...from RK Moore email dialogs
9/21/09 - World Dominance timelines...
"Yes, I enjoyed my Amsterdam visit, thanks to the hospitality of Earl and his family, and Earl in particular for giving me a great glimpse of the city. The highlight was the Amsterdam Historical Museum, about the history of the city itself. Of particular interest of to me was the era of Dutch dominance in world affairs. Certain dates became clearer to me, and I noticed how dominance has been aligned with century boundaries:
1492, Columbus voyage.
1500's dominated by Spain & Portugal.
late 1500's, Protestants take over Amsterdam.
1600's dominated by Dutch Provinces.
late 1600's, Dutch lose maritime supremacy
1700's dominated by Britain & France and their conflicts
1805, Battle of Trafalgar, British fleet defeats French fleet
1800's dominated by Britain
1914-18, WWI, Britain left in debt, Germany defeated
1900's dominated by USA
9/11/2001, USA begins self-destructing
2000's dominated by ??
rkm
RK Moore Dialogs
Moderator: Super Moderators
'Negative Information' ?
9/21/09
"Why people look for certain kinds of information, and avoid other kinds, is not easy to understand. I suspect part of the answer is that people want to feel comfortable, and avoid worry and stress. If you avoid 'negative' information, then you don't need to worry about it. Also there is an urban voodoo myth, very popular these days, that if you think negative thoughts you will make bad things happen, and if you think good thoughts, you will make good things happen. There may be some psychological truth to that, but I don't think it applies to your learning process, to what facts you 'let in'.
To the extent we might think we are 'teaching' people by giving them 'useful information', we need to keep in mind that a 'student' must want to learn before he can be taught. And the 'teaching' must be in terms the 'student' can relate to. So, unfortunately, online forums tend to be choirs that have gathered to sing to one another out of their shared song book. And then there are those where people gather simply because they like to argue."
rkm
"Why people look for certain kinds of information, and avoid other kinds, is not easy to understand. I suspect part of the answer is that people want to feel comfortable, and avoid worry and stress. If you avoid 'negative' information, then you don't need to worry about it. Also there is an urban voodoo myth, very popular these days, that if you think negative thoughts you will make bad things happen, and if you think good thoughts, you will make good things happen. There may be some psychological truth to that, but I don't think it applies to your learning process, to what facts you 'let in'.
To the extent we might think we are 'teaching' people by giving them 'useful information', we need to keep in mind that a 'student' must want to learn before he can be taught. And the 'teaching' must be in terms the 'student' can relate to. So, unfortunately, online forums tend to be choirs that have gathered to sing to one another out of their shared song book. And then there are those where people gather simply because they like to argue."
rkm