On Mon, 23 Oct 2000, Doug Henwood wrote:
> >The US is predominately made up of thoughtless robots, programmed for mass
> >consumption and rote work.
>
> Good thing you escaped this fate! What do you attribute this lucky
> outcome to? Genes? Wit? Bad socialization?
You tease, but there is some truth regarding bad socialization.
Anyway, you are really asking "how does one become deconditioned", and maybe more importantly "how does one KNOW if they are deconditioned", right?
The answer to the latter is purely subjective. Once you define the robot then anyone who isn't like the robot might qualify.
The art, or science if you prefer, of deconditioning is as old as civilisation. There are brutish techniques, such as starvation and brain washing. Self-deconditioning is also old, but much more subtle. The initial cause is hard to determine - religious epiphany, use of certain chemicals, direct experience of the plight of man. Whatever. One of those three kick-started my deconditioning. All three are examples of bad socialization. Why do some ignore societal norms and others honour those artificial walls? That I can't answer. Maybe it is the genes. Maybe certain people are born free-thinkers, they way others are born good athletes. My sister and I were both indoctrinated into the Methodist church at a young age. She is a devout Christian, I'm an atheist. What accounts for that?
Matt
-- Matt Cramer <cramer at voicenet.com> http://www.voicenet.com/~cramer/ They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-Benjamin Franklin