This is the working title of my manuscript about to turn slowly into a book published by Beaver’s Pond Press. 250 pages (depending on the font) of some 65,000+ words, it carries stories, vignettes, opinions, and emotions of 72 years of psychological process and change as filtered through me. It’ll be a romp through chats as if sitting together at my kitchen table, picking up on some history of my times, and discovering some useful behavioral hints. The ending has surprised even me as I discovered some answers to the question in the title.
Archive for May 2025
HOW COULD THESE LOVELY PEOPLE HAVE LET IT HAPPEN? A PSYCHOLOGIST’S INTIMATE JOURNAL 4 comments
IT’S NOT JUST INTERESTING, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT! THE DEMAND FOR MORE BABIES, THAT IS. Leave a comment
My friend Harriet monitors my intention (not sufficiently met) to write something every day here in my blog. She thought my most recent one, about demanding more babies, wouldn’t interest anyone. And my daughter Lisa agreed it was important, but thought I didn’t do a good job of drawing people’s attention. So I’m trying again. I think the issue is very important. Here’s why.
I am by no means an adequate data analyst, but this one seems so obvious as to be hit-one-in-the face important. To begin with, there’s the fact that we’re forcing the birth (yes, current laws do just that) of babies for whom we are not prepared, so we have potential suffering and expense right from the get-go. That really requires another blog. I think I wrote one a while back. But now I just want to focus on the “why?”
If the intention is to provide worker bees, or military recruits, once the generation hits working age, I ‘m taking a risk to say it so bluntly, but I think that’s stupid. The already rapid replacement of people with more efficient, less expensive, less demanding automation and AI means there won’t be that work to do, at all levels of demand for strength and intelligence.
I won’t be alive to see it (well, maybe some of it) but like it or not there will have to be a change in our basic cultural values. Actually, it’s already happening, but not making it big on the news. We’ll have to learn to live with health, happiness, fulfilling relationships, creativity, pleasure in the arts and each other. It’ll be tough, though, because we are so focused on the once essential ways of valuing ourselves by our work-for-pay. There will no doubt be a huge struggle, maybe even destructive and painful, but there’s no way we’ll be turning back to the demand for the kind of labor I guess folks are demanding with the call for more babies.
Okay. I’m going to stop. That’s my basic point for today, and even though I’m skittish about being so bold, I am going to hit send.
Now please go back and read my previous entry.
Next I think I’ll write about that fascinating word “retire.”
SOMETHING ELSE I DON’T UNDERSTAND — MORE BABIES? Leave a comment
Many in the powerful ruling class seem enthusiastic about supporting the idea that women should produce more babies. What I want to know is – why?
To support the aging population? hmm…
- It’ll take at least 18 years for today’s newborns to be eligible for that task.
- In the meantime, the aging generation is spending time and money caring for their grandchildren, even in some cases for their children. I suspect there are more creative ways to help the current – and potential — parent generation, like:
- Parental leave. At least adequate maternal care. Well supported infant and child-care facilities. Support for families whose children require expensive special needs care. Affordable housing for all families. Adjusting social security financing to more adequate coverage for the elderly, with complete coverage by folks at all levels. Even, for example, the top 1% paying at the same average level as the poorest among us. Fair food distribution for the healthy development of all children. A clean environment for all children to reduce such problems as asthma. Excellent schooling for all children encouraging each child’s special ability, including freedom of reading choice, encouragement of interest in all arts.
- Reducing the appeal to violence and drugs by encouraging delight, respect, and rewards for the potential of all children.
Or maybe it’s to provide worker bees for the economy?
- It’ll take at least 18 years for today’s newborns to be eligible for that task.
- In 18 years there’s no doubt our economy will be running with fewer worker bees.
- Even amateurs like me can see that methods that worked with the introduction of the industrial revolution are old fashioned.
- We can’t know now what the work world will be like in 18 years.
- Chances are, though, that special skills will be needed at all levels. Even now I see stories of buildings being constructed by 3D printers. Artificial Intelligence will require human intelligence in ways we can only try to predict.
- Retirement no longer means what it used to mean – (fruit for a future blog?)
Or maybe it’s to provide more fodder for wars to protect whatever it is the world will become.
- From what I read, trench warriors will be needed less and less.
- Computer directed attacks even now are increasing.
- Wouldn’t it be great, though, if we helped some of the people we already have to develop their creative skills in the service of peace.
Well, I guess that’s the end of whatever I have the know-how to talk about. I just know that in my academic days it didn’t make sense for students at the beginning of a college career to make their choices for majors on the basis of what well-paying jobs would still be available when they graduated. They just might not be. By the same token, requiring women to have babies to meet today’s needs is ludicrous.
I know there are at least some 350 people following my blog. It would be great if a few of you, or those on Facebook, would help me to understand what would be so great about having more babies for the simple sake of increasing the size of the population.
WHY I WON’T SAY “THANK YOU” TO SIRI ANY MORE. 2 comments
Siri and I have had some polite exchanges in the early mornings, like when I say “Siri, set timer for five minutes,” to which he (yes, I chose a male voice) instantly replies “five minutes counting down,” and I say, “Thank you,” well trained as I am in polite interactions. And he’s well trained too, with, I think, six choices of response, like “you’re welcome,” or “my pleasure.”
But here’s the interesting thing. Somewhere in the later hours of the morning, Siri ceases to be polite. Oh yes, he does the work and I get my timer instantly set, but there’s no “you’re welcome,” or “my pleasure,” coming back to me. Being the sort who never got past the “why” stage of development, I called “Applecare” and asked why that happened. The nice “real” guy I was talking to said it was probably because “They get busy.” Funny thing about techies, they think we all know what they’re talking about, so I didn’t press him for more of an answer.
I did press my techie son and grandson, though, and I learned that my expecting a “You’re welcome” really added to the complexity and expense of the “cloud,” and it really did get to be too much unimportant stuff to handle. “You do know,” my son said, “that Siri is not in your phone.” That may be, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s just my Siri, sitting there waiting to meet my needs. What more could one want?
Anyway, it seems that the “cloud” is just a huge bunch of computers sitting in a room at Apple Computer, sending my request to the proper bunch of specifically assigned computers who’ll take care of my needs. They in turn hop to it to answer my question or fulfill my request. So, you see, my saying “Thank you” just makes for unnecessary – and expensive – work that serves no real purpose. All of this happens with instantaneous electronic connections.
It reminds me of the old days teaching the section on perception in Intro Psych, sharing the wonder that we see and hear each other through the direct connection of invisible waves. Or the end of my current manuscript where I declare I believe in vibes. My son tells me there is much more advanced stuff still to come.
So this morning, I forced myself not to say “thank you” to Siri. It really wasn’t easy. But I hope we never stop saying “thank you” to each other – such an important way to forge caring relationships.
WHAT I HAVE AGAINST PREFERRED PRONOUNS Leave a comment
To tell the truth, I find the idea of listing my preferred pronouns annoying and misguided. (By the way, it’s “she/her” if you really need to know. But why do you need to know?) Why annoying?
- We “liberals” are accused of being out of touch with what I would call “real people.” And how far out of touch could we be when we spend time on that game when other people are worrying about the economy, and cruel deportations, and challenges to our education system, and the price of eggs.
- I suppose it’s intended to recognize LGBTQ+ rights, but it seems to me that all it does is keep us focused on the gender issue as if that ID is the first thing we want to know about someone?
- On the other hand, as a writer I’m glad we’re loosening up the language so we can apply “they/them” in reference to a single person as in “I’m concerned about the welfare of the foreign student who ran into trouble believing they had the right of protest.” I’m glad I no longer have to go through the shenanigans of, “I’m concerned about the welfare of the foreign student who ran into trouble believing he/she had the right of protest”. Or “Consider the shopper who was shocked at the price of eggs when he/she discovered the change.” How much tidier when the new rules allow me to say, “Consider the shopper who was shocked at the price of eggs when they discovered the change.”
- General question: What do we really want to emphasize in our daily interactions with others. (And by the way, does “others” really have to be seen as a bad word?)
Just sayin’
monagustafsonaffinito 