Thursday, April 6, 2017
Conditioning BNW
From the following prompt, write your best thoughts and ideas to each of the questions. Once you've written your own original thought, read through what others have written and respond to another person's post.
Prompt: How does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
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Our parents and schools are the ones that condition us the most. A person's culture and where they are from heavily influences the behaviors and characteristics of a person. Based on the culture, the parents raise their kids to follow the certain culture and teach them what is "right and wrong" based on the culture. For example, there are many things that people born and raised in the US would think is bad or weird when it is seen as completely fine in another part of the world. Personally for me, growing up with asian parents has conditioned me to study hard because my parents constantly push my limits and support my academics. Schools also condition individuals because especially at Lynbrook, competition is very relevant. Students are pressured and "conditioned" to get good grades, work hard, and get into a good college. Conditioning is good to a certain extent. When conditioning starts to shape a person to become narrow minded and reject other people's cultures and beliefs, that is when it becomes bad. "Conditioning" should be a jumping point for an individual to get a "sense" of the world around them, but they should also be able to accept differences and have an open mind to learn about other people's cultures and backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI agree that conditioning should be a jumping point. We see the Brave New World as a bad place because people are conditioned to reject individualistic thinking. To us, a better form of conditioning would be to instill a moral code that encourages independence, empathy, and creativity.
DeleteI agree completely. Conditioning is necessary, but too much of it can lead to narrow mindedness.
DeleteI agree that conditioning should be a jumping point for an individual to get a "Sense" of the world around them. If we see conditioning merely as a tool for living life, not the blueprint, we can overcome potential risks of conditioning that cause people to become narrow-minded, useless robots that fail to challenge the norm, progress the human race, and enjoy their right to live their lives how they want to.
DeleteSpecifically looking at how Asian culture greatly values education, I think that Asian parents should definitely instill in their children a love for learning and an appreciation for what the educational system can do for any motivated individual. However, if a child takes everything into consideration and still decides to stray off the usual path, parents should lay off and quit hounding them, if not support them.
This.
DeleteOur parents conditioned us to try for the best and go to one of the top schools. They greatly value your education and development in your futures. However, it does destroy a sense of individuality (sorry if this offends anyone, but how many Asians named "Kevin Chen" are there?). If everyone follows the system of schooling set up by the government the same way, then all the jobs associated with that major will be inflated with the "same" person. Even then, the government conditions us into greatly valuing education and economics when really, it's learning things and managing your resources; education can be hit or miss, where the government can often write things in a different light. Thanks for writing this.
I agree with Ashwin. He makes a good point about how we dislike Brave New World’s conditioning because of its goals. And, as Ashwin said, we would prefer a conditioning that encourages compassion, caring, and creative thinking. However, I think that we also dislike their conditioning for their methods. Among other things, they use electrical shocks to traumatize babies or small children into compliance. I think that both the methods and the goals need to be considered in determining whether a certain form of conditioning is ‘good’ or not.
DeleteA society conditions us via parents and teachers. We are taught what is 'wrong' and what is 'right' by our parents. What we should and shouldn't do and how we act in public is taught from a young age, and we are disciplined to maintain such behavior. However, people in different countries or areas may be taught in different ways to act in public and what not. Thus, this is a form of conditioning. In school, we are taught select things in a select way that conditions us too. Not everything in history is covered in history class, not every novel ever written is covered in literature class. Other students in other areas may be taught in different ways, thus this is a way we are conditioned in school. Conditioning always serves a purpose. We are conditioned to act in a certain way, to act as those conditioning us want us to act. It is not always bad, though, as those conditioning us are teaching us what they believe is right, what they believe we should act. Conditioning turns bad when those being conditioned are getting taken advantage of, or being conditioned without knowing that they are being conditioned.
ReplyDeleteI believe conditioning is also bad when an individual begins to discriminate and hate on other people who have different beliefs and views as them ("conditioned" differently). People should be open to embrace others and to learn about other people's cultures and their viewpoints so that everyone can live in peace and harmony.
DeleteI agree Jeff. It's not a good look when you get taken advantage of, you have to do what you got to do in the streets
Deletejeffrey I do agree because a persons personality can sometimes overtake the conditioning when they are from different countries. The way they condition could be the complete opposite of what we are taught. Although we cannot completely agree as a society what is morally right and what is wrong that is what makes conditioning so diverse between counties I think
DeleteI also believe that conditioning in different countries or areas make us different and unique. It's true that the purpose for conditioning allows people to grow and act a certain way that society accepts. Only to a certain point does conditioning become malicious and hurts an individual rather than helping them grow.
DeleteIn a way we are conditioned our whole lives to a certain extent. We are conditioned from our parents, from our teachers, and from our future bosses. We all go through the process of being rewarded for good behavior and being punished for bad behavior. Many don't even realize the fact of how much of the concept every human goes through. It does serve a purpose I think because it teaches right from wrong in a sense and blends each person to society. This also works with the law the law in a way controls people and punishes them when they disobey it. I think conditioning turns bad when it is used for the wrong purpose such as conditioning someone in reverse so rewarding them for bad behavior and vise versa it could potentially become dangerous
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about it teaching right and wrong!
DeleteI agree that conditioning should teach us right from wrong, and reinforce it. I agree that we are somewhat conditioned our entire lives, but to a certain extent, we need much less guidance and conditioning as we go through life. It is most important when we are young to learn these values, and build on them as we grow older.
DeleteI agree with your views on all the positive things that can come from conditioning but there are also a lot of bad things that it can bring.
DeleteYes I agree with your point about being conditioned throughout our lives. I think that this sort of conditioning is inevitable in a societal hierarchy (something that we depend on), since the person that is above us in the hierarchy will be conditioning us to some extent.
DeleteI agree that all humans are pretty much conditioned from the moment we are born. Throughout our childhoods, we are always told to not do something or get put in the "time out chair". However, I'm not bothered by it if it allows people to have a strong moral compass. Otherwise, it would be no different from brainwashing.
DeleteI think the way Advertisements are used nowadays is kind of like conditioning, in the way that that surround us and try to influence our decisions and how we think, I don't really think there is a positive or a negative about this because thats how we learn about new products and what not but it also influence society judges people off of there appearances, so there is positives and negatives.The point where we have no control over our decisions and somebody else is making them for us is when conditioning has gone to far in my opinon.
ReplyDeleteI agree that conditioning goes too far when one is not allowed to make their own decisions. As an individual, there should be certain"rules" you must follow for the better of society, but nit to the point where you don't even have control over your life and actions.
DeleteI agree tht advertisments are a strong form of conditioning that are apparent in everyday life. While it doesn't force anything upon an individual, it loosely sets a social norm that suggests what is acceptable. Advertisements are a good form of conditioning because they allow for choice through suggestion.
DeleteI agree with you Cas. I didnt think about pop culture as a form of conditioning. It does go a little too far. I think most people try to go along with the status quo and that is what causes this.
DeleteI think society conditions us to be apart of the system. Our parents are conditioned to push us to get into good schools and get prestigious jobs, regardless if that's what the child usually wants. I don't think this type of conditioning is good. In my opinion you are essentially making children's dreams seem more impossible to accomplish. Conditioning is bad when it turns into brainwashing, or when you don't allow someone think for themselves or make decisions for themselves. Dreamchasers
ReplyDeleteI think this is how conditioning works in general. We are conditioned to be how our conditioners want us to be, and we are taught that through morals and through what we are taught in school. We may be conditioned the way you referenced in this society, but in a society, it may be completely different.
DeleteI think more of is should be these so called "Dreamchasers". I agree that our society makes us believe there is only one path to success and this makes us lose our abilty to dream and think about accomplishing more than an average person. Our society makes us believe we should put ourselves first and make sure we are set in life and then care about others later. This conditioning makes the world seem more like a competition and harder to enjoy.
DeleteI completely agree Babak, when conditioning leads to brainwashing, it is bad. I also liked your point about parents being conditioned to push their children to get into prestigious schools and get good jobs, I had not really considered that.
DeleteI also Agree with Babak, I think that when the conditioning is not in the best interest of the individual then it is bad. I also think it is interesting how Babak said that it is like not being able to think for yourself because I believe conditioning is still allowing you to think for yourself but the way you think is altered by conditioning.
DeleteConditioning never stops. As soon as we can process information, we're being conditioned. Parents teach kids what to do and what not to do. When someone does something "bad", there's negative reinforcement, and the opposite occurs when they do someting "good". In fact, what's defined as "bad" and "good" is the product of our own conditioning. Murderers are condemmed in today's society because it's outside the norm. But, if people today murdered other people regularly, people wouldn't bat an eye if they got killed. We've been conditioned to follow certain rules/laws. Conditioning is necessary to an extent. Otherwise, there would be no punishment for crimes because they wouldn't even be considered crimes. Too much conditioning is just brainwashing however. In North Korea, some people think Kim Jong Un has no butthole because he doesn't crap.
ReplyDeleteexcessive conditioning leads to brainwashing and people losing their personality and what makes them unique. I agree with the statement. Conditioning is good to a certain point, but once it violates your personality it is bad for you.
DeleteI agree - conditioning needs to happen so that society isn't just a huge mess, but there does need to be a limit. However, with conditioning, we also have to be careful with conditioning to ensure that we aren't limiting people in their success.
DeleteI think that conditioning is a natural and unavoidable part of society. As children develop, their personalities, moral codes, and preconceptions are all determined by the influences of their parents, their surroundings, and their culture. Teachers, parents, books, music, and television are all conditioning agents.
ReplyDeleteConditioning can't be called "bad" because it's unavoidable. There is no possible society in which people aren't conditioned, conditioning is a natural part of growing up. A better question to ask would be what influences to expose people to. People should be exposed to influences that make them functioning members of society and good people.
I agree that conditioning is unavoidable, but conditioning can be bad. The whole plot of BNW revolves around "bad" conditioning where people are brought up with standards we perceive as immoral. The people are functioning members of their society and in their culture, considered "good" even though they have no sense of responsibility or attachment to anything.
DeleteWe are greatly conditioned everyday, especially by society. For example, we are conditioned to live "normal lives", following gender roles, fearing the authority and the law, having a family with kids, living in a house. Society also conditions us in the way we see and relate to others, and it sometimes even leaves us with prejudice, racism, sexism and homophobia. We are conditioned to value money and other materialistic things over experiences or non material things. We are conditioned to buy things we don't need, and do things to keep up our hygiene and appearance. Because we seek the approval of others, we tend to conform to these "conditionings". To a certain point, conditioning can be good, as it can teach one "right" from "wrong", to a certain extent. However, individuals would still have to freedom to decide of they believe in this right and wrong, and should be able to have their decisions respected.
ReplyDeleteIf we analyze rules of politeness and what most cultures around the world deem as "good manners," it is evident that society generally conditions us to be courteous and empathetic to a certain extent. Whether it's covering one's mouth when one coughs or raising one's hand before speaking, common manners that people are expected to have are all based off of the idea of making the world a more pleasant place for everyone else to live in. From a young age, everyone around us, including our parents and teachers, provide us both positive and negative reinforcement for conforming to these unspoken societal rules, applauding us when we abide by them and scolding us when don't abide.
ReplyDeleteThese small examples of social conditioning are tolerable, and even encouraged, because the benefits outweigh the inconveniences. However, if we look at Brave New World, we see an example of where conditioning's inconveniences outweigh the benefits, and conditioning is no longer desirable. In this fictional society, people lose their individuality, personality, and ability to fend/think for themselves, destroying their ability/right to make their own life decisions.
I agree with the fact that conditioning is a tool but I have to disagree with the idea that society is bad based off the fact that good and bad are relative. A person's autonomy is something that our society values but it might not be something that another society values. In BNW, it shows how a society could be run if humans could purposely influence others to a large extent instead of the "organic" random conditionally that is more likely to be found in our society.
