In hopes of opening some minds. Maybe clear away some obstacles for some one. Any one.

The idea is to give you all of the information you need to create your own world-view. An informed and accepting world-view, completely your own. Creating a philosophical, theosophical, ethical, and moral system that makes you happy. Your ideology.

Is that too lofty? Maybe.

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101
Lesson #26
The Battle of Purpose

Then I realized I had answered my own question. Inspiration. Motivation. Drive.

A lot of people think they lack these things. We search for a muse very often in life, no matter what our hobbies, families, or jobs are. So, why does it matter? Sometimes we just hit a dry spot, or a low period, right? Sure. Happens to everyone.

Come on. You ought to know better than that. If you aren’t feeling inspired, stare at a blank piece of paper for a while. It will come. Missing that old drive that you used to have? Start small, but dive full in.

If you’re not in the deep end, it’s not really swimming, is it?

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101

Lesson #16
The Battle of Motivation

Have you reached your peak? Your crescendo? Are you still waiting for your peak to come? Are you on the up or the down slope? Our lives are a series of peaks and valleys, crescendos and diminuendos. This is how we think! A series of build-up, fireworks, fall down.

I don’t think that’s right. Not at all. I think right now is your crescendo, and there is no such thing as diminuendo. Did you miss the fireworks?

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101

Lesson #15
Battle at the Cusp

Haven’t really accomplished much this week at all with all of the crazy Christmas business. It’s time to get back in gear though. Gonna get back to daily posts again this week. Try to push the envelope even further with more pieces to The Cost of Magic and Basic Ideology 101. It’s going to be a good week. Trust me.

And, I do have a bit of a surprise for you tonight! It’s finally here! Loki Listens Volume 1: Developmental Theology eBook! This is an early edition. We’ll see a second version at the time of print release with an introduction and some additional thoughts by our old friend Scarab.

Download your copy now!

Jack
I Listen.

Monday Update
December 29, 2008

We worry, because we are. “I think, therefore I am.” No. You are, long before you ever think. Any creature that recognizes this is sentient, as of that moment. We realize that we are, and this is our first thought. It is also our first, and most ingrained anxiety.

With this series of lessons, I have set my goal to make you think, and to help you understand why you think that. Perhaps this is folly. Or, is my worry, now, after the fact, purely part of my own existential anxiety?

Can you follow, chief? We still have a long way to go.

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101

Lesson #14
The Battle of Being

Today, I’m going to talk about the magic of conversation. Ideology, in itself, is worthless if we cannot communicate it. The hard part here is that lots of people like to think their ideology is the only ideology that works. As long as people think like that, it will be hard to affect change. Open minds are the only place where change will be made.

If you can open your mind to acceptance(we battled this one already, remember?), and speak amicably with each other about what you have learned, and what you have taught, we can start to make progress as a society.

Talk to people. Lots of people. Every chance you get, engage someone in conversation. We’ve become a civilization of isolation. Do you think these attitudes and behaviors would have succeeded in tribal times? No, of course not. But, that was before we forgot about magic.

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101

Battle #13
The Battle of Conversation

Things Change.

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101
Battle #12
The Battle of Acceptance.

You see, a lot of the things you are taught in classrooms, or even on the job, is useless. It’s static information, that you use for reference. Most of the time you probably find it dull, but necessary.

Well, here’s the shocker. It’s not necessary. If someone took the time out to teach teachers about the dynamics of learning, you’d never sit through a pointless lecture again.

You see, the majority of what you have been taught up to this point, has been static. That means it never moves, and it never changes. But that is contrary to the way the human mind works. We are not static beings. We are dynamic beings. If we look at the same information from both static and dynamic view points, the one you are going to remember is the dynamic one.

Dynamic teaching means involving the student in all aspects of the subject. If you are teaching history, which has a bad reputation for static styles, don’t yell out facts and dates. Instead show the students how they are involved in history. Show them out it affects them now. Show them what they can do about it if they want it to change.

Dynamic teaching and learning is not only more effective, it’s more fun! People like to be involved. Everyone enjoys that feeling of inclusion. And with dynamic learning, no one is left out. We all get to experience the shifting paradigm.

So, as a teacher, and as a student, I am asking you to think about how you teach, and how you learn. If you find yourself getting stuck on stats and figures, you’re probably in a static environment. Do what you can to change this, and everyone will have a richer experience for it.

I could, literally, talk forever on this subject, but I think that’s all for now. You’ll probably notice a strong inclination towards dynamic teaching and learning in this course, and this will not be the last time it comes up, in a lesson of its own.

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101

Battle #11
Teaching you how to teach yourself.