self-sustainability

we are looking at different aspects of "self-sustainability" with individuals within the group showing our various different approaches to the idea of self-sustainability:attempting to achieve self sustainability, looking at and acknowledging the problems that prevent self-sustainability, the risks of different identities in trying to become self-sustainable, the ideas of selfishness and selflessnes and how that interacts with the idea of self-sustainability, and becoming self-sustainable in terms of our mental realm.

[selfsustainability-blog]

[17:19, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Do you have a responsibility to reflect your values? [17:19, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Who does empathy benefit? [17:20, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Notes

Convenience of privilege Ethics of individualism Does empathy absolve you of your privilege [20:28, 11/5/2018] jihye joy baek: Sorry im struggling to understand what the values means in the question...could you plz let me know the meaning?? [20:34, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: So if you hold a set of values should you reflect that in your lifestyle [20:35, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: For example if you care about animal rights and animal cruelty do you have a responsibility to reflect that in your life and life choices. [20:50, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: Now I’m thinking about the question of empathy [20:51, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: And I guess it that often times we misinterpret what it means to be empathetic because it’s actually sympathy [20:52, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: But it’s much harder to be empathetic because that’s what it means to affect an actual change [20:56, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: So do you think we should change the word or.. [21:12, 11/5/2018] selina: heyy sorry i couldnt be there today [21:13, 11/5/2018] selina: Saam caught me up on everything [21:14, 11/5/2018] selina: I think I understand the question but isn't it kinda obvious that your set of values should be reflected in your lifestyle [21:23, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Yes it should be but I think sometimes it isn’t sustainable and convenience of privilege can hinder you from reflecting your values [21:23, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Which is kinda the more complicated part of the question Also sometimes sticking to your values does more for you than anyone else. [21:23, 11/5/2018] selina: yeah that's true, but i think we need to include that in the question to make it clearer what we're asking [21:25, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Yeah for sure I think we are going to preface the question with a bit of information maybe a visual image story or a video to help the class with the discussion. We didn’t work out what that material would be in the meeting and thought we would discuss it tomorrow morning before the presentation [21:30, 11/5/2018] selina: wait [21:30, 11/5/2018] selina: what is the point of the question [21:31, 11/5/2018] selina: i mean like the purpose [21:33, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Well in our discussion we were talking about doing what you can to help others but to be personally sustainable you can’t let others people’s stuff overwhelm you. So you in a way ignore the bad stuff in the world and bad stuff in your own life to cope. And so we were looking into that more critically and how can you be self sustaining and socially aware and helpful/selfless [21:33, 11/5/2018] selina: i see [21:34, 11/5/2018] selina: so the question is more how can we be more self sustaining whilst being able to fight our cause? [21:34, 11/5/2018] selina: // how can we fight our cause in a self sustainable way? [21:37, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Yeah and be an ally to others [21:43, 11/5/2018] selina: because atm this question is more going in the direction of discussing difficulties but doesnt ask the people discussing to have a conclusion of how to get out of those difficulties or a direction of how to get out of those difficulties, and also this question already has an obvious answer even though the question is being used to prompt other mini discussions [21:58, 11/5/2018] jihye joy baek: Sorry @selina  but could you plz tell me what our cause means in your question? And those two questions are just different ways of asking but involving a same meaning..am i right?? [21:58, 11/5/2018] selina: yeah [21:58, 11/5/2018] selina: by "our cause" i mean our values [21:59, 11/5/2018] selina: each person's values [21:59, 11/5/2018] jihye joy baek: Okay i got it thanks x [21:59, 11/5/2018] selina: or the person's values [21:59, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: I saw the question as is there such thing as ethical individualism? [22:00, 11/5/2018] selina: one sec, just finding the definition for that [22:00, 11/5/2018] selina: "Ethical individualism holds that the primary concern of morality is the individual, rather than society as a whole, and that morality primarily concerns individual flourishing, rather than one's interactions with others" [22:00, 11/5/2018] selina: yeah i think kind of [22:01, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: And I guess that gets into the topic of whether or not it’s even important to reflect on your ethical beliefs-which I guess is also the framework for liberalism too [22:01, 11/5/2018] selina: but dont we have the answer for that kind of, as a group [22:01, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: Yeah I mean the idea of self-sustainability is basically just individualism [22:02, 11/5/2018] selina: yeah, i also think it can be collective though [22:02, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: And I’m just posing the question in a more specific way if that is ethical and if so to what extent? Leading to the question of who benefits from empathy? [22:03, 11/5/2018] selina: so you're asking, is ethical individualism ethical? or [22:06, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL:No I’m asking is individualism ethical? [22:06, 11/5/2018] selina: ohhh i see [22:07, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: Because I don’t see individualism separated from self sustainability [22:07, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: There just aspects of one another [22:07, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: They’re [22:18, 11/5/2018] selina: i see [22:19, 11/5/2018] selina: so what should the question be [22:45, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: I don’t know necessarily what we should do to make the question more specific, I’m just answering your question about what we talked about [22:46, 11/5/2018] Sasha Ercole UAL: What would you want to say? [22:58, 11/5/2018] selina: oh okay [23:09, 11/5/2018] selina: so is individualism kind of self sustainability [23:10, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Maybe we should pose an example to the group and then ask a question [23:11, 11/5/2018] selina: i feel like everything we've talked about is interesting with like being able to promote the change that we want to see in the world without neglecting the self and whether being self reliant is ethical [23:11, 11/5/2018] selina: and our own boundaries of how much we can do to implement our values into our actions and the world [23:11, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Ooo yeah that’s sounds good [23:13, 11/5/2018] jihye joy baek: Yhh i think thats involving all  ideas we talked [23:13, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Yayay [23:14, 11/5/2018] jihye joy baek: 🤟 [23:14, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: So could the question be [23:16, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: How do you promote positive change in the world without neglecting the self? Is looking after the self ethical? How do you balance looking after the self and actualising positive change in the world? At what point does looking after the self overtake values and at what point does values overtake the self [23:17, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: One of them or a combination of those questions? [23:17, 11/5/2018] it's me ella: Or different wording?

