Observations Thread - Page 3

When you are more passive than aggressive you seem to see things clearer because you aren't so gun-ho to shoot someones opinion in the face. You tend to think of what they are thinking more, and I feel it helps me learn.

this may be silly but what the heck
i noticed that my cat is sensitive to wind instruments (flute, harmonica) and is bothered by accoustics while my rabbit prefers accoustics.
i also noticed that my home is not actualy my cocoon it is just a well decorated coffin.

One thing Ive noticed about young people, particularly those going through their "rebellious" phase, is that they always give the finger or a gang sign when in photos.

I remember when I was being filmed at 14 years of age and I did the same thing.... so it got me wondering.

I think what it comes down to, is a lack of confidence and the fact young people are still trying to find their identity.

We try on so many masks when we are growing up in order to see which one feels most like us before settling on it.

The "tough guy" mask is what most guys (and allot of females in this age.) resort to- to stop themselves being hurt; its similar to things in nature who develop the color red or the ability to make themselves appear dangerous to predators to stay safe.

So being aggressive or tough, giving the finger or gang signs is a teenagers way or puffing themselves up or of making themselves seem more dangerous than they actually are.

And when they are in the phase of rebellion and toughness it is the persona they try to advertise.

When a camera is pointed at you, you feel self conscious. Its like the world is looking straight at you. Asking you: who are you?

And subconsciously you ask yourself who you are; and if at the time you're wearing the mask of "rebellion and toughness" you automatically react in a way that will give that impression.

You behave aggressively, you use offensive signs, or pretend to be part of a group that is considered "tough and dangerous" in today's society.

Maybe Im wrong in this observation. But it makes allot of sense to me.

I think you are right. But i think there are more "masks" that are put on by teens than gang signs or the finger. Simple body language. For instance, I tend to cross my arms when taking a solo picture.

And there is one I don't get: When most girls and some guys give the peace sign. It isn't really a sign of strength. Anyone got an explanation for that one?

The peace symbol is one of the most widely known. It still categorizes you into a group. Strength in numbers and a sense of belonging.

quote:

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It isn't really a sign of strength. Anyone got an explanation for that one?

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It takes great strength to stand peacefully and for peace in the face of potential violent persecution, particularly in high school, especially as a male, but as anyone in a society bent on a dog eat dog mentality and the wilfull indocrination into it.

Just as it takes great strength to offer love and forgiveness to someone who has or would harm you.

Thanks guys. That makes sense.

Yes, Oblivion, there are allot of "masks" ppl wear and allot of personas.
I was only using a couple that were the most common ones teens tend to try on for periods of time.

And allot of adults still wear masks. They may think they have moved on from "body" language, but they have just moved to "status" language to portray to the world who they are.

They take photos of themselves with fast cars, planes, houses, in front of monuments, and this is sometimes not because they like those things- but because its an "adult" way to portray a certain image they want ppl to see.

(why stand in front of a large impressive building you own in a picture, if you don't want to give people a particular perception of who you are?)

Crossing your arms often means you're guarded.

I used to do that too. When I turned from child to teenager and first wanted to differentiate myself from the ppl who brought me up and made the rules i had always lived by... all the pictures of me at family gatherings, I used to have my arms folded. Like i was keeping out what was around me. Or saying "Im nothing to do with this group of people."

There are allot of reasons for crossing your ams though. But generally its a way of making yourself feel secure or guard yourself from whats around you.

If you sit and watch two people having a conversation and one of them has thier arms crossed the entire time, its most probable the one with thier arms crossed is not happy or comfortable.

As for the peace sign.
Since I don't see many pictures of teenagers anymore, I haven't come across many ppl who use it. Nor does using some kind of sign language mean you're trying to act tough or give an image or impression.

I was pointing out the reason I believe ppl use offensive signs and gestures, or ones that are associated with "badass" "tough" people- not the use of all symbolism or body language in general.

But I think what Wyote said about it being a way to feel part of the group is why ppl often use the peace sign. They aren't trying to be tough guys, but they may still feel the need to do "something" when a camera is pointed at them... so they make that sign.

Or, as Ironwood said, they may actually be using it in the traditional sense that has a meaning attached to it.

More observations on the subject:

If you look into body language further you will notice that when you show the inside of your hands, it is traditionally meant as a non threatening gesture.

And if you show the back of your hand it is traditionally meant as a threatening one.

The age old spreading of your arms and opening your hands, palm out, is to show you carry no arms and you are open and defenseless and therefore not there to fight.

Whereas the back of the hand is traditionally seen as aggressive. (Like when a person backhands another to hurt them and show contempt. Or if you clench your hand into a fist, you are using the back of your hand to strike someone. Or when you carry and conceal weapons you don't carry them palm outward.)

Allot of the ppl who try to look tough, probably don't know why they make the gestures they do, and probably just do it because others do it. But showing the back of your hands to others is seen as menacing in many cultures.

All those big "bad" gangstas with their funny postures and hand gestures are actually only coming across as menacing and threatening because of the centuries old conditioning we as humans have; that when you show your knuckles or the back of your hands it is associated with aggressiveness, menace and threat.



Where did the Peace Sign originate?

I'm unsure, but I believe it took the ancient V Sign of contempt and hatred, and literally "turned it around" into a sign that showed you meant someone peace and love.

(Note how the peace sign is a sign that uses the palm side of your hand, and the V sign uses the back of the hand.)


As for the origins of the V sign.
It was first used in the 100 Years War when the Welsh longbowmen were such a menace to the French armies, that a bounty was put on the two fingers used to draw back the strings of their bows.

This lead to the longbowmen shoving those two fingers up at the French before the start of battles to taunt them to "come and take them."

The accompanying cry to the V sign, "Fuck you!" is a derivation of "Pluck Yew!" which is what was originally shouted at the French. Because the longbow was made of yew wood and that is what the longbowmen used to do when firing an arrow at their enemy... pluck yew.

I'm sure allot of you hear about the Global Recession everyday. But who do you hear it from the most?

For me its not from Politicians. It not from the NewsReaders. Its the Advertising companies; using the situation to make extra money.

Those cockroaches can make an extra buck off anything. No matter how distasteful.

I was driving to work today (30min late because of traffic) and realised no matter how many rules or attempts at control or perfection (road lines, traffic lights, building symmetry), neither really exists. The world is chaos and all we do every day is try to contain it in a form that we can function in.

Chaos is life; it created life and will destroy it.

Perhaps chaos is what sustains life, and unity and order is what will destroy life!

You see less and less couples rowing openly in the street these days.

And more and more people on their own, yelling down their cell phones.

I wrote down a long list of things that bothered me (not bothered as much as were on my mind) which all summed into. Two basic categories.

Explaining to people why questioning things around them such as religion, government and propose is kind of like trying to have a rock explain to a man why it doesn't need to breathe. Either the logic is there or its not. Most the time it is not.

People abuse people, a lot.