My observation is that indigenous peoples, wherever they are in the world, have in common
Whereas technologically advanced people are wrapped up [and ‘rapt’] in the ‘mundane’ [a pragmatic, material world].
Okay, that’s gross simplification—but I’m looking at gereralisation. And I’m blogging and not writing a sociological treatise.
The two ways are polarities—as such, they lie beyond comparison.
Now at the micro level of individuals…
I’ve mentioned about my introduction to ‘Type’ psychology—and how it was an experience of freedom… of being liberated. To realise I was ‘normal’ not ‘weird’.
Of realising that people are different—obviously. That people actually think in different ways—not so obvious. Because we only have direct evidence of our own way of thinking, it’s easy to assume others think the same way.
Somewhere along the line I had a ‘light bulb’ thought—‘People are different… not better or worse … just different’. I felt I had been given a ‘get-out-of-gaol-free’ card. No need to judge others … to assign ‘good’ or ‘bad’ motives to their actions … to be afraid of what people might think of me.
Everyone has preferences in the way they relate to the inner and outer world and this is reflected in their actions. For example Mike is more related to the outer world in his ‘thinking’—he is more practical; I am much more ‘intuitive’ and relate more to the inner world. This could cause friction in our marriage, but because of our understanding of ‘Type’ there is instead a balancing tension whereby we complement one another. I pull him up ‘from the mud’ while he pulls me down ‘from the sky’.
So at the macro level of societies…
My concern is that first world society is grossly imbalanced—so caught up in ‘progress’, individualism and material gain—that it has ‘lost the plot’ and is in denial of reality.
Respect for and appreciation of the ways of indigenous peoples can bring balance—even integrity and wholeness…
Jeff and Barry
During my holiday I met and talked with two special men and came to recognise them as brothers:
Both Jeff and Barry evidence great respect for indigenous people and have developed appreciation and profound understanding their culture and values.
Jeff is an academic and is described as an ‘MBTI master practitioner’. He reveals parallels between Jung’s concepts of the collective unconscious with the Native Americans and their tribal elders. I don’t know, but it seems his connection with the Sioux likely arose through his professional interests.
Barry’s link with Aborigines developed when he was very young and moved around remote Australia. But it is also evident that he has delved deeply into things to develop comprehensive understanding not only of Aboriginal Dreaming and Songlines but of the worlds of geology and natural and human history—and he seems to realise how they all interrelate. Example—the talked about how ‘soil’ developed on the island as plants grew and died, and that now the forest is connected literally: the trees hold each other up through the interconnection of their roots.
I learnt much from each of them and enjoyed the conversations with each. The child within me says, ‘I have two new friends and they’re heaps of fun to hang out with!’
- a living experiential spirituality
- a ‘visceral’ connection with the land.
Whereas technologically advanced people are wrapped up [and ‘rapt’] in the ‘mundane’ [a pragmatic, material world].
Okay, that’s gross simplification—but I’m looking at gereralisation. And I’m blogging and not writing a sociological treatise.
The two ways are polarities—as such, they lie beyond comparison.
Now at the micro level of individuals…
I’ve mentioned about my introduction to ‘Type’ psychology—and how it was an experience of freedom… of being liberated. To realise I was ‘normal’ not ‘weird’.
Of realising that people are different—obviously. That people actually think in different ways—not so obvious. Because we only have direct evidence of our own way of thinking, it’s easy to assume others think the same way.
Somewhere along the line I had a ‘light bulb’ thought—‘People are different… not better or worse … just different’. I felt I had been given a ‘get-out-of-gaol-free’ card. No need to judge others … to assign ‘good’ or ‘bad’ motives to their actions … to be afraid of what people might think of me.
Everyone has preferences in the way they relate to the inner and outer world and this is reflected in their actions. For example Mike is more related to the outer world in his ‘thinking’—he is more practical; I am much more ‘intuitive’ and relate more to the inner world. This could cause friction in our marriage, but because of our understanding of ‘Type’ there is instead a balancing tension whereby we complement one another. I pull him up ‘from the mud’ while he pulls me down ‘from the sky’.
So at the macro level of societies…
My concern is that first world society is grossly imbalanced—so caught up in ‘progress’, individualism and material gain—that it has ‘lost the plot’ and is in denial of reality.
Respect for and appreciation of the ways of indigenous peoples can bring balance—even integrity and wholeness…
Jeff and Barry
During my holiday I met and talked with two special men and came to recognise them as brothers:
- Jeff [Dr Jeff Hart a presenter at the ‘Type on the Move’ Conference] a ‘pale-face’ brother of the Sioux and
- Barry [our ‘Fraser Explorer’ guide] ‘white fella’ brother of Australia’s Aborigines
Both Jeff and Barry evidence great respect for indigenous people and have developed appreciation and profound understanding their culture and values.
Jeff is an academic and is described as an ‘MBTI master practitioner’. He reveals parallels between Jung’s concepts of the collective unconscious with the Native Americans and their tribal elders. I don’t know, but it seems his connection with the Sioux likely arose through his professional interests.
Barry’s link with Aborigines developed when he was very young and moved around remote Australia. But it is also evident that he has delved deeply into things to develop comprehensive understanding not only of Aboriginal Dreaming and Songlines but of the worlds of geology and natural and human history—and he seems to realise how they all interrelate. Example—the talked about how ‘soil’ developed on the island as plants grew and died, and that now the forest is connected literally: the trees hold each other up through the interconnection of their roots.
I learnt much from each of them and enjoyed the conversations with each. The child within me says, ‘I have two new friends and they’re heaps of fun to hang out with!’