Cars and Drugs

Lately I've been considering the role of technology in our lives. We often lament our slavery to automobiles and computers and long to return to a simpler time when humankind lived off the land and enjoyed the tranquility of nature. We see ourselves as part of a rapidly accelerating machine that will soon destroy itself or the earth if not stopped.

But while society may indeed be spinning out of control, we often ignore the huge benefits that technological advances have brought us. Indeed, there seem to be tradeoffs in both direction for every invention and innovation that has come along.

For instance, despite overuse, abuse, and a likely contribution to world overcrowding, modern medicine has improved quality and length of life exponentially. Those who distrust the medical world and pride themselves on never see a doctor may not realize the immense benefits they have directly and indirectly gained from healthcare. Along with likely being born in a hospital and receiving immunizations at a young age, antibiotics have significantly reduced the number of harmful diseases these people are exposed to. This is not to minimize the negative impacts that the pharmaceutical companies have doubtless created, such as increased pollution from manufacturing processes.

Likewise, the advent of the automobile changed the world in countless ways. Those of us in the urban planning world are all familiar with the negative impacts of unmitigated automobile use: air pollution, obesity, and barren, car-oriented retail strips scattered throughout a suburban wasteland. But we must also remember the benefits that Ford and Honda have brought us: easy access to outdoor escapades in the relative wildland of the Sierra Nevada; a cozy home in the woods with a well-paying job in the inner city; easy access to food and clothing...

So maybe we've taken it too far and built a society that enslaves us to our Toyotas. But rather than attacking the automobile as the root of all evil, we ought to learn to balance our need for freedom with our desire to preserve the natural world that is so vital to our livelihood. Urban planners are finally finding ways to do this, and it will be exciting to see cities like Portland and Vancouver start to change the way we view mobility and urban living.

I'll talk more about this in future postings if I see interest in the comments!

A posting from an INTP forum I was just reading hits the nail on the head regarding my thought process. I've often had trouble learning from a teacher and have had to teach myself from the book because I couldn't take in new information without processing it. Check out what Henry wrote:


I was once told by an IT trainer that some people learn best by seeing and some by doing. He commented that there is a much rarer third way, which he observed mostly among programmers (and in me - hence the discussion), which he called data processing. This is exactly what I do, and should not be mistaken for slowness of thought!

When I'm learning, I need to process the information I hear/see. When the data comes faster than I can process it I can get stuck and 'overflow' as it were, particularly if I have to grapple with an idea. At such a time I have to stop the teacher (the input) and clarify the point before I can continue. If this is not possible I will generally lose track of proceedings until I am done processing, which is inconvenient in group learning situations. However, once processed, I have fully grasped the point and will not need to return to it.

Anyone else do this? I suspect it is related to the INTP stubborness I have seen described - the unwillingness to accept what others say (whatever their status may be) without first analysing and deciding for ourselves.

It tickles me to think that I work rather like a computer program.

~Henry, age 25

More Myers-Briggs...

I know, I know, I'm always changing my mind. But right now I'm definitely in an INTP phase. That is, Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving. Take a gander:

INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.


Okay, so sometimes my extroverted intuition takes over (social situations) and I get quite goofy and/or talkative. But in general, I need to spend time alone with a problem or idea in order to really feel like I understand it. And I have no problem doing so (as demonstrated by the hours I've spent figuring out myers-briggs!) Anyway, I know that's a lot of talking about myself...

I want to know what you guys are! There are a couple links I can recommend: Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test and Myers-Briggs: A Complete Guide (try out the test link at the bottom of the page... it's an interesting one!) I would check both out, partly because a single test may not be accurate; redundancy is wise. You may be surprised how accurate the descriptions are!

(It's interesting... I took the test that I linked above, and I scored closest to INTP, followed by INTJ, INFJ, and INFP...)

Mayday (revisited)

I realize that I haven't yet posted a post-Mayday post (how's that for re-using words?) so I'd like to talk about that.

The weekend started with a slight hitch: when I arrived at the church slightly late, one of the guys (who will not be named here, Josh) who was signed up for my vehicle was not there. After about 45 minutes Mini, Kim and I decided to take off. Turns out the young man had contacted another person (who will also remain unnamed... for reals) the night before and was not attending the trip, but the chain of communication stopped there. I'm not bitter (for reals).

Anyway after an adventure involving an unexpected passenger switch, a broken caravan, and a wrong turn that took us past CSU Monterey Bay (strange area!), Mini and I arrived at Mount Hermon after dinner and part-way through the first worship service. I'm not bitter.