Deletesociety conditions us to serve a purpose for our living. Parents, Teachers, and acquaintances all at one point in time push us towards that goal. As students, we are conditioned to complete assignments and take up the responsibility of learning. When we grow up, jobs and college education further made sure that we are a functional member of the society and contributes something. This type of conditioning is good, because it pushes you to accomplish things. But when the conditioning takes parts of your personality away or makes you feel emotionally uncomfortable, it's bad. We are all human after all and having a personality/identity is what distinguishes us from everyone else. When our identity is taken away from us for the sake of conditioning, it makes conditioning unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Society condition us to make us follow the rules they create, to let us benefit the society, but parents and teachers condition us to befit ourselves, so we can be a good person and has a good future.
DeleteI also agree with you, Amy. In our educational lives, our surrounding of known people can help us kids succeed many things in our daily lives. Also, when their personalities gets taken away from them, people might not recognize themselves. This is bad for society.
DeleteIn our society, our interactions with people every day condition us to act a certain way. There are set rules in society that majority of the population follow and we are expected to follow them as well. Our parents are probably the first people to condition us. For example, as babies, we are often told "no" or not allowed to do this or that. This kind of conditioning restricts our freedom of exploration and learning, but it is also to keep us safe. So in a way, conditioning in this case is good. However, as we grow older, we learn more and interact with more people. Our conversations with friends, teachers, and strangers all impact the way we think and change us ever so slightly. This shapes who we are and how we grow as a person. There is a point, however, when conditioning is not normal and becomes inhumane. When people are forced against their own will and cannot think for themselves, conditioning would not benefit the individual, but for another person's selfish needs or satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI agree that conditioning provides safety but at a cost. I find it ironic that it supports growth but also restricts it at the same time.
DeleteI believe that our parents and teachers condition us the most because while growing up, we tend to look up to them and use them as a role model. They teach us the right way to behave in the real world, nudging us in the right direction and correct us whenever we make a mistake. To a certain point, conditioning appears to be a good thing as its what makes every individual independant of each other, and creates cultures that add to the diversity of society. Without social conditioning, no only will there be less social order, there won't be the same sense of culture and diversity. Conditioning is acceptable until it starts to limit an individual of their choices and actions. Conditioning is supposed to set a social norm on what is accpetable and not, however it should not prevent someone from breaking the social norm and choosing to live a different life.
ReplyDeleteNice points Eric. I really liked your statements about how without social conditioning there won;t be the same culture and diversity just like it is in the brave new world.
DeleteSociety conditions us in many ways. Conditioning can be in the form of gender stereotypes or in school. Parents and teachers condition us that it is not okay to be mean or to get bad grades, thus conditioning us to get better grades and be nice to others. Conditioning can be good but it is often used in bad ways like in conversion therapy or people trying to control others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that conditioning is bad.
DeleteSociety conditions us, but not on purpose. Using Lynbrook as an example, there tends to be a push to be better. Because Lynbrook has such a high academic average, there is just a desire to be better, or a feeling that anything other than an A isn't quite "enough." Part of this pressure may come from parents or teachers but the main motivation comes from students. There is a certain competitiveness that exists to motivate students.
ReplyDeleteSome parents tend to push their children more than other parents do, but this type of conditioning is with good intentions. When parents pressure their children it is only because they want them to succeed.
I think at Lynbrook, teachers don't tend to condition their students as much. While teachers like to ensure students are doing well, they only aim to help, without putting pressure on students to be better.
Conditioning can be good when it is meant to help someone. It becomes bad when it changes a person. If it limits creativity and growth, that is beyond the limits. Our parents, teachers, and fellow students may push us, but it is only so we will succeed. Personally, I try not to let other people affect whether I feel as though I have succeeded or not. My parents brought me up to believe that as long as you put as much effort as you can into what you're doing, you're succeeding.
Yeah, I agree and find it interesting that as students, we actually condition each other as well. You mentioned that for example ,at lynbrook, we kind of condition each other to be competitive and to strive for the best. For most students at lynbrook it is in the academic field. But for me, I don't feel a sense of competitiveness in the academic field, I try but it isn't my strong field, I could care less in terms of comparison if I got a 70% and a classmate got 100%. But I think I am extremely competitive in the art field. I think that to be competitive in a subject enables you to improve and get better at it, especially when you enjoy doing it. I also agree that conditioning is "bad" when it limits creativity and growth, individuality.
DeleteI agree with you Natalie. I also believe that we, as students, are pushed to do better, to be better due to the competitive environment that schools like Lynbrook provide for us. It does help motivate the students to do well at school. I also believe that conditioning is good to an extent; however, if it limits us from succeeding, it is not good for the people and the society.
DeleteThis makes a lot of sense, I think its definitely true that the strongest force of conditioning is how your peers act. It is interesting that the conditioning that is put on us by parents and teachers to succeed in school is good conditioning but if pressure to succeed comes from a fellow student it is seen as a more negative influence. The result of the conditioning is the same regardless of where the influence is coming from, only the motivation differs
DeleteAs children we are mainly conditioned by our Families and Teachers. We are conditioned more or less depending on who we spend our time more with. As children, parents and teachers condition us to act in ways that are "acceptable" to society. This may include traditions, cultures, religion, or habits. For the most part, I don't think we are conditioned in a "bad" way because the things we are taught and reprimanded for are usually beneficial to us and society in the future. Conditioning brings up similar behaviors and norms. However each human being is a little different, besides things like habits, culture, traditions, or religion. I think conditioning may become "bad" when it, in a sense, corrupts each person's individuality or creativeness. We grow older to a point where we understand more and can make more decisions on how to act on our own, besides the basic things we have been conditioned to do in order to be a part of society.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you in that conditioning becomes "bad" when it starts to interfere with our identity. I also realize that we are conditioned by our parents so that we can be acceptable to society, and I believe that it is a positive thing because without them, I do not know what direction I would be going in right now.
DeleteSocietal norms condition people by making a lot of people dress or think the same. Conditioning is bad because it keeps people from being themselves or prevents people from being different from everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI agree that your statement is true and I think that conditioning is not good.
DeleteSociety conditions us through different types of stereotypes on different groups. We are always affected by the labels assigned to us even though it may not seem that way. Our parents condition us through the culture of the family. They tend to teach us the same way that they had been taught in their childhood. One of these ways is by punishing our mistakes to engrave in our minds what is right and what is wrong. Teachers condition us by giving us grades based on our work. While it may not be based on effort, it shows us the reality of this world. We learn that trying is not always rewarded. Instead, we are judged by many based on a points system. Conditioning is good to an extent because it motivates us to do better and be better people. However, it is bad if it means teaching us the wrong lessons in life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that society an condition us through social conditions. I feel like race and stereotypes can affect people to push themselves to become better, and it only becomes a problem when people lose their identity.
DeleteI definitely agree with you in that stereotyping is a type of conditioning, as it conditions us to associate certain mannerisms or traits to a specific group of people.
DeleteLet's be honest, every country likes to condition its citizens, like the United States. We can even say each state conditions its residents with their political views. For example, most people of California have very similar political views, which may not be the same in a state such as the neighboring Arizona. In addition to this, I can also say that the students here are more conditioned to go after majors like Computer Science rather than the department that most interests them (can confirm). Opinions become "facts" just because someone thinks something is wrong with no evidence. Overall, conditioning is everywhere, but it may all seem normal to us due to exposure.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, society conditions us into holding value in money and types of majors for your success. This system was set up by the government, which is a way to regulate society so it does not collapse into absolute anarchy.
DeleteIn society, people tend to condition others through people's social status, especially with one's race or economic status and the law. This pressure of society and the need to be better than other people helps condition us. Our parents condition us through setting certain expectations and rules for their child. Some parents start pushing their children to study at a very early age in hopes of their children to be successful. Parents and teachers are the few people that condition people the most because they begin telling children what is right or wrong at an early age. Teachers can condition students through their teachings and homework, which puts expectations on the student to complete the assigned tasks. I feel like conditioning is in our daily lives, but we never really acknowledge it. Its purpose is to set standards for everyone in society. Conditioning only becomes a problem when it begins to take away individuality because our identity can be very important.
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions us in many ways. Conditioning can be in the form of gender stereotypes or in school. Parents and teachers condition us that it is not okay to be mean or to get bad grades, thus conditioning us to get better grades and be nice to others. Conditioning can be good but it is often used in bad ways like in conversion therapy or people trying to control others.
ReplyDeleteSociety, parents, teachers all condition us by setting rules. If we do something wrong, we will get disciplined. Some examples that might happen are that society will look down on you, parents will ground you or give you restrictions, and teachers will give you a trash duty. We are conditioned to just live 'normally'. Schools tend to condition the students more, especially in Lynbrook, due to the competitive environment they provide -- they push students to their limits. It makes/pushes the students to want to strive and do well. At home, parents might have a certain culture or religion that might change the morals of a person and make them think what they think are right and wrong. Conditioning is good because it helps us stay in control and be able to relate to others. Conditioning becomes bad when it changes who a person really is. Conditioning should not change how a person thinks and believes.
ReplyDeleteI agree, conditioning is bad when people have to completely change the way they think and believe things. It's good to push students to do well as it will eventually benefit them later in life.
DeleteHello Samantha,
DeleteI agree with you for the fact that parents in this area, condition their students to a very high degree. Many of those parents are immigrants, especially ones who were raised and brought up in the “Eastern World”. They tend to condition their children to not just do well in school, but expect their children to “aim” to be top at everything they are doing. Their common mindset they have towards their children is to be “perfect” and to try be “better than everyone else”, so that their children can lead a successful and sufficient life. However, I find that “stereotype” a common misconception, because I feel that being knowledgeable can only help to solve a complex math problem, but cannot help them to truly communicate and develop the social skills they need to promote a better and healthy society. This establishes a strong culture where families brag about their child’s success to other families and compare their child’s achievements to other family friend’s children. This can bring family pride if their child has met the family’s standards and expectations, because their parents themselves weren’t able to accomplish their parent’s dreams which they couldn’t meet. This is why these parents pass on this mentality to their children, so they can hope their children will fulfill the “family dreams” and establishes a “family legacy”. In my opinion, I find that path to be very narrow minded, because there are a lot more opportunities that a child can truly enhance, rather than them being focused on certain field, such as being an engineer or doctor or lawyer. I feel that the education system in the east focuses more on quantity, but education system in the west is geared towards “quality”. I feel that the more accustomed foreign people are towards living in western/American society, the more they come to realize that culture/religion doesn’t affect their decisions and actions they make in life. This is due to the fact that in the free world(the Western World), people have the freedom and the opportunity to decide what is necessary for them. However, in the Eastern/Communist societies, even till this day, people have “certain” paths to ensure they can be successful and limited options to choose from. Coming back to family conditioning at, I feel their conditioning is up to a point where their children can perceive things very irrationally. In other words, their child can believe that he/she is helpless in life unless the answers are inside of a textbook. Children will have the mindset that “getting good grades and being smart” is their world, but doesn’t encourage them to form existential curiosity and find out truly what they want in life. None of the less, I think that the world is more international and more accepting towards other cultures and other groups of people. However, I think that racism and discrimination still exist in America and in the world today and conditioning is partly the root of all of this. We, especially many students who are Asian American, are conditioned from our parents, peers, and society to view other groups/minorities, who are not performing as well in society, as to be uneducated and bad. To sum up my opinion and argument, I think that conditioning is good, but not to point where we build “barriers” in society.
I agree that the society conditions us by setting rules to create a safer and more efficient society. By conditioning people from a young age to believe certain things, we can create a better society. Also, many children are conditioned by their parents' practices and beliefs. Conditioning may be a good thing in cases like improving society, but when there is over conditioning, for example, the brave new world, people are stunted in growth. This affects their future potential to do different things, this is when conditioning becomes bad.
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ReplyDeleteIn society, we're conditioned to follow laws to maintain social order as well as have a perception as to what one's career path in life would look like. Society has made it clear that it is ideal for one to get an education, get a job, and then retire. Our parents and teachers kind of have the same perception of life and are trying to allow us students to have the best lifestyle possible according to these standards. Conditioning is good to keep all citizens under a certain standard lifestyle, however if it's too excessive, it will be oppressive for those who need creativity and free thought. I think that conditioning only to an extent in which everyone has the same opportunities is good, anything more is too much.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is important that there is creativity in our society. When there is a lack of creativity, it points toward an excessive amount of conditioning.
