creating tools to educate the public about critical thinking.
Being open-minded means willing to consider new ideas. Our progression depends on our willingness to learn. I'm thinkin' the community could benefit from a simple, educational video like this, but with the focus on using our reason/logic in conjunction with our passion. Instead of having an atheist "over-tone," the examples used to support the message could be concrete evidence of how we are using the two sides together effectively. We can show pictures that exemplify the process of integration in Fresno, within the city and within the individuals that live there.
I know the practice of critical thinking to foster progressive ideas is prevalent among our creative professionals in the community, and we could align to create the picture of what that looks like. The creative talent and evidence of progression is already here. What ideas do you have to show the reason, passion, open-mindedness, integration or progression that exists within our community?
how to make a free website
how to make a free website
Create a free, quick website(blog) by following these easy steps...
1. Create a google email account by going to www.gmail.com and clicking on the sign up for gmail link. Complete the registration and be sure to choose a meaningful name that is easy for others to spell and remember.
2. Once you are in your new gmail account, find the very top set of tabs on the left and click on web. From your gmail account, you should have been navigated to your primary google page.
3. Click on the My Account link in the upper right corner of your main page. This is the list of your google services. Find the orange icon and click on the link that says Blogger. You should now be in your blogger dashboard.
4. Choose Create a Blog and complete the registration. Again, choose a meaningful name that is easy for others to spell and remember. If the first or fifth name you thought of is not available, keep trying out different names that tie in with your brand.
5. Choose a template and click on start blogging. Click on the Layout tab and then click on the Pick New Template sub-tab. For a website like this one, choose Minima Lefty Stretch, and then Save Template, or choose a template that represents your brand the most.
6. Click on the Edit HTML sub-tab to remove the navigation bar from your blogger website, copy the following code in blue and paste it before the /*variable definitions line within the Edit Template contents of your blog.
URL: www.stopdesign.com
Date: 26 Feb 2004
Updated by: Blogger Team
----------------------------------------------- */
#navbar-iframe { display: none !important; }
/* Variable definitions
====================
7. Save the changes you just made by clicking on the orange Save Template button. Adjust your fonts and colors by clicking on the Fonts and Colors sub-tab. Choose a color palette that is simple and ties in with your brand. Keep it meaningful and no more than five colors for a cohesive look.
8. Choose the Page Elements sub-tab to customize your site with useful gadgets that compliment the content of your new blog and your brand. Remove gadgets by clicking on the Edit link and then choosing Remove.
9. Your website is now set-up! All you need to do is create posts and upload/write your content!
1. Create a google email account by going to www.gmail.com and clicking on the sign up for gmail link. Complete the registration and be sure to choose a meaningful name that is easy for others to spell and remember.
2. Once you are in your new gmail account, find the very top set of tabs on the left and click on web. From your gmail account, you should have been navigated to your primary google page.
3. Click on the My Account link in the upper right corner of your main page. This is the list of your google services. Find the orange icon and click on the link that says Blogger. You should now be in your blogger dashboard.
4. Choose Create a Blog and complete the registration. Again, choose a meaningful name that is easy for others to spell and remember. If the first or fifth name you thought of is not available, keep trying out different names that tie in with your brand.
5. Choose a template and click on start blogging. Click on the Layout tab and then click on the Pick New Template sub-tab. For a website like this one, choose Minima Lefty Stretch, and then Save Template, or choose a template that represents your brand the most.
6. Click on the Edit HTML sub-tab to remove the navigation bar from your blogger website, copy the following code in blue and paste it before the /*variable definitions line within the Edit Template contents of your blog.
URL: www.stopdesign.com
Date: 26 Feb 2004
Updated by: Blogger Team
----------------------------------------------- */
#navbar-iframe { display: none !important; }
/* Variable definitions
====================
8. Choose the Page Elements sub-tab to customize your site with useful gadgets that compliment the content of your new blog and your brand. Remove gadgets by clicking on the Edit link and then choosing Remove.