[selfsustainability-blog]

[24/10/2018, 18:47:33] donSELZ: so taking care of yourself enough that you are able to take cate of others [24/10/2018, 18:47:42] donSELZ: care* [24/10/2018, 18:49:12] Ella: Yeah kind of But I don’t think take care is the right wording but it’s along those lines I just don’t know the right words now ahah [24/10/2018, 18:49:51] donSELZ: yea, it's just cause what we are talking about is essentially self care [24/10/2018, 18:50:25] donSELZ: and the idea that we have to take care of our own situation before we are able to extend ourselves to others [24/10/2018, 18:50:46] Ella: Yeah [24/10/2018, 18:51:45] donSELZ: i remember Jihye was talking about how that might be seen as selfish/unkind and not wanting to compromise being the compassionate person that she wants to be/is [24/10/2018, 18:52:34] donSELZ: but we shouldnt be compassionate to other people at the expense of our selves [24/10/2018, 18:52:57] donSELZ: we have to be compassionate and kind to ourselves first [24/10/2018, 18:53:32] donSELZ: but also just as much as we should be kind and compassionate to others [24/10/2018, 18:54:35] Ella: Yes and I think when I say take care of others it’s more of a help others be self sustaining so helping them find the tools and stuff that work for them that help them be self sustaining [24/10/2018, 18:54:49] Ella: Mentally and physically [24/10/2018, 18:54:52] donSELZ: yeah, i fot thT [24/10/2018, 18:54:54] donSELZ: that* [24/10/2018, 18:54:57] donSELZ: got* [24/10/2018, 18:55:09] Ella: Okay cool I think that is better working than take care [24/10/2018, 18:55:19] donSELZ: okie doke [24/10/2018, 18:55:26] Ella: Wording [24/10/2018, 18:55:28] donSELZ: i use care because even though that is specific to you [24/10/2018, 18:55:56] donSELZ: care is more general so it includes and relates to what everyone in the group is talking about [24/10/2018, 18:56:09] Ella: Ahh yeah that makes sense [24/10/2018, 18:57:24] Ella: And I think the potential unkindness of being selfish is a real fear/anxiety of many people [24/10/2018, 18:58:44] Ella: I guess that there are ways to counteract it in life where you try and communicate with people around you as best you can so that they understand and don’t just think you are being mean. And it’s a shift in perception. If you have been brought up with the idea that selfishness is bad it’s a difficult thing to pivot your thinking around [24/10/2018, 19:00:12] donSELZ: yeah it's hard to change your mindset because you see how people react to you when you take away your hand inorder to help yourself up first [24/10/2018, 19:00:34] donSELZ: and seeing how people react makes you question yourself [24/10/2018, 19:00:48] Ella: Yeah it’s uncomfortable [24/10/2018, 19:01:00] donSELZ: even though your wanting to protect yourself first is right [24/10/2018, 19:02:24] donSELZ: but yeah it is uncomfortable which makes it harder to internalise the idea that caring for yourself first is a good thing and a really important thing [24/10/2018, 19:05:26] Joy: Its kinda the starting point of my study. It can told as  'unconscious anxiety I feel as associating with people' and ' having emotional security as being a selfless but selfish person' [24/10/2018, 19:06:19] Ella: I think there is also a really interesting aspect which is narcissism and certain aspects of care is celebrated. Such as financial success but your mental health isn’t. Just look at the amount of you tubers and other social media type people who are loved/revered and they are selfish people. (They are also disliked) [24/10/2018, 19:06:29] Joy: Omg your idea  helped me a lot to get through the part I was struggling with. i will upload my idea as soon as possible. Im adjusting it now. [24/10/2018, 19:06:39] donSELZ: wooo [24/10/2018, 19:06:58] Ella: Okay cool 😀 looking forward to reading it x [24/10/2018, 19:07:42] Joy: Yh it suggests another way of interpretation on the term but relevant to it I guess [24/10/2018, 19:07:56] Joy: 😍 [24/10/2018, 19:09:50] donSELZ: selfish means "lacking consideration for other people, concerned mainly with one's own profit or pleasure" [24/10/2018, 19:10:20] donSELZ: but what you guys are describing is not about lacking consideration for other people at all [24/10/2018, 19:10:41] Ella: Yeah so it’s more like perceived selfishness rather than actual selfishness [24/10/2018, 19:10:59] donSELZ: youre talking about caring for yourself but why does that automatically mean you dont care about other people [24/10/2018, 19:11:07] donSELZ: it's not a this or that thing [24/10/2018, 19:11:24] donSELZ: they can co exist [24/10/2018, 19:12:15] donSELZ: yeah it is perceived selfishness, but yeah that's why i prefer using the words self preservation [24/10/2018, 19:15:07] Ella: Okay yeah that makes sense