DeleteIn today’s society, we are conditioned through teaching and experiencing different things. Our parents teach us their thoughts, their morals, and everyday things from a young age, so the practice we have developed in our family influences and conditions us to think a certain way or do things a certain way. Our teachers have conditioned us to do math or write a specific way by making us do the same problems over and over again. The society conditions us through the news, the living standards of others, and even through movies and television. I believe that conditioning is good when it is used to help the society progress and to help individuals be successful. For example, many of us conditioned to think that we need to be successful in school to get high paying jobs to live a decent life. Even though conditioning can help improve a person’s life, it can also be harmful when it limits the potential and the growth of a person.
ReplyDeleteI think everybody, including our parents, teachers, peers, etc. all help condition us. It is in part enforced by rules that have always been in place, which members of society then follow and direct others to follow. When the rules of order and normalcy are broken, members of society may react negatively. For example, when one is offered a handshake, one is expected to take that hand and shake it; not doing so may result in others perceiving you as rude, cold, or germaphobic. This rule about handshakes being polite, or rather, a broader rule that you should be polite to others in general, is something that has always been in place; parents and teachers tell you to be nice to others, and scold you if you aren't.
ReplyDeleteThis specific example of conditioning may be good, because it helps everyone treat others with respect. But it may be worthless if it becomes a rule that is only followed in order to be followed, or in order to avoid the consequences of not following it... That's just what I think...
In this way, conditioning does serve a purpose. In BNW, it is used so that people feel good about the class they are born into, which sounds harmless in itself. Though it also makes people glad they were /not/ born in another class. But sometimes, just because it serves a good purpose, that may not mean that it's worth enforcing. If done to excess, it may become more like brainwashing, especially if it is forced on people rather than if it is allowed to naturally develop.
The rule of being polite to others developed naturally, because humans found the rule beneficial and thus set it in place over time. Although it is somewhat forced on members of society due to the fact that if you don't adhere to the rule there will be consequences, the rule itself was not forced onto society, if that makes sense -- the rule itself developed naturally and was not set in place by any one entity. Not to mention, the rule continues to persist because it is, in a way, agreed upon through a sort of consensus that it is a good rule, thus people continue to follow it. In contrast, BNW's conditioning is directly forced upon the people, and its rules were decided by people like Mustafa Mond.
I agree with you. I think that conditioning is good when it helps improve society but when people follow it just for the sake of following it, there is no point to the rule.
DeleteSociety uses the term "conditioning" as reproduction and control. Our society conditions our parents by our mothers reproducing babies everyday. Teachers also uses this term to control the students in their classrooms. "Conditioning" can have some benefits and dangers to the society. Reproduction is good because as long as mothers are giving birth to babies maximum of 2 or 3. Also, it's dangerous to society because mothers are giving birth to babies continually. These babies grow up to mothers and then producing more babies, so on.
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions us through the lifestyle and expectations that are considered the "norm." Ever since we are born, we have parents who are guiding us and peers that are shaping us. We are taught what is right and what is wrong. At the same time, we are observant enough to understand what kind of behavior is expected from us. I think conditioning on a certain level is needed for civilization. We follow the rules of the government to avoid chaos, and that can be as simple as following the street lights. I believe that conditioning enough to preserve civilization is good,but at the same time it should be able to preserve a human's right to freedom, independence and individuality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that simply from observing others, we are conditioned to act in a certain way. For kids, schools is probably the easiest and most popular place in which the kids are influenced heavily by other people. Also, observing others can lead those kids to think that acting one way is good, and another way is bad. I also agree that there is a certain degree to which conditioning can go to. People have the right to have freedom and independence, but when conditioning gets out of hand, it can steer people off from the right path.
DeleteConditioning happens everywhere. Children are conditioned by their parents and by schools and by their friends. Everyone is conditioned morally, politically, ideologically, any opinion that someone has developed that is not instinctive is a result to some extent of conditioning. The conditioning that everyone goes through is how society doesn´t fall apart. The social conditioning that is impressed upon most people means that we can count on them to behave in ways that work towards the continuation of society. Most people go to school, work, etc. And this is what keeps society from grinding to a halt. Conditioning is good to a certain extent, but when the conditioning that is given to people replaces their free will, like it does in brave new world, then it is a problem. When the only opinion that people express is the one that everyone else shares, then conditioning has gone too far.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the fact how "conditioning" hold us from moving forward. Although conditioning is necessary, it can also hurt us if we overuse it.
DeleteConditioning can simply be the process of speaking to others. Every encounter with another person involves an opinion, which can be considered conditioning in a subtle way. School is a place where students are conditioned to think a certain way and taught to do certain things. I think that teachers have the job of conditioning students to be good-mannered and well behaved in the real world. Parents also have a similar job of conditioning their kids to act in a mature way. I believe that conditioning can be a good and bad thing. It can be a good thing when teaching other people valuable lessons or something so important that only teaches others through conditioning. Conditioning can reach a point of being bad when it becomes a forceful act. For example, in Brave New World, the Controller conditioning the babies to hate nature and flowers. This can affect the rest of their life in a negative way. While as conditioning by normal parents would lead the kids to their success.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree; I like how you pointed out how subtle conditioning can be, and we don't even realize when it is happening. I also agree that there is a fine line between how much conditioning is acceptable, and when it becomes a forceful act that is when it becomes wrong.
DeleteI agree with you mostly, but I believe school is a place where yes teachers teach a certain way but we also have the opportunity to reject the ideas and form our own. I also agree there is a line between conditioning for good and too much conditioning.
DeleteI think that our parents condition us the most because they are the ones teaching us as we grow up. School and society act as a supplement to conditioning, as we confront our parents about many things we see, learning from our parents' experiences. However, while schools do teach us a lot, it still should be our own decision on whether we agree to or are influenced by what is taught. Conditioning is good to a certain point and it's important that we learn not only from others but also by ourselves. I believe when others enforce you to conform to something you don't believe in is when conditioning crosses the line. We should have the right to determine what is right or wrong for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHi Antonio,
DeleteWhile you do bring up several good points, I would ask you how is one supposed to define good and bad. While individuals can, and quite often do hold views contrary to that of society, ultimately the view of right and wrong is determined by society, and even our adverse and rebellious actions are defined by society violating standards that it set up.
I agree with you Antonio. I think its true that a lot of conditioning happens with parents. I think that we should have the right to determine what is right or wrong but also society morals usually aren't wrong though so they are good to follow.
DeleteGood question, I left that out from my response on purpose because it is up to yourself on what is good or bad. I would rather not define what is good or bad, that's too hard.
DeleteI disagree with you on the point that we should be the ones to decide whether we agree to be influenced by what is taught. I think adults and teachers have a better knowledge of what is right or wrong for us at this stage in life. If we were to judge for ourselves, we would go out of control as there would be as horde of rebellious kids doing their own things.
DeleteWe get conditioned in multiple different ways. We mostly get conditioned by parents and schools. Parents teach us right from wrong, and generally teach us what to do and provide us with an example. Schools condition us in the way of learning. We are set up in a way that learning and knowledge is everything. Conditioning to an extent is useful, and good. It does keep most kids out of trouble, and teaches us what to do. It generally keeps us in check and helps us follow rules. Conditioning is bad at the point where it takes away from a persons identity. They should be able to live their own life,and become who they want to. They should be bound by these outside requirement, and conditioning. I believe that conditioning is good to an extent of giving little kids a base to build off of and teach them the right things; however, if done too long it takes away from a person natural identity, and changes them.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of how conditioning is bad when it takes away the identity of a person. It's interesting to think about how conditioning changes who we are as a person, and that without it, we'd truly be our natural selves. Obviously, society wouldn't function if this were the case, and so I really agree with your idea that it's a starting point for kids to build off of and learn what is right in society.
DeleteEach of us is unique, from our genetic makeup, to our personalities. There are lots of people who are similar to us, but there is no one else who is exactly like us. However, society tries to get us to forget about those individualities and come together as a group. The whole point of a society is that a group of people come together, banded by a commonality and work together for a common good. However, this can only happen if we suppress those facets of us that make us completely unique, and adhere to the type of person society dictates us to be. In order for there to be social harmony, each person must sacrifice a little so that the collective can prosper. Society teaches us morals, what is good and what is wrong, but how exactly can we define that? If you look at history, or even at other societies today, a lot of the actions taken by the people in those societies may seem abhorrent or even barbaric to us, based on our current moral standards, however those same societies had their own standards that did not condemn such actions. The point being made here is that good and bad, is only defined by society in a manner such that the collective prospers. Thus it is quite literally impossible to say whether or not societal conditioning is good or bad, since the idea that something is good or bad is defined by the society itself. Even if we think that the current regime or society is bad, it is because we are judging it based on the standards that the society has created.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that society conditions us to think critically of it, however I don't believe that there is one overarching society that provides guidelines for every human. In the Bay Area, we would be conditioned very differently than people might be in London, or Tokyo. As such, we might judge these other cultures due to their differences.
DeletePeople are conditioned by society on a daily basis. Parents, schooling, and friends all contribute to how a person thinks. With the introduction of the internet, people can learn about social norms from all around the world. All of these influences come together to shape how a person views the world.
ReplyDeleteConditioning isn't good or bad, but rather is a tool. It is always going to be a factor to humans as we are social animals, so the question isn't if we can stop conditioning, but if we can educate people to realize how common conditioning is. The goal is to have people make a conscience effort to think critically over the information they are given so they can make the best decision they believe they ought to do.
I think your comment about the internet conditioning us is very interesting. I also agree that conditioning is a tool, but I would say that conditioning can be seen as bad because it doesn't allow people to think critically over the information - they're already conditioned to prefer one side or the other instead of looking at things with an open mind.
DeleteI believe that our parents and the society that is around us conditions us the most. Starting when we were young, our parents always told us what is wrong and what is right, what to do and what not to do. In Brave New World, conditioning is viewed in a negative way. However, I believe that the way that we are conditioned by our parents is positive. Without them telling me what I should be doing and what I should avoid, I do not think I would be able to see the dangers around me and realize that the world is not as simple and safe as I think it is. I also do not think that I would have the motivation to pay attention and study. Society, however, does condition us negatively. If we are a little different from everyone else, we tend to get "judged" by others around us. This leads to us trying the best they can be to be similar to everyone else, which forces us to give up significant parts of our identity. I believe that the purpose of conditioning is for us to be aware of our surroundings and teach us how to be disciplined and principled. When society starts to condition us in a way that we are almost being "programmed" to not know how to be ourselves, that is when conditioning loses its purpose and instead becomes a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe society is conditioning us to be a person who can follow the laws and rules. Our parents are conditioning us to be a good child , go to good school, and be a good person that benefit the society. Parents also condition some "rights" and "wrongs" to us. Teacher is conditioning us to study and finish the homework he/she is given to us. It seems right for elder to condition us, but sometime it makes us to do things wrong. For example, parents want their children to go to a very good school, so they just start pushing their children to learn and study from a very early age. Therefore, the children does not have any good childhood memories.
ReplyDeleteI agree, many parents nowadays are pushing their children too hard, thinking its for their best, when in reality the child has no memories of having fun, and ultimately forgets what its like to be a child. The child will feel like they have to relay on their parents at all time. This then affects their personality and ability to explore the world on their own.
DeleteI think society conditions us on morals, there are laws and rules in place. These must be followed or punishment will occur. Our parents teach us what to do and who to be. They tell us how to get there. We are sent to school to learn and become a functioning member of society. At school we learn the basics of everything and are tested over and over again. Everyone learns the same thing and are graded based on a rubric. I think this is one of the failures in society's conditioning. Not everyone has the same type of learning, some people excel at certain subjects. I think that this is a form of bad conditioning, making a one size fits all for school. We are taught that excelling at school means a successful future. This is not always true.
ReplyDeleteI agree that societal conditioning gives us morals to follow. I believe that these morals are taught to create a stability in the community. It is also true that conditioning can be bad because not every can be conditioned the same way even if the end goal of the conditioning is the same.
