Does this mean that pets are as smart as humans and can talk, or just that we can understand pets better?
If pets could talk, we would have a very different perception of the world because we would learn so much from their experience and communication.
Because other animals "talk" in a sense. We just don't understand them as well as we understand other humans. That is a good point Dumbledore. We would have a lot to learn from pets.
That is true. Probably they just mean we could understand their forms of communication. We also might become vegetarian very quickly...
That would be really interesting. I would say the question may be wrong then. The question should be how would the world be different if we could understand our pets. Haha! You are right. I would stop eating dogs if I could talk to them. Jokes... I don't eat dogs.
Haha! Amen! I think something more practical and realistic to think about would be how the world would be different if we could understand each other. As people. I think we should put more effort in that.
That's profound. You are right. We don't understand each other very well, even though we talk to each other. You are so wise. I see why they made you headmaster.
Why thank you!
Understanding is different from simply talking. It's a lot harder. If we had more understanding, people probably wouldn't be so afraid of people who talk differently than they do. Who speak a different language. Or look differently than we do.
So true! I sometimes catch myself being very antisocial and trying to focus only on what I have to do that I miss a lot of opportunities. But it is an important part of education to learn how to communicate and understand others.
So do I. It takes a lot of effort to try to focus on and understand others. But the people I admire most are excellent at doing just that. You are so right. It is one of the traits that I want most. But it certainly takes a lot of time and effort.
If only we could effectively teach a class on learning to understand the way others are feeling.
What would the name of that class be?
I guess there are some that help with that, But I think it mostly comes from experience.
Empathy 101?
Haha, yeah!
I think you are right. I think the more you meet people, the more you learn to understand them. I think that experience with other people is vital in fighting prejudice. For example, people might be more willing to accept immigrants into our country if they met and listened to someone who fled their country to find safety in the US.
That is very important! And something that's very common today!
Definitely!
It is always sad to hear those stories, which might be why people don't like to become as aware. But they do lead to change. And we can make a difference.
That's true. Understanding others opens us up to a lot of hurt. There is a lot of pain in the world, and it is sad to learn about it. But worth it, because you are right, we can make a difference. Caring about others makes us vulnerable to hurt and pain, but it is worth it.
Yes! It is! I have a question. Do you think that technology has led people to be more or less understanding?
That's a great question. I know a lot of people feel that technology has lead to less understanding, but I believe that technology has lead to an increase in understanding. People who never could have a voice before now have a medium to share their feelings and experiences. One way I love to learn about others is by reading things that they write online. For example, I first began learning about the LGTBQ community by reading articles written by members of the community online.
I should do that more!
It helped me gain a lot more understanding for the LGTBQ community.
There is a lot of potential opportunities, they just take more effort.
But it is true that people can spend too much time on the Internet. and it can take time away from real world relationships. So there are good and bad aspects to it. But I believe that it has been good overall. What do you think?
That is what I worry about. If we as a culture have the self control and discipline to make technology a good thing. I think it depends on the person. Like you looking at people's stories and opinions. Where it can become very easy to be sucked in to the time-wasting and turning inward aspect of it. I try to give myself guidelines regarding technology so I can make sure it is beneficial rather than detrimental to my personal development. I find myself needing to make a bunch of then though.
That's a valid worry. I often get sucked into the time-wasting aspects of the Internet as well. It takes a lot of self control, which I don't always have a lot of. I like that you are so deliberate about your use of technology. I think it's admirable. I have a goal to try to live more deliberately. Sometimes I do things just because they are easy, or without really thinking about whether it is what I really want to do.
A noble goal. After this conversation I feel that I should use technology more with the intent of understanding others.
That's a great goal. I also want to do that more. What do you think is the best way to do that?
It can be a powerful resource in building empathy, especially with people who are far away or have different cultures.
To use technology to learn from others? You are so right.
I think paying attention to what people say on social media if it is meaningful. Also looking at videos and articles that explain people's beliefs and experiences. Also having deeper conversations with others and seeing how they feel about certain issues and how to solve them. Like this one.
Those are two great ways to do it. Although I sometimes waste too much time on social media, it also has helped me learn a lot about other people. Wow. You are such a cool person What good ideas.
I think you are cool. And so positive.
Not as positive as you probably =)
You have great philosophical ideas. Have you ever taken a philosophy class?
I'm actually a philosophy minor! I still have one class left to take before I've finished the minor though. Have you taken any philosophy classes?
Nice! I just learned that one of my friends might be going into philosophy!
That's awesome! It's a really interesting field.
I am planning on taking philosophy 101 or whatever the first class is. It fills a general requirement. But I'm a little nervous because some people think it's a hard class.
I think it is philosophy 111. I took it for one of my GEs.
Do you have any plans for how to use your philosophy minor?
You should definitely take it. I didn't think it was too hard. But it was super interesting!
Or was it just for fun?
You'll have to make sure you get a good professor too.
It sounds interesting! I think I'll enjoy it.
Philosophy does a great job at teaching how to be a better thinker, so I will use that in a lot of ways! I'm a better critical thinker because of the minor.
I'm just not sure what the homework and assignments will be like. Wow! That's cool! I could definitely use better critical thinking myself.
You seem like a critical thinker to me. The assignments for my class were a lot of reading, with a few papers. And maybe some tests about logic. But it wasn't one of my hardest classes that semester. You will do just fine in the class!
Oh boy. Papers are not my favorite. But the rest sounds fine!
They aren't my favorite either to be honest. They are my academic enemy sometimes.
Indeed! I've written my longest papers of my life the last few months, which have only been like ten pages, but it seems like so much! It makes me cringe to hear of students who write 50 page papers for thesis's and stuff.
10 pages is a lot! I'm almost graduated, and the longest paper I've written for a class was 18 pages. So 10 is a significant number! 50 pages seems so so long.
I don't think I could do it. I would drop out.
Although I imagine it would be easier in thesis form, since it doesn't have to be super creative and Englishy You could definitely do it!
:) Hopefully not though.
I have no doubt about it!
That's why I chose a major with little to no writing involved.
Are you a CS major? I think that most people who chat here are.
Yes!
I'm a CS major too
Nice!
Hey I've got to go now, but thanks for the chat!
thank you!