Z1

conceptual inquiry regarding meaning » value » capability / can do

 
What we believe we can do is often about attitude, and attitudes come with moods. We feel capable or incapable of something. Sometimes we can be strongly encouraged to feel capable or incapable of something by those around us, or even society in general. Those around us, and even society in general, will have certain expectations of what we'll do. And those expectations strongly influence what we believe about ourselves.

Or we can take the initiative and investigate what can be done. Capabilities increase the more we know about a situation. If we better understand a situation, we'll be better equipped to do something about it. And this will still carry moods—only this time the mood will include greater confidence, less resignation, and so on.

Moods are often excellent at telling us that something needs to be done, but they're not always the best in telling us how to do it. That's where we need to de-personalize the situation, become more informed about it, then re-enter it with a greater capacity to do something. This occurs as we keep the question of what we can do in dialogue with what we will do (Q-node).

Insofar as the Q-node addresses will, this node (Z) addresses identity. In this sense, identity is context-dependent. The way we think of ourselves—of who we are—has a lot to do with how people like us are viewed through the lens of societal norms. Part of this way of seeing will involve beliefs about what we're likely to do, who we're likely to become, or what we ought to do and who we ought to become. Identity in this sense is thus strongly linked to a perceived set of abilities—a domain of empowerment. Of course, one could make the argument that one's own personal identity has more to do with what we do with the cards we were dealt, rather than with how society views those cards, but this would be a different conception of identity—one more associated with one's own commitments (Q-node), toward authenticity (S-node).

 
In the I-phase, regarding dynamic reality, Z of W = experiencing as world, and in the O-phase, as involved in subjective intelligibility, Z of M = holistic attending. In each case, this node is a type of activity—the activity of opening, broadening, and being receptive to the whole of experience. Doing this allows us to stay in touch with the moods that disclose what we care about—moods that are motivating, compelling us to act.

Moreover, regarding identity, it's this broad, receptive mode of attending that picks up on the subtle cues exhibited by those around us indicating what kind of person they take us to be. The cues they give are, of course, culturally/historically conditioned, and so identity categories will ultimately be linked with history and culture (X-node).

Please share your thoughts on Discord.