Comments on: The Decolonization of the Mind

By: The Gone Away Links « Torque Control

The Gone Away Links « Torque Control — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:56:06 +0000

[...] part two: Vandana Singh at Ecstatic Days, on paradigm shifts and the reading/writing life, decolonization of the mind, searching for Indian sf, women writing in India, thoughts on the animal other, and science fiction [...]

By: Vandana Singh

Vandana Singh — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:25:58 +0000

Thanks for all the thoughtful comments!

Will, I agree. If only people would see each other as people first. If only! I wonder why we have such a strong tendency to label.
Dr. Mishra — yes, a world without religious bigotry would be wonderful. One in which science is not under constant assault would be nice as well. (Not that there aren’t some rather fixed mindsets within science, but that is a post for another day).
Kurt — as always you ask some deep questions. It is odd how science-illiterate (and uninterested in science) most people are, even as they use sophisticated technology. Colonizing the brain is related to the loss of the imagination, which is something that happens to most people, sadly, as they grow older.
Bill, thank you! Hope that “regular people” can set about positive change is what keeps me going. And what a coincidence you mention the Doctorow book, which I am going to be reading next. Hello, V, thanks for sharing. Discovering that the world is complex is itself quite a paradigm shift, isn’t it?

By: V

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:51:56 +0000

The Chipko movement is an inspiration! But the third way you speak of is very interesting, and Anil Menon’s comments especially caught my interest. I shared a “personal prayer” (short speech) last Rosh Hashanah with the congregation I am a member of at the urging of my rabbi and the process of acceptance I talked about was similar, if fairly mundane in comparison. I used to call myself an atheist because I was used to those I knew viewing folks with spiritual feelings as idiots and because my experience of the world had caused me to affiliate religion and narrow-mindedness, despite spiritual feelings I had on occassion. When events pushed me toward accepting the complexity of my true worldview and rising above my shame, I connected with other people in the process and learned to view them and their beliefs differently as well, and this has encouraged me in other spheres.
How much of our condescension is fear or shame of what is within ourselves or our own pasts? Perhaps the first two responses ARE simply steps in a process . . .

By: Bill Ectric

Bill Ectric — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:38:04 +0000

I just read something in Corey Doctorow’s novel Little Brother that I think is relevant to the subject of all the so-called powerless people working together.

In this book, the scenario is that another terrorist attack has taken place and the US government has gone surveillance-crazy in San Francisco. The teen-aged protagonist enters a Turkish coffee shop, asks for a cup of coffee, and tries to pay for it with his debit card.

The Turkish proprietor says, “No more debit” and the kid asks, “Why not?” to which the proprietor explains (I have condensed these passages, as indicated by elipses, with apologies to Mr. Doctorow):

“The government. They monitor it all now, it was in the papers. PATRIOT Act II, the Congress passed it yesterday. Now they can Monitor you every time you use your card. I say no. I say my shop will not help them spy on my customers . . . Why you think I left Turkey? Where you have government always spying on the people, is no good. I move here twenty years ago for freedom – I no help them take freedom away.”

The teenager says, “You’re going to lose so many sales,” to which the man replies:

“Maybe not so much anymore. Maybe my customers come here because they know I love freedom, too. I am making sign for window. Maybe other stores do the same.”

The kid says he doesn’t have any cash.

“Many peoples say the same thing. Is okay. You give today’s money to the ACLU.”

See, even though Vandana Singh is writing about the environment and Corey Doctorow is writing about government surveillance, the passages indicate the potential of normal people working together at the “grass roots” level is .

By: Kurt Kremer

Kurt Kremer — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:30:45 +0000

In the US, our not-so-polyglot culture feels shaped more by a misunderstanding of science and quick adoption of technology (maybe this is true most places). As a species are are we more adept at creating and using tools, and changing in response to the use (colonized or adapting) than in understanding their origins, purpose, and impacts, and how they can distract or help us? Same for symbols (it’s a very dramatic political year, so symbols are extra explicit). It feels like what really makes us human isn’t our viral drive to colonize (or be colonized), but to our ability to step back, explore, describe, and direct these processes. How does “colonization” shrink or grow our capacity and capability for self-awareness coupled with action?

By: Cheryl’s Mewsings » Blog Archive » Busy

Cheryl’s Mewsings » Blog Archive » Busy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:01:21 +0000

[...] very busy with work stuff. Not much time for bloggery. Please read Vandana Singh instead as she’s being very [...]

By: Bill Ectric

Bill Ectric — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:09:10 +0000

Reading this was a wonderful way to start my day. It says so much about what us normal people are capable of in spite of our leaders. Top notch.

Anil Menon’s statement, “To be ashamed of what one loves is, I think, the hallmark of colonization” makes a lot of sense.

By: The chipko movement, genre and decolonising the mind at Blogbharti

The chipko movement, genre and decolonising the mind at Blogbharti — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:08:28 +0000

[...] I’m pleased that she’s currently blogging at Jeff Vandermeer’s Ecstatic Days. In this post, she discusses how a trek she went on in her teens was her first intimation that a) feminism was [...]

By: Dr.Arvind Mishra

Dr.Arvind Mishra — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:57:45 +0000

We are fast moving towards adopting a cosmopolitan culture which is largely shaped by science and technology-so any other cultural differences may disappear albeit slowly in days to come.Whether we like this trend are not is a debatable issue.But I shall go far a scientifically inspired culture where there is no place for rubbish subjective norms/religious bigotry.

By: Will Humphreys

Will Humphreys — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:33:59 +0000

Great post. I think we can be conditioned to think in many different ways and the influences may be blatant or subtle. Experiences like the ones you had in the Himalayas are important in allowing one to break out of the conditioning but they can happen anywhere and any time. I think the key thing is when you really see other people for who they are rather than the labels or boxes we often unthinkingly apply.