[MD] Where have all the values gone?

[Erin]

Arlo Bensinger <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:    [Arlo previously]
Your response to my post indicates a belief that we must be either "all 
public" or "all private".

[Erin]
NO and I don't see how you got that at all

[Arlo]
Simple, Erin. Your reply to my entire post indicated that your read of it 
was that "public engagement" is "good" and "private engagement' is "bad". 
"To me this advice always make being a more private sound like a 
bad/selfish thing. Maybe private people are home meditating rather than 
getting drunk in a pub, why is that wrong to be private. Just being 
social doesn't mean they are being good."
   
   
  Erin:  I said being a MORE private person.  I didn't say being completely private, pure private, you want to read into it.    I think everybody leans more towards one way than other and everybody could use some self-improvement was my point.   
   
  
Arlo: Platt's initial question was about a "value shift" (my words) that occurred sometime between the "moral pilgrims" (again, my words) arrival and modern-day American culture. One thing, for example, he (rightfully) 
ponders is the loss of "craftsmanship". This generally falls under a rubric 
we can call a "work ethic", "You worked hard. You saved, You did not waste 
anything. If possible, you grew your own food. You did not complain. You 
did not expect anyone to do anything for you. Discipline was not so much 
taught as lived, as an essential part of life of which there was no 
alternative."

  ARLO:  Your reply that "I don't think putting so much emphasis on being social is the right attitude. Actually for somebody who prefers private maybe it is but people who are very, very social and can't stand to be alone it is 
not. I think they SHOULD isolate themselves and practice flexing their 
private muscles more.", indicates that you believe that valuation of 
public-engagement or private-space is objective or aculturally determined 
by any given individual. 
   
  ERIN:  No that is not what I meant.  I just don't think are individual differences in every culture. 
   
  ARLO: At any historical moment, individuals 
choose what they value, yes, but they do through a cultural lens. 
   
  ERIN:  Yes I agree Arlo and Erin are looking through the cultural lens and hey there still differences of opinions.  
   
  
ARLO: The paradox is, that although individuals should be (and are) "free" to 
follow their personal "values" (within parameters), we are never "free" of 
cultural forces that "push" us into valuing some things and de-valuing 
others. 
   
  ERIN:  Arlo I still feel like you are too determined to reduce, oversimply what I am trying to say than have a conversation with me. I don't want to preached at...especially by a deaf preacher who can'[t seem to understand what I am saying.   If you can't offer an honest ear I am not going to either so I'm ignoring the rest of your blathering sermon. 
   
   
   
   


		
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