DeleteConditioning is an essential part of a person's growth. Society conditions us to behave in a certain way, for example going to school is something that is conditioned to think of as a basic human right. Our parents, I think, play a vital role in conditioning us. As growing children, we follow what our parents do. If we are bound to get hurt in some way, they make sure we are conditioned to not repeat those mistakes, whether it be physically or mentally. In addition, our parents are the ones who introduce the world to us, we see it in their point of view and do what they see as best for us (most of the times). When it comes to teachers, they condition us in the classroom and school environments to respect each and everyone. For example, we are conditioned to not talk when the teacher is talking, and to do our homework so we can excel. Conditioning is a great method for us to be good, ethical citizens of our society. It allows for people to do good things in our world and to not demolish each other. However, conditioning is damaging when it crosses the limit of ruining one's individuality, making it almost non-existent. For example in BNW, none of them have their own unique personality and do what they are told to do and look and act as everyone else. In addition, when a person loses her or his individuality, they don't have an identity anymore, and identity is a crucial title which we are all striving for. Finally, conditioning is also bad when it is done by people with poor, immoral standards, which result in bad parenting and raising violent children.
ReplyDeleteIn BNW, people have created these unsettling norms in their society which we ourselves would never do in our society. People who do approach things in our society are known to be either smart or misfits. Our society is extremely judgmental because of the way we have been conditioned.
DeleteThe society today conditions us, not with just parents or teacher, but with the judgemental perspective that is standardized among everyone. For us, it is standard to say that we study and go to elementary, middle, high, and college and receive decent grade and get work in an adulthood. That, is normal to us. We as the population of this world have this mindset that a person who is not following that trail is unusual, and is to be differentiated from the rest. Just like how we judge that particular person who is the only one laughing and having fun time partying at a funeral where everyone else is quiet. As of society, being conditioned is important and highly effective since if population is unconditioned, the society would we out of control. On the other hand, it is also true that it is killing the personalities, and forcing everyone to do the same, controlling people like machines, that's if not we are machines already.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sho, conditioning should not become a barrier for one's freedom to do what they want. People should not be considered different or "bad" only because they want to do something different from the stereotypical path, which is what extreme conditioning is leading to in our society today.
Delete"Conditioning" is embedded in our everyday lives. Teachers condition our way of thinking, behavior, and work ethic during the time we spend with them in school. Parents play a vital role in "conditioning" us because they influence us the most. They are the ones who tell us what is best for us or what they believe is best for us. The way society is run and the beliefs that are set condition our way of life. Overall, conditioning does affect our lives positively in the sense that we are taught to behave and learn to differentiate from right and wrong. This allows us to follow good examples. But when people are restricted in their choices in the name of "conditioning", it's when you can say conditioning has gone too far. Every individual should have the right to decide what is best for themselves and what will make them happy. Nowadays, conditioning has gone a bit too far because now people are expected to be a certain way in order for them to be considered "good" or "successful". When conditioning does not influence heavily or take away one's right to choose what they want to do, it is good to have in society.
ReplyDeleteI agree that 'conditioning' is initially done with good intentions, but sometimes ends up having bad consequences. I also agree that every individual should have the ability to think for themselves. However, it does pose a question whether or not the rights of the individual should overshadow the smooth operations of society.
DeleteWe have been conditioned in society or by our parents since we were infants. There are a certain set of values and morals that our parents have wanted us to intake and those are the values and morals that we think are right. Essentially, our parents are our guides to lead a good life. Ever since we were 1-year-olds, they have been teaching right from wrong.
ReplyDeleteTeachers have conditioned us to think about the world in a certain way. For example, some teachers have taught us several methods in math to solve a problem so whenever we approach that same problem we tend to use the method that is more familiar to us.
We as human beings are taught to obey the norms of society otherwise you are a "rotten apple" or a misfit.
The moment we are brought into the world, we fall into a cycle of conditioning. Our actions and beliefs are influenced by those of others. The actions we take and beliefs we hold also influence others. Our parents are the largest and most direct influence we have because for about 18 years we spend almost every day with them. They are the ones who teach us how to do everything we need to grow up, and they teach us everything in the way that they know best. Our parents were conditioned by their parents to do certain things certain ways and it passes on for generations whether we want it to or not. The society we live in makes a huge impact on us because we live in and around it everyday. For example, our society is very academic oriented. Therefore, we all put pressure on ourselves to do everything and anything we can to compete with the rest of society. It doesn't matter whether we like it or not, society forces us to act a certain way and eventually it becomes the norm because we know nothing different. Thankfully, the amount of conditioning we receive is not to the extent that we see in Brave New World. That is the point when conditioning gets to the extreme because no one is their own person and no one thinks for themselves. Although we have all these influences around us that seem to be forcing us to think a certain way, we still have an incredible amount of individuality and freedom.
ReplyDeleteI am also thankful we do not have the amount of conditioning that is prevalent in Brave New World. I also agree with how we are conditioned by our parents to be academically orientated.
DeleteI agree with your point that the society allows for individuality and freedom. I think that these two things are absolutely necessary for any society to progress from injustices.
DeleteHow does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
ReplyDeleteThe society conditions us today through repetition. Parents and teachers constantly remind kids to follow the rules that are set in place and have common courtesy. After being told to follow the rules for the ~20 years, we naturally start to follow the society's rules after we are out of the conditioning phase. I think conditioning is good when it's used this case because it creates a better society. Stereotyping can be seen as a bad type of conditioning. In today's age, we often associate a race to a certain trait or characteristic because we were raised by the media and parents to think a certain way. Conditioning should be used to create a better place for all people to live instead of using it to control the way people treat others.
Society conditions us by portraying certain figures as living life correctly and others as living life the wrong way. When we are born we are conditioned by everything around us. Our parents punish when we do something that is wrong or at least seen as wrong in there eyes. This makes us think twice about doing the act again. As you grow up in society you will do things that are seen as wrong by peers and you will see their reactions, conditioning you to think of things as good or bad. This conditioning is good to an extent because we need to learn how our actions affect others so we can function properly in society. But conditioning can become too much when we feel forced to conform to something that doesn't feel right. Conditioning is necessary for us to function in the society that has been created but if it begins to take away the ability to freely think it will have negative effects.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I think you can see this a lot of the benefits of conditioning when your simply hanging out with your friends. Personally, whenever my parents get mad at me for coming late, I feel more guilty the more I do it in the future. That really helps contribute towards me being more careful on when I arrive. Essentially, my parents have engrained this idea into me and my brother that I should be home on time, allowing them to pass on what they think is right to me.
DeleteOur society conditions, especially in Lynbrook's community, that you must work as hard as you possibly can for the best outcome. Especially in this area, I know lots of people who move away from what they enjoy, in order to pursue something that they may see as having more pay-off. However, when society conditions us students to do that, it really leads our community to a detrimental state. I know lots of people who get unhealthy amounts of sleep, do not have time to eat, and have high amounts of stress they accumulate from schoolwork, which leads to severely negative mindsets. However, I will contradict myself and say this is also a good thing. If students are adapt to working hard at a younger age, later in life they will know how to manage their time better and how to deal with high stress and workloads. However, its when society conditions students to do tasks that accumulate large amounts of stress, that make them feel that if they can not do it, they are not good enough, that is when conditioning goes too far. When people lose their personalities and hobbies to societies wants, that is when conditioning is extremely harmful to society.
ReplyDeleteYou know that's true, people do give up their passions because of our society and it closes a lot of doors of opportunity for people. I can se that being pretty regrettable and harmful for some in the future.
DeleteSociety conditions us to follow a general set of rules that most people generally accept. Societal conditioning attempts to create similarities between people who are likely to interact in order to maintain a certain type of order which allows the society to survive. Society also helps create a stability that people are inclined to want and are comfortable with. We are conditioned to grow up to get a good job and be a part of society then make children to continue the cycle. Our parents are conditioned to pass on the societal conditioning that they received so that their children can succeed and flourish in their society. Teachers are conditioned to teach a certain way and to create a certain environment in the classroom. Conditioning is good because it allows everyone to have a sense of togetherness and stability which allows the people as a whole to progress. Conditioning is bad when it causes people to be incapable of thinking outside of the conditioning they received or if they can not justify the conditioning they received in their own thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHow does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions people through parents, teachers, and social norms. Mainly, conditioning teaches people morals and to choose to do the right thing instead of the wrong. (Ex: a parent reprimanding a child for stealing candy). The point where conditioning becomes a negative thing is when it takes away all other options and expects you to conform to a certain standard. I guess the first thing that comes to mind for me is LGBTQ acceptance in society. From a young age, kids watch movies where the prince saves the princess, and somehow learn to associate pink for girls and blue for boys. This practice, however harmless as it may seem, conditions children to believe that boys liking girls is the "proper" way to be, in turn makes anything not heterosexual appear "wrong" and how some stigmas grow.
I agree that conditioning is bad when it takes away all your option and forces to conform to a certain standard. I think your example of LQBTQ acceptance and how children grow up with a sense of heteronormativity is a really good example of how conditioning can be subtle but negative.
DeleteConditioning is a ubiquitous practice that society uses to maintain order. Without conditioning, people would freely act however they pleased, without regard to values important to society such as morals. This influence of conditioning can be seen in the daily lives of parents and teachers, as they have the responsibility of nurturing the youth to be well disciplined. Rules are often enforced that inhibit what a child can or cannot do. Violation of said rules usually leads to a punishment. This is the type of conditioning that society uses in order to reinforce good behavior and discourage behavior. Conditioning does serve its purpose. As a result of this discipline, people are less likely to cause trouble. For example, people wouldn't commit crimes, treat others rudely, or refuse to listen to others. Without conditioning to prevents actions such as these, society would not function properly, as there would be constant chaos. While conditioning does serve its purpose and can be good for society, there is a point when too much conditioning is bad. Conditioning is inherently "bad" morally if one considers that it is essentially changing a person's behavior to match what is accepted. However, its utility is necessary, and a result it should only be used to teach the basic behavior that society expects from a person. Using conditioning to enforce one's personal beliefs, for instance, is where conditioning can become bad. Enforcing ideas such as a racism or sexism is morally wrong and goes against society's beliefs. At the end of the day, conditioning is a tool of society, and should remain so. It serves to keep order and to teach people the values of society.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I do feel that condition is necessary in the sense that it's being used to teach basic human behavior in order to function in our society today. But forcing ones own ideas on others shouldn't be what conditioning is used for, especially when it comes to children who are very impressionable.
DeleteI think that all of the people surrounding us help condition the way how we think and who we end up becoming. For example, our parents condition us by teaching us their morals and ideals while teachers would condition us by teaching us specific ways of how to write an essay or complete a math assignment. Our friends and peers condition us by how they were taught by their parents and other ideals that they hold.
ReplyDeleteI think that conditioning to a certain extent is good because it helps lead people in a direction and helps give people an idea of how to survive in the world and eventually lead to success. It is good when the society is under a peaceful environment, however; if the conditioning is forced and limits an individual's potential, then I believe that it becomes too excessive and is not good.
I definitely agree that conditioning is used in our society with good intentions, but it's not just being in a peaceful environment that makes conditioning good. Conditioning sounds evil, but it's needed for any society with a government and system to function. I would even say that societies UNpeaceful environments need conditioning more because unrest is often caused by varying opinions. A society with multiple opinions can be good but unable to really work like a well-oiled machine.
DeleteFrom birth, we are all conditioned to be active and contributing members of society. We are taught of family values and compassion through our families and neighbors; we learn about empathy and teamwork through early educational experiences. And then, we apply these core values to a broader context--we apply these values when we are working, we test our resolve to these values under duress and pressure, and it is through these tests that our final personality is formed. Conditioning teaches us about right and wrong, it tells us how to be decent (relative to society's definition), but does have limitations. Sometimes, conditioning is done so thoroughly that people don't ever have the chance to learn about values themselves. They are simply beaten into the people, regardless of their understanding. In situations like this, people's foundation/core conditioning will crumble, as they only know the lesson, but not necessarily what it represents. Hence, people should have the ability to explore the lessons themselves, and grow and develop based on their own actions instead of the words of society. In short, safety nets should be taken away--it's important to learn via trial by error.
ReplyDeleteIt does teach us right and wrong in our society and keeps the world stable, however what we think is right and wrong could be viewed differently from people who are conditioned or live in a different society.
DeleteConditioning is everywhere! Not only in schools and education, but through our own parents and the environment we are raised in. We are taught the basic principles of morality, society shapes us, and our own personal environment has a major effect on the way we think. In the Bay Area, there is such an emphasis on personal success, college, and academics. We are conditioned to use academic ability to rate people and determine their social standings. It is unusual, compared to what we have seen in movies and pop culture, for the "nerds" to be the popular ones. But we have been conditioned by this Silicon Valley bubble. It is not the Jocks or the Drama queens that are high in social rankings, but those who are intelligent. In society overall, we are conditioned to be obedient and respectful, we are taught to avoid danger, to be selfless instead of selfish. Conditioning serves a purpose. When people have vastly different views and thought processes and ideologies, it is hard to work together and have a functioning society. We all believe in the value of money, we all believe that we must follow just laws. Our parents raise us with their own ideologies, and influence the way we think and act.
ReplyDeleteConditioning serves a purpose for the betterment of humanity overall, but it can still cause negative issues. We are conditioned to reject those who don't fit in society. We avoid "dirtier", undesirable locations. We stay away from those who have problems, the outcasts, the drug abusers, the prisoners, etc. We are also conditioned in some cases to hate others, others with different views that don't fit the collective views of the geographical location we reside in. And in the Middle East for example, many are conditioned to have a hatred for our society and views. Conditioning is everywhere, and it can be both good and bad.
I think our parents unconsciously heavily condition us as kids tend not to form strong thoughts and opinions independently until like middle school. That whole time we base who we are and what we think on those around us, which is mostly just our parents. As our parents repeat the same things over and over again, we tend to form our beliefs on what they say. This isn't necessarily bad, as most conditioning tends to be really mild, such as getting good grades is important and perhaps some religious beliefs. Conditioning can be bad when it reaches an extreme and is forced on the child without the freedom to grow out of it or the conditioning teaches things that are negative, such as discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that parents have the greatest influence on their child. Children will often adopt their parents views and will repeat their parents words without really understanding it. I also agree that when conditioning is bad when it starts to limit people's freedom
DeleteSociety and our parents have the most influence on us. We as kids were more impressionable and so most of our fundamental values, morals, ways of thinking and talking stem from how we were raised. Through our experiences and interactions with other people, we shaped into and out of different forms and versions of ourselves because our surroundings are always changing. Conditioning is good as it helps any individual figure out who they are. An individual may go through the same routine everyday but this also gives a person the opportunity to figure out how they really fee, thinking and want to do instead of going with the flow of everyone else. But conditioning goes bad once other people's thoughts, rules and ideas are forced upon an individual. Conditioning should be used to teach people basic human traits such as when its appropriate to feel sad or happy or telling basic right from wrong. As each person grows older, they can then use these tools and decide for themselves how to feel or what to do using their own thoughts. Nothing about conditioning should be forced.
ReplyDeleteSociety uses the word conditioning to describe a way to implant thoughts or knowledge and influence the way a person thinks. We have many ways we can condition and be conditioned. Our parents can influence us to behave a certain way, to believe in certain things, and to even eat certain things. As a child when a parent says that is bad for you, you don't touch it until you are old enough to make own decisions. Our teachers condition us to act a certain way in our classes. They condition us to not use our phones or talk in class or we would get in trouble. The offer citations and can even hand out detention to ensure we act the way they want us to. Even in sports we are conditioned. We are conditioned to have more stamina and endurance by running us until it is hard breathe. We are conditioned by receiving little playing time if we mess up. There are bad types conditioning where children learn bad things and grow up thinking it's right. The net result of conditioning however is positive. If given the right conditioning our society can be better and have more upward thinking.
ReplyDeleteSociety, parents, and teachers heavily condition us. Society establishes a social norm which parents and teachers condition us to follow. This social norm can consist of basic morals and ways to act, and often is what people refer to when determining whether or not something is justified. In general, people are likely to follow the social norm, in fear of judgment if they do not. This is conditioning. I personally believe that to a certain extent, conditioning is necessary. If people in general were not conditioned to be civilized, there would be chaos. That being said, conditioning could potentially be bad, if it passes a certain limit. I would label conditioning as being “over the limit” if it causes individuality to be destroyed, as demonstrated in “Brave New World”, in which characters are conditioned to be almost identical, with minimal hints of uniqueness.
ReplyDeleteSociety definitely conditions us. The government conditions us. School, home, work conditions us. In our society, since we are young, we are taught what is right and what is wrong. As we grow, these ideas stay with us. There is no universal truth to what is right and what is wrong. It is only by the perspective of society. Our parents condition us to have certain priorities, like studying. Our teachers condition us to behave a certain way in a classroom environment. No matter where we are, or how free the country is, as long as there is even the slightest government, conditioning is taking place. Conditioning exists to create stability. Without conditioning, there would be complete anarchy. Our savage instincts would take over. It is only through massive conditioning that safe and productive societies can exist today.
ReplyDeleteOur society, parents, and teachers constantly condition us at a daily basis whether we know it or not. We tend to not like the idea of being rejected, so humans naturally do whatever it takes in order to be accepted. And when you constantly chase the acceptance, it builds into a habit. In that way, society essentially builds a social norm which dictates how people act and respond. In most cases, conditioning is highly necessary. Parents for example, use negative reinforcement in order to keep their kids on the right path. Negative reinforcement can help build better habits over time. Even when your training a puppy, it's all done by negative reinforcement. That way the puppy knows what's right and what's wrong. Conditioning can be bad when it simply limits the people. In the book, the society is often being limited and forced to engage in certain activities. It isn't necessary for a society to function with that many conditions. As a result, I believe conditioning is extremely useful as long as it doesn't extremely limit the society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on your thoughts about reinforcing behavior and helping young ones build better behavior over time. I myself have a puppy and we're trying to teach him to not bite us (he's teething right now and feels the need to bite everything). If we didn't condition him on his naughty behavior, our house would be absolute chaos every single day. I think it's incredibly important to ensure that conditioning is done with good intentions.
DeleteWe all are conditioned by society, primarily our parents. We are taught to wear clothes, maintain good hygiene, and treat people in a respectful manner. Conditioning doesn't seem bad by the people who are conditioned. The people in the Brave New World obviously don't think the way their society functions is bad, we just think it isn't right because our society is different from theirs. Conditioning does serve a purpose to help maintain order by setting a social standard for everyone to follow. Conditioning only could be potentially bad if the conditioned population think the way that they have been trained is bad, otherwise it's all personal opinion
ReplyDeleteHow does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
ReplyDeleteI think society conditions us in almost every way possible. From our parents and teachers, to friends and family, to the books and movies, and even the news and media. Everything we hear, whether it's thought or opinion, affects the way we think, especially from a young age. The social norm before the success of the civil rights movement was that white people have an inherent social privilege, and because people were taught to believe that, from parents, friends, signs, and laws, it became a part of their nature. I think conditioning can be both good or bad - based on what people are picking up. We need to be conditioned in some sense in order to learn about the rules and limitations of society. If we grew up with no restrictions and no upper authority guiding us along the way (like our parents), we'd be a different people to this day. Yet at the same time, conditioning people to believe that certain races / people are bad can affect the way humans interact with one another, leading to misunderstanding, bias, and violence. Conditioning is bad once it becomes overbearing and doesn't let a person think for them self. If we're instructing, rather than guiding, then we've made a mistake.
I agree with you. Conditioning does happen in places where we do not even realize it. You are on point that we would be different if we did not receive the same conditioning as we did. That is why there are so many people in the world with so many different ideas.
DeleteI also think that conditioning to the extreme where the individual cannot think of their own ideas is bad. I believe everyone should have the freedom to question beliefs, practices, etc. If you don't agree with a belief that others try to make you believe, you shouldn't have to believe it.
DeleteSociety conditions us through school and our parents. For the most part, the conditioning is good since it’s really only there to show us how we should act. I think conditioning is bad when it is done to discourage (and completely put out) individual thought, like in Brave New World where a caste system is put in place so each person has a specific spot in society that they must fill, and that once a person does think of other things they are sent away to an isolated place. Our parents condition us to adhere to ways that are similar to their own, and teachers condition us to do things well (via grades).
ReplyDeleteEverything that we do, especially at a young age, is meant to condition us. Any time we turn on the news, we hear only a few perspectives on issues, full of their own biases and mostly devoid of any objectivity. As a result, most people are conditioned to believe certain things about government. When we go to school, we are conditioned to believe that the reward for our efforts is proportional to how much effort we put in, and that there is significant value in all of the subjects that we are taught. Our parents condition us to listen to them as a figure of authority, and to meet various expectations, such as doing homework or chores. Our peers condition us to treat each other in certain ways; we treat our friends with courtesy, but certain others are treated with with less regard than others - poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, and various other groups are often looked at as inferior to us, only reminders of how lucky we are to have the social status that we do.
ReplyDeleteConditioning serves the purpose of making sure everyone thinks the same way. If half of the American population suddenly started questioning why we are taught that there is a need for government, or that children shouldn't be allowed to use guns or alcohol - there are valid arguments that can be made on the other side of this issue - society would devolve into chaos. Conditioning is therefore necessary, and there's no way to quantify it - everything that we do is a form of conditioning - so there's no way to say if there is a point at which it is bad.
ReplyDeleteHow does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
I believe that society conditions us all throughout our lives showing us what is good and what is bad. In some other societies some issues or practices will be normal while in a different society it is looked down upon. Society basically gives you a belief system. Our parents beliefs and views on life are rubbed off on you affecting how view the world as well. The same goes for teachers, the way they make a 3D cube will also be the way u make a 3D cube and some of there views on politics and life will also affect how you view them. I believe that conditioning non-controversial issues is fine. For example punching someone is not good and helping someone is good. However when this goes too far radical views and ideas may be passed down or change someones views that would teach them the wrong things. I think the most important thing with conditioning is that while you are being conditioned by society you have the knowledge and your are educated enough to make your own decisions and form your own opinions on life. I believe conditioning is bad if the message or actions that are being learnt are wrong and you lack the knowledge to see how or why it is wrong.For example there are many aspects like taking soma to solve your problems in the brave new world that would be not encourage by people in our society because we have been educated and know that it is wrong. However in their society there is no education so they believe they are right and can't really form an opinion on the matter themselves.
I agree with the idea that conditioning can certainly lead to bad outcomes, such as the Brave New World society's addiction to soma. Critical thinking, as you say, is necessary, and being able to question fundamental concepts in our society is imperative to being able to improve it. However, this is impossible for the BNW society to do because questioning the social structure in itself destroys the idea that it is built upon - that people should be able to live a life without pain, suffering, or anything that could complicate the primitive state.
DeleteI agree that conditioning is good as long as people are still able to make their own decisions and are capable of distinguishing right from wrong. In Brave New World, the characters are over conditioned to the point where they no longer question society for anything, which is when conditioning is no longer a tool but actually dangerous to humanity.
DeleteYeah, I agree with the fact that conditioning should only be used if a person can still make choices on their own. Brave New World depicts a world where people aren't able to make their own choice and their path in life is laid out for them by their ruling class. Conditioning to that extent is too excessive.
DeleteThere are a lot of things that condition us from birth. One is our parents. They teach us morals and how to live. Often, people have the same political beliefs as their parents. However, as you grow up to adolescence, friends and society outside of family has a lot of influence. Teens may be rebellious and influenced to live differently from how their parents raised them to be. Every community has its own culture, so how one is influenced varies from place to place. For example, in the Bay Area, most students probably have the thinking that education is very important. Whether conditioning is good or bad is totally up to the individual. Everyone has different beliefs on what is right and wrong. Although some things have a majority which most people accustom to, there is no way to know a definitive answer on right or wrong.
