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Thoughts 1/31/2006 January 31, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology, Sociology.
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I was browsing some user profiles on a website earlier today, and notice people claiming certain things about themselves that made me sit back and thing.  For an example, I saw a girl that claimed, “I’m kind of a big deal…people know me” That made me stop and think about it.  It’s almost like they are posing, and trying to push something to almost make it true.  And I think to an extent we have all done that.  This is also known as leveling.  People with lower self-esteem especially I think.  They try to do one of two things.  Either bring themselves up to other people’s level, or bring other people down.  It’s almost like they have to insult people to make themselves feel better.  I’ve met people like that.  And you will also notice that they don’t really do it to people that are strong willed, it’s usually to weak minded individuals.  When it comes down to it, why do people have low self-esteem?  I think I probably agree with Freud on that one.  He basically states that you develop most of your personality when you are one year old to two and a half years old.  That makes sense to me.  But that brings up the question, could you mold and shape a person from birth, to be exactly how you are, or how you want them to be?  How impressionable are people?  How influential are people on your life?  Well as far as thoughts and opinions, I think a lot.  But thoughts and opinions don’t make someone’s personality.  Someone once told me that happiness comes from “within,” and isn’t something that we can achieve by simply being around people we like, or situations that are fun.  I have to disagree with that completely.  In my opinion, people we are close to, and places that we live in, decide if we are truly happy people or not.  That ties in perfectly with personality development.  If you are in an unhappy home up until age three, although you can’t specifically remember that time in your life, it has an effect on you.  So can people change?  Can you alter who you are?  I don’t think so.  Just like I said earlier, you can pose, you can pretend, but that doesn’t change how you feel deep down.

Thoughts 1/26/2006 January 26, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology.
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Ever considered the reason that certain people conflict? There is someone that I know, that I absolutely cannot stand. For me that is a rarity, I promise. I get along with 99% of the people that I meet, even if they have faults. But this person, I cannot look passed their issues. I don’t say it arrogantly, only frustratingly. It is so annoying to me, because honestly, I want to like them. Don’t worry though; it won’t be anyone that reads this blog, so you’re safe. But it’s another one of those eternal struggles. I want to do my best to, not necessarily be a friend to this girl, but at least an acquaintance. Generally the people I see everyday I can deal with, but I’m having issues. And the bad thing about it is, that I’m forced to be a rude person to them. I mean generally I may be sarcastic/humorous, but I find myself saying very offensive things to this person. And here’s the conflict: The reason I do it is because I know it bothers her. It angers me so much that she gets offended, I must continue. 

So that raises the question: What makes us do things like this? What causes personality conflict? Normally I would say that two people that are very similar would conflict, but I am nothing like this person. Freud would probably say that we are so alike that I can’t see it, but I would have to disagree. One thing that puzzles me is how we can all be unique. That has always amazed me about the human mind. Although so uniform and alike, we still possess the ability to be different. So back to the topic, why do we conflict? That’s a very good question indeed. I definitely don’t have the answer, only theories, and I’m still not dead-on with those I’m sure.

Thoughts 1/25/2006 January 25, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Religion.
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Ever considered how big of a part your faith plays in your life? Does it affect the outcome of situations? A bigger question, does it affect your decision making. I like what Gandhi says: Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. That statement really says a lot. Consider it. Is it a contradictory statement? Well yes and know if you ask me. Yes in the way that, your decisions will affect the lives of people. A great example of that is the movie Sliding Doors. It shows you just how much a single event plays in your life. An excellent film by the way. But it’s not contradictory in the fact that what you do day by day won’t make differences in how you view things, due to the simple fact that we usually don’t consider alternate outcomes, because who has the time?

But back on topic, does religion/spirituality/faith play a part? I would love to say yes. I would love to sit here and tell you that everything I do, every decision I make, is because I’m a Christian, and because it’s what I know I should do, but you know what? That would be a lie. I’m not proud of that, but it’s the truth. To live like we should would require so much more of us. All of our money would go to churches, we would be evangelists, preachers, or missionaries. Or maybe that’s just a way of making excuses, just as we all do a lot. I experienced something over the holidays that made me think a lot. There is a particular person, that is possibly one of the most devout Christians that I know, that more or less, amazed me. So therefore there is a conflict. To be Christian, is to be moral. Look at the Ten Commandments. Jesus basically said, and this is paraphrasing, but he said that to get into Heaven, all one must do is keep the Ten Commandments. Do most moral people do that? I think so. For those that may not ever be able to hear about God, well you know I just don’t know. I can’t answer that, nor can I understand it. There are times that I wish I could, but then again, if we could understand everything, we would be God. There are times that I wonder a lot. I used to a lot more. Times that I wonder why my prayers weren’t answered. But I came to realize something over last summer, it’s that God’s will may conflict with what you are praying for. I believe that praying for God’s will to come true is the best prayer a person can say. That’s all there is to it. Of course this is just my opinion, and isn’t necessarily right or wrong, it’s just what I believe. It’s all void if you don’t believe Christianity. And I don’t say that in a condescending way. Religion is chosen, and I think logical facts and reasoning should be used when deciding what religion you intend to be. Nothing should be forced on us, and no one should say they are more right than others. You know that’s an issue I have with religion. Every single religion thinks they are right over the others. Even civil wars within denominations of Christianity! Give me a break. Aren’t we all serving the same God? So why does it matter if Bob the Methodist wants to go to the liquor store, and Sam the Baptist sees him do it and convicts him. That’s one thing about religion that I’ve always had a problem with, and never really understood.

