Morphing Mental Models ...

As I was just writing a post in another thread, part of my mind started vagabonding into other thoughts. There I found myself thinking about our 'titles', our 'ranks' as it were, and what those titles have come to mean.

I remember when I was a lot newer here (I'm still new, for it has only been 15 months since I arrived), I tried to conform to what I supposed the protocol was. Being respectful of 'seniors' and reverent of the 'titles' one's rank carries. Back then, there was a model in my mind of what that 'title' represented. Seniority, accomplishment, wisdom ... Well, they still mean those things, but with a twist.

We don't use our titles very often among ourselves. There is a colourful bar under our photo on the profile page. It is pretty, but who really looks at that when sending a PM ? Just as I was 15 months ago -- new people do.

On the other hand, what really fascinated me was realising how I send PMs and address people in chat et cetera. Of course I still call Jestor, Mark, Damion "Maître" but it seems to have become more of an affective term - a term of endearment. I call other people by other 'titles' (which have nothing to do with the TotJO -- often just the first lettre of one's real name, yet another is "Li'l Sis"), which carry some of the same significance, if not a bit more 'noble' significance.

I suppose what has fascinated me in all this is what happens when mental models morph into 'heart' models, and how the representation changes ...

Interesting how you, as most people do, seem to infer that those whose minds dominate their hearts, imagine some kind of cold and calculating neurotic. The mind is very often represented as lacking that third dimensionality of life which the heart provides. Many seem to yearn for that long lost holy grail of the vivacious, freedom-loving heart.

Who wants to suffer from inertia at the mercy of a tactician or puzzler or memory chip... ? Is yours a vision beyond the physical status quo? Does the heart only really express other ideas (I ask myself)? Does the heart not have its limits too? Does it not in reality need the medium of the body to express itself?

I ask myself how much that great heart we so fondly refer to can take? Does a heart which is consumed by a fire not consume itself and change? Always burning for the next passion or desire, ever dying to that same passion or desire. It will be interesting to see if your newly discovered insight into the issue of titles will change again.

How about heart models morphing into mental models? Can the mind not to reach out to the heart and enter that higher vision? Instead of waiting for the heart to give meaning to the mind and its ideas, why not make issues of the heart real? Realisation or idealisation?

Yes, Seigneur Jon, I agree and share your questions, although I haven't searched deep enough yet into these feelings to conjecture any possible, potential answers to them.

The inertia of programmed protocols have enough momentum to provide an ability to move before the heart has made its discoveries, so that is not entirely useless. The problem, I feel, is when we try to impose the mental model over the capacity of the heart to take over in navigating the convoluted space of interpersonal interactions.

And you've brought up a compelling perspective, perhaps the heart does influence the mental models. It most certainly does ... It is in this hyper-reality lived by compartmentalising things into their corresponding images one has been learning through limited awareness of experiences that one gets confused between the models and what they are the models of.

I feel the that heart can take quite a lot. It can be ignored, broken, burst by Joy, hardened, softened, warmed, cold, opened and closed ... but not destroyed. It can do what it does according to its condition while the mind is busy sifting through its symbols and every once in a while it lets its fully functioning capacities known. This may be the change to which you refer, when it comes up from the ashes of its fiery passions and gushes some sort of irrational, un'reason'able or even inappropriate mass of humanness. We experience this as epiphany.

So, yes -- I believe you are right, the communication, influence as it were, is two-way. It is just that my mind - like you said, as most peoples' minds - talks too much. Yet, from time to time, even the heart of this crusty old philosopher speaks up ...

.... from time to time.

Do the rank bars show up in pm's?...I've never bothered to notice...I seldom even notice them in posts...I nearly always talk to senior members in the exact same manner as junior members, and I do this outside of totjo as well...all are equal...it would get me chewed out occassionally when I was in the navy...for me there are differeent levels of respect, everyone gets at least the basic level until they prove they don't deserve it or prove to deserve higher (few make it to this inner circle)...

As to morphing models...it's difficult to say since I treat nearly everyone the same ...I can't say that I've ever been emotionally passionate about anything or anyone (at least not in a good long time) as I've seen what I'm capable of when I allow emotion (it's safer for all if I stay devoid of emotion)...I don't really yearn for anything, I'm quite happy with how I am (yes it sounds odd to be happy and an emotional void)...it's tough to really articulate, most days I don't feel anything I just enjoy the moment as it occurs....it's really quite difficult to explain...

Mind vs. Heart....my instincts win over both...now I've rambled aimlessly/mindlessly for too long

Just curious. Is the heart really overly emotional or is that just ego? All the negative emotions associated with the heart don't really seem to apply. The ego, in my opinion, is what gets jealous, cold, hard, overly passionate, lustful, etc.

But yeah, how I address people here hasn't really changed, but I have noticed that my posts are more relaxed. When you're new you don't want to step on anybody's toes. You try and be as polite as possible until you get a feel for your surroundings. And with time comes a different kind of respect or affection for the people you've been communicating with.

Wendaline wrote: When you're new you don't want to step on anybody's toes. You try and be as polite as possible until you get a feel for your surroundings.

:laugh: I think I skipped that part...when I was new I was simply myself, I've never been one to step gingerly...subtlety is not my forte...of course I never set out to offend anyone, but sometimes it happens...the way I see it is if you're easily offended then you're being overly sensitive...toughen up and move on...sometimes I can seem callous and insensitive other times soft and caring...I'm human, I can be anything and nothing...people can like me or hate me...as popeye would say: I ams what I ams