I guess because of the culture we have been brought up in it’s a binary and you are one or the other so to occupy two things that is slightly contradictory on the surface is hard for people to wrap their heads round [24/10/2018, 19:15:32] donSELZ: yesss i love this, we're relating to risk group [24/10/2018, 19:15:45] donSELZ: i wrote a bit about it in my essay - the binary [24/10/2018, 19:15:54] Ella: Ahh cool! [24/10/2018, 19:15:55] Joy: Thats the part I donno how to deal with. Bascially selfishness has a negative idea basing on social term. But i guess we all dont take it negatively including me. The point being is i wanna say being selfish in a certain level isnt a harm in community but there is a fine line between being selfish or being self-centred(not sure if it is a positive way of saying selfish person) person [24/10/2018, 19:15:59] donSELZ: i will copy and paste here [24/10/2018, 19:16:37] donSELZ: yeah i understand that, and i dont see it as negative in the way that you are using it at all [24/10/2018, 19:17:04] donSELZ: but because when you look up what the word selfish means [24/10/2018, 19:18:31] Joy: Yhh i just think that when we have a talk with people, it will be essential to explain about how we define selfishness in our theory X [24/10/2018, 19:19:16] donSELZ: i think i the word selfish is bound to be negative because what we are describing doesnt mean what the dictionary says selfish means [24/10/2018, 19:19:22] Ella: Yes I think that is a good idea and then coming up with a couple of key questions that we would find helpful to discuss [24/10/2018, 19:20:27] Joy: Yh ture. [24/10/2018, 19:20:30] donSELZ: what we are talking about is self preservation, which we can say is a type of selfishness that doesnt negate caring for others [24/10/2018, 19:20:42] donSELZ: from my works in the past i used this quote a lot "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare" [24/10/2018, 19:20:53] donSELZ: by Audre Lorde [24/10/2018, 19:21:15] Ella: Andre lorde is a boss!!! [24/10/2018, 19:21:29] donSELZ: which helped me a looot with the ideas around caring for myself and not feeling like that makes me a self centred type of selfish person [24/10/2018, 19:21:41] Joy: Fab. I will look for Audre Lorde!! [24/10/2018, 19:21:48] donSELZ: awesome [24/10/2018, 19:26:56] donSELZ: “the binary femininity/masculinity also supports other binaries by making them appear natural or legitimate as well. Other binaries that follow from our examples might read as follows: home/work, private/public, and passive/active. In each of these binaries, the first of the pair is gendered feminine while the second is gendered masculine” – (pg. 2, French and Bliss 2006) [24/10/2018, 19:27:35] Ella: I feel like I have seen this quote somewhere before [24/10/2018, 19:27:44] donSELZ: lool well you read my essay [24/10/2018, 19:27:47] donSELZ: so it might be that [24/10/2018, 19:27:48] donSELZ: hahaha [24/10/2018, 19:27:50] Ella: Ahh yeah hahahah [24/10/2018, 19:27:54] Ella: 😂😂 [24/10/2018, 19:28:14] donSELZ: this is what i wrote about:

Often, self-care is seen as a private act that only stays internal. However true self-care naturally externalises itself often. Self-care is an intimate act with yourself that then affects the you outside of yourself. It swims back and forth between the ‘public’ and the ‘private’, but this is not always realised. It is bound by the traditions of the binary that we see our world in; derived from the gender binary of man or woman, and so we also see self-care in the binary of either public or private, but like gender the public and private also exist on a spectrum. [24/10/2018, 19:28:15] Ella: No I think it might of also been referenced in a book about metaphors that I have [24/10/2018, 19:28:27] donSELZ: hahahah yeah probably [24/10/2018, 19:28:43] donSELZ: ohhhh hahah was it the book you borrowed me this summer [24/10/2018, 19:28:51] Ella: Yeah ahah [24/10/2018, 19:31:32] Joy: Loool it seems like its my turn😂😂😂 i am still writing....sorry.. give me 5mins guys X [24/10/2018, 19:31:46] Ella: Haha it’s cool take ya time x [24/10/2018, 19:32:01] donSELZ: 😂😂😂❤ [24/10/2018, 19:47:37] Saamiyah: I think for me, the way I’m thinking of it is being selfish in some aspects of my life like only doing thing that may only benefit me. [24/10/2018, 19:48:35] Ella: Like what [24/10/2018, 19:54:37] Joy: Self-sustainability and Selfishness or Selflessness

My study mainly looks at being self-sustainable in regards to individual acts in society. Living in society requires us to adapt ourselves in an environment and live interactively with elements surrounding us, such as social life, cultures, regulations, and so on. When it comes to dwelling in a community, we easily find ourselves following the flow of society and hard to assert ourselves due to the care of how to be perceived and considerate attitude towards others. This tendency has existed since the first time human start to live collectively and reciprocally; it results in the concept of natural attitude to associating with environments. What is the natural attitude in the context? The term can be explained as the attitude (tendency) generally making a beneficial consequence to everyone. We have been learnt to be kind and selfless to people is essential, which causes resistance to selfishness and taking the word negatively. Besides, as there is a guideline of attitude to assimilate society, the unconscious anxiety of making a decision on an individual's action deeply place in their mind. [24/10/2018, 19:54:57] Joy: I havent finished it but i realised my 5mins was too long loooool [24/10/2018, 19:55:34] Joy: Please understand my grammartic errors 😂😂 [24/10/2018, 20:00:45] Ella: Ahah it’s all good.

So looking at the fear around becoming self sustainable and te perceived selfishness that entails whilst also adapting and navigating all the other human experiences of culture, relationships, law etc [24/10/2018, 20:02:03] Ella: @447473131379 can you elaborate on what you were saying? [24/10/2018, 20:07:06] Saamiyah: I think what I’m trying to say is that because I was bought up and live in a world where we have to constantly think of helping others, that when I want to do something they may only benefit me or saying “no”to people whether it be family or friends, it’s seen as a negative thing. So I want to explore the idea of doing things/saying “no” that may only benefit me (I don’t know what) [24/10/2018, 20:07:20] Saamiyah: Without feeling guilty [24/10/2018, 20:08:46] Joy: Exactly! [24/10/2018, 20:21:23] donSELZ: this relates so much to what im looking at! [24/10/2018, 20:23:08] donSELZ: that unconscious anxiety is what manifests the "looking glass self" [24/10/2018, 20:23:58] donSELZ: the looking glass self states that our self-views form as a result of our perceptions of other people’s opinions of us [24/10/2018, 20:25:19] donSELZ: and that unconscious anxiety of being seen as selfish starts to manifest in our minds as a "truth" even though it is not true at all [24/10/2018, 20:26:09] donSELZ: because of the hyper awareness because of the unconscious anxiety of how people might perceive it we can start to believe that about ourselves which becomes unhealthy [24/10/2018, 20:26:28] donSELZ: the guilt becomes unhealthy [24/10/2018, 20:36:00] Joy: It summarises what i want to say!👍 [24/10/2018, 20:38:42] donSELZ: :D

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hmmm

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how 2 b self-sustainable x

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Charles Cooley- Looking glass self

“Looking glass-self”

the looking glass self states that your self-views form as a result of your perceptions of other people’s opinions of you

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Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation

Why millennials will save us all

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Selflessly Selfish

“Prioritizing myself was the best decision I have ever made. It’s necessary to say no sometimes to take time for ourselves and to declutter our lives from unhealthy relationships. Being selfish didn’t make me a horrible person. I don’t think that by being selfish for a year, I became a grave me and unapproachable human being. I find that I have grown so much more than I would have thought.”

“Don't feel guilty for putting yourself first.”

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Notes from the discussion on 25th October

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Summary of our different approaches on ‘Self-sustainability.’

1) Risk Group

2) Internal Group

3) Self-care Group

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‘Self-sustainability and Selflessly selfish’

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Our first group activity

Our questions on the internal and external relations of myself and ‘space’, regarding ‘Self-sustainability’

People make themselves fit into where they belong to, simultaneously they also change places to sustain themselves