All this intelligence.

I like graffiti.

How is organized large scale graffiti going to help? How is this a logical way to disseminate information?

I think organized large scale graffiti would be kick ass. It would be like crop circles every time they hit. News coverage and the whole works. They would convey some powerful message or instruction for the people and the effort could potentially snowball into some anonymous force people can believe in and feel part of.

But what scale of information can you spread? Buzzwords and catchphrases that do little to inform, but rather inflame peoples passions. What kind of information would you spread that is informing on this large scale? I’m not trying to be obstinate I just don’t get how graffiti is going to help at all and what exactly you want to spread with this means. Also, where would you put this graffiti?

Beyond spreading awareness. If everyone on here at the same time focused on a single goal or outcome, there’s evidence that it can really make a difference. Thoughts are things, and sometimes it’s all you have.

I agree with Kyle. I don’t think large scale graffiti is going to spark any change. I like the idea of spreading the message, but there must be another way. In fact, what we are using right now is a great source for spreading knowledge. It only takes a matter of days or possibly even hours for millions of people to see the same thing or obtain the same information. Of course, usually this involves something around the caliber of a cute cat or a white guy who raps fast, however, I believe people are beginning to slowly wake up. Politics and governments around the world are being exposed of their corruption which are seen through occupy protests that have now gone global. There are no secrets with the internet.

With the spreading of knowledge via the internet, the rate of technology is accelerating. It is increasing at an exponential rate, and soon it will pass us by and leave us in the dust if we do not commune with it. This will be our change; this will cause those blind folds to finally be taken off.

Maybe put acid in everyone’s drinking water so they can get on our level of thinking. :)

Rather than spread information via graffiti and street art, why not look to create organizations or NGO’s aimed towards achieving specific goals? i.e. Education reform, meditation retreats, informational websites.

Great, so now that we’ve realized that information means nothing if people aren’t going to do anything. What are we going to do about what’s going on? Supporting NGOs and being an active part of them certainly helps, but are the ones in existence sufficient? Should we come up with a new one specifically suited to what we want to achieve, or can one that’s already in place be used? I know most of us have been taught and brainwashed to sit idly by, but we really shouldn’t be.
As to the graffiti thing: Images often are more influential than words, and if they are put in places where people would frequently see them, they can be very effective. Also, incorporated within the artwork, or right next to it, could be a summary of what the image is portraying and some sort of tip or way to become involved in a movement that will actively be working towards change. In this respect, I think it could be very useful in certain areas (i.e. cities). NGOs are great, but people also have to be aware of their existence and know about what they are trying to do in the first place if they are ever going to gain momentum.

@Manimal I can understand how you would see that merely spreading information is a step behind actually doing something. Where as action means change, information, or the exchange of information, is just a prelude to doing something. This is where people tend to fall short, but in many instances isn’t awareness something that needs to be spread? On many issues simply talking to people can lead them to change. Making people aware issues, or asking them to put forth effort. If I ask someone who just threw there garbage on the ground to pick it up, it has an effect.

Yes, theory can fall short of action interns of quantitative change, but many times appropriate action requires time spent in theory. Action would be wild without the time spent on theory to determine the most effective and effective means of action.

I will not deny that many people, myself included at times, spends all there time in theory and none on action, but to say theory is wasteful I feel lacks understanding. The important part of the theory to action equation should be figuring out how to get the actions to rise out of the theory.

@Manimal firstly, I believe we have definitional differences on words.

I have a few questions if you don’t mind.

How do you become aware of something without some form of information gathering or sense perception? Yes someone becomes aware of something through my actions, but how did the first person become aware? How do I get the guy next door to turn his music down? If by action then what? Keep mine down as an example? Perhaps going over there, but you must speak and relay your thoughts and ideas through communication to the neighbor which is a process of information exchange.

How do you determine what actions to take? Are these not guided by your thoughts, feelings, emotions? I can see that separating the distance between thought and action is important, but without a rational or even irrational thought processes or mechanism to direct your actions they are frayed and failing to impart anything since they are based on nothing. And to guide those actions I need an understanding (this was my usage of theory) of what action I want to take, what is important to me, what influence I want to have and to be able to reassess the effectiveness of that influence.

I am reading some studies now on mirror neurons so I can not comment yet on them, but I will say that the leading example of this is all in motor cortex and mimicry of facial gestures and physical movement. But even if this was all on the up and up for the “theory of mind” I still don’t quite understand. So my actions influences other peoples thoughts, this I can see, but how do my actions lead to a matched state of mind? This is not as apparent to me. How does me stopping to help a guy with a flat tire lead to other people stopping to help this guy with a flat tire? Maybe this is too specific. I have an actual example from my apartment building. My wife and I recycle as much as possible and then some, have been for 3 years at this building. No one else does in the building. I am actively recycling, and tell everyone I know to do it if they don’t, and I’m just not seeing the change. Doesn’t it seem that people have more to there actions then me setting the example?

Lastly, I really don’t understand how information isn’t knowledge. That just totally eludes me. All units of measure are information and knowledge. If I told you that the back door was 6 feet tall after I just measured it, sure your can believe or disbelieve, but does that make it less so, does that information not also mean knowledge of the door? Perhaps this is to conventional. I can see that as humans the information we have may not be actual knowledge, but that doesn’t mean that this pine tree doesn’t have knowable properties that I can obtain in a variety of fashions. And in learning these properties (information) I can better determine how to act upon it, i.e. cut it down, carry it, display it, etc.

I’m just trying to understand where you’re coming from, perhaps we are just looking at the situation similarly, but using different words.

@James Some of us have difficulty earning the money necessary overnight. ;) I certainly have plans I’m working on, though these are constantly changing and evolving the more I learn. Though it is true, I see people trying to affect the world in very different ways, some more successful than others. While I love the ideas of NGOs and frequently try to support them, I do realize that you often have to fight fire with fire to be effective in any way. I’m just not sure how soon I want to sink down into the mire pit, but here’s to hoping I don’t get completely corrupted along the way.