Actually, the weekend was excellent. Arriving in the forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains was such a pleasant feeling. Being born in the Northwest and spending five of my formative years in the Portland area really makes me appreciate tall trees and dense undergrowth. I instantly relaxed upon driving under the canopy of the ponderosa pines.

Another highlight was definitely Derek Webb's concert on Saturday. What an amazing musician and songwriter! I particularly enjoyed the song "Table for Two," an old Caedmon's Call song which Derek wrote, describing a night when he and a friend stayed up late at IHOP discussing "women and the sovereignty of God." I can't tell you how many times I've had such a conversation, and I felt like I would have put the same words in that song if I had written it! Anyway, he really appreciated the theme of our retreat and tailored his set to fit our theme ("Loving like Jesus would").

Well, I feel like I'm not actually saying anything so I'm going to peace out, fools. See, I'm totally goofy right now. But I'm not bitter.

My surprise staring contest

Yesterday I went out to Los Osos Oaks State Preserve (in Los Osos, nonetheless!) to hike and pray. I climbed onto an oak limb hanging over the trail and sat there for a few minutes. About fifty yards ahead of me I heard some crows in the trees making a racket. I thought, "don't they do that when there's a predator around?" Wouldn't it be wild...

All of a sudden a bobcat runs down the trail toward me! About 20 feet away, it sees me in my perch and stops. It stares at me, slowly backing up, for about five seconds, until I shout and it runs back into the undergrowth!

The Word of God

I think that one of the reasons I started looking into these things is my belief that the Church has put more importance on the Bible than on Jesus Christ Himself! Rather than learning to turn to Christ in prayer, we're taught to go straight to the Bible to have our questions answered. And honestly, how do we know that the bible is the "inerrant word of God?"

The bible itself is explicit that Jesus is the Word of God! We've replaced Jesus with a book. No wonder we don't love Him! We're so tied up in our huge assortment of doctrines and dogmas (Calvinism or Arminianism? Creationism or evolution? Pre-millennialism or a-millennialism?) that we lose sight of the fact that Jesus died so we could have life. Let's lose the baggage and learn to trust in the true Word of God!

Jesus and the Moneychangers

Here's another interesting article: Jesus and the Moneychangers. The main premise is that Jesus was indignant primarily because the temple had become a slaughterhouse and the men in the temple were making money off of the sacrificial system.

All of the articles I have posted should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm not trying to lead anyone astray! I simply want us all to pursue the truth and not take for granted what we've been told in the church our entire lives. Here is a cool guide for reading the bible in view of Jesus's teachings:

How Does The Bible Say We Will Know God?

Limitations on sacrifice

Here's another page that refers to Jeremiah 7:21: Sacrifice.

Inerrancy of scripture?

Hi guys.

I know this is going to deeply offend some of you, but I think it's worth reading. Yesterday I asked myself if the Levitical laws are from man or God. This morning I randomly (or was it ordained?) opened my bible to Jeremiah 6 and was stunned. I did some research when I came home and found this link. Know that I don't believe that this in any way nullifies the Lordship of Christ. And it indeed provides clarity when reading His teachings. For your reference, the author refers to Jesus as "Joshua." I'm not sure how this occurred, but feel free to use your own translation of the Bible alongside these references if you don't trust the site. This page will challenge what you've always believed and may indeed bring you closer to the true God...

Did Moses write the Torah?

Please let me know your thoughts. I have not yet reached a conclusion on this matter, but it's something that's been on my mind recently and I think that God answered my prayers when he showed me Jeremiah 7:21-23. God bless you all!

update: I'm not sure what this guy's religious background is (he has a lot of strange stuff on his site), but I still think the essay is interesting and well-thought out.

Well, I don't have anything specific to write about, but I feel like blogging all the same. We'll see what comes out of it! I generally like to blog when there's a new or exciting idea on my mind.

Oh! Here's one. This weekend is Mayday, our big retreat. I mentioned it in my last post, but I'd like to share what we're doing. The theme of the trip is "loving like Jesus would," and the goal is to have everyone on the trip (100+ people) commit to actively loving a group of people that they feel called to love. People will split up into groups and make a game plan for the next several months.

This is in addition to sermons by Pastor Aaron, a concert by Derek Webb, and a talk by Chad Thompson, author of Loving Homosexuals As Jesus Would. We're heading up to the Santa Cruz Mountains on Friday (my birthday!) and spending the weekend at Mount Hermon.

