Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id UAA29000 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 16 Feb 2002 20:14:27 GMT X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Words and Memes Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 12:08:56 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F28cE8NpqhNPPz00000b86@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 16 Feb 2002 20:08:56.0811 (UTC) FILETIME=[C3B3FBB0:01C1B725] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
>Grant:
> > The martial arts we practice today were handed down from the peaceful
> > buddhists. No civilization has been without its dark and bloody side
>and
> > the religious ferver that goes with it. It's hard to offer one's body
>up
>in
> > battle without a belief system to justify the act. It's a way of
>overcoming
> > fear. Fear itself is a soldier's greatest enemy. It gets in the way of
> > what he has to do.
>
>Their are two sides to that medal though. Fear fuels aggression, the brave
>natural
>response to cope with fear. The source of the fear may be life-threatening
>so it better be handled properly. Violent means constitutes one tactical
>way.
>The other natural response is to flee of course. (The defeatist way is to
>sit down
>and assume a lethargic state...)
>Therefore at least some degree of fear is not only allowed in times of
>combat
>but it is actually desirable! Of course, fear can be paralyzing if
>experienced to too
>high levels. There seems to be an optimum level.
>
>Have you seen the Rocky movies. The boxing coach Micky would stand in
>for me. (Frankie Fear as the fire within...)
>
>Philip.
>
Yes. The ideal solution is not to get rid of fear but to control it. The
emotional drive of fear pushes one to extreme efforts but the mind numbing
effect makes rational action difficult. That's why martial arts training
spends most of the students' time repeating certain movements over and over
until they become instinctual. In combat, you don't have time to think --
you have to act. Thinking is something you do before combat. If you
visualize a road to victory it becomes easier to achieve victory. Fear
brings up thoughts of what happens if you lose. Thinking about how to win
neutralizes fear. So with memes we are able to manipulate our emotions and
turn them to our advantage instead of letting them get us killed.
Grant
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