9. Your website is now set-up! All you need to do is create posts and upload/write your content!
how to make a free simple survey
A great survey doesn't need to be long or complicated. The basic information most people need to know in order to improve is what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong, and what they could be doing. If you are asking someone to take time out of their life to tell you how to improve, you should respect their time in return by eliminating unimportant details and making the survey simple and easy to use.
An efficient, simple survey, can be created using the format below, originally developed by our friend, Strategically Creative. A free survey, with limited customization and options, can be designed using a site like SurveyMonkey.Com. We suggest offering something to your consumers, like an entry to win one of your products or services. The benefit of getting critical feedback can be tremendous and should be worth an opportunity to win a reward in exchange for the valuable time and feeback of your consumers.
Begin your survey with a short paragraph that is concise and direct in its intention. This is the introduction to the three main questions you should always ask to ensure quality feedback. The following questions are easy to prose and you should select the short essay format to allow your consumers to elaborate in their response. to see an example, check out the survey we posted here.
1. What should I be doing?
2. What should I stop doing?
3. What should I keep doing?
An efficient, simple survey, can be created using the format below, originally developed by our friend, Strategically Creative. A free survey, with limited customization and options, can be designed using a site like SurveyMonkey.Com. We suggest offering something to your consumers, like an entry to win one of your products or services. The benefit of getting critical feedback can be tremendous and should be worth an opportunity to win a reward in exchange for the valuable time and feeback of your consumers.
Begin your survey with a short paragraph that is concise and direct in its intention. This is the introduction to the three main questions you should always ask to ensure quality feedback. The following questions are easy to prose and you should select the short essay format to allow your consumers to elaborate in their response. to see an example, check out the survey we posted here.
1. What should I be doing?
2. What should I stop doing?
3. What should I keep doing?
solving between polarized parts = progress
The problem with polarized discourse is that the focus is on who is right and who is wrong, as opposed to what can be agreed upon by both parties involved in a conversation. This type of discourse is specially prevalent in politics. Politicians run their campaigns based on the extreme differences between parties in an effort to win and make the other person lose, rather than working towards a common goal that most people can find safety, happiness and comfort in. Our founding fathers tried to lay this groundwork and it has been skewed over time because competition has taken precedence over the common good. A great documentary on the subject of politics and polarized discourse can be found here.
If leaders spent more time focusing on the integration of these polarized views, they would be more efficient in working towards real solutions. It is the same as the cognitive dissonance that lies within us. As we develop our individual philosophies on what to believe and how to act, we discover new information and knowledge that often contradicts the former opinion we have formed. This is how we progress and how our philosophy gets refined.
For example, when I was in high school, the information I had available was limited (compared to now) and my beliefs were firmly rooted in the culture of being Mexican, catholic, and from a small town. Part of my belief system was based on what I learned from this particular culture, or structure, and it included the belief that people chose to be gay. Of course, I found the "evidence" I needed from sources around me to validate this belief, but it was not until it hit home for me that this belief was challenged. When my beloved cousin, who I love more than anything, came out of the closet... the family was devastated. More than the pain my family was "suffering" was the pain my cousin felt for being honest about who he was.
I remember immediately after the news broke out, I spoke to my cousin on the phone and I could hear his deep sobbing. I had never heard anyone in that much emotional pain and it broke my heart. He was so upset and ashamed for having to admit to himself and everyone else who he was. I could hear how hard it was. In his words and in his voice, I knew that he was even contemplating suicide to escape the pain of not being "normal" or accepted by the family he loved so much. It was in that moment that the lightbulb went off inside my head and I realized that no one would just "choose" to be something that would bring so much pain, prejudice, and fear into their life.
My belief system had been challenged because my cousin would have chosen to be easily loved and accepted by society rather than facing the more difficult, painful road if it was, simply, a choice. His testimony was all I needed to then be open to find and learn new evidence that supported the belief that homosexuality is, in fact, biological. I found evidence of hormonal differences and brain science that supported my new philosophy. His passion for being true to himself, even though it was painful, inspired me to grow and be more authentic. The more I accepted and loved my true self, the more I was accepting of others.
