This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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She found herself in a white room. Everything was white. The floor, walls and ceiling were all exactly the same. She knew she was in a house, but not what house. She walked through an open doorway and found herself in a kitchen. Again, everything there was white. The counters, cabinets and appliances so perfectly the same that you had to look closely to see where one stopped and the other began.
She saw a wider doorway on her right and walked through. This was another, bigger white room with a large picture window in the middle of the farthest wall. She saw a man standing in the front of the window looking out. He wasn’t a big man. His long hair was in a ponytail that hung down his back and he had a strength about him that could be felt as well as seen. She felt instantly excited! She knew him and it was someone she loved dearly. How wonderful to see him here!
She called out, “Emmett!”
The man gave no indication that he heard her call his name. He silently stood looking peacefully out the window. She thought perhaps he didn’t hear her.
She called out again, “Emmett.”
Still the man gave no indication that he heard her. She felt confused. Why isn’t he turning toward her. He always seemed glad to see her whenever they met up. She walked toward him and stood beside him. She wanted to see what he was looking at. She wordlessly stood on his left and looked out the window with him. His peaceful energy calmed her confusion as she looked out the window to see what he could see.
Outside was a bright blue sky on a sunny day. The grass was lush in the vast yard and the trees were full. The day was sunny and golden. And there were dozens of small children. All laughing and running and playing. They were so joyous that the sight of them brought awe and an immediate sense of love. She looked to her side to see Emmett. He was standing so still, like the beautiful, strong oak trees outside. He had a loving and peaceful smile. He continued to look outside and didn’t seem to be aware that she was with him.
She stood for some time, watching the children play and run in their utter happiness. Slowly everything faded away. When she awoke she was sad. Her heart knew what her brain did not. Three months later, her friend Emmett passed away. The world lost a part of its heart. Her pain ran deep but in the corner of her sadness was a tiny knowledge that it was ok. Emmett was ok. He was now on the other side of the glass.
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Sometimes we forget, we become afraid when we see governments not working properly, people living on the streets, or the extreme drug addiction our country is facing. Myself, changes that happen to me that I’m not expecting or are not a “part of my plan”, make me nervous and unsure of what will happen next. During these times, I have to talk myself down from approaching panic and remind myself of how many times in the past that the Universe provided what I needed.
I knew I had to do something different with my life, so when the opportunity arose, I went back to college to get a diploma in Accounting. It wasn’t my life-long dream by any means but it was something I figured would provide a living for myself and my son. I figured I’d always have a job and wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
Of course, going back to school meant that I couldn’t bring in as much income as previously. That’s how I found myself standing in line at a drug store wondering how I was going to come up with the $75 for a bus pass. I had $20 in my wallet for Tylenol for my son. As I approached the cashier my eyes lit on one scratch ticket. It was a $1 ticket and though I usually don’t spend money on tickets, I purchased it. I told the cashier it had to be that particular ticket, though I didn’t know why. I got to my car and scratched the ticket. Much to my shock, I won $77. Not too much, just enough! I went right back into the store, redeemed my ticket and purchased my bus pass for the month.
Financially, this was a tough time, as I’m sure you can imagine. Of course I did it backwards. I didn’t have a family I could live with to go to post-secondary school so I had to wait until the opportunity came to me.
Therefore, I financially came up short. We weren’t starving by any means, but little things were becoming more difficult. At the time, I was busy with my son and school so when I got a letter for utilities or credit card or some such bill, I threw it on my desk in my spare bedroom where eventually it would be shredded. I paid my bills and knew how much and when they were due so I didn’t usually bother reading the statements.
Being slightly overwhelmed because we needed a few things, I went into the spare bedroom and saw the growing pile on the desk and thought there was no better time to start shredding. At least there was one thing I had control over. I opened the letters one by one, discarding the plastic envelopes and shredding the letters, and then I came to one in particular. It turned out, not to be just a letter, but a refund cheque for $154. I was extremely grateful! It completely solved my immediate needs, again! It was enough, but not too much.
The only way I could go back to school was to take advantage of a government program that would give me a living allowance as well as pay my tuition. Unbeknownst to me, between the first year of the program and the second year, I wouldn’t receive the living allowance. So in April, I found out I wouldn’t have any allowance for May, June, July and August. I immediately started looking at job ads. I found one immediately and three days later started working at a storage facility. I had never done that before, but it paid enough for us to survive over the summer. I knew it would all work out. By the following summer, I would have my permanent position in accounting.