Please be praying for this important event to be the catalyst for a revolution of love that we envision it to be.

Something that we often forget is that a large number of Church revolutions and revivals have begun with people our age! Right now there seems to be a harmful notion that we as college students have no power to change the world. But God loves using the young and naive to enact huge changes! This may be just such an instance!

So I found a new hobby: painting. Well, it may not be art you'd hang up in your room, but we're creating some cool backdrops for our Mayday retreat next weekend. Splatter, graffiti, footprints, and a nice red wash on 15' drop cloths. Looks darn cool. And now I have artsy looking shoes. The whole design theme for Mayday is "urban decay," so all sorts of rubbish, from crappy couches to olive green refrigerator doors to pieces of scrap metal are all fair game. I'll post some pictures of the stage (featuring Derek Webb, of course.) Maybe they'll end up on his website!

Procrastination

For any other P personalities who might be reading this, I'd like to impart a bit of wisdom to you. Learn to procrastinate. And do it well. Your life will be fabulous.

Let me explain.

We Perceiving types tend to work best close to the deadline. The deadline energizes us and gets the creative juices flowing. If you're a P you know what I mean. Attempting to start early on a project or homework assignment is a waste of time. We end up dallying our time away trying to get started.

However, if we were to acknowledge that we're not going to actually accomplish anything by "getting ahead on a project" and simply use our time for something productive, such as hiking, socializing, drinking coffee, blogging, or inventing the latest device for mass destruction (see previous post), we'd waste much less time! I've learned this lesson and adopted the principle of Planned Procrastination. Figure out how much time you will need to accomplish your task, and devote the last possible block of time to your project.

Of course, I'm half kidding, but there is some truth in what I say. Later!

Best MBTI descriptions I've found!

For a good laugh, visit Not Your Typical Myers Briggs Personality Types.

Disclaimer: Okay, I just got a little further into the page... proceed at your own risk.

I'm well on my way to a quarter-life crisis. I turn 23 in less than two weeks and I still don't know what I'm doing with my life. And frankly, 23 is the first year that really sounds old to me. No longer a kid. Responsibility of life starting to settle in. I know, people are doing things such as graduating from college and getting married when they're 35 these days, but it's still pretty crazy to think that I'm becoming an adult. A grown man. This is the time of life in more than a few movies when the protaganist moves to the city, gets a lucrative job with an insurance company, and frequents the sexy singles bars.

Of course that's not my destiny, but it's wild to think that I'm now older than 80% of college students and I still have 2 years left. But life is good here. And a number of my friends will likely outlast me in SLO, which is quite comforting! I won't be here by myself, hoping to maintain a minimal social life. And my church will always be here. That body has made San Luis Obispo home for me, and when I spend more than a week away I'm ready to come back and be with the people I've truly grown up with over the last four years.

Megan just diagnosed me with multiple personalities. Intriguing...

I don't think she's right. So what if I have several names and talk to myself on a regular basis (and I only remember your name half of the time?)

Now that I know my psychological type (ENTP) I can get back to the real life! Yes, I definitely have the tendency to hyper-focus on things that interest me... or would that be obsessing?

No, I don't have OCD. I just get really excited about certain things and spend a lot of time learning about them. Probably why I'm known as the go-to guy for any number of random and seemingly unrelated facts. But somehow it all fits together. And I end up almost always having something to talk about with other intuitive type people. The more intuitive, the more we can talk about! Interesting how that works.

I never thought I'd be as outspoken as I am. But now that I'm in classes focusing on group problem solving, I'm constantly offering new ideas and critique of old ones. I love it! I know this is the nerdiest thing ever, but brainstorming has to be one of my favourite activities. And Scrabble, brain teasers, Trivial Pursuit... I love doing things that challenge my intellect. I'm not typically a competitive guy, but get me in on a game of Apples to Apples or Texas hold 'em and I will become the steamroller you never saw coming. Sports don't nearly do it. That's just for fun. Word games are life-and-death, every man for himself, quests for the ultimate glory in life.

Okay, maybe that's over-stating it. But just be careful before you invite me to play Scattergories. I take no prisoners.

I know I'm probably crying wolf here, but I've changed my mind again, and I'm back to ENFP. Most of you probably don't even care about personality types, but here's a brief description of my type:

ENFP "The Advocate": "Enthusiastic, expressive, emotional, warm, evocative, imaginative, original, artistic, improviser, perceptive, affirming, supportive, cooperative, positive, open responsive, sensitive, playful, fun-loving, multifaceted, gregarious, zestful, spontaneous, idealistic, initiators of new projects and possibilities, agents of change. Their focus is on self-expression and possibilities, "what could be' rather than 'what is.' Life is a celebration and a creative adventure. Enthusiastic initiators of new projects, relationships, and paradigms. Masters of the start-up phase. Lose interest when the project or relationship gets routine or when the primary goal is well on the way to accomplishment. Often eloquent in expressing their vision of a world where ideals are actualized. Frequently have a positive attitude in situations others would consider to be negative. Work in bursts of enthusiasm mixed with times when little gets done. Need careers that are personally meaningful, creative, and allow for full self-expression and that contribute to other people in some way. Extremely versatile. They may have friends from many walks of life, a wide range of interests and hobbies, and they gain a professional level of mastery without formal training." Suggested careers: Public relations, actor, teacher.

As opposed to:

ENTP "The Inventor": "Enthusiastic, puzzle master, objective, inventive, independent, conceptual thinker, creative problem solver, entrepreneurial risk taker, improviser, competitive, questioning, rebellious, rule breaker, gregarious, witty, involved, strategic, versatile, clever, adaptable, energetic action-oriented agents of change. Improves systems, processes, and organizations. Relentlessly tests and challenges the status quo with new, well-thought-out ideas, and argues vehemently in favor of possibilities and opportunities others have not noticed ["Born To Explore" is a prime example of an ENTP doing this!]. Can wear out their colleagues with their drive and challenging nature. See the big picture and how the details fit together. The most naturally entrepreneurial of all types. Usually not motivated by security. Their lives are often punctuated with extreme ups and downs as they energetically pursue new ideas. They have only one direction: ahead at full speed, leaving a trail of incomplete projects, tools, and plans in their wake. Their idea of fun and best creative self-expression involves devising new conceptual modeling and dreaming up imaginative and exciting ventures. Need lots of room to maneuver. When forced to dwell on details and routine operating procedures, they become bored and restless. Respect competence, not authority. Seek work that allows them to solve complex problems and develop real-world solutions. Often surrounded with the latest technology." Suggested careers: High tech engineer, marketer, entrepreneur. This type is the most likely to switch careers.


I should probably just take the plunge and use the real Instrument so I know for sure and I can stop wondering. I guess it's just too fun trying to figure it out myself.

Update: I just took the MBTI instrument. ENTP. Slight preference for thinking. Enough said. I'll shut up about it now!

Hey everyone, as many of you know, tomorrow is a big day! More than 53,000 people throughout the United States will be walking to central locations in their cities to sleep. This is in honor of thousands of children in Northern Uganda who do this every night to evade a rebel army which kidnaps children and forcibly enlists them, immediately exposing them to murder and bloodshed as a brainwashing technique.

San Luis has 580 people signed up already to sleep in Santa Rosa Park! You can still be part of this important movement to end a war that is spiralling out of control. This has the potential to make a huge impact! We will be writing letters to congress while we spend the night with hundreds of people who want to make a difference. (And don't worry, there will be police around to make sure it's safe!)

For information about your city's event and why this is so important, visit www.invisiblechildren.com and click on Global Night Commute. There is also an article on The Tribune website.

I hope to see you there!

UPDATE: There's now 600 people signed up!

ADD and the xNxp

Learning about Myers-Briggs has given me some interesting insights.

For one, while doing a search on my personality type, I came across a website about ADD (attention deficit disorder) which stated that a majority (90%?) of the site visitors who believed they had ADD were of the xNxp personality types, which include INFp, INTp, ENFp, and ENTp. These are the Intuitive-Perceptive types (only about 10% of the population), the abstract, idea-oriented people. I am one of them. While I haven't put a finger on exactly which one of these I am (and it seems to vary), I am a strong N-P.

N-Ps are often the gifted students who can never seem to live up to their own standards within the school system. I believe that part of the problem is that primary and, to a lesser extent, secondary schools are dominated by xSxj (sensing-judging) personality types, who want things done a certain way and by a certain time. This doesn't bode well for the N-Ps who have an innate need to try new ideas and work at their own pace, often which is defined by bursts of creativity rather than a steady flow of productivity which the SJ teachers are used to and expect. But the student needs to understand what he's doing. To know the "why" more than the "how." Busy work is the bane of the intuitive-perceptive student's existence, yet he sees students around him getting good grades simply because they memorize their study guides without ever understanding!

