Great article! I find it amazing how a series of thoughts on a particular subject can have such an influence. I think it’s an important thing to be aware of because if you don’t make an effort to recognize how your surroundings are influencing your thoughts, and in turn, your actions, then you’re making yourself more susceptible to the possibility of letting others dictate your life, especially those who intentionally take advantage of such situations.

Happy Holidays!
.-= Vin – NaturalBias´s last blog ..Is Your Diet Harming Your Character? =-.

I’ve heard of the conspiracy that the American government is purposely lowering the intelligence of it’s citizens so that they may remain as an intellectual power without being questioned.

Nowadays the major news networks produce trivial events as if they were the end of the world. It seems that most people are more interested in Tiger Woods’ affairs than any important political, economical, or scientific situations.

I hope our civilization will smarten up as a whole and realize what is more important within all of us that is worth our time and our attention.

Thank you for bringing this up.
.-= Steven´s last blog ..Intellectual understanding Vs. Intuitive connection =-.

The next time you are engaged in a group function (a game, business or family project), make a point to verbally praise every positive or constructive activity you observe. You’ll be amazed at how this changes everything.

When I’m not helping people make smarter choices with their money (I attention is the key there, too), I am an avid soccer player. During a recent pick-up game, with our side being handily beat for the first 30 minutes, I went into “supportive praise” mode. Every good pass got an “atta-boy” out of me, even from across the field. Same with shot attempts (even ones that were way off) or an effort by one player to support another in trouble. I even got to praising fellow players when they were talking constructively to each other.

The whole tide of the game changed within 10 minutes. The people didn’t change, just their attitudes … and their attention.
.-= John D. Buerger, CFP® ´s last blog ..Welcome – Why We’re Here =-.

Rand may or may not have had some personal difficulties, but her life was quite interesting and productive, hardly “troubled” as stated above.

I just can’t get around it at work, this stupid pontification about Tiger Woods (which I believe must have been one reason for your post). It’s amazing how quickly people will take this stuff in and not only talk about it (keeping it in conversation way longer than it should be) and just entrenching themselves in the controversy. Why do they not realize that it is absolutely meaningless? I don’t get it.
.-= Mark Dowdell´s last blog ..Global Warming Back and Forth =-.

Derrick

Thanks for the reminder of what we focus attention on really matters and can affect our lives individually as well as well as a society.

Western Civilization is in decline. I believe a major reason for this is because we have chosen to focus and idolize the trivial. Like you said, celebrity gossip is one. people who are serious thinkers and intellectuals aren’t respected by the general populace in in the West.
.-= Gordie´s last blog ..How To Slice And Dice Your Way To Success. =-.

I can dig it.
.-= Jay Schryer´s last blog ..Paying It Forward =-.