For instance, do you think that online community contributes to resilience like a real, physical, local community does? Do you think our meetups constitute [frequent] enough personal contact to make the community "more than virtual" for the purposes of building resilience? Is something on the scale of Yearly Kos too large (though physical) to build an effective community for the purposes of resilience?
Who on this site other than yourself do you expect to write diaries or comments addressing these questions? Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
the interests here really tend to be towards intellectual vs. emotional or intuitive type topics
Personally, I'm interested in intellectual rather than emotional treatment of any topic.
The only interest you need to gauge is your own interest in writing. Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
O Mighty whataboutbob we beseech thee!
PLEASE, oh PLEASE dispense your knowledge to us undeserving slobs. (We are not worthy! We are not worthy!) Send forth thy insightful diaries to transubstantiate our darkness of ignorance into the light of Perfect Awareness. (We are not worthy! We are not worthy!) Yea, verily, forsooth - and all that kinda crap - we await Thy guiding hand.
8-p A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run
? A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run
If, however, you think I really think that way (that I assume wisdom of some sort)...you read me totally wrong. That's just not me.
I enjoy the intelligence of the community...I learn tremendous amounts...daily. I don't have an intellectual approach to things, is all, but I am still curious and keen to learn (I was terrible at math, and not much interested in science either...until I got interested n psychology, and that's not a hard science). Anyway, my point was...from my experience, people are not interested in hearing about mental health or mental illness...generally its a conversation stopper...I don't know why, your guess is good as mine. I don't make judgements about it, but one tends not to pursue topics that stops conversation. I wasn't begging for pleas, though, even if it may have seemed like it. Half the population is under the age of 18. Tanzania's future is NOW...join the 50% campaign!
Please don't take it serious. A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run
From my own experience, I'd say it does in some ways. I think I've mentioned before that I had ptsd after a really bad car accident when I was a teenager. It involved trembling, sleeplessness, nightmares, etc. The effects of that went away for the most part after some time, although I'm still not a good passenger.
However, more recently I went through a very long period of illness, during which I had a really terrible procedure done that I still don't much like to talk about. After that, I had a really difficult time and was diagnosed with "medical ptsd." This round, although it also involved sleeplessness, was less of the physical (no trembling or waking up screaming) and more of the emotional aspect. The disconnect was far more intense than the first time. I chalk this up to the different natures of the events -- one being an accident that was over in a few seconds and the other being a prolonged experience that, however necessary, was done deliberately. It was very difficult to accept.
In any case, I was a wreck and had very little, if any, resilience. I really credit the internet for helping me get through it and come out of it. During that period, I lurked on the blogs almost entirely for the feeling of having company. It was sort of like having other people around, but without the emotional risks of interacting in person.
Oh, and Bob, I obviously agree with the people downthread who'd like to read more of your writing on this. Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
do you think that online community contributes to resilience like a real, physical, local community does?
See Izzy's response...but before she had posted I would have also said that I believe it can. Not for everyone, not always, but I would wager that a number of people besides Izzy have experienced a sense of connection through communication on ET. I definitely that I have. But I also believe that ET...in particular... is a unique online community, because people are willing to share more personal and emotional aspects of their lives. Like Jerome about his son, I have talked about stuff, Barbara (and Migeru) have shared a lot about their relationship...to name but a few...and I can think of many, many other examples in comments and diaries where people have shared very personal stuff about what have or are going through in their lives. That all said, I think this is really rather unique of the ET community, and it doesn't happen that often here...and maybe as we get larger we won't see as much of that. I don't know of any other blog that does what we do...only rarely other places. So yes, I do believe it can...specifically referring to ET. I think meetups are important because they deepen connections and the sense of community.
Do you think our meetups constitute [frequent] enough personal contact to make the community "more than virtual" for the purposes of building resilience?
I think here each person has to gauge their own experience. But I think quality of contact can be just as important as quantity...though quantity of contact is important, for certain.
Is something on the scale of Yearly Kos too large (though physical) to build an effective community for the purposes of resilience?
That's a really good question - and I would say that its pretty definite. In my research on helping communities in the aftermath of large disasters or wars, or even during ongoing social emergencies (like the HIV/AIDS pandemic), the efforts to stabilize and rebuild the communities is in fact working to do so through enhancing and supporting of existing resilience. And working to stabilize, support and encourage individuals resilience in turn feedback to the community. Its getting put into practice in a lot of places by the UN, by governments and by numerous NGOs around the world. So it is possible for Yearlykos to have that experience, yes...but I guess that's up to the individuals too.
My point is that I think we are having the effect of building resilience individually and collectively here, its just hard to say about other situations...
Anyway...I hope that moves the ball forward a bit...I will try to say more, as more comes to mind. Half the population is under the age of 18. Tanzania's future is NOW...join the 50% campaign!
As far as studies of improving adult resilience...I don't know of many. Its still a very new concept, in relation to adults. But I believe it is entirely possible that group undertakings...like ET...can definitely have a positive influence on people's health. But I am basing this thinking on ET, I can't really say if that is true for a larger blog like Dkos. But...I do think Dkos is having a positive impact on a lot of people too... Half the population is under the age of 18. Tanzania's future is NOW...join the 50% campaign!