Fortunately, I had a fairly positive experience in school. I had teachers throughout who took special notice of my talents (I wonder if my parents were more involved than I knew) and gave me a chance to use them, while giving me some leeway on my weaknesses so that I would still enjoy school. AP classes were an important part of that. And yes, there was about a year after I started college when I was convinced that I had ADD. I'm now in a place where I can use my ideas and creatively solve problems, and I've realized this is extremely important for N-Ps. Give them a chance to thrive outside of the bureaucracy of education, and they will!

The moral of the story is this: teachers ought to be sensitive to needs and differences of students. There is a small percentage of gifted students who need to be noticed and given a chance to develop their talents. These are the people who change society with their ideas. Einstein & socrates=intp, Shakespeare & homer=infp, Mark twain & Dr. Seuss=enfp (well, they make us laugh!), Walt Disney & Thomas Edison=entp.

Let's give these people the opportunity to thrive so America can benefit from their novel approach to life and not go the way of the Roman Empire!

Myers-Briggs

Might as well post this here too. If you're not familiar with Myers-Briggs personality typing, it's essentially a system used throughout the business world to "categorize" people by their cognitive style. It's actually proven to be fairly effective and accurate. After some wrestling with the results (I walk the fence in at least one category) I've decided that I'm most likely an ENTP. That's Extroverted, INtuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving. The alternatives are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging.

I won't waste space here explaining the system, but it's described pretty well at www.personalitytype.com if you're curious.

So here it is (from bestfittype.com):

What’s it like to be you?
Life feels like a constant state of moving from one interesting thing to another, and I can get frustrated when there isn’t enough time to pursue all those interesting things.

I have a wide range of interests. I love to explore the world, how other people live, what they believe in, and what their lives are like. I have a deep need to understand the human condition and what brings people to life, even above difficult odds. I like it when the conversation goes wherever it wants to go—deep imaginative, intellectual, or philosophical conversation. Going off on one theory or another is fun, but long stories with nothing to learn frustrate me.

Ideas mean change. When I meet people who have interesting ideas, talents, or projects, I want to get to know them and help them make whatever they want to do possibly much bigger, more successful, or more impactful than they had intended. I start aligning with them and building trust because I want to get invited in—to probably change whatever they want to do because I tend to see more possibilities. Then we cook up the project. It’s fun to learn. I enjoy that in-the-moment experience of connecting things in my mind. Challenge and intellectual stimulation get me excited.

I just see a different world than the one in which I live, and I admire people who have genuine compassion and a commitment to serve others. I really respect people who have the ability to take the slings and arrows that come with leadership roles and working for change, who can cope with all the misunderstanding and resistance, who can say, “This is an idea whose time has come and we’re going to get it done.” It’s important to me to be in a setting where people are committed, where facts are respected, and where there is a space for people to tell the truth or at least look for the truth—and be open to listening.

Colleagues describe me as someone they can go to when they want an idea or help with an issue or problem they’re trying to solve. I often can condense or simplify a complex idea. I really often know the right words to use, not necessarily the right empathetic words but the right words. Coaching and giving ideas I do well. Just giving direction is boring. I don’t feel things have to be done my way, but they have to be done well.

I am very partner oriented, and being creative together is what makes a relationship alive.
I work a lot, always looking for new projects, something to sink my teeth into, and I am constantly challenging myself to make things better. Things I’ve already figured out I like to put together in a format or structure, so I don’t have to sit down and go through all the nitty-gritty details. I think in terms of the future—why am I here, what is this connected to, where are things going, where did they come from and wouldn’t it be better if…? When my intuition is working it produces a lot of excitement and ideas.

I tend to look at things from a very objective basis. Sometimes I don’t take the time to stop and thank people and let them know I’m trying to build on what they have already done. When I look at things, I am trying to figure out the system—looking beneath, behind, or above, somehow looking beyond the sensory data to figure out how it all works. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out in my head everything around me. Competence is a must, trying to perfect things, finding a new way. I am hardest on myself, with incredibly high standards, and I hold others to my standards even though sometimes I wish I hadn’t. And yet I often seem pretty easygoing.

Fairness and consistency are really important. I feel that people should be treated with respect at all times, and I don’t like behavior demeaning to others. When there is conflict I feel a compulsion to figure it out, to resolve it. When I’m personally involved, it can be difficult to initiate a discussion about the conflict. Sometimes I feel inadequate.

I think life is a puzzle and we keep playing with how to fit the pieces together. Something new and challenging is always more interesting to me than something I am already competent at.