Field Blog Entry #8 - Ted Talk (Personal)

Tony Robins: Why we do what we do

In this ted talk Tony Robbins shares his thoughts and insights about why and how we do what we do and ways to do things better. His speech was based mainly on realistic (scientific) evidence which allowed me to trust the information. Robbins’ speech was motivating and helped the audience find the “inner blocks that prevent people from finding fulfillment and success.” Some people might find it uncomfortable because he doesn’t refrain from using swear words or racist implications. But the general idea of the video was about us and our actions.

People take risks to provide the world with new knowledge and I was able to relate the ted talk to the ways of knowing I learned in Theory of Knowledge class. Tony Robbins emphasized that logical reasons and faith were two important factors why we do what we do. From this, I deduced that our knowledge had a big influence on our actions.

Robbins also described that “Explore your web — the needs, the beliefs, the emotions that are controlling you… so there’s more of you to give… and so you can appreciate what’s driving other people. It’s the only way our world’s going to change.” This supported the fact about how people need to experience more because they only see a piece of the world. People’s perspectives are causing disagreement and their perspective is greatly influenced by experience.

Tony Robbins’ Ted Talk emphasized the importance of reason and faith and also described about experiencing the world to improve ourselves. People have the ability to make a positive impact and it is important to experience and stretch our limits to reach that potential.   

http://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_do_what_we_do.html

Field Blog Entry #7 - TOK Point in Biology (IB Class)

I am currently learning about ecology and evolution in my IB SL Biology class. While we were studying about the greenhouse effect, the precautionary principle came up. The precautionary principle states that “if the effects of a human-induced change would be very large, perhaps catastrophic, those responsible for the change must prove that it will not do harm before proceeding.”

But in the real world, we can see that those responsible for the damage are trying to come up with convincing evidences in order to proceed while those who are concerned about the change would have to prove that it will do harm in order to prevent such plans.

This is very important because ethical questions are raised about the effects of economic harm on future human generations. Global warming is being accelerated due to an enhanced greenhouse effect that is caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and livestock breeding. If no action is taken to limit global warming, then there may be a greater danger for future generations. Another ethical implication can be found in species other than humans. Global warming is damaging the habitat of species living in arctic ecosystems, such as the Antarctic, by melting the ice. The rise in temperature is taking away their environment and might lead to the extinction of these species.  

The issue of global warming has ethical implications globally in terms of causes and consequences. There is an unbalance between those in the world who are contributing to the problem and those who are being harmed. A fair and equal cooperation is needed for a solution be found. 

Field Blog Entry #6 - Perspective (Personal)

Knowers’ Perspective

I was looking for some inspirational quotes for my Theory of Knowledge personal entry when I came upon this quote:

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” ― John Lubbock

I think this quote really explained the concept of perspective because people look at the same world but might see something else depending on what they look for. Our perspectives might be affected through religion, education, culture, personality, etc.

I related the importance of perspective into many aspects. First, I was able to connect perspective with the cognitive miser theory, a concept I learned in IBH Psychology. Cognitive miser theory states that people are hesitant at accepting new information so they use their previous beliefs when making a decision. A perspective is a way of thinking or knowing from one’s point of view when regarding something or making a decision. The theory indicates that people tend to rely on their point of view or perspective in order to make decisions.

The story of the Blind Men and the Elephant is also an example of the importance of perspective. The blind men had different descriptions of the elephant because they were touching different parts. They were placed in front of the same object but they all saw something else. The story was about the different perspectives of people and emphasized the importance of seeing the “compete picture” or the full idea. People experience only a small piece of the world so in order to gain a more “complete picture” of the world people need to be willing to experience and share knowledge with others.

Consider an important question related to perspective: How do we account for the multiplicity of perspectives in the world?

Field Blog Entry #5 - Sightless Experience (TOK)

Blind role:

Even though I had complete trust in my partner to guide and navigate the courtyard, I became more hesitant about where I was walking and felt anxious and insecure about the situation. I was very worried about where I was stepping because I wasn’t able to see at all. If I accidently hit my foot against a rock or a fence, I reacted more strongly than usual because I was scared of what I couldn’t see. I trusted my guide to lead me to the right path but losing one of my senses made me feel helpless and uncertain about everything. I also felt a little frustrated that my sight was handicapped because it made me feel weak and powerless.

When I was walking on a normal path with no obstacles, I walked at my normal pace but I started to be more cautious and hesitant of walking when there were rocks or fences in my path. Because I wasn’t able to use my sight, I became nervous of bumping into the obstacles. I found climbing the rock the most difficult because I was afraid to jump back to the ground after going up the rock. I felt like I was coming down from a high place because I wasn’t able to see the ground at all.

The descriptions my partner made were detailed so I was able to visualize what I was encountering. I think it was easier to imagine the route because I knew the path well from explaining it to my partner when she was blindfolded. But at the same time I found it quite difficult to visualize the colors of the rock or the physical characteristics of people around me.

I remember using the sense of touch and sound to navigate my way around. Despite the fact that I wasn't supposed to touch my partner, I unconsciously tended to rely on my sense of touch. It also helped me visualize what the rock or the fence looked like by touching them. Another sense I relied greatly was sound. If I hadn't used my hearing then I think I would've bumped into a lot of people because I wouldn't be able to hear my partner or the other people. I also realized that I became more concentrated on my partner’s voice because that was the only thing I could use to help me navigate my way around. I think it didn't really compensate for the loss of sight because I did not feel assured or confident of where I was going without my sight.

I partially agree with the statement “knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes” because if I believe it is important that we know what we are seeing. If we have no knowledge of the object that we see through the eyes, then we will never be able to understand it. But on the other hand, there are some aspects, such as colors, that we would not be able to visualize without knowing.  

Guide role:

It was my first time helping someone blind and I found it very interesting because I wasn’t used to navigating someone. It was a little frustrating to explain something that would be so easy if they could only see because my partner required detailed descriptions and I found some obstacles or routes hard to explain. My partner and I have similar faith and trust towards each other so I found my partner listening to all my instructions. I think my partner had relied a lot on my instructions and descriptions and she trusted me to give her accurate information.

The most difficult part was helping the person climb over the fence because there were several flower pots placed next to the fence which made it more difficult for my partner to go over the fence. I think she would've bumped into the fence or stepped on the flower pot if I hadn't told her about them. I think this situation could be difficult and dangerous if I didn't give her any descriptions about the fence or the flower pots. If they had been able to see then it would not have been dangerous because they could see the obstacle.

The sightless experience really helped me realize that sight is critical to knowing and understanding because even we would not be able to understand something completely without seeing. We could gain knowledge through learning but to understand something in real life would require sight.  

How would you describe the following to a blind person so they could gain an understanding of it?

• Cat – two pointy ears, long thin whiskers, four legs, soft fur, and moving animal.
• Riding a bike – two wheels, one seat, handles to help change direction, push pedals with feet to go forward
• Sunset – the shades of red, pink, and dark blues, gradually becomes darker as the sun goes down