I have a simple idea for changing attitudes and consciousness

[Spiralmind]

Very simply:

We begin referring to ourselves and each other as "Brother" or "Sister" or "Earth brother"/"Earth sister" or "Spirit brother"/"Spirit sister"

Instead of:


Mr. or Miss/Mrs.

I think if enough of us do this for long enough, perceptions will change.

[Shairia]

I like your thinking, but without sincerity I don't think it will work. It's not the words but actions and intentions that change attitudes and some of those have to come from within each of us.

[Spiralmind]

Guess it was a bad idea.

[Jnana]

Not a bad idea at all if done with feeling. I think there's more to it than just words. It must start with a glow in your heart, then eye contact, a smile, any sort of kind word, reacting to irritation with kindness, etc., will help with the change you are talking about.

[Stargazer1965]

Guess it was a bad idea.
No...not a bad idea.

In fact...I've been "sneaking" brother into my greetings a lot.

LionHawk (retired) and I always referred to each other as brother since our energy resonated closely

So how should I address you...Brother or Sister??

[sjkted]

Guess it was a bad idea.

It's actually a good idea, but looses its relevance without the intent. For example, when I go to the bank, the tellers always give me fake smiles and ask how I'm doing. I know they're not smiling because they're happy to see me and I know they could care less about what is happening in my life. They're just following standard protocol: greet customer, display smile, and say how are you.

I was traveling in New Orleans a few weeks ago and I saw this first hand. I was called brother, pal, and friend by people whom I had just met and they were genuinely caring and interested. I'm not sure how they got this way, but it might be valuable to study them and figure out how to export what they have :original:

--sjkted

[Spiralmind]

Actually, I think words by themselves have a great deal of power. There are many examples of words having negative power, so why not having positive?
The intent you speak of could simply be the choice of their use.

:original:

[Zeddo]

Guess it was a bad idea.

there are no bad ideas.....

LL&P

Z

[Shairia]

It was not my intent to discourage you but rather get you to dig a little deeper. As someone on this thread has stated, it has to come from the heart. Yes words are very powerful but they are the end product of thought and emotions.:original:

[371]

I had idea that works almost opposite to this, but with similar goal.

What if we stop saying "I love you", unless we really mean it. Too much, we say things out of a sense of obligation, it seems to me, and such words lose their meaning. I think it cheapens it, to be honest.

Just like some people make a conscious effort to eliminate the word "hate" from their vocabularies, maybe it would be good to only use "love" when they really mean it.

As Shairia said "without sincerity it won't work". Same thing here, often times to me anyway, "love" is used as a generic term without meaning.

Some people say "I love you" like its a greeting, or conversation punctuator. That pisses me off, it is BS and phony to me.

Personally, I'd rather SHOW something like this than TELL them.


I dunno, just my 2 cents....

[TRANCOSO]

There are no simple solutions for complicated problems.

[WineHippie]

There are no simple solutions for complicated problems.

perhaps not, i have to think about it....
but i do know that if you "pretend" something often enough.
it becomes "true" - like "be the change you want to see"?

[371]

There are no simple solutions for complicated problems.


Not really. Not always anyway. Maybe not easy solutions, or ones that make everyone happy...

Nothing is 100%- But there ARE a lot of simple solutions to complex issues, believe it or not.

[shiftmonkey]

Very simply:

We begin referring to ourselves and each other as "Brother" or "Sister" or "Earth brother"/"Earth sister" or "Spirit brother"/"Spirit sister"

Instead of:


Mr. or Miss/Mrs.

I think if enough of us do this for long enough, perceptions will change.

I love this idea. I actually live in an area where many people address each other as brother and sister. I find myself doing it at times if I am among the right crowd. It totally lifts my spirit when someone addresses me as brother.

[historycircus]

I love this idea. I actually live in an area where many people address each other as brother and sister. I find myself doing it at times if I am among the right crowd. It totally lifts my spirit when someone addresses me as brother.

Bikers and Hippies have been doing that for years brother, makes people very uncomfortable. Gonna' take more than a label switch for consciousness to change - probably gonna' need some big global event to jolt us out of our sleeps . . . .

[Spiralmind]

I have had many years dealing with the psychiatric world and they have a technique called cognitive therapy which says that if you change a behavior, you can alter your thought patterns. This also works in reverse.


:original:

[shiftmonkey]

There are no simple solutions for complicated problems.

That's a rather large assumption. We as human beings are privy to just a tiny fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum which comprises our visible reality- so there is no way that you can state that as a universal truth. "entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem" ~Ockham's razor

[THE eXchanger]

Very simply:

We begin referring to ourselves and each other as "Brother" or "Sister" or "Earth brother"/"Earth sister" or "Spirit brother"/"Spirit sister"
Instead of:
Mr. or Miss/Mrs.
I think if enough of us do this for long enough, perceptions will change.

