Improv

The art of public speaking can occur in many different ways. Theater, speeches, poem slams, interviews, or even simply talking to a new crowd of people you've never met all involve public speaking. Most of my experiences have come from some sort of theatrical or speech related background.

With theater you memorize and repeat you lines word for word. I began at the age of nine, and continued on through middle school. One thing that theater teaches you is how to get in front of a crowd and talk. Your lines are preset and your actions are predetermined. Your job is to do those actions exceptionally well and repeat the lines word for word. So what happens when you mess up? Improv! You can't show you messed up so you immediately improvise in a way that keeps the dialogue flowing. It really teaches you how to control your nerves.

With speeches you have the option to speak word for word or recall general ideas and talk about them with the knowledge you already have. Depending on the speech you could be in front of a large crowd or a small crowd. I've always found it easier to do something in front of a large crowd. I can't pinpoint why it's like that for me but it is.

Objectively looking at the way I am when I publicly speak, I want to be able to recall and capitalize on my past ability to improvise. In most of my speaking events I've had some sort of movement required, such as in theater. Now that I am supposed to remain still I need to figure out what my body will be doing as I talk. Nerves are natural, but when they impair both your smooth talking and ability to look calm it's time to get them under wraps. That's my goal.

The Tortoise and the Hare

As courtship and dating styles have altered over the last century, relationships have become increasingly less personal, more possessive, and less successful.

That's my thesis in progress.

The explanation of this paradigm shift will begin with the outlining of when it happened. Previous of the second World War many courtships happened thanks to a friend's recommendation or what is now a "blind date" set up. The "old school" dinner date was typical. Relationships were taken series and time was actually put into them. Then as cars began to become more common, dates and relationships became less interpersonal and emotional and more physical. Cars gave privacy and room to experiment. Continuing on, with technology at the popularity it is now, relationships have become even less personal. Dates consist of less interaction face to face and relationships that are clearly not for marriage are distinctly materialistic, sexual, and rather quick.

I'll then progress to the changing implications behind terminology. One specific example is the term "going steady." For a while the term going steady referred to a couple seriously considering marriage. Now the term is something that anyone does, but it no longer implies intended marriage. The perspective behind this term and many others lead relationships into being less personal and more possessive.

I'll then explicitly explain what these changes ensued. From less personal relationships, to the "I'm his, I'm her's" idea, and then even more to less successful relationships. Keep in mind this isn't explicit to marriages. When taking this into account we can account for all the failed relationships that happened and prevented a divorce.

http://www.plosin.com/beatbegins/projects/sombat.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-is-over-but-the-myth-lives-on.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/27/divorce-is-actually-on-the-rise-and-its-the-baby-boomers-fault/
http://singlemates.net/dating/dating-in-the-past-compared-to-todays-dating/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fighting-fear/201301/dating-then-and-now

Organic Socials

One paradigm shift could be the switch that has been in the process, and is currently happening. The shift from fossil fuels as a main energy source to an environmentally friendly energy source. Another would be the switch in the concept of dating.

Ever since our economy and transportation transformed into a fossil-fuel-for-energy dependent one, people have noticed many environmental impacts. Due to this, society is now looking for a more "earth friendly" energy source, like wind, water, or electricity. This switch of energy types will undoubtedly change the possible future, but first we need to complete the jump. Impacts will be revolved around a less impacted environment, possible smaller towns for purposes of using large windmills more effectively, and cars, now available for public consumption, that run on the electricity from one’s house instead of the hydrocarbons of the earth. All consumption will release less pollutants, and lead into what is meant to be a better life on earth.

The implications behind the word dating has evolved over generations. Whenever my parents refer to "dating" they mean going out and getting to know someone. In turn, dating multiple people is not that big of a deal. However, when you say dating now it is about the equivalent of the past's "going steady." Over years, as the idea of opposite genders being just friends became more popular, dating's terminology evolved as well because otherwise we'd be dating a lot more than what might have been seen as acceptable. However, this idea is immature. Terms such as these are self-created for the purpose of limiting one’s self and society’s social impulses. With terms such as “going steady” disappearing and being replaced simply by “dating,” social lives are becoming less specific and with possible desensitized-like consequences. Maybe these are the reasons divorce rates and the like are increasing. Who knows?