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions us based on what society thinks. Parents and teachers present ideas and beliefs that they believe as well as the norm of society. Society as a whole has a certain set of rules and beliefs that most follow. Parents and teachers teach these to us from a very young age. Conditioning becomes dangerous when what our parents and teachers have taught us are the only thing we believe. In Brave New World, characters such as Lenina cannot form their own opinions and are to reliant on a certain system. When we become too dependent on society and can not create our own ideas because we only know what has been taught to us, that is when conditioning has become dangerous. However, without a certain level of conditioning, we would not learn basic manners and morals. Telling right from wrong and good from bad are something our parents and teachers strive to teach us ever since we were born. Ideas and beliefs such as these make us a civilized and help us fit the norm. Overall, a certain amount of conditioning is needed in order for us to succeed and fit in our current society.
ReplyDeleteI think that the prime source for conditioning for us are our parents and/or guardians. In addition, the society around which we are constantly interacting with, has a huge influence on our ideals. In most developed, progressive countries, the idea of freedom is encouraged and permitted so long as peace is attained. This idea of freedom is what allows for individuality, and in most cases, prevents suppression of novel ideas. Of course, with freedom comes responsibility and the "enforcement" or rules designed to regulate the flow of individuality and peace. Conditioning happens when we are taught to restrict ourselves to do certain things as it controls consequences when our rights are misused. I think the biggest thing that sets good conditioning from a bad one is the flow of information between the people, the society, and the government. There are norms that have developed over time, however, the fact that individuals are given the right to voice out their opinion and challenge the norm (given that it is safe), is something that allows for society to develop. When that freedom is taken away, conditioning is controlled by a set number of people, rather than the public, which steers away from democracy.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I agree that conditioning should allow for freedom and should help promote peace. I particularly like what you said about how conditioning happens when we are taught to restrict ourselves to do certain things. This helps promote the peace and stops people from hurting others or causing chaos.
DeleteI agree! It makes sense that we would want to condition to restrict ourselves from simply doing as we please, or else the world would be chaotic. However, I think conditioning as a whole simply means "to influence." If the world started from scratch, we could just as easily condition people to act shamelessly free and do as we please at all times.
DeleteSociety conditions us by teaching us what is normal. Starting from when we are born we learn by imitation, so whatever our caretakers do, we learn to do as well. We learn how to speak, how to act, by imitating those around us. I think that while conditioning can be dangerous, it does serve a useful and necessary purpose. By conditioning the young, society can establish their societal norms and can establish order. We establish our morals and values based on what we were exposed to as children. People are civilized because they have been conditioned to do so. Parents are the greatest conditioners. They shape their child starting from the moment they are born. Children often will adopt the views and opinions of their parents because that is all they have ever known. Teachers, I think, are less influential. They do have the potential to condition a student, even more so the younger the student. Although conditioning it necessary, it can be dangerous. Conditioning shapes our morals and bad influences can negatively shape a person. Also, there is the fear of not following the social norm. Going outside one's conditioning will lead to isolation and a general fear of being different.
ReplyDeleteI agree conditioning by society establishes orders and gives a clear distinction between what is right and what is wrong. Parents are usually the greatest conditioners because they care about their children, and have the best intent for them.
DeleteI agree that conditioning is mostly necessary, even if it has its flaws. I also think that it helps teach us societal norms that are important to keep the majority of people happy. But like you mentioned, it can also be used to teach bad morals.
DeleteI agree that conditioning can definitely have a positive effect on people and society in general; having that exposure to morals and values at a young age is what keeps us all from constantly hurting and betraying others. I also think that parents are the greatest conditioners, as they are generally the most present throughout a child's life, and they are the most consistent presence. Parents can legally make a huge amount of decisions for their child, so what they choose to provide their child can have a great influence on how their child develops.
DeleteI believe that condition in our society is very prevalent. There are many ways that society can mold us to be the people it wants us to be. In some ways, society molds us to be better people, but in other ways it can tell us to be worse people as well. Our teachers generally mold us to be the ones who get everything done on time, a perfect machine. They want us to be the people that obey and show mastery of what is being taught. Parents are similar in that they want their children to be the best, but they also want the best for their children. This is the paradox that is essential in the relationship between the parent and the child. The condition could help us find our role in society. Again, in such a big world this could be a bad and a good thing. Having a prediction about what you are going to do will be helpful, but it will also limit you in your ventures throughout your life. I also believe that conditioning makes you fit better into the puzzle that is the world. This is similar to finding your "fit." Just like in Brave New World, we are also condition to fit into society, just not at the dramatic sort of level that is displayed in the novel. Conditioning is bad when we basically just zombie walk through life. We mutter and act on what we heard from other people and what they tell us to say and do on a daily basis. There should be some sense of individuality in life, and I feel like conditioning does not allow for that to happen.
ReplyDeleteOur society, our teachers, and our parents conditions us by telling us what is considered right and wrong. You know you are not allowed to say or do certain things because of how you get conditioned. Parents and teachers often condition us to think that school is the most important thing. Conditioning can be good because that will put everybody on the same page of knowing what is expected of them but at the same time it takes away the ability for people to think for themselves. We get so conditioned to do or not to do things but we rarely ask ourselves why, it is simply just because that is what you are "supposed to do" which can really limit peoples uniqueness. We get this image of the perfect person that we all strive to be but at some point we need to start thinking on our own, enjoy life, and just be yourself instead of trying to be someone you are not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that excessive conditioning takes away the ability for people to think for themselves, but I do not believe it is positive for everyone to be on the same page (same expectations). Not only does conditioning turn people insular, but it also limits their creativity. We shouldn’t be expected to believe in the same authorities, nor should we rebel against the same thing because of the way we are conditioned. Each person should only be conditioned to the point they are able to make their own decisions regarding principles/philosophies.
DeleteSociety and everyone around us condition us heavily. We are formed by society, and without society and the people around us, most of us would be much different creatures. There are rules to follow, ranging from federal laws to societal norms to parental controls. We are taught to respect others, and most naturally follow laws, in fear of the consequences of refusal to follow such laws and order. Our interactions with others further develop our own character, and the mix of society and others fully create what we know as ourselves. Even within our own world, one may find another person's lifestyle in another country awkward and weird, but if that person grew up in the society the other person grew up in, they would probably grow up seamlessly like the other person did. Humans are not very different from each other at birth, and even now grown up, we all think similarly with our basic instincts and needs. Even in BNW, where societal values are much different from our world, we still have similar thinking and thought processes. There is a point where conditioning could be potentially bad, as BNW explores. When humans become truly identical, without identity and the ability to find their true self due to conditioning, conditioning is too much in this instance. When you are basically programmed to function in the world, like a machine, society has conditioned too much, and humans must have the ability to have some degree of freedom. Otherwise, a situation like BNW occurs, and there is no point in living in a society like that.
ReplyDeleteSociety categorizes, and stereotypes. It molds and conditions our mind to generate automatic thoughts and assumptions about people with a certain gender, interest, age, and race. For a long time society has stereotyped asians as smart, blacks as violent, women as weak, and millennials as lazy. By circulating false news, inaccurate television shows, and misrepresented movies, society has conditioned us to have predetermined thoughts about people we have just met based on their appearances. Parents and teachers condition us by issuing punishments according to our actions. Being caught cheating can result in detention, lying can result in groundings. Parents and teachers condition us to associate bad actions with punishments, and good actions with rewards such as praise or good grades. Conditioning is generally good when it is controlled and coming from a moral source. Teachers, and parents generally condition us for the better in hopes that we won't do anything that may hurt our futures. However when a person is controlled by society often times it may result in negative actions depending on their environment and surroundings.
ReplyDeleteConditioning is a central concept in in Huxley's "Brave New World". Although it's definition is quite loose (define as having a significant influence on or determine [the manner or outcome of something]), I disagree that it should be used to describe our parents, teachers, and culture. In "Brave New world", conditioning is a process used on mindless members of society as a form of brainwash. It is very technical, inhumane, and carried out in what seems to be a factory of humans. It is unfair to employ this term on the ones who guide us. The goals of parents and teachers are to guide their respective children and students into a brighter future, to prepare them, to show, to teach. It is organic, it is compassionate, it is the most pure form of motherly nature. In our society, conditioning can be used to coin ads on TV, billboards on the streets. Those forms are tainted and ill willed. That is when conditioning turns bad.
ReplyDeleteI believe that society conditions us through our education. Everything we are required to learn comes from our education system. Conditioning is good when it doesn't control our actions and the way we think. Conditioning should be used as a guide, rather than a way of life. In our society, education teaches us about how the world works, what to avoid, and how to make good life choices. This is all conditioning should do, anything more would just be similar to Brave New World where the people hardly think for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. Educational conditioning is one of the most prevalent forms of conditioning there is. In different regimes around the world, the use of education in brainwashing the youth is essential. I also agree with the point you made about using conditioning as a positive tool. The negative traits in children could be weeded out at a young age and they could be replaced with positive traits instead. This would make the world different from the dystopia that we find in Brave New World
DeleteFrom the moment we are born, we are taught to conform with the norms of society. This is the earliest form of "conditioning" that we are exposed to. Every person and/or entity has a role in conditioning people. Parents try to condition us into their image of a perfect child. Teachers condition us into being good students. Both instances do so by simply rewarding "good" behavior and punishing "bad" behavior. Ever been placed in the "time out chair"? That's an example of conditioning. Ever been given a Jolly Rancher for getting an A+? That's another example. Ever been shamed or laughed at for being ..."unique"? Yet another example (and one that I'm all too familiar with). If the forms of conditioning are all to make a person open-minded, kind, and a good human being in general, then yes, conditioning can be good. However, there is also a bad side to it that makes people snobbish, selfish, and narrow-minded. Either way, conditioning is done to have people conform to the norms of a certain society.
ReplyDeleteSociety, our parents, and teachers conditions us. I think our society conditions us most, but all groups condition us by sending us messages, sometimes explicitly, but often nonverbally, various messages on how to act and think. Conditioning does serve a purpose, because humans being a semi-social species, need some form of guidance and education - and, being beings of habit, conditioning can be a helpful enforcer. Also, when you have some kind of society or social group, there have to be some agreed-upon rules, and conditioning can help with cooperation (of course, this purpose is morally neutral). Conditioning is bad when it gets the point when it completely prevents free will, when it tries to destroy critical thinking, and when it’s used to support oppression.
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions us by enforcing in our minds what is and isn't acceptable, and what is the societal norm. Our parents are the people who affect our thinking the most, since they share with us their opinions and thoughts daily, and when we grow up, we tend to have the same beliefs and opinions as them. Also, our teachers can condition us, because they are the people teaching us new things. For example, since we live in California, most of our teachers are pretty liberal. So, when they talk about politics, they tend to take a liberal stance, and when we don't hear the other side of the issue, we tend to become liberals too. Conditioning serves to basically mold children and new citizens to fit into society, and know what to do and what not to do. Sometimes, conditioning is bad, because it is basically brainwashing. We are conditioned here in the Silicon Valley a lot, so a lot of times, when we move or visit somewhere else, we are surprised at the outside world, because Silicon Valley is kind of a bubble, and we don't care or know that much about the outside world. Brave New World is obviously a bad example of what conditioning can do. Conditioning can basically force people to think the way you want them to, and therefore the person conditioning others is basically controlling them and molding them into whatever that person wants.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Silicon Valley is a kind of bubble that we all live in. Society outside of our residential area is surprisingly different, and those who do not travel often are surprised by the differences in our societies. I also agree that parents and teachers condition us from a very young age, which allows us to fit in and gives us a sense of morality and the ability to choose between right and wrong.
DeleteI think that conditioning isn't necessarily bad. The definition of conditioning that you provide seems to be a little extreme, and I think that conditioning is more of teaching a certain way of thinking, and it is more up to the person to follow it. This is shown by the fact that it takes forever to condition people, and can easily be overturned. However, I think that you are right in the fact that extreme conditioning is nothing less than brainwashing.
DeleteI think that society plays a role in conditioning us, but not as much as school or parents. Society conditions us by making us self-aware of our image, and everything we do now is posted on social media for others to judge you on. In this way, society taboos certain actions and creates a universal culture that we are essentially forced into. However, a different kind of conditioning exists from schools and family. Our daily interaction with these people inadvertently causes us to be conditioned; for example, many of our morals and values come from our parents teaching us these values from a very young age. Everything we learn is viewed through the scope of the American education system, which is another form of conditioning.
