Andean Worldviews

The collective portion of the Andean Worldview where the benefit of the group was more important than the individual. Which would make the most sense because it helps to insure survival of the species. The book mentions the fact that the "Inca's who numbered around 100,000 made over ten million people their subjects."(pg 15) I found that to be interesting because although the idea of making other cultures your subjects is not a new idea throughout cultures across the world, but because they controlling culture was such a small number. Usually its the many who are the more powerful and able to dominate. I found the collectivity portion to where the individual is still not important but more so what they create is. I found the view of reciprocity to be similar to the thinking behind some of the larger religions still practiced today, such as Christianity. Such as heaven and hell, light and dark, good and evil. I think as humans it is not uncommon for us to think in this essence. It is in our very nature to group things into categories to better understand our world. I found the "essence over appearance" to be a very interesting concept. I think that at least here in the US we are the complete opposite of that line of thinking. Its not about what we are or what we do its all about what we have, a constant competition. Perhaps this view was also a survival mechanism originally much like the other mentioned worldviews above. We can interpret this view in the Andean art, for instance with the hidden statues placed inside the temples away from public eyes. But I wonder religiously and socially how this worldview played itself out in the Andean's daily lives.

The masks we wear

I think from a metaphorical perspective as humans we wear masks to disguise ourselves from those around us. Perhaps it is to prevent others from seeing us for what we truly are. I personally think that as humans we tend to worry too much about what others think of us, and are afraid that others won't accept who we are. So we wear masks to disguise our emotions. We smile to hide the fact that we are sad. For instance when we go to our jobs we are told to leave personal problems aside and be happy, energetic, and charismatic. I think as we all know life happens and sometimes that is not the easiest thing to do. I found the mask of the mask of the Tezcatlipoca to be one of the most interesting. I have read some of the Toltec wisdom books, and the term smoking mirrors was used to describe how we view the world not as it actually is but through smoke which is through our own perception thus the "smoking mirror". Unable to get a clear image or view of what your seeing. The term also was meant to be used as we are all the same, even though the smoke some how messes up the translation of that. I found that the way that a decomposing human skull was used for the base was interesting. But I would have to wonder why. It almost seems rather foreboding, almost as if this is what is potential lying underneath our own skin, maybe as a warning? I am not sure though. I guess his name smoky mirror is in relation to the obsidian used to create him, which is also apparently what people of Mesoamerica used to make mirrors.