Thoughts 1/24/2006 January 24, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology.
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How dedicated are we? As friends, or even as lovers? How much dedication do we give others, and how much do they expect? Have you ever wondered why people expect something, but really don’t think they owe you anything? It’s crossed my mind before, and rarely has it happened. But when I say rarely, that doesn’t mean it’s never happened. But the thing is, there have been times in my life (and I know that almost everyone can relate to this) when people let me down. Even people that I thought I could count on. Or maybe they changed on me. Ever had that happen? A person is one way for the longest time, and then they seem to completely change personalities. I can’t really grasp that concept; I don’t see how people can do that. I mean life is life, our personalities are who we are, and I mean I understand that people change in time, (I.E. become more mature, improve certain aspects, live and learn)but is that really a valid excuse for poor and/or different attitudes?

A topic change: I’ve been observing the general populace of Jones, specifically students in the lab, and I notice that they are generally either stupid, or don’t pay attention. I watch people walk in my room, and spend maybe twenty or thirty minutes working on essays, research, or whatever. Then, they get up, and walk out the door, and they forget which way they came in. And I can understand that if it’s maybe the first time they’ve come in the lab, but I’ve seen people that I know for a fact have been here before, do that. That just doesn’t make sense to me. And I realize that’s not really intelligence, it’s probably more awareness than anything, but still. I don’t think there is a drive, as humans, to better ourselves. And that’s kind of worrisome. Now see to me it’s a conflict. Because I observe humans now opposed to thousands of years ago, and, just as even a child could state, we have become much smarter. Observe our technological advances, I mean it’s incredible. So why is this knowledge not applied to everyday life? Maybe it’s just the people where I live? And I know I’ve touched on this before, but I honestly believe that the world has become more inconsiderate since I was a kid. It seems to me, thinking back, that people used to smile a lot more. Maybe it’s just the fact that I was a kid, but who knows? And I know smiling isn’t that big of an issue, but more or less what I’m trying to say is, that it’s a mentality that people have.

Thoughts 1/19/2006 January 19, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Sociology.
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So what bothers us the most? Not being able to control something? That’s how it is for me anyway. If I know that I can’t control something, it frustrates the heck out of me. If I have no grasp on it. Like something absolute for example, something that cannot be altered in any way. I won’t lie either, sometimes even people’s thoughts and opinions bother me. Maybe it’s because I can’t control them, or maybe it’s because I think they’re wrong. Who knows, but it gets frustrating sometimes. I think most people feel this way too. It’s funny to me how certain people are different. I don’t know if it makes sense what I’m trying to put into words here, but bear with me. Ok let’s use Bob for an example. Bob may not be a punctual person, as far as friends go anyway. But there is a meeting at work, well there’s Bob. I mean it’s funny to me how it just takes certain situations or certain things happening to get people together. A funeral or wedding for an example. Attended one in this last year? You’ll recognize relatives that you didn’t even know you had, even if they’re from around here. That just amazes me, the fact that it takes something like that to get people to be on time and/or get together. So what does that really mean? That those particular people, have the ability to be on time, when it’s important to them? I heard a quote once, and this is paraphrasing, but the quote went something like this: “Generally the person that is late is a lot jollier than the person waiting on them,” That makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

Thoughts 1/17/2006 January 17, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Philosophy, Sociology.
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We are complex beings are we not? But are we complex because we are made that way, or because we make ourselves that way. Think about that. Do most of the problems that we encounter every day, come back to being our own faults? So does this mean that we have the ability to stop our own issues? I probably just lost half of you there, but think about it. If we are the root cause of our own problems, would preventing that mindset and/or mentality cure our issues? I think so. I honestly believe that well over 80% of the problems we deal with are issues that we create, because when it comes down to it, we are all addicted to drama. Some people claim to be “simplistic” by nature, and “uncomplicated.” But give me a break; the very fact that one claims to be those two attributes is a form of complication some how or another.

We all claim we want everything simple. Even I have been guilty of that. We want to stop playing these “games” in relationships, or stop talking behind each others backs to friends about other friends, but we don’t. Just like stated, claiming that is just another form of complication. Some could even argue that there is a reason I am blogging about this, hoping one specific person would read it, due to issues that I have been going through lately with certain people. Although this isn’t the case, does that not prove my very point? It seems like, humans, have to have an explanation for everything. “Why did Kelsey write that blog, what was his motive?” And although I don’t have one at all, many of you may think I do. Think about it. I read one time that a sociological experiment was done, where a man stepped in an elevator, and looked at the other person in the elevator, and touched his ear and then made some type of signal with his hand. The person almost always acted confused towards it. It’s because we can’t take anything for granted. Everything, to us as humans, has to have a meaning, and a purpose. We can’t look at anything as new, as creative, as productive. It has to be routine. It has to be boring. Boring is to boring.

