Category: Notes

A frank discussion about ‘madness’ and an advocacy that we need to use a more flexible stick when measuring insanity. Instead of simply reading through a checklist of symptoms to see if the patient matches up, doctors need to dig into the causes of those symptoms to better understand their causes and thus if the diagnosis really fits. For example, a person who has a hard time being around other people because they are not sure about how they should act should not be considered crazy. However, a person who has a hard time being around other people because they think that other people can hear their thoughts should be considered crazy.

Darian Leader: What is Madness? (RSA)

There have been many ideas and descriptions of the recent financial crisis, but Harvey presents an alternative point of view: as Marx would. That is, instead of blaming bad decision making or bad forecasting, Harvey suggests that it is the nature Capitalism to simply move issues around without ever addressing them. Harvey suggests that instead of sticking dogmatically to capitalism, we should consider a financial revolution.

While it is a common to say that your problems and issues, Ehrenreich firms states that it is wrong and cruel to insist that bad things only happen to those who mentally focus on bad things and thus we need to think positively. Instead, she suggests, that we think realistically, hoping for the best but being prepared for the worst.

Barbara Ehrenreich – Smile or Die
RSA Animate – Smile or Die

Barry is a mentalist at work. Some elementary extraction of concepts but mostly good brain stopping fun.

Keith Barry: Brain magic (TED)

Addressing new issues of information proliferation. Turkle comments that we used to have gatherings, say a fifteen year old birthday party, which we often did not want to go to, but we went to anyway and we would grow and expand because “we did this hard thing.” Today, we see people mentally checking out by pursuing their virtual world; this makes it hard to emotionally progress because we no longer do “this hard thing.” In essence, if we are not careful, we will be alone even when we are together.

Professor Sherry Turkle – Alone Together (RSA)
Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? (TED)