? $50 per person ?
I think we would make a killing. Know why? Because most people are not content in their lives. Too greedy, too stressed, too jealous of others, always complaining, angry and in pain. Why do you think the content shrinks must be doing good buisness in the US. Because the US has loads of discontent people. Whom do you think jails are full of content or discontent people?
Why did you move to Oregon from LA? Was it maybe also to find some content (peace) in the natural surroundings and to get away from discontent (the city).
Please do not even for a minute think that it is easy being or trying to be content. Try it for yourself. Try it for a week. I don’t believe you can even be content for a day if you tried. Neither would many others.
As for me it’s very easy for me to be discontent. Selfishly amoung other things, I am discontent about the fact that I cannot afford a home with water views. However until the day I can, I’ll try and be content and greatful for all I have.
Discontent comes naturally to human beings. However being content ( at peace with onself ) does not. Yes, turning off the tap is not easy.
One needs a burning desire to make a change. It is not necessary for one to be discontent or unreasonable to have a burning desire. Look at Gandhi and Mother Teresea. I can’t see them as being angry and discontent. However they surely had a burning desire to make a difference. However Hitler and Osama probably did have a lot of anger and discontent in them.
Carlos, I’m fascinated by the number of quotes you seem to know. Is it google or are you a genius like Glen and me ? 🙂
Glen, I think the difference between you and me is that
You are selfless but discontent, your purpose in life is to change the world,
I am selfish but content, my purpose in life is to change myself.
However we both have a long way to go.
MITM
BURNING DESIRE EQUALS DISCONTENT. GAUNDI AND MOTHER TERESA WERE VERY CHALLENGED BY THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD AND WANTED TO CHANGE THINGS. THIER STYLE WAS A FORM OF PEACEFUL WARFARE. THE MOST FRUSTRATING TO FIGHT. THEY WERE BOTH RIGHTAND GOOD AT IT, AND THE WORLD MADE THEM SAINTS, BUT CONTINUES TO PROMOTE POVERTY AND CLASS WARFARE.
DOES THAT NOT UPSET YOU? I AM SURE MOTHER TERESA WAS UPSET AND GAUNDI AS WELL.
GLEN
Glen,
I do not believe burning desire equals discontent. I view it as something positive, not negative.
Of course I get upset. I also get upset when people like us complain about the smaller things in life, when there are so many greater injustices happening around the world.
However constantly being angry and upset, hurts no one other than me and my family.
MITM
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.
NEGATIVE POSITIVE, BOTH NEEDED TO LIGHT THE WORLD.
WE JUST SEE IT DIFFERENTLY, LET IT BE AT THAT.
GLEN
Glen
I dont think that good politics or passionate expression makes the architecture more aesthetic. Good politics is a matter of ethics, and passionate expression a matter of intention. If the architecture is clearly thought out and the solution clear that is probably enough. It doesnt have to be green to be aesthetic. That just demonstrates your ethics.But If all one has to do is, lets say, conserve energy, to be ethical and create ‘good’ architecture than just wrap any old structure with poly- insulation and declare it good.
eric