Thoughts 1/10/2006 January 10, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology.
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There is definitely something missing in my life. I feel some type of void that I can’t fill. I don’t know what it is. It isn’t the void of a relationship; it isn’t the void of a religion; it isn’t the void of friendship. I don’t know what it is. But for the last week I’ve felt it. Something is just not there. I feel almost restless, like there is something I could/should be doing, but I can’t. I can’t fill that need, whatever it may be. I get to a point where I am stir crazy. Maybe it’s that I’m not in school? I really don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I wish I could put a stop to it. Oh well.

Thoughts 1/09/2006 January 9, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology, Sociology.
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Yeah, I accidently put 2005, just like I said I’d be doing for quite some time. It occurred to me today though that 2006 is going to be a good year. Now I’m not going to give you any arithmetical reason why (such as the 2+6 fiasco that was previously stated), but I just have a feeling it will be. Heck, I might as well try being a little more optimistic. I feel so restless lately. Maybe it’s all the time off that I had for the holidays, or maybe it’s just me? Time is such a conflict in my mind. Even after twenty years I can’t seem to grasp the concept. Why does it go by so fast? Make it stop please. It really does scare me. I’ll be twenty-one in a little over a month. That’s absurd. See I remember sitting in this exact place one year ago, writing about turning twenty. I hate it man! And it doesn’t seem like a year ago. As a child time passed so much slower! Why can’t we stay kids our whole life? See, growing older is just bad no matter how you look at it. 1) Time passes faster. 2) There are unfortunately to many important things in our life. 3) Life generally sucks. 4) Christmas isn’t as good. Four valid reasons indeed. I don’t remember feeling the need for a relationship as a kid either. See there’s my problem. I never needed a relationship until I realized what it was like, then you can’t escape that emotional addiction. See the Kelsey from a year ago would have done his best hide that, and not let anyone know, but he doesn’t work here anymore.

Isn’t it funny how much we change over time? Mentalities for one thing. My mentality on life right now is totally different than it was a year ago. I can’t really put into words how, but it is. It’s funny how our point of views on things change, and just changing that alters so many things in our life. A month ago I would have told you I was ready to marry a girl that tore my heart out. See now here comes another conflict: As much as I know I shouldn’t still have feelings for this girl, I do. A sad story? You may say so, but not really. Everyone can look in from the outside and say, “Why are you doing that, why do you go through things like that,” but if their own lives are considered, they have probably done something of equal stupidity. See I’m admitting that I’m an idiot, but we can’t control how we feel about people. We can’t turn a switch and change how we feel about someone. I don’t need friends that are going to tell me that I shouldn’t do things. To many of my current friends try that, and it’s so annoying. Just listen to me for a change, instead of trying to be a parent or something. Not a day goes by, not an hour, a minute, nor a second that she doesn’t cross my mind. I made the mistake of falling in love with someone that, apparently, didn’t love me back. What a world that we live in.

Thoughts 1/03/2006 January 3, 2006

Posted by Kelsey Martineau in Psychology.
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Well, the new year, finally. How exciting, I must say. Now I have to deal with accidentally putting 2005 on everything until at least June. Yep, so much fun. Work starts back Thursday for me. So fun. I’m just so excited about everything in my life lately. Ok if you can’t tell, that’s sarcasm. It’s not true. Kelsey’s life once seemed so exciting, but lately it has come to a standstill. Why I wonder? I have no clue. I watch my friends come in and out of my life. Where do they go I wonder? Maybe there’s some type of room labeled the “missing friend room,” and when I haven’t heard from them in a couple of weeks, I could go there and find them?

Have you ever stopped and thought about how far you would go, for something you believe in? Where do we “draw the line?” I don’t know if that makes sense reading it, but think about it. To what extremes are you willing to take, to fight for what you want, or even need? That’s such a stereotypical Kelsey question isn’t it? I’m sick of those. What’s his deal anyway?

Ok so why are memories so much more enjoyable much later? Does that make sense? I’m listening to a song right now, and it reminds me of the summer of 2005. The summer of 2005 wasn’t horrible for me, but it wasn’t the best either. I would give it a 6 out of 10 on my summer scale. No I don’t have one of those for real, I just made it up. But really, I’m listening to something that reminds me of when Jonathan, Jill, Lindsay, and I were hanging out. At times I didn’t think it was a pleasant experience. But you see, now I listen to the song, and it’s cool. I am reminded of that situation, but it doesn’t bother me. I don’t feel sad or mad, or any of the emotions I felt at the time. I look on it with fond memories, not necessarily because I miss it though. Believe me I’m glad all that is over, but because I guess it had an impact on my life.