"WE" is a 'key word' ~ it engages all of you,
to return to completness, fullness/and, wholeness...

along with the 'we' all in a team

when we all work together ~ big stuff occurs

[burgundia]

I had idea that works almost opposite to this, but with similar goal.

What if we stop saying "I love you", unless we really mean it. Too much, we say things out of a sense of obligation, it seems to me, and such words lose their meaning. I think it cheapens it, to be honest.

Just like some people make a conscious effort to eliminate the word "hate" from their vocabularies, maybe it would be good to only use "love" when they really mean it.

As Shairia said "without sincerity it won't work". Same thing here, often times to me anyway, "love" is used as a generic term without meaning.

Some people say "I love you" like its a greeting, or conversation punctuator. That pisses me off, it is BS and phony to me.

Personally, I'd rather SHOW something like this than TELL them.


I dunno, just my 2 cents....

I agree with you 100% here...

[burgundia]

Some of us are referring to fellow human beings using those words...:original:

[ellie]

I was with my beloved cat when he passed on, he was in a lot of pain at the time and I was in a lot of pain when he left me. He stays with me in my bedroom in his little wooden urn with his plaque and picture on the front and when I tell him how much I love him everyday believe me when I tell you I mean it. I kiss his little picture everyday, talk to him and tell him I love him. He knows it and I mean it.

I don't know you Burgundia but I feel I really, really like you and I love your cat pic.

And I mean that lovely lady.

[burgundia]

I was with my beloved cat when he passed on, he was in a lot of pain at the time and I was in a lot of pain when he left me. He stays with me in my bedroom in his little wooden urn with his plaque and picture on the front and when I tell him how much I love him everyday believe me when I tell you I mean it. I kiss his little picture everyday, talk to him and tell him I love him. He knows it and I mean it.

I don't know you Burgundia but I feel I really, really like you and I love your cat pic.

And I mean that lovely lady.

:flowers2:

[ellie]

Thank you lovely lady and back at you.

[mudra]

Maybe perceptions have already changed Spiralmind.
Looking back at your words " Mr . , Miss or Mrs " it strikes me how these terms are lacking any spiritual substance and how far from the sense of Oneness they bring us.

Thank you for bringing it up brother :wub2:

Love from me
mudra

Very simply:

We begin referring to ourselves and each other as "Brother" or "Sister" or "Earth brother"/"Earth sister" or "Spirit brother"/"Spirit sister"

Instead of:


Mr. or Miss/Mrs.

I think if enough of us do this for long enough, perceptions will change.

[Steven]

Very good thread! :thumb_yello:

I couldn't agree more with the OP. And thank you 371 to bring up the importance of "meaning" it.

I would say the same, when you feel the courage to call a being a brother or a sister because you deeply know we all come from the same source, we are all "creature" of the Creation, your consciousness encompass a wider perspective. It is always easier to be caring for a brother/sister rather than seeing a stranger in him/her.

When you mean it, it links you with your surrounding, it grounds you to Earth and all its inhabitants. Their is no limit to fraternity...

Namaste, Steven

[Earthian]

Actually, I think words by themselves have a great deal of power. There are many examples of words having negative power, so why not having positive?
The intent you speak of could simply be the choice of their use.

:original:

I am with You on this one Brother/Sister (?) :) They are vibrations and I believe do have huge effect on everything. I myself became more aware of what's coming out of my mouth in different situations and it's like putting a bug (good one though) into the mind programm that most of us have acquired over the years of life within a very evil system, and soon enough the program starts having major glitches and formatting is required :)
The word Brother and Sister got a completeley new meaning to me very recently so are many other "ordinary" words.

:dog:

[Earthian]

Maybe perceptions have already changed Spiralmind.
Looking back at your words " Mr . , Miss or Mrs " it strikes me how these terms are lacking any spiritual substance and how far from the sense of Oneness they bring us.

Thank you for bringing it up brother :wub2:

Love from me
mudra

No doubt they lack LIFE in them. Mr, Miss or Mrs are I believe commertial terms which we adopted as a "polite" way of calling each other. If You are in court, "they" call You that because they really adress the CORPORATE(dead, no life:) ) body Mr/Miss/Mrs SMITH not You the living, breathing Man/Woman.

:dog:

[Céline]

What a great idea...

i have always seen every human as a brother or sister.

i can already sense a change in attitude around me.. in society.

the anger that was present a few years ago seems to be abating ..

There is a sense of belonging that is developing.



To all my Brothers and Sisters, i love you.

[shiftmonkey]

Bikers and Hippies have been doing that for years brother, makes people very uncomfortable. Gonna' take more than a label switch for consciousness to change - probably gonna' need some big global event to jolt us out of our sleeps . . . .
Yeah... it's the hippies I live among. To say that it makes people uncomfortable is a sweeping statement. It might make you uncomfortable but not all people. It does not have a negative effect on me at all. I rather like it... maybe because I resonate with it and the people that I am around use it with honesty. I think you are right about the masses needing more of a jolt but I won't discount the idea just because it's on a small scale. Little things when added together can make a big difference. It certainly fosters good feelings within communities and social groups.

[housemouse2]

the subject matter, if I am correct, is changing titles for the benefit of more peaceful, loving world.

Though it's a nice idea and many do prefer the title of brother/sister to Mr. Mrs. Miss, Ms. I would have to decline the offer. First there are other cultures in the world and Mr/Mrs isn't always used.

Also, I don't call my own brother and sister...brother or sister...I call them by their given names. There is no reason not to call a person by their given name.

When addressing a mass of people then their are a number of suitable options depending on the subject, the talker and addressee. In a church is rather acceptable to use the term "Brothers and Sisters." For everyone in the church considers them self a child of god and thus everyone is brothers and sisters. In a family sense.

Which brings me to one of the reasons I do care for relabeling titles of Mr/Mrs/Miss to brother and sisters. It's sounds like a church gathering.

I see no reason not to simply call people by their names. the titles were used to differentiate status in the relationships. Mr Smith was traditionally the head of the family. Mrs. Smith was the co-pilot. Miss Smith indicated an unmarried woman or girl. Ms Smith indicates a women who chooses not to disclose her status.

Some people, such myself would find it rather insulting to be called "sister" for I am a mother and homemaker and I earned that title of Mrs/Ms. I can choose either title unlike my poor hubby who is stuck with just Mr.

[Halvor]

Some people say "I love you" like its a greeting, or conversation punctuator. That pisses me off, it is BS and phony to me.


Those people maye be very insecure and they may simply be attempting to project a feeling that they want to experience from others.

In other relations you may observe people telling someone that he is a really good person because they are actually scared of him and are afraid that he might hurt them. It's like an affirmation. If I tell you you are good you will hopefully become good if you weren't already.

[Halvor]

There are no simple solutions for complicated problems.

That is nonsense.

[Halvor]

I love this idea. I actually live in an area where many people address each other as brother and sister. I find myself doing it at times if I am among the right crowd. It totally lifts my spirit when someone addresses me as brother.

Right, I think the key thing in this is to raise our awareness of the desirability of addressing our fellow human beings thusly and make an effort of doing it as often as we can. By that I mean, we shouldn't attempt it towards people who are not likely at all to be receptive or appreciative of such a gesture, and we shouldn't feel bad about not doing it there and then either. Also, when we are among a crowd where this is comme il faut we do it naturally and hopefully, in time, automatically. Where we can make the world change is being a "proselyte" among the more ordinary people, i.e. use the terms when we don't feel we're just "doing as the Romans do" but where our action may make people reflect on "how cool it is that he just called him or her brother or sister". In order to be able to "live the gospel" like that in real life one would probably have to bolster one's motivation and intrepidness. Methods for doing that might be hanging around people who inspire you or meditating on doing it (intent).

[Halvor]

I have had many years dealing with the psychiatric world and they have a technique called cognitive therapy which says that if you change a behavior, you can alter your thought patterns. This also works in reverse.


:original:

It is also called "fake it until you make" and it is a formula with lots of supporters and also some detractors, I should think.

[WineHippie]

Yeah... it's the hippies I live among. To say that it makes people uncomfortable is a sweeping statement. It might make you uncomfortable but not all people. It does not have a negative effect on me at all. I rather like it... maybe because I resonate with it and the people that I am around use it with honesty. I think you are right about the masses needing more of a jolt but I won't discount the idea just because it's on a small scale. Little things when added together can make a big difference. It certainly fosters good feelings within communities and social groups.


well, i live(d) amongst "hippies", too, and we never
called each other brother and sister - nor did we use
mr., mrs., miss, some of the more militant among us
may have started to use ms., i am not sure..... we called
each other by our first names or nick-names...
***
what i remember more distinctly is that we hugged a lot
back then, whenever greeting or bidding adieu.... i liked
that part of that reality
***
as far as jolting the masses, i don't know what it will take
since there is so much out there already - we will see, eh?:huglove: