Comments on: World Citizens Guide http://e-poche.net/2006/05/14/world-citizens-guide/ under the influence of epoche Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:26:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Aaron http://e-poche.net/2006/05/14/world-citizens-guide/#comment-2841 Aaron Thu, 18 May 2006 06:32:49 +0000 http://e-poche.net/?p=61#comment-2841 Thanks for your comments, Richard. With the situation I described above, it was probably cultural ignorance more than selfishness that caused the young woman to act that way. I know that during my first year in Japan I acted in ways I wouldn't dare do now (like walking around barefoot). I agree fully with your sentiments about there being an imbalance in the locus of awareness in many Americans; too heavily centered on the self and ego. I wonder to what extent our social and institutional structures and practices have to do with this conditioning? I believe we can change this state of affairs through the way we practice our professions and live our lives. For our own sanity, we just have to work toward that change without getting too caught up in its success or failure. Thanks for your comments, Richard. With the situation I described above, it was probably cultural ignorance more than selfishness that caused the young woman to act that way. I know that during my first year in Japan I acted in ways I wouldn’t dare do now (like walking around barefoot).

I agree fully with your sentiments about there being an imbalance in the locus of awareness in many Americans; too heavily centered on the self and ego. I wonder to what extent our social and institutional structures and practices have to do with this conditioning? I believe we can change this state of affairs through the way we practice our professions and live our lives. For our own sanity, we just have to work toward that change without getting too caught up in its success or failure.

]]> By: Richard E. Schallert http://e-poche.net/2006/05/14/world-citizens-guide/#comment-2833 Richard E. Schallert Wed, 17 May 2006 22:27:36 +0000 http://e-poche.net/?p=61#comment-2833 This incident seems to indicate an exaggerated sense of self-importance and self-centeredness; very common here in the good old USA. So much of our lives are focused on me, Me, ME!!!! Students in my classrooms years ago were always well-informed about their personal rights in almost any situation, but had very little knowledge or concern about their responsibilities to their famiies, communities, and the nation that had provided them so much. As great as America is in many ways and as proud as I am as having been a citizen-soldier for over 20 years, this excessive sense of self is personally quite repugnant to me. This incident seems to indicate an exaggerated sense of self-importance and self-centeredness; very common here in the good old USA. So much of our lives are focused on me, Me, ME!!!! Students in my classrooms years ago were always well-informed about their personal rights in almost any situation, but had very little knowledge or concern about their responsibilities to their famiies, communities, and the nation that had provided them so much.
As great as America is in many ways and as proud as I am as having been a citizen-soldier for over 20 years, this excessive sense of self is personally quite repugnant to me.

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