Isolationism (Dec 31, 2008)

(posted to Facebook, December 31, 2008)






I've decided that I am an anti-isolationist.

Isolationism is just another name for retreatism.
See Sociology:Merton:StrainTheory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strain_theory_(sociology)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mertons_social_strain_theory.svg

And retreatism is a poor excuse to give up when one is unable to attain the socially defined goals that one is to achieve.

What else is there to do?
Conformity = Accept goals, accept means; mindless conformity.
Ritualism = Reject goals, accept means; continue in the rut knowing the goal is unachievable.
Retreatism = Reject goals, reject means; become one's own island.
Innovation = Accept goals, reject means; achieve goal by unapproved mean.
Rebellion = Create new goals, create new means; develop a counter-culture.

Society is TERRIBLE.

The System has grown too large.

And, if the CIA/FBI/other-three-letter-illegal-unconstitutional-gov't-agency has this computer tapped, I'm certain to be blacklisted, if I'm not already.

You think I'm kidding.

:]

Isolationsim => Retreatism => Shelteredness...ism?
I guess I should've always known I was an anti-isolationist. It makes sense, after all... this is the reason why I get so offended when people accuse me of being (or having been) sheltered.

I am not sheltered, nor have I ever been.

I was allowed to be exposed to more culture than most people and I would guess that the reason I was not adversely affected by this non-shelteredness would be because I was raised right, was taught what is wrong by being allowed to see it and knowing what it is, and was not given free reign.

Not being sheltered does not equal having complete freedom.

See? I always talk about being balanced and in the middle and acting with moderation and no one ever believes me! It's what makes the most sense! Seriously, if ever there was someone in the middle of the logical-thought continuum, it was me.

Kids that are sheltered are just as impaired as those that have no parental control whatsoever, because those that are sheltered don't know what is wrong, having never seen it, and those that are not controlled at all don't know what is wrong, having never been told.

Whoa-oh, poetic-oh.

Alright, that's my rant of the day. Later.

Sociology:Merton:StrainTheory






Addendum: All this talk of rejecting/accepting means/goals reminds me of Statistics class and rejecting/accepting the Ho/Ha.
(Jan 7, 2010)