The essence of a perfect social life entails the vibrant relationship between people and their surroundings. Sociology only becomes eminent when there is an ideal connection between people and their environment. Individuals practice binary oppositional logic as a means of self defense mechanism in order to avoid being vulnerable to circumstances. This occurs when someone resists the nature of society. Society has its norms based on the law of nature, so it becomes a two way antagonism. The consequences of thinking in terms of binary opposition result to rebellion. Life has so much to offer only when people make their significant contributions to it as well.
Metcalfe and Game illustrate that this wonderful life becomes more alive when people appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. Bach remains one of the most magnificent composers of all time because he appreciated his Deity’s presence to unfold in his music. We innately inspire the spirit of gratitude by ourselves from deep within. By having the attitude of gratitude, we become enlightened about the nature of life. When we take life for granted, the world seems unproductive and meaningless. The power of positive thinking creates the wellbeing of appreciating the exquisiteness and mystery of this life. We become directional both inherently and within the frameworks of sociology when we appreciate the essence of life1.
Variety is created by the diversity that exists between identity based and relational ways of living in our daily lives. When we know and identify ourselves intrinsically, we are also bound to relate extrinsically well with the world around us. We spontaneously adapt to the norms we found existing in the world because we understand the dynamics of life. We can also choose to break a few rules depending on our perceptions of how we want life to be. This entails not concurring with the existing norms in the society. This further diversifies the nature by which people live and adapt to the dynamics of the society.
I have personally experienced the consequences of not keeping time as expected. I was two minutes late to an internship job interview and the interviewers did not grant me the opportunity to proceed with the interview. Lateness is not condoned by many people, especially in the corporate world. Time keeping is a norm that was designed by humans in order to organize a schedule of activities. I lost on the interview due to my lateness, but I learnt a lot from the experience especially concerning the value of timekeeping. This is a norm that I found existing in the world and I have to adapt to the dynamics that it conveys to me and to the world.
The spatial and temporal characteristics of our experiences shape and define our social lives in the world we live in. We become accustomed to the traditions that individuals practice, which inevitably become part and parcel of our daily lives. Eventually, we also manage to familiarize ourselves on how we are supposed to live and behave within the spheres of our environment. For instance, this is illustrated by whether or not our dress codes are appropriate for the society or for a specific occasion, how we are expected to greet and salute our elders, and how we are supposed to honor the significant commemoration festivities in the society. These elements determine the ways by which we live and correlate with each other in the society2.
Bibliography
Metcalfe, AW & A Game, The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Leichardt, 2002.
Footnotes
- AW Metcalfe, & A Game, The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Leichardt, 2002, p. 30.
- AW Metcalfe, & A Game, The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Leichardt, 2000, p. 65.