Having to solve between what I thought I understood, and the new, contradictory information I was receiving, caused cognitive dissonance for me. I was faced with having to make new decisions about what to believe, and became a better person for it. That event, 15 years ago now, led to a series of positive changes for me, the family, and my cousin. We were all more tolerant of change as result of his personal growth. His bravery opened up the doors for other family members to come on out of that dark, dingy closet. Now, I have to say, change was simpler for me than it was for some people in the family because I was not carrying any hatred or discrimination in my heart, I just believed it was a chosen lifestyle versus biological. The steps to change were a lot shorter for me than those who have to solve for a more extensive, contradictory belief system.
The road to solving between our polarized beliefs has to start somewhere and it requires a lot of love, patience, and tolerance for those who are ignorant to the solution. If someone was intolerant, or hated me back then for believing what I believed, I would have been more inclined to defend my position rather than being open to learn a better way. Loving someone through their ignorance is a hard thing to do, but it is certainly the most effective way to change something.
If leaders spent more time focusing on the integration of these polarized views, they would be more efficient in working towards real solutions. It is the same as the cognitive dissonance that lies within us. As we develop our individual philosophies on what to believe and how to act, we discover new information and knowledge that often contradicts the former opinion we have formed. This is how we progress and how our philosophy gets refined.
For example, when I was in high school, the information I had available was limited (compared to now) and my beliefs were firmly rooted in the culture of being Mexican, catholic, and from a small town. Part of my belief system was based on what I learned from this particular culture, or structure, and it included the belief that people chose to be gay. Of course, I found the "evidence" I needed from sources around me to validate this belief, but it was not until it hit home for me that this belief was challenged. When my beloved cousin, who I love more than anything, came out of the closet... the family was devastated. More than the pain my family was "suffering" was the pain my cousin felt for being honest about who he was.
I remember immediately after the news broke out, I spoke to my cousin on the phone and I could hear his deep sobbing. I had never heard anyone in that much emotional pain and it broke my heart. He was so upset and ashamed for having to admit to himself and everyone else who he was. I could hear how hard it was. In his words and in his voice, I knew that he was even contemplating suicide to escape the pain of not being "normal" or accepted by the family he loved so much. It was in that moment that the lightbulb went off inside my head and I realized that no one would just "choose" to be something that would bring so much pain, prejudice, and fear into their life.
My belief system had been challenged because my cousin would have chosen to be easily loved and accepted by society rather than facing the more difficult, painful road if it was, simply, a choice. His testimony was all I needed to then be open to find and learn new evidence that supported the belief that homosexuality is, in fact, biological. I found evidence of hormonal differences and brain science that supported my new philosophy. His passion for being true to himself, even though it was painful, inspired me to grow and be more authentic. The more I accepted and loved my true self, the more I was accepting of others.
Having to solve between what I thought I understood, and the new, contradictory information I was receiving, caused cognitive dissonance for me. I was faced with having to make new decisions about what to believe, and became a better person for it. That event, 15 years ago now, led to a series of positive changes for me, the family, and my cousin. We were all more tolerant of change as result of his personal growth. His bravery opened up the doors for other family members to come on out of that dark, dingy closet. Now, I have to say, change was simpler for me than it was for some people in the family because I was not carrying any hatred or discrimination in my heart, I just believed it was a chosen lifestyle versus biological. The steps to change were a lot shorter for me than those who have to solve for a more extensive, contradictory belief system.
The road to solving between our polarized beliefs has to start somewhere and it requires a lot of love, patience, and tolerance for those who are ignorant to the solution. If someone was intolerant, or hated me back then for believing what I believed, I would have been more inclined to defend my position rather than being open to learn a better way. Loving someone through their ignorance is a hard thing to do, but it is certainly the most effective way to change something.
tolerance = withholding judgment
Making value judgments about systems, or individuals, that we do not understand is an act of intolerance and ignorance. Power comes in teaching what you know, not in dismissing others because they do not have the same knowledge or experience. If you know something that others do not, develop evidence and methodologies for teaching that knowledge rather than criticizing those who do not have access to that experience, knowledge, ability to learn. True tolerance comes with patience and a willingness to teach rather than judge.
