The True Extension Of Ourselves (No Pun Intended)

As I search for a distraction from filling out grad school application, I keep returning to this blog to hopefully find some relief. However I am finding this a difficult distraction. Out of the first week of class nothing has quite blown me away yet. Besides the fact that most of my fellow students are quite open with their opinions and quite a bit more insightful than I was expecting. I have been pleasantly humbled and I like that. I have never experienced a discussion based course but so far it has been a good experienced, our human nature to debate and fight has made for some interesting back-and-forth. It's very entertaining. For those of you who know me I tend to sit in the posterior of the classroom and observe and make note of all my fellow classmates. This is not because I'm trying to be creepy, just being strategic. As an individual who is infatuated with human behavior I tend to constantly analyze those around me, and I have had a lot more to analyze than usual.


When it comes to the new material in the readings, it is amazing how many overlap there is between this and the psychology I love oh so much. Right down to the basics of human needs to social exchanges, there is an underlying psychological explanation. For example, the past few meetings we have been discussing items we associate with ourselves and consider a part of us. This drew my attention because it coincides with the most simple aspects of human behavior right down to our reptilian brain. The most essential and influential needs of humans is those of food, shelter, and too procreate (sex). One can relate something as their food, or their home, but the need for sex is the most relatable. Primitive and complex animals both display the same behaviors when it comes to sex; Bigger and more aggressive is how you secure your lineage. How can this be related? Well, let's take your possessions for example. All of us now-a-days tend to associate and connect our belongings as part of us, like we discussed in the reading. This expands our sense of self and others perception of us, this perception causes us to appear bigger than we actually are. These belonging don't have to be materials, they can range anywhere from job titles, whom you are friends with, and the causes you believe in. This self expansion has not quite replaced, but changed how sex is achieved. Back in the time when people would just kill each other and that was the deciding factor, we now have all these variables to consider to see who exactly is the bigger individual. Of course this is not true in all situations and all individuals, but this is undeniably an significant piece of our new social puzzle. Simply put, the expansion of our selves using belongings, occupations, beliefs, and actions causes the perception of ourselves to increase (of course, depending on who's perception), and in this case yes, bigger is better.

I am awaiting to see the benefits of blogging. "Narrate, Curate, and Share" definitely pointed out some good points for the benefits of blogging. But as a hyper-intrinsic, self motivating, high self monitor like myself it will be difficult to get the hang of this right away. Blogging will eventually allow all of our faceless, impersonal, low self monitor selves out for the world (or at least our class) to see. I commend all of you who are experienced bloggers, and I can see how this would be potentially addicting. I'm just waiting for that one topic that I have extensive knowledge on and have been looking for an opportunity to speak more about it. For now, this little explanation of myself, my thought process, and my critiques will have to do.

Cheers.

TL; DR: Let's give this a try. Sex is the basis of everything. This is hard. I'll do better next time.