Captured Thought: A Life Without Opposites

This may seem extremely random, but sometimes that’s just how my mind works. We’ve discussed many themes this year through the abundance of novels that we have explored. Power. Poverty. Rationality. Irrationality. Love. Greed. Politics. Morality. The list is endless. However, a thought came to me as I was being sidetracked from doing my other homework assignments. So much of what we know- our emotions, our judgment, our perspectives- is based on the knowledge of opposites. Opposites may not be the best word that fits here; maybe it should be dialectics, but opposites seem more applicable to any situation in society.

As we read Heart of Darkness and enter into Conrad’s documentation of the “spiritual darkness” his characters face, we are left with many questions. However, on a broader level, what is darkness? When we think of darkness, it’s in the comparison of light. Darkness is an absence of light. So the modifiers we use to describe darkness are thought of as everything that light is not.

What is wealth without knowing what poverty is? When we have nothing to compare our riches to, what does it become? How important does love become without the awareness of what desolation or hatred leaves a person? We enjoy the passionate emotions from our dear ones. They console your grief. They celebrate your happiness. They become the person you lean on during struggles. We don’t become aware of how precious this is without contemplating a life without love. This leaves a life without joy to share, without laughter to be heard, and without as much meaning.

When you take a look around us, opposites are everywhere. They’re within more grand dialectical relationships. Furthermore, there are opposites, if you will, within similarities. There’s a McDonalds for every Burger King. There’s a Wal-Mart for every Target. There’s a Walgreens for every CVS. They are within story plots. There’s a hero for every villain. They are within relationships. There’s a man for every woman.

The importance of opposites is that it provides a deeper meaning for what we experience. Knowledge is based on what we have only experienced or have come in contact with. If we are ignorant of the opposing side, then we never fully understand our own position. It truly makes me wonder what a life without opposites would be like. Is it even possible? Even nature has surrendered to this. Day is to night as sun is to moon. Life, itself, would be completely different and restructured. If it were possible, it would seem like a life I would not enjoy living. I would imagine it like a single path that you couldn’t stray from. A world without opposites almost restricts multiple points of view and is just an overall lopsided world. I know almost no one thinks about absurd situations like this, but sometimes my mind wanders too far. I apologize. However, I am still grateful for this world filled with opposites.

Connection: Postmodernism and Barack Obama

Recently in class, we have made comparisons between the two different modes of thought of modernism and postmodernism. We have seen physical examples of postmodernism (i.e. the Nike commercial) and have discussed it in-depth. However, postmodernism is much more than a dry concept of the past used to accompany the learning of Heart of Darkness. It is present in the living examples of daily life. I believe President Obama is a postmodern man.

In a postmodern era, nothing is sure because you can’t express or grasp the “whole.” There’s no sure career path, no sure relationship, and no sure bet. This era is about shades of gray on a daily basis. President Obama knows how to cross this grey zone with utmost skill and more importantly, persuades us all into following along while simultaneously easing our worries about it.

Biologically, Barack Obama is a postmodern man. From his family tree to his psychological makeup, Obama is an integration of multiple worlds and points of view. From his Kenyan father to his Kansas born mother, from his stay in Indonesia as a child to growing up in Hawaii, from his Muslim name to his Christian faith, and from his Ivy League education to his community service with the poor defines his current interaction with politics. President Obama unifies distant characteristics to form his character.

Along with that, Obama’s emphasis on the community rather than the individual illustrates his postmodern mind. His slogan is “Yes WE can!” as opposed to “Yes I can!” Obama states, “WE are the ones WE’ve been waiting for. WE are the change that WE seek.” For example, Obama’s belief on health care is that the government has the responsibility to provide it to ALL citizens. This is rooted in his sense of community. The community, not each individual, is charged with the care of each other, instead of the individual first.

Furthermore, the creative style Obama utilizes is far postmodern than the normal modernist actions used by past politicians. His use of technology allows him a fresh way of doing things in Washington. He utilizes Facebook, email, television commercials, community blogs, and much more to be an “innovative, creative solution seeker.” No one else is playing the “fresh and new ideas” like Obama is, or can.

In addition, Obama also has the mental and physical toughness to stand in chaos and come out of it a stronger man. When you look at Obama’s face when his truth is being questioned-instead of an evil eye or a smirk like you get from some other politicians- you get the sense that his whole being is absorbing the question.

Unlike modernism’s awareness of savagery and distrust, within Obama’s postmodern world are the two central themes of hope and faith. His hope radiates a sense of promise for the future and optimism even though events may seem to be going in the opposite direction. His faith allows him to believe in something for which there isn’t definitive proof. Hope and faith make change and political option possible in the face of uncertainty. Obama knows the secret blend of hope, faith, and politics. President Obama personifies the contradictions of a postmodern man. There’s substance behind the image, ideas behind the rhetoric, and a man behind the politician.

This relationship matters to me because it illustrates the true application of postmodernism and its benefits. This breaking away from the customary “modern” world of affairs is most likely what allowed Obama to win the election. Previously, I’ve mostly been in contact with a lot of negatives of postmodernