View Single Post Old 09-07-2000, 12:13 PM   #8 Location: Bay
Area Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,200 You did ask for thoughts.
Humans seem to have an obsessive need to quantify things: job
titles; race; IQ; status; etc. There is a benefit to this
because it allows us to make quick mostly/sometimes reliable
judgements on things. In theory, belt colors and ranks can help
with this sort of thing.  Think of this quantification another
way. It's the IT Guy, the Pepsi Guy, the Aikido Guy, the Black
Guy, the Jewish Guy (thank you Magma and CA for this) and ask if
that quantification is always beneficial? What happens is that
quantification sublimates a level of having to look at and
understand who a person is. It makes for laziness. As I've said
before, I suggest that all yudansha put on a white belt and
attend a seminar where no one knows them, it might be an eye-
opener. Look at the recent discussions on hakama. Like it or
not, as a general rule, people defer to those who appear to be
above them. The one thing I tha