Every system, or individual, was born within a given structure and has unique resources available to them. People tend to act accordingly and do the best they can with what they know and what they have in order to develop their system and feed their passions. We each have 24 hours in a day and that time is spent using our unique set of resources to move through our unique structures. This why one person's complete value system would never be perfect for someone else to completely adopt. In addition, those values change and get refine as we mature and gain more knowledge. We learn from others and adopt values from other systems as we each see fit. The best way to show someone the benefits of your personal system values is to live by example and educate when asked.
The beauty of mankind is that we each have a unique role to play in the larger system and everyone's contribution has value. Our individual consumption habits are what drive human progression. The more knowledge we gain, the more we progress (as a whole) towards our preferred future.
Every system, or individual, was born within a given structure and has unique resources available to them. People tend to act accordingly and do the best they can with what they know and what they have in order to develop their system and feed their passions. We each have 24 hours in a day and that time is spent using our unique set of resources to move through our unique structures. This why one person's complete value system would never be perfect for someone else to completely adopt. In addition, those values change and get refine as we mature and gain more knowledge. We learn from others and adopt values from other systems as we each see fit. The best way to show someone the benefits of your personal system values is to live by example and educate when asked.
The beauty of mankind is that we each have a unique role to play in the larger system and everyone's contribution has value. Our individual consumption habits are what drive human progression. The more knowledge we gain, the more we progress (as a whole) towards our preferred future.
balanced exchanges = increased system strength
We live in a world where we are often exploited by others and the natural reaction for many is to balance this by exploiting someone else in return. The problem with this reaction is that we are reinforcing the injustice that was done onto us by repeating it.
In order to effectively correct this imbalance and work towards a real solution, we must continue making balanced, fair exchanges regardless of the injustices that were done unto us. As much as we will be exploited in our lifetime we have to, at some point, learn to stop perpetuating the problem in the larger system and become a real part of the solution. It takes practice, discipline, and an incredible amount personal strength.
Exploitation includes taking advantage of an individual's passivity or willingness to give. People often take advantage of more giving individuals in an attempt to feel powerful about themselves, but this is not real power, it is in fact, the weakest kind of power. True personal power comes from within and is developed by empowering others, not taking it.
What happens to the giving, or passive individuals of the world? They get exploited so much, that their systems are starving and their resources are often diminished. They are often left with a choice to become a taker like the individuals who have taken advantage of them, or to stick to the high road and be true to themselves by continuing to give all that they have in hopes that one day, someone will come along and balance the scale because it is just the right thing to do.
People who tend to take more than they give are contributing to the problem and people who give more than they take are also not part of the solution. Individuals who give too much are part of the vicious cycle of imbalance as well and need to learn how to receive as much as they are willing to give. Without this balance, their systems will always be short of the resources it needs to actually give more to others. When givers learn how to receive, their system grows more and the resources they so love to give will increase, resulting in balanced system growth for all people involved.
In order to effectively correct this imbalance and work towards a real solution, we must continue making balanced, fair exchanges regardless of the injustices that were done unto us. As much as we will be exploited in our lifetime we have to, at some point, learn to stop perpetuating the problem in the larger system and become a real part of the solution. It takes practice, discipline, and an incredible amount personal strength.
Exploitation includes taking advantage of an individual's passivity or willingness to give. People often take advantage of more giving individuals in an attempt to feel powerful about themselves, but this is not real power, it is in fact, the weakest kind of power. True personal power comes from within and is developed by empowering others, not taking it.
What happens to the giving, or passive individuals of the world? They get exploited so much, that their systems are starving and their resources are often diminished. They are often left with a choice to become a taker like the individuals who have taken advantage of them, or to stick to the high road and be true to themselves by continuing to give all that they have in hopes that one day, someone will come along and balance the scale because it is just the right thing to do.
People who tend to take more than they give are contributing to the problem and people who give more than they take are also not part of the solution. Individuals who give too much are part of the vicious cycle of imbalance as well and need to learn how to receive as much as they are willing to give. Without this balance, their systems will always be short of the resources it needs to actually give more to others. When givers learn how to receive, their system grows more and the resources they so love to give will increase, resulting in balanced system growth for all people involved.