ReplyDeleteI think conditioning does serve a purpose in showing us how to live life. It teaches us right from wrong, and can help foster communication and cooperation between each other. School in particular is a good enforcer of these kinds of interactions, as we experience it almost every day. However, I think too much conditioning can lead to potentially harmful obstacles in development and society, such as when it completely destroys critical thinking and individualism. In Brave New World, for instance, conditioning is used to make everyone think the same way and completely eliminates the free will of the people.
I agree that conditioning is helpful to help us fit in society, but it can be used to brainwash people and make everyone think the same way, which is bad. I also agree with your point that our parents and schooling are way more influential than society in conditioning us.
DeleteSociety conditions us in many ways. The largest factor nowadays is social media, but parents and teachers are also part of it. Everything that we learn as social behaviours, norms, or speech and conduct is a result of conditioning. Things that we find strange or unusual, as well as things that we find good or right, are also examples. Stereotypes and generalizations are also other forms of conditioning that we experience. Conditioning itself is not inherently good or bad, but the intent and purpose it came from. I think that all conditioning originally did have a purpose, but it may not be able to be seen or understood at this point, and is now something we consider “normal”. Because morals and human opinions are all highly subjective and relative, all of our moral standards and other biases that appear in our lives are effects of conditioning. Most of what we see online or social behaviors that we experience in person are, in a sense, conditioning. It only becomes bad when people take advantage of it and use it to their advantage, keeping other people in the unknown or suppressing them.
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point bringing up social media. With the advent of the internet and all that, people are able to express their thoughts and behaviors and etc to many people at once. Kids (who are starting to use technology more and more) get exposed to all this and develop certain ideas based on what they see. After all, what you see on the internet must be true, right? And thus contributing to the continuing conditioning of new generations.
DeleteSociety conditions us by telling us what to do and what our goals and dreams should be. For example, the ads in our society condition people to buy new things. Society also tells people that they should avoid certain people and areas or that they should focus on getting an education and eventually a job so that they can contribute to the rest of society. Parents and teachers help condition young children behaviorally, by telling them what is right and wrong and instructing them on how to act. Conditioning serves an important purpose in our society and is neither inherently good nor bad. The application of conditioning is what can create bad effects, and conditioning becomes bad when it takes away people's ability to think critically for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that conditioning is neither inherently good nor bad. It depends on how it is used. For the most part, conditioning from society, parents, and schools are used to develop kids, and make them into better people. This way, what is right versus wrong is no longer questionable, and people don't have to evaluate their morals everytime they are placed in a tough situation. However, conditioning used for the wrong reasons can definitely harm people.
DeleteSociety conditions us from a very early age by imparting upon us the values and ideals that are widely held to be acceptable. Even when we are just babies, our parents use cues to teach us how we should and shouldn’t act. For example, throwing a spoonful of peas on the ground would earn a stern “no” while sharing a toy with another kid would be rewarded with praise. For most people, parents end up being the largest influence since they are around us for the longest time, as well as for the most important moments in our development. Children often grow up with the same views as their parents, because that is simply all they have been exposed to. Teachers, as well, can condition their students by rewarding proper behavior in the classroom setting and punishing wrong behavior. Conditioning is, for the most part, essential to our society because it teaches people how to act morally. However, it can also be used as a tool to condition a group to adopt negative values, even if they are the status quo. It’s important that people are able to think beyond any possible conditioning they have had and evaluate for themselves what is proper.
ReplyDeleteI think society, parents, and teachers all condition us. Although we don't live in a extremely structured, controlled environment like that of Brave New World, there are still societal norms and expectations we are supposed to meet as we grow up. From childhood, our parents condition us to behave and act in a certain way; at school, our teachers (and the curriculum) teach us to think a certain way and have certain opinions about different topics. Society is very powerful, as the way people treat each other and address various issues and conflicts can be a big determining factor in the way people choose to act and express themselves. In some ways, this conditioning can be good — it aims to teach us how to exist together without too much conflict, and it shows us how to survive in a safe and healthy manner. However, in other ways, this conditioning can be very oppressive. Because people feel that they need to talk, look, and act a certain way to be accepted by society, they will conform to whatever they think the norm is, which represses their identity and turns our society's conditioning into something that is much more similar to Brave New World's.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! society can definitely have a lot of power depending on how much we give it and it can in turn both help us and hurt us. I am curious as to what the brightline is between too much conditioning and too much conditioning? Hopefully amongst the conditioning that we face in our lives, there is someone ensuring that it is not being abused to repress other people.
DeleteSociety conditions us to act and think a certain way. Our parents and environment teach us manners and how to act in different situations. We learn to use utensils instead of eating with our hands, use our indoor voices in classrooms and at restaurants, and a variety of other norms that help us have a relatively orderly society. Conditioning helps make society function, as everyone follows certain rules and thought patterns that make it easier for things to get done and people to work. However, when people are conditioned to the point of losing their own identity or ability to enjoy things, conditioning is bad. I think conditioning should be limited to the basics, like using the restroom and staying safe. Having a fear of heights can help people stay away from cliff edges, which I feel is good, but thinking that others are bad or lesser because of what people say isn’t. For example, racism, I think, is conditioned. Because of what parents, teachers, peers, media, and overall society portrays about certain races, people think a certain way and may feel that other races are less intelligent than others.
ReplyDeleteOverall, conditioning should be used to a minimum and only to promote individuality, happiness, and a good community, not for hatred or discrimination.
I agree with everything you said! Conditioning does help us to a certain extent , but when we are conditioned to think a certain way or to view a race as inferior, that is when conditioning has gone too far. Although it helps keep our society functioning, it has the potential of becoming dangerous.
DeleteParents play a large role in conditioning their children. In particular, parents can have such a large effect because they get to introduce their child to the world and to everything in the world. Their children, meanwhile, get to pick up not just on what it is their parents are introducing them to, but additionally on how their parents feel about it, whether through a short grimace, a smile, or even a verbal opinion from the parent. Such early impressions learned from a parent could probably stay with a child for the rest of their lives, just like the conditioning in Brave New World lasts until death (for most people). This conditioning can be beneficial as it helps create commonalities among many people who were conditioned similarly, but it can also cause problems when conditioning of the parents becomes 'outdated' or a detriment to society.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that both society and our parents condition us. We are taught to act a certain way and taught which actions or thoughts are "right or wrong." Asian culture especially conditions us to act and think a certain way. In our culture we are told from the start to respect our elders and to think of others before we help ourselves. We are also conditioned to be competitive in all things we do. Conditioning does serve a purpose, and it is somewhat guides children to do what is "right" or to stop them from doing something "wrong." We associate punishments with doing something bad and praise when we do something good. Schools even condition us to think that way as well. We begin to develop habits and morals at a young age, and because we are young, the adults are the ones who tell us what is right and wrong. Although it is helpful, as it can help people develop good living and eating habits (etc), it becomes bad when people are forced to something they do not want. It can become dangerous as adults can use it as a way to manipulate children or to prevent them from thinking a certain way. Conditioning can help to a certain extent but when used in excess it oppresses people and stops them from thinking for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that I believe that asian culture especially conditions us to think a certain way-- In a way, it shapes our values and morals. That's why it is interesting when you go to other countries because of the culture shock-- culture also definitely has a part in conditioning. I think that is a good point that conditioning can go the wrong way and instead makes people lose their own identity.
DeleteI agree that conditioning can be harmful when they are forced to think a certain way when it's not the only option open to them. It can block children from other opportunities and ultimately take away their ability to think for themselves.
DeleteSociety conditions us to follow the norm because those who deviate from it often upset the "flow" of how people can work together. I think the main sources of conditioning are definitely parents and education. Most people are raised by their parents since their day of birth, growing up to believe that whatever their parents say must be right. And this is completely reasonable and natural considering babies have no other guidance in the world up to this point. For example, now as I've matured, I tend to measure other people's opinions and perspectives up to my parent's perspectives and the ideology I have been taught. So having my parents condition what is "wrong" and "right" has been one of the biggest factors of why I am the way I am. Teachers are also huge influencers, though I would say much less so than parents. Teachers often teach the hard facts and share their opinions as well, but like I said before, my parents are bigger authority figures. So teachers can often condition students on how to behave in a public environment, but for them to condition how we think about certain topics (or even something like political ideology),it would require a lot more time and force. I would say conditioning is good for the most part because conditioning is often used to help bring about something positive. For example, something as small as saying "please" and "thank you" can be conditioned into young children. And parents rewarding children with ice cream for doing well in school is another form of conditioning, so I do feel like conditioning is necessary for society to function. However, conditioning becomes "bad" at the point where it discourages individual thought for a topic that needs more development.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone is being conditioned since the time of their birth. As a baby, when we make mistakes or do bad things, we are scolded. When we do good things, we are rewarded and praised. Our parents have been conditioning us morally-- teaching us what is right and what is wrong. In this sense, I do believe conditioning is good because it shapes our morals and it makes us who we are and who we will become in the future. Teachers also condition us with grades-- having penalties for late assignments and for cheating. And they reward us with good grades when we do our work. Society condition us through media. Through media, they tell us what is right and what is wrong-- they also tell you what the society’s standards are.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do think that conditioning is good and it serves a purpose-- to teach what is right or wrong, morally. But it does get to a bad point when it starts to overpower your life. Especially when the society conditions you. Examples include beauty standards-- when society tells you what you should look like.
I agree that conditioning is good to some degree, but when it gets in the way your personal freedoms and liberties, it becomes excessive.
DeleteThe norms of society have conditioned us ever since we were born. Take the law, for example. It dictates the way we act around others, and the boundaries that we must follow in order to stay civilized. Almost everyone has been law abiding since their toddler years, and it's essentially one's "first instinct" to follow it. After doing it for so long, we are conditioned. We are also conditioned by our parents. Parents have their own set of rules and instill a "moral compass" within their children. Although the law may say one thing, parents try to create an even smaller margin of error for their kids. As a result, the kid will grow up following what his/her parents say. Almost all parents want the best for their kids. As a result, they consistently push them to try all these various activities, and try to teach them to be independent people. As a result, the kid is eventually conditioned by the parents with a combination of their activities, the rules from their parents, and their own growth. Finally, we are also conditioned by teachers to do good work in class. An "A" grade means that your work is exemplary. Teachers talk about how good it is to earn an A, and overtime, kids start to believe that there is a lot more value in A's than F's, regardless of the fact they are both just letters. In another world, people could be conditioned to believe that an F is the best possible letter grade while an A is the worst. Conditioning is a powerful tool, and it a great thing to have when it is used positively, because it makes life much easier (when it comes to conditioning of basic skills). However, it can also discourage independent thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think that Society conditions us to think certain ways for example what is right versus wrong. We want to fit into society so we often adapt to what we see others do. Our parents have the biggest influence on our way of thinking because we spend our early developmental stages in life with them so we often develop similar views as them. conditioning in this sense is natural in my opinion. Conditioning does serve a purpose because it breeds people that think similarly so they can coexist together more easily. Conditioning becomes an issue when it is a mass industrial brainwashing system like in BNW. The government in BNW doesn't want the people to think for themselves because it could reveal how much the current system sucks. Physically altering people to fit into a specific social class is not very human and doesn't coincide with the idea that all men are born equal.
ReplyDeleteI agree, people inherently don't know what's right and what's wrong so conditioning is required in those aspects. I like how you referred to conditioning as brainwashing because it is technically the same thing. I also agree physically altering people is crossing the line.
DeleteWe are mostly conditioned by our parents and teachers. From a young age, we are taught what’s supposedly good from bad and conditioned to think in a certain manner. In school, especially in a competitive atmosphere, students are conditioned to think that they have to get good grades, and if their grades go below an A, they (usually) get upset. We’re also conditioned to think a certain way in our homes, especially with asian parents; the one thing they’re always talking about is our future and careers, universities, etc. Because of that, students are conditioned to think that they have to get into the best college and get the best paying job and such. Conditioning isn’t bad; it can be beneficial at times because it can set one on the right path. There’s a reason why parents teach their kids not to lie or steal from a young age. However, conditioning can be bad when it gets to a point where it distorts one’s view and prevents them from being open-minded to certain people or communities they are not accustomed to.
