Anomie
The subject is ANOMIE and its a random anthropological philosophic rambling. You have been warned... read on if you want. Oh, and I know that I seem to never post anything but Memes and quizes. These past to posts are what happens when I get a chance to sit down and write what I'm actually thinking so be glad it is a rare occassion.
The definition that I'm interested in is this one "a state of being characterized by disorientation, anxiety and isolation". Though here is a more complete definition http://www.answers.com/anomie&r=67. I began to wonder about this phenomenon after we discussed it in relation to the work of Dirkheim as it related to suicide. I subsequently have discussed it with my hubbie and a few friends and perhaps it's just the people I know but they said that it was not a feeling unfamiliar to them. I personally have a related feeling relatively often of being one kog in a very large machine, of being replaceable and not at all unique. Perhaps slightly unique as all creatures are but not so unique that were I to be surrepticously replaced that it would be of much concern to others besides family and friends who in the grand scheme of things are an rediculously small number. Ok, I know listen to Douglas Adams...a sense of purportion of this kind is definately not good for the health but I see it anyway. My troubles and issues are pure selfishness in comparison to what so many other deal with. So what if I had a bad day...I have food, most every important form of care and A/C...what do I really have to complain about. Anyway, I realize that I can only deal with so much. I can only make so much of a difference and that I need to keep things in context. Maybe its philosophizing about random issues brought up in my readings that is causing me to get behind....
The definition that I'm interested in is this one "a state of being characterized by disorientation, anxiety and isolation". Though here is a more complete definition http://www.answers.com/anomie&r=67. I began to wonder about this phenomenon after we discussed it in relation to the work of Dirkheim as it related to suicide. I subsequently have discussed it with my hubbie and a few friends and perhaps it's just the people I know but they said that it was not a feeling unfamiliar to them. I personally have a related feeling relatively often of being one kog in a very large machine, of being replaceable and not at all unique. Perhaps slightly unique as all creatures are but not so unique that were I to be surrepticously replaced that it would be of much concern to others besides family and friends who in the grand scheme of things are an rediculously small number. Ok, I know listen to Douglas Adams...a sense of purportion of this kind is definately not good for the health but I see it anyway. My troubles and issues are pure selfishness in comparison to what so many other deal with. So what if I had a bad day...I have food, most every important form of care and A/C...what do I really have to complain about. Anyway, I realize that I can only deal with so much. I can only make so much of a difference and that I need to keep things in context. Maybe its philosophizing about random issues brought up in my readings that is causing me to get behind....