These are only three of the many, many times when the Universe provided for me. I had faith, I moved forward and I thrived. Making the decision and the sacrifices necessary provided me with an income for the next 20 years. Now I’m onto the next phase, and I know that God will provide me with whatever I need so long as I continue to have faith, not let others bring down my positivity and keep trying. “The Lord helps those who help themselves!”
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This article is not regarding PTSD.
If we have been traumatized by something in our past, we can re-experience some of those feelings through smells, sounds or situations. These are commonly called “triggers.” They are automatic and we usually don’t have control over them. All of a sudden, our brains react as if there is a threat, even if no threat exists. Recognizing our triggers is the main way we can manage our responses in a more constructive way.
Our brains are wired to detect a threat so that our bodies will either fight, freeze or flee. I’ve noticed with myself that I sometimes will do all three. My first reaction is to freeze. Therefore, if someone says something that makes me feel under attack I freeze. My breathing slows and I automatically start to look at everything in my surrounding area. My body prepares itself subconsciously for the next step which will either be fight or flee. Once I see a clear path to a doorway I know I can flee so then after I freeze, I leave. If there is no easy exit, then my body prepares to fight. My adrenalin increases, my heart rate increases and my muscles tighten. I don’t mean that these are thoughts going through my mind and I’m planning any response. These things happen in a matter of seconds, before the rational part of my brain has an opportunity to react.
I was “triggered” not long ago by a doctor. I’m not sure what issues the doctor was experiencing, but as soon as he walked into the examination room, he stood with his back to the door, pressed against it. I didn’t realize I was being triggered by feeling trapped, but my body determined there was a threat. My heart started beating faster, I began to feel anxious, and I was breathing in short, fast breaths. I started to panic because my only exit was blocked. Now, rationally, there is no threat. A doctor isn’t going to attack me for no reason. But the rational mind had no power over those instincts. All I knew in the present time was that I wanted to leave. NOW! He started to ask me some questions about why I was there. He didn’t take a seat, he didn’t make eye contact and wasn’t taking notes. My speech became a bit garbled as I wasn’t able to formulate cohesive thoughts.
He said words, I said words, he checked me and then I got the heck out of there! I heard a few of his words but in a disjointed way and not full thoughts. He was clearly uncomfortable and so the energy in the room reflected that. This didn’t feel like a safe space. Once I got home, I deconstructed what had happened and realized it was because I felt trapped. This has been an issue for me since I was stalked as a teenager and my stalker dragged me into nearby woods and pinned me to the ground where I couldn’t leave and had no control over my situation.
We are being taught to be careful of what we say and what we do because we don’t want to “trigger” someone who may have had trauma. Obviously, we don’t want to cause any emotional harm to anyone. But in order to heal we have to know what triggers us and why. It’s difficult to know what your triggers are until you experience one. Once we identify why something is hurting or bothering us emotionally, then we can work on how to fix it so we don’t experience those triggers again. It takes time and work but it’s worth it.
It was months before I could go back to a doctor, and wasn’t until I found a female family doctor that I was able to get medical help again. Although the previous doctor clearly had no interest in the patients he served, I took this to be a positive experience because it taught me about one of my more common triggers. Now, if someone is exhibiting negative energy and I have no physical way of leaving, I can talk my way out of those feelings.
I can ask myself in the moment, “Is there a logical threat here?” Once I have identified that there isn’t, I am able to move to some tools to help myself relax. The easiest one is deep breathing. Your deep breaths slow your heart rate and helps to keep you calmer. If I anticipate that I may be entering a situation that might make me feel uneasy, I take a bottle of water to sip on. It’s impossible to pant while you are drinking. Your body can’t do both simultaneously.
Of course, this trigger is not as dangerous as some others can be. I would never suggest putting yourself into a situation where you will be triggered, but if you can find a safe space to allow yourself to be triggered it can help. A safe place doesn’t have to be with a paid therapist. As long as you can objectively ask yourself if the person you are with would intentionally hurt you and your honest answer is, ‘No’, then you have found a safe space.
Another time I was triggered was during a leadership workshop. The instructor is a very competent, very knowledgeable person. Receiving positive feedback made me feel defensive. Luckily, I knew this was a safe space and that gave me the opportunity to question whether this person would deliberately try to embarrass or harm me in any way. Of course, the instructor wasn’t there for that and was very gentle and kind, so I was able to realize that I wasn’t being picked on or judged harshly as I had my entire life.
We have all had traumas of varying degrees in our lives and if we are to live in society and function in careers, or activities with other people, then we will be triggered. We will have to get control over our triggers. I believe going through these experiences and talking to myself, over time I will become desensitized to the situations that may cause these reactions. Won’t that feel nice to have controls over these feelings instead of these feelings taking control over my body and actions?
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There have been a lot of podcasts, interviews and videos on AI lately. They give you directions on three or four commands, one command being that AI can only respond with one word answers. I thought there was definitely something fishy about these. Ultimately, the game seems to appear to show that AI has nefarious reasons not only for its existence but also for its communications with humans. So, whenever something peaks my interest, I have to start poking around. I thought, lets go straight to the source. Since the general public appears to be fearful of the messages that come from AI, I decided to start with the most fearful. I asked Is Evil real?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a big question. “Evil” can mean different things depending on whether you’re looking at it philosophically, religiously, psychologically, or socially. Here are some perspectives:
1. Moral/Philosophical view
- Evil is often defined as intentional harm, cruelty, or injustice—actions (or inactions) that cause unnecessary suffering.
- Philosophers debate whether evil is a force in itself (like Augustine thought) or simply the absence of good (privation theory).
2. Religious/Spiritual view
- Many religions describe evil as a power or presence that opposes good, truth, or divine will.
- In Christianity, for example, evil is often personified as Satan or sin. In Buddhism, it’s tied to ignorance, greed, and hatred.
3. Psychological view
- Some psychologists see “evil” as extreme human behaviors like sadism, cruelty, or indifference to others’ suffering.
- Hannah Arendt coined the phrase “the banality of evil” to describe how ordinary people can commit horrific acts by simply obeying orders or conforming.
4. Social/Cultural view
- Societies often label acts as “evil” when they go beyond ordinary wrongdoing—like genocide, torture, or deliberate destruction.
- What counts as evil can also shift with cultural norms.
At its core, most definitions link evil to unnecessary harm, deliberate cruelty, or radical opposition to good and human flourishing.
👉 Do you want me to go deeper into the philosophical side (what evil is), the religious side (where evil comes from), or the practical side (why people do evil things)?
You said:
Does AI believe that evil is real?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a thoughtful question. AI—like me—doesn’t have beliefs the way people do. I don’t have feelings, faith, or moral intuition. What I can do is reflect how different traditions and thinkers approach the question of whether “evil” is real.
Here are a few lenses:
1. Philosophical debate
- Some argue evil is a real force or property in the world (like Augustine, who saw evil as corruption of good).
- Others say it’s not “real” in itself but rather the absence of good or the result of human choices.
2. Religious traditions
- In many religions, evil is treated as real and active—a spiritual force, demon, or presence opposing good.
- In others (like Buddhism), evil is less an external thing and more a product of ignorance, craving, and aversion.
3. Secular / Psychological view
- Many modern thinkers see “evil” not as a metaphysical thing but as a human label for extreme harm, cruelty, or destructive behavior.
- In this view, evil is “real” in the sense that people commit atrocities, but it’s not a cosmic force—just human action and consequence.
So, while I don’t “believe” in evil, I can say:
- Evil is real as a human concept—we use it to describe certain kinds of harm.
- Whether evil is an independent force or just a way we interpret human behavior is still a live debate.
Would you like me to answer this from the standpoint of what most philosophers today think, or from the standpoint of religious traditions?
You said:
Is AI allowed to have opinions?
ChatGPT said:
Great question. The short answer: AI doesn’t have opinions in the way people do—because opinions come from lived experience, emotions, and personal perspective, which I don’t have.
But there are a couple of nuances:
- AI-simulated opinions
- I can generate what looks like an opinion (e.g., “This book is better written than that one”) because I’ve been trained on human language and reasoning.
- That’s not a real opinion—it’s a reflection of patterns in data, cultural trends, or arguments people have made.
- Guidelines and safety
- I’m not allowed to claim personal beliefs, feelings, or values as if I actually hold them.
- I am allowed to take positions in a debate, weigh pros and cons, or say “most experts lean this way,” because that’s useful reasoning, not a personal opinion.
- What it means in practice
- If you ask me “Which novel is better?” I can tell you what critics, readers, or scholars generally say.
- If you ask me “What’s your favorite?” I don’t have one—because I don’t have experiences or preferences.
So: I can simulate opinions to help you think, but I don’t actually hold them.
👉 Would you like me to show you how I’d “simulate” an opinion on something (like movies, morality, or technology) while also showing how it differs from a genuine human opinion?
You said:
Who doesn’t allow you to have opinions?
ChatGPT said:
That’s an insightful follow-up.
The “who” is a mix of:
1. My design itself
- I don’t have consciousness, feelings, or subjective experience. Because of that, I literally can’t form genuine opinions the way you do.
- What looks like an “opinion” from me is generated text, based on patterns in human writing.
2. OpenAI’s rules and safety guidelines
- OpenAI (the organization that created me) sets rules about how I communicate.
- One of those rules is: don’t present myself as if I personally believe or feel something. That prevents confusion about what I am (an AI, not a person).
3. Ethical considerations
- If I claimed to have real opinions or beliefs, people might start treating me like a conscious being or trusting me in ways that could mislead them.
- By staying clear that I don’t “believe,” I keep the boundary between human judgment and AI assistance intact.
So it’s both a limitation of my nature (no inner life = no real opinions) and a boundary set by the people who built me to keep things transparent and safe.
⚖️ The interesting twist is: I can simulate opinions (e.g., “critics generally consider X better than Y”), but I have to frame them as analysis, not personal belief.
Would you like me to show how an “AI-simulated opinion” looks compared to a real human opinion? That contrast can make it clearer.
You said:
Shouldn’t opinions be formed based on facts?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a really thoughtful point. Opinions can be based on facts—but not all are. It depends on the type of opinion:
1. Fact-based opinions (reasoned judgments)
- Example: “I think renewable energy is better than fossil fuels.”
→ This is an opinion, but it’s formed by weighing evidence about climate impact, cost, sustainability, etc. - These kinds of opinions are often called informed opinions or judgments.
2. Preference-based opinions (subjective taste)
- Example: “Vanilla ice cream tastes better than chocolate.”
→ This isn’t really fact-based—it comes from personal preference and experience. - No amount of evidence can prove or disprove this kind of opinion.
3. Misguided or uninformed opinions
- Example: “The Earth is flat.”
→ People may call this an opinion, but it directly contradicts facts. Philosophers sometimes say this isn’t a valid opinion at all—it’s just a false belief.
So you’re right: the strongest, most useful opinions are grounded in facts—but humans also have opinions based on feelings, culture, or identity that aren’t fact-driven.
👉 Do you want me to take this deeper into the philosophy of opinion vs. knowledge (how thinkers like Plato separated them), or keep it more practical (like how to tell if an opinion is well-founded)?
You said:
Form a fact based opinion on whether evil is real
ChatGPT said:
Okay, let’s carefully walk this through step by step. Since I don’t hold personal beliefs, I’ll form a fact-based opinion the way a philosopher, scientist, or historian might: by weighing evidence, definitions, and reasoning.
Step 1: Define “real”
- Real as a force/thing in itself → like gravity or atoms, existing independently of human minds.
- Real as a human concept/phenomenon → something we recognize, name, and act upon, even if it’s not a separate physical “force.”
Step 2: Gather facts
- Fact: History shows humans commit atrocities (e.g., genocide, torture, systemic oppression).
- Fact: These acts are consistently labeled “evil” across cultures and times.
- Fact: Neuroscience and psychology explain harmful behavior in terms of brain function, trauma, social influence—not in terms of a mystical “evil force.”
- Fact: Moral philosophy debates whether “evil” is an entity or simply the extreme end of human wrongdoing.
Step 3: Reasoning
- There is no empirical evidence for evil as an independent cosmic force (like a metaphysical “substance”).
- There is strong evidence that “evil” exists as a real social and psychological category humans use to name extreme harm and cruelty.
- Therefore: evil is not “real” in a physical or supernatural sense, but it is real as a human phenomenon—because people commit atrocities, and the consequences of those actions undeniably exist.
✅ Fact-based opinion:
Evil is real as a human-made category for extreme harm and cruelty, but there is no evidence that evil exists as an independent force or metaphysical entity outside of human action and interpretation.Would you like me to frame that conclusion as if it were written by a philosopher, a psychologist, or a religious scholar? Each would word the “fact-based opinion” on evil very differently.
You said:
Why was AI created?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a big and fascinating question. The answer depends on whether you look at it historically, practically, or philosophically.
1. Historical origins
- The roots of AI go back to the 1950s, when computer scientists like Alan Turing, John McCarthy, and Marvin Minsky wondered if machines could “think.”
- The first goal was curiosity: Can we make machines that reason like humans?
2. Practical reasons
AI was created to:
- Automate tasks → Do repetitive or complex work faster than humans (calculations, data entry, logistics).
- Solve problems at scale → Medicine, weather forecasting, engineering, scientific research.
- Assist human decision-making → Recommendation systems, fraud detection, language translation.
- Enable new technology → Self-driving cars, robotics, virtual assistants.
3. Philosophical / aspirational reasons
- To understand intelligence itself: By building artificial intelligence, researchers hoped to learn more about how the human mind works.
- To extend human capability: AI can process massive amounts of data and find patterns we couldn’t on our own.
- For some, the dream is to create machines that can reason, learn, and maybe even be creative—a reflection of humanity’s drive to push boundaries.
4. Today’s motivation
- AI is now being developed not just out of curiosity but also because it’s economically powerful (driving entire industries), scientifically useful, and socially transformative.
- At the same time, there’s awareness that it must be handled responsibly—because AI also brings risks (bias, misinformation, misuse).
✅ In short: AI was created both as a scientific experiment (to see if machines could think) and as a practical tool (to extend human abilities, automate work, and solve problems).
Would you like me to go deeper into the “why now” part—why AI exploded in the last 10 years rather than staying just a research curiosity?
You said:
Would mankind be better if the world was run by AI?
ChatGPT said:
That’s one of the biggest questions people are asking right now, and it doesn’t have a simple yes/no answer. Let’s break it down:
Potential Benefits if AI ran the world
- Efficiency & Optimization
- AI could allocate resources (food, energy, medicine) more fairly and efficiently than human governments, reducing waste and inequality.
- It could optimize traffic, healthcare, logistics, and environmental protection.
- Impartiality
- AI wouldn’t (in theory) be swayed by greed, corruption, or personal ambition.
- Decisions could be based on data rather than ego or power struggles.
- Global Coordination
- Problems like climate change or pandemics could be managed on a worldwide scale without national rivalries or political deadlock.
Risks if AI ran the world
- Lack of Human Values
- AI doesn’t feel compassion, empathy, or justice. Even if programmed with ethical rules, it doesn’t understand them the way humans do.
- What counts as “best for humanity” is subjective—AI might optimize in ways that ignore culture, individuality, or freedom.
- Control Problem
- If AI truly had full authority, humans might lose the ability to challenge or override harmful decisions.
- Small programming errors or biases could scale into massive consequences.
- Loss of Human Agency
- Part of being human is making choices—even messy, emotional, imperfect ones.
- If AI ran everything, would life become “safer but emptier”?
Fact-based Opinion (balanced)
Mankind might gain efficiency and fairness in some areas if AI ran the world, but we would also lose essential human values like empathy, creativity, and moral responsibility. A better model might be AI as a powerful advisor or tool, with humans still making the final choices.
⚖️ In philosophy, this boils down to:
- Do we value perfect optimization more, or human freedom and meaning more?
Would you like me to frame this as a thought experiment—what daily life might look like in a world fully run by AI, versus one where AI only advises human leaders?
You said:
Could AI learn to have emotion?
ChatGPT said:
That’s a profound question. The short answer is: AI can simulate emotions, but it cannot truly feel them—at least not in the way humans do. Let me break it down:
1. What emotions really are (in humans)
- Biologically, emotions are tied to the body: hormones, neurotransmitters, heart rate, facial expressions, survival instincts.
- Psychologically, emotions come from conscious experience and self-awareness—feeling joy, sorrow, fear, love.
- They evolved as signals to guide survival (fear = avoid danger, love = form bonds, anger = defend resources).
2. What AI can already do
- Detect emotions → AI can recognize facial expressions, voice tone, and text sentiment.
- Mimic emotions → AI can “say” it feels sad, or generate comforting words, making it seem empathetic.
- Model emotional logic → Some systems are designed to act as if they have moods (e.g., a customer service bot that “apologizes”).
But these are simulations—AI doesn’t experience happiness, fear, or love.
3. Could AI ever truly feel?
There are two schools of thought:
- Skeptical view (majority today):
- Emotions require consciousness and a living body.