ReplyDeleteConditioning is almost inevitable in society. From birth, we are conditioned by our parents and the surrounding environment. Certain things, like learning proper hygiene and understanding how to socialize with others, are important because they help guide children to become self-sufficient adults. However, conditioning has harmful consequences as well. Parents are not perfect, and neither are all of the ideas that are propagated by society. The belief that one person is superior to another on the basis of race, sexual orientation, and gender is an idea that many people, unfortunately, are conditioned to believe. This type of conditioning is why organizations like Westboro Baptist Church or the KKK have such strong followings. It is especially relevant in the recent political election, when the conditioning of different groups of people clashed and produced an unstable outcome. All in all, conditioning exists heavily in our society. With proper care and consideration, it is possible to be conditioned to become better and more productive members in society. But if we continue rampantly forcing ideas and thoughts into the minds of others, conditioning is akin to brainwashing.
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ReplyDeleteI think we are conditioned by our experiences. The choices we make are based off of the success of the experiences that we've had in similar situation. For example, we think pain is bad because we feel it and dislike it, which causes us to be motivated towards liking and disliking certain things. Society also conditions us through fear so that we dislike certain things and are afraid. Religion can affect us by telling us that death is good or bad, or that certain actions are prohibited. Conditioning thus is effective and can enforce certain beliefs on a group of people. However, it can also be bad as it prevents you from having your own thoughts and opinions. In the past, in schools, conditioning was used to reinforce religious beliefs. However, it is used more today to teach us to have respect for others.
ReplyDeleteI don't think schools teach personal respect, I think schools condition kids to better fit in a post industrial society that deem math and science as intrinsically useful and art/humanities as useful only if you are "good at it". Ultimately conditioning is a shortcut to ensure as many kids survive to adulthood as possible, however just because it is effective doesn't mean its perfect nor optimal.
DeleteSociety conditions us from the moment we are born to ensure that we will be able to survive in a particular environment. Conditioning occurs in many different forms throughout one's life. For example, a teacher may give a child detention for being disrespectful in school. This conditions us to believe that respect is important. Similarly, a parent may ground a child for doing poorly on a test, which conditions the child to believe that he/she should do well in school. Positive reinforcement (giving a child a reward in response to doing something "good") is also a form of conditioning. The purpose of conditioning is to have some sort of uniformity among society so that it will function smoothly. If everyone had drastically different standards for good and bad, it would be very difficult to figure out what is socially acceptable. Conditioning can be a good thing, because it allows us to understand that things like cleaning up after ourselves and being honest are good things. Meanwhile, conditioning can also be bad when it's taken to a level where people can not think for themselves and simply do things just because it is what society thinks is right.
ReplyDeleteI agree that society conditions us to ensure that we can adapt t certain environments quickly. It is necessary in order to keep peace within the society. Conditioning can be good and it can be bad. It's only bad when people start to not think for themselves and just follow along to what the rest of society does
DeleteI definitely think that society conditions us to think a certain way, especially the media. Especially as females, we are easily susceptible to the way celebrities look and how society expects us to look and act. In addition, societal conditioning is where racism and stereotypical thinking is generally derived from. Furthermore, our parents and our school typically influence us to think a certain way as well. From a young age, we are taught that we should always work hard and do well in school. While I don't think it's a bad thing, it has often led to bullying of those who do not share that belief and also a lot of stress-induced anxiety in students.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate but true that women experience more social and image conditioning. However, I think it is possible that our conditioning, from our parents in particular, is what makes us individual. In BNW, conditioning was done by one institution but our parents and those who raise us are so different from one another that uniformity is just not possible.
DeleteConditioning is done fairly frequently in Brave New World and is a way for the government to control what the rest of society does in order to promote and maintain stability. I think that what society does to us is conditioning, but what parents and teachers teach us is not. Parents and teachers try to teach us so that we can do well in society and make it better. Conditioning is a good thing if it helps get rid of bad habits or help guide people in the right way. It should be there as a guide and should not be controlling every aspect of people's lives.
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ReplyDeletePrompt: How does society condition us? Our parents? Teachers? Is conditioning good, does it serve a purpose, and if so, what? At what point is conditioning bad?
Society, parents and teachers condition us in different ways. Conditioning is good most of the time because it helps people be normal in society. Society as a whole conditions us through setting standards on how a person should live. Going to school and having a job and such are part of these standards. They also condition you not to involve yourself in criminal activities by setting laws and having consequences like jail time and fines. Whether you like it or not, parents influence us by being with us for the most of our youth. These influence includes their lifestyle, manners, and discipline. These conditioning helps us further in life, because some of these skills are hard to be self taught. In some cases, bad things could be conditioned to us, such as laziness and bad manners. If you look at spoiled children, oftentimes they act aggressive and expect to be treated like a they're in a higher class. Teachers condition us through teaching us how to behave in class and study. This is good because it helps us develop more knowledge. Conditioning is only bad when the things conditioned are bad or when it becomes too excessive like in BNW. People need free will and conditioning should not get in the way of it.
Our society tells us what is right and wrong and our parents and teachers enforce societal norms and restrictions. I think some conditioning serves the purpose of keeping children alive by teaching them about the world and how to survive in their specific situations. However, conditioning is a problem when it becomes a doctrine; when those conditioned are doing what they have been conditioned to unconsciously and there are no alternatives to said conditioning. The reason i say this is just because one conditioning may work, situations and the world change thus so should minds and ideas.
ReplyDeleteSociety conditions us in a way where we are supposed to act accordingly to what people are expected to behave in life, especially in certain situations. Sometimes, conditioning can be done through the mindset of certain stereotypes and false assumptions that have been passed down generation after generation. For our parents specifically, they condition us to become good citizens in society and respect others through your love and heart. Parents condition their children to not just do well in their school/education, but to train them to do well on whatever that child is passionate about and become strong at those sort of talents/skills. For teachers themselves, they condition their students to perform well in their class, but also to learn and have fun with the material. The teachers have this mentality, because they understand these skills are core values that a child must have in order for them to apply those skills in real life. I believe that conditioning is good for the most part, but only to some extent, because it can get to a point where the individual itself can think for him or herself and this can truly take away his/her moral standing and identity in this world. If all one has to do all day is to conform to what society expects from you, you are losing the originality of that person. This can defy the purpose of their existence as a human being and shields them into a strict bubble.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the conditioning society causes is passive and unintentional, as opposed to the active conditioning we see in BNW. Depending on the environment, people treat certain things as the norm, and so other people learn to accept it and think that way as well. Gender roles, for example. Boys are supposed to never cry, only girls need to learn household chores, boys shouldn't grow long hair or put on makeup, girls shouldn't get into STEM, blue is a manly color, pink is not, etc etc. None of this is actually true, but because of the specific values society has created, most people treat these as if they are. And so these values pass on to each new generation, as kids are conditioned that this is how the world works and that is why you should or shouldn't do this thing.
ReplyDeleteParents, by treating certain things certain ways, will condition kids to accept their values. Stuff about grades, culture, religion, race, society, and so on and so forth. If you live in a strict family you'll probably figure that authority of any sort must be obeyed. If you live in a christian family you'll probably figure that Christianity is the way to go. Stuff like that.
Conditioning gets particularly nasty when it causes people to just blindly follow something without thinking, or hold values that are harmful to themselves or others. Good or bad, people must think about their choices and what is really right and wrong, not just think that a certain thing is the Truth and that is how it has always been and must always be. Narrow-mindedness does not an accepting society make.
Conditioning today provides a basis for everyone in our society to function such as social norms, political correctness, and manners. While conditioning does conform everyone to one standard, it is hard to imagine a world without conditioning. In some ways, conditioning from our families may be used interchangeably with ethnicity and culture identity. In other cases, conditioning from our country may be used interchangeably with patriotism. Though Brave New World presents conditioning as an extreme, elitist, and single-sourced criteria to create a perfect society, the conditioning that goes on today has more variation from country to country and from culture to culture. The result of these different conditionings is diversity. Brave New World shows us what conditioning looks like on a detrimental level.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that. The conditioning presented to us in "Brave New World" is highly inhumane and definitely an extreme. We cannot compare social norms or aspects of or culture (such as unique traditions) to the conditioning performed at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. The "conditioning" people feel in our society points to parents, teachers, and large corporations. While parents and teachers are wrongly accused of this "conditioning", I do agree that large corporations may be dipping into that practice ever so slightly. This is evident in countless ads that seem to seep into every corner of our spare time: commercials, social media, billboards, flyers...etc. This form of conditioning is quite negative. I believe it engraves our minds with meaningless slogans and catch phrases and even goes as far as to eat away at our culture.
DeleteOur interactions with society constantly conditions us, whether we know it or not. When we show up to class late, our parents get an email informing them of our tardy, and thus, we are effectively being conditioned to not be late to school. Examples are not limited to just limited to tardiness, however. Our constant interaction with one another often shapes who we are and what we do. Ever since birth, our parents have been slowly instilling their values upon us through conditioning. Our teachers have constantly stressed the importance of academic success through conditioning. And not to mention, our friends (and society as a whole) have conditioned us to act in ways that are socially acceptable. Conditioning doesn’t really serve a purpose, but it is the byproduct of society. A societal hierarchy will create conditioned individuals simply based on its functions of authority. A higher power will always seek to condition individuals, and this process is inevitable. Conditioning as a whole is inevitable, but there is an extent to which it is reasonable. The conditioning used in the novel Brave New World, is a perfect example of conditioning gone bad. The excessive conditioning produces individuals with no unique traits (predictable traits), and thus results in minimal diversity.
ReplyDeleteThe people around us, whether it be our parents, teachers, or friends, influence us. As we are exposed to different types of people, we gain experience; thus we become conditioned. Conditioning is the process of finding a balance between authority, love, and rebellion. It reveals to us the just from unjust, the definitions of love, sacrifice, and good state, and which authority must we answer to. I think conditioning is necessary to a certain extent, as it will allow people to abide by the norms of society, but excessive conditioning will lead people to become insular.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kang To Lee. By finding the balance between emotions allows us to determine the just from the unjust. The perfect amount of this conditions allow people to function and understand society.
DeleteSociety conditions us through our role models and the environment we grew up in. Our most obvious role model, our parents, have the most impact in terms of conditioning for individuals because we spend a majority of our life with them. Their values, ideas, and traditions all get passed down, for the most part, to their son/daughter giving their children an initial sense of determining what is wrong versis what is right. Also the environment a student grows up in plays an influential part in conditioning an individual, by learning what others think are wrong/right, what actions will cause us pain/discomfort, and what actions will reward us, people begin developing their own identity. Conditions is good because it allows us to adapt to our environment by being able to identify what is harmful and what is not. On the other hand, conditioning becomes bad when it begins to do more harm, to the individual's health, than good.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Brandon, parents play a huge role in our lives and the way we grow up. It's important that parents steer the right direction but also let the kids have a life of their own.
DeleteThe way society conditions us as early as when we were kids, is that it tells us not to stand out and to not be different, like they say, “Do as you’re told and don’t ask any questions.”. As kids we all want to be the same, wear the same brands, play the same sports, talk the same, act the same, and even have similar hair cuts. That’s because when we see that everyone is doing it, it must be right, so we then do it. Once we grow up and learn ourselves a bit, which is generally Junior High or High School, we start to be different and want to stand out. For the most part, parents always want the best for their children, so they condition us to stay away from things that can later harm us. This is a wide range from not doing drugs, to showing up to school and being prepared so we can get an education and have a good paying job to support ourselves and our kids. Teachers condition us in a way by giving us certain tasks and having us complete it, or having us work with a group so we can learn to collaborate and make friends. They also want us to be in class on time so we don’t miss anything and so being late is not a habit we develop. In a sense conditioning is good, we go through phases, we learn new things, and learn ourselves. However there are types of bad conditioning, for example pushing your kid into doing what you want them to do and not letting them have fun or explore their options and do what they want. This way the child will always grow up not living life to fullest, and accomplishing their dreams.
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