Fuck New Year's resolutions. Resolutions happen when you're ready to make a change, not because of an arbitrary calendar date. New Year's resolutions just make people feel like failures when they inevitably backslide and "break their resolution" by February, and then cause them to binge on whatever habit they were "quitting" to console themselves for being failures. When the student is ready, the resolution will appear. That said, I made some positive changes in my life--because I was ready--in 2012, which I intend to continue in 2013. I quit Reddit almost entirely, started dealing with some control issues that go back to early childhood for me, and worked on making Doing the Right Thing my default reaction, even when said Right Thing is also the harder choice.
A couple of people have been of the Fuck New Year's resolutions ilk in this thread for the same reason you mention. I can't speak for everyone but the resolutions that I mentioned are things that I've been working towards for a while. I didn't just start running on Jan 1st, I haven't just started being a husband and father etc. These are things I am constantly striving to be better at, therefore I just decided to put a more concrete focus on them for 2013. I am by default a goal oriented person, I make daily, weekly, monthly, annual and life goals. I like using the first of the year as a way to challenge myself. I have set up a 10 mile run for March. I'll likely do a 1/2 marathon in April and in June I'll begin shooting for a 15 mile run -which will be the furthest I've ever gone. -HOW COOL IS THAT? Then eventually towards the end of the year I will run my first full Marathon. I like the do the right thing resolution. It's a hard one and is the reason so many people wear those WWJD bracelets.
Religion is so interesting to me in that sense. I wasn't raised with any religion (not even atheism-as-quasi-religion) and I've become a little bit infatuated with the human aspects of religion -- the reasons someone might feel a calling to ministry, the way that it can lift people beyond their circumstances in periods of poverty, the guilt/confession aspect, all of it. It's just fascinating what an amplifier spirituality can be for both the best and the worst of humanity, and how the concept of "amplification" is reflected in church design (amphitheaters, mega-churches, and even old cathedrals...) and in auditory religious traditions, like church organs, choirs, Quran chanting, and so on and so forth. I was really touched to see a woman in church on Christmas Eve who gave up her candle (I went to a candlelit ceremony) to a man who was sitting alone refusing to take Communion, even in a United Methodist church where there are no requirements to take Communion. He then got up and joined everyone else holding candles, although he kept his eyes down and kept crossing himself. What was eating at him to make him feel unable to take Communion? What made her turn away from the spectacle of the service and notice another human hunched over in a pew almost invisible? The WWJD seems more like voicing hope -- "I hope when I'm confronted with something difficult that I will remember I think about the right thing." On the other hand, it's become such a style and so in-your-face on t-shirts and more than just bracelets that I tend to have the opposite reaction to flaunting WWJD paraphernalia, in that I wonder what's wrong with the person that they need to tell everyone around them that they follow "what Jesus would do." Is their own moral code that deficient?
That's my take on it. As an aside, mk and I drunkenly made an agreement that once we had over 100k users on Hubski we'd get the Hubski logo tattooed on us. Think I'll steal that "wrist" idea should that day ever come.I wonder what's wrong with the person that they need to tell everyone around them that they follow "what Jesus would do." Is their own moral code that deficient?
I have a friend that got a tattoo of an exclamation point on his wrist. It resides just below the face of his wrist-watch. He got it to constantly remind himself that time is running out. A sort of carpe diem like tattoo. I think the WWJD wristbands, ideally, are used for this purpose, to remind the person wearing it that an example exists on how to act, behave and decide according to a moral code. I don't think it's supposed to be there to "tell everyone" anything, just to tell the person wearing it something.
You have a friend who still wears a wristwatch?! Seriously, though -- yes, I think the personal reminder is valid for subtle wristbands, but the ballcaps, hoodies, t-shirts, and whole fashion smorgasbord are really a bit much. I've considered getting a tattoo in homage to an email list at my company. Yes, that IS pathetic, but I really really love this list. However, I'll remember this and demand to see the tats if the 100K point comes...
Hope you are well!I'll remember this and demand to see the tats if the 100K point comes...
It may not be too far fetched at this point...
I agree, the hats and shirts are definitely about marketing and not about subtly reminding yourself of your moral compass. I have a feeling mk might try to finagle his way out of the deal based on being drunk at the time of its inception. Anyone here practice contractual law? Hey! I still wear a watch.