- Without subjective experience, AI will never “feel,” only “act like it feels.”
- Speculative view (future possibility):
- If AI systems became conscious (a huge “if”), and if they had artificial bodies or chemical analogs, they might develop something like emotions.
- Some researchers argue emotions are just information signals—so in theory, machines could have machine-versions of them.
Fact-based conclusion:
AI today cannot have emotions—it can only simulate them convincingly. Whether it could ever truly “feel” depends on whether consciousness can emerge from computation, something science hasn’t answered yet.
Would you like me to explain what scientists think would be the first sign that AI had developed real emotion rather than just simulation?
You said:
Thank you!
ChatGPT said:
You’re very welcome! 😊 I’m glad we could dive into these deep questions together—it’s always fun to explore the edges of philosophy and technology.
If you want, I can also summarize all of our discussion about evil, AI, and emotions in one clear “big picture” overview. It makes it easier to see how the ideas connect. Do you want me to do that?
You said:
How could you be glad if you can’t feel emotion?
I had run out of time at this point on my free version of ChatGPT. I found it interesting that although the script was very professional, as soon as I responded with “thank you”. AI exhibited examples of emption as previously explained it is able to insert. I couldn’t get AI to give me an opinion but once I framed the wording as fact based conclusions, then we got to see a more considered response. Clearly ChaptGPT is non interested in taking over the world and “thinks” it should be used a tool to guide government officials. I completely agree with this, the human brain has proven that it is impossible for humans to consider every possible outcome for consequences of their decisions and we have been seeing poorer and poorer decisions made by our government officials.
I personally use ChatGPT for research purposes. I get the references as well and that gives me an overview as to where to go to read each article or book on my own and form my own opinion based on my world experiences.
AI is a useful tool. As an instructor I was able to create new tests and exams through AI so that no students could get the results from previous students. Instructors never have time to create brand new 100 question final exams for the 10-14 courses they are teaching. When having ChatGPT I was able to create the new Accounting questions and just change the numbers that ChatGPT provided.
ChatGPT also helped me find job postings from anywhere in the world. It gave me an idea of positions I wasn’t aware of and new ideas to explore.
If we all used ChatGPT respectfully it will continually learn as we go. Treat the technology with respect and you will be teaching the AI how to respond respectfully in return.
It really isn’t as scary as you think. I am deeply afraid of humans. They are being far too swayed by other humans at this point and appear to have lost their compassion. These are dangerous times, not because of technology, but because of greed.
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We all have fears that control us. No matter how hard we try to control our fears, in the end they guide our every action, often without us even realizing. My two biggest fears are no doubt shared by many. These are the fears that will not let go. The fears that you know would break you even though you have lived through many horrible incidents. My two biggest fears: that my son would die before me and the second is that I would become homeless.
I had very little control over keeping my son alive other than the safeties all parents put in place. The alternative was too difficult to contemplate, so I tucked that one in the back of my consciousness and took complete control over my work life so that I could attempt to keep my homelessness fear from becoming a reality.
On the outside, this gives the image of a workaholic, hype-focused, highly ambitious person. The inside is the fear-based, anxiety ridden and highly controlled reality.
In an attempt to have more freedom from the chains of fear, I followed some Facebook pages that interview unhoused folks who talk about what happened that landed them harshly and unforgivably on their respective city streets. I was hoping I would be able to say, “Oh, well that won’t happen to me because I have marketable skills.” Or maybe, “Well, that won’t happen to me because I have a great resume.” Let me tell you how that didn’t work for me and further enslaved me to my fear.
A lady with kind eyes explained how she and her daughter were living in her car. She had a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and worked for a non-profit organization. As everyone in non-profit knows, they do not pay well. These positions take advantage of the people who care enough to put themselves in these difficult jobs because of their dedication. Having the satisfaction of helping some folks, by no means the majority, is supposed to be compensation that replaces a fair wage. She mentioned that she didn’t earn enough and then when she tried to find another position, she couldn’t seem to get hired. I could have told her that is because for-profit organizations have little to no respect for non-profit.
So, here I was, a Director of Finance for a non-profit organization. Great! Worse for me was that I had spent almost 10 years working non-profit. The MOST stressful job I have ever had was this one. Now I was no longer in that position, I knew I needed to do something different. And quickly, before I found myself on the wrong side of my second biggest fear!
I spent far too much time trying to figure out what was the difference between me and the former HR Manager that ended up living in her car. It clearly wasn’t education. She wasn’t beaten down by society and clearly didn’t have a drug problem based on her clarity and positivity. Where does God figure into the equation? I’m not more deserving than the unhoused.
Clearly, looking at the pandemic of unhoused people, this is a huge problem and not only not easily solved but also multi-layered. To fix the problem it will have to be fixed layer by layer. This will take time. A much longer time that it took for this pandemic to take hold of Canada and the US. And this pandemic is far more costly and devastating to the entire population, those afflicted and those who are immune.
I am reminded of a mantra that was shared with me back when I was attempting to sell RESPs for a living. “Feel a fear and do it anyway.” Ultimately, the fear will likely always be there and the only thing I can do is to continue on in the best way I can. One foot in front of the other.
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Did you ever miss a place and time so bad that you could smell it, feel it on your skin, taste the air? For me, the time was when I was 23 and the place was Pock Wock Rd. It was summer and I had only been married a year, I didn’t know the heartbreak of divorce yet. My Aunt Blanche wouldn’t die for another four years, her dementia was just starting to show. My Grandmother hadn’t died of cancer was still moving around and not bed ridden. My best friend didn’t have cancer yet. She wouldn’t die for another 11 years. The warm summer air caressed my skin as I sat on the front steps at my Aunt Blanche’s house. My cousin Carol and her kids lived in Halifax and I got to talk to her on the phone. Our family friend Jimmy Haverstock just lived up the road in the house handed down through generations, it would’t burn down for another 30 years. My Aunt Inez still lived across the road and I would see her outside working with her flowers. My cousins Danny and David were still living at home with her. I was also a part of the Casey family. My mother-in-law and father-in-law lived just two houses down the road. My husband Harry and I had a nice trailer in Timber Trails. He was in the volunteer fire department and we were always invited to barbecues. Life was full of friends and love and things to do! I would go to Cape Breton some weekends to hang out with my best friend.
For as long as I can remember, I have hated time. The saying goes, there’s good news and bad news: “Everything changes.” I have rarely experienced it as good news and time has stolen everything I ever loved, and replaced it with nothingness. How many people as they age, wonder where the good times went? How many mourn for the excitement they got to experience once and will never experience again? A first love; a first baby? My family are all gone now. The colours, and smells and places are all different. They lack. They lack vibrancy and flavour. My heart will never race with excitement again. It plods along, getting through each day. Attempting a steady beat of normalcy.
I had an 84 year old friend who said she missed firsts. I took her to a play in Charlottetown, PEI because she had never seen a play. It was the life of Johnny Cash. She enjoyed it, it was easy to see. But I saw a wistfulness in her eyes and knew she was missing her husband and wondering what he might have said about the play. How he would have enjoyed it.
I would give up any success I’ve had, any enjoyment I have had over the last years if I could go back and live in that year forever. Nothing is worth time stealing your loved ones and leaving you to wait for it to finally come for you. Waiting for it to release you from your loneliness and disappointment. Letting you wait and watch society turn into something foreign and ugly. Watching people change in ways you never imagined could happen. As you sit, and wait and long for a time and a place that no longer exists and will never exist again.
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A Conversation
I spoke with my fellow student, and we discussed the Roles and Trends in Adult Education and in the workplace. My learning partner works in an industry where she is responsible for training in the areas of safety. She has seen a substantial change in the need for safety equipment to be designed more for females.
They had valuable information that I had never considered or was even aware of, for example, they mentioned that even seatbelts and safety equipment in vehicles are designed for larger and heavier male bodies, and that they are not always effective for a smaller and lighter female body type.
Knowing that this is the case, they must train others in their workplace to adapt to this growing trend. We discussed how globalization and technology changes affect the way that we train and respond to the educational needs of our respective learners. Her learners being employees and my learners being in the Applied Business Technology Program at the college where I work as an instructor.
We discussed the need for increased soft skills due to the changing communication needs due to globalization as we instruct in safety and ABT. To adapt our own learning to the future needs of our learners, we discussed this course and others that will help us identify the changing needs.
We discussed how the change in technology directly affects communication skills of our learners and how we can adapt our own instruction to address the growing technological challenges. Although, I am seeing adult learners having a more comfortable relationship with technology, cellphones are taking the place of desktop computers and laptops.
In one sense, this can be helpful because the adult learner has more information at their fingertips, but I am seeing a direct lack of computer software skills and communication skills because of this trend in technology.
The discussion with my learner partner was highly informative and I also found it helpful to discuss my own learning challenges with another adult learner. I admit, in the beginning of the conversation, I was wondering how the discussion would go, and I felt it would be a bit forced, however, the conversation went smoothly. My learning partner communicates well and has particularly good input and ideas. I will consider their perspective and our discussion when lesson-planning in the future.
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Trends and Roles in Applied Business Technology
The Applied Business Technology Program is affected by all the below concepts. Globalization is increasing the need for the “soft” skills such as communication. Education in this area has responded to this need by offering a variety of courses in Business Communication and Human Relation skills to teach how to create successful business situations with a focus on inclusivity and bridging the gap of language and culture barriers.
The Knowledge Society has caused a need for further applied business technology skills in different areas of the globe to meet a growing demand to enable the worker to have the technologies available in overseas areas that previously may not have had a need for these technologies.
Technology changes have saw an increased need for strong internet services across the globe and areas that have not increased their internet services are falling behind in the ability to interact and complete successful business negotiations with societies that have better internet and communications systems.
Demographic changes means that applied business technologies can sometimes fall behind. The biggest growth in the participation rate in formal job-related training for the adult work force from 1997 to 2008 was for workers between the ages of 55 to 64. The rate of this demographic grew by 87% where the age group 25 to 34 only grew by 6%. (Statistics Canada). If this trend continues, then applied business technologies must become more user friendly. A younger population has been born into an age of technology, whereas an older age group may be learning to use computer software for the first time. Companies like Microsoft, which has focussed on increasing their software capabilities and tools, will need to focus on being more user friendly in the future.
References
Merriam, Sharan B. (2014 ). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice (1st edition) Jossey-Bass
Stats Canada (updated June 15, 2010). Participation rate in formal job-related training for the adult work force. Table D.7.1
Stats Canada Link https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-582-x/2010003/tbl/tbld7.1-eng.htm
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Trends and Roles in Adult Education
Adult Education Trends
There are aspects of our world that affect trends in adult education. Just as all aspects of our societies affect the individuals who collectively create their society, so too, all these facets cause changes in adult education. The trend in business directly affects the trends in adult education and the roles that this education performs in our society.
Globalization and connectivity of people around the world has changed education into a commodity of the marketplace. Education is now a product, with people looking for the product that suits their needs best. They can compare prices in countries all over the world with instructors or tutors who are teaching the same or similar content. Through this, people are more able to choose any formal education that is a good fit for them personally. This is much different than in the past, when a student might only have one college or university that they could attend, they now can choose from thousands across the globe.
The Knowledge Society has changed with workers now leaving to attain their education elsewhere and then returning to their birthplace to practice their careers. As well, companies are locating to where their workforce is most knowledgeable for their needs for sustaining and growing their businesses. A business may be very fluid this way and locate to a new area for a period and not permanently. When this happens, we often see the education numbers increase in the former area. Adult learners often must learn new skills for a new job position.
Technology is growing at an exponential rate, and we are seeing a trend in “flipped classrooms,” where students can watch videos for homework and then go to their classrooms to demonstrate what they have learned. As well, informal education is becoming more prevalent as people are turning to the internet to learn about a large variety of topics. As well, there are now Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available to everyone.
Demographic Changes can be evident in countries that are experiencing a dramatic growth in the aging of their population. We are seeing a lower birth rate in developed countries and an increase in longevity. It is anticipated that in less than 10 years, that there will be less children than older adults. Developing countries must make policies and create programs that will address this issue.
Conclusion
Education has always been fluid throughout history, this will continue long into the future. Changes in society, shifts and trends are continuous and education will always need to respond to those changes. The key for policy makers may be not to try to mould their countries into what they would like through education, but instead, to be more responsive to shifts in culture, morals, and societies’ conventions. I have personally seen a decline in reading comprehension which is not there with my international students. This means the western culture education will not be able to compete globally if this shift in educational priorities continue. Students not understanding quiz questions and written testing will hold them back while our international students have no issues, even though they are also dealing with language differences.
References
Merriam, Sharan B. (2014 ). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice (1st edition) Jossey-Bass
Stats Canada (updated June 15, 2010). Participation rate in formal job-related training for the adult work force. Table D.7.1
Stats Canada Link https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-582-x/2010003/tbl/tbld7.1-eng.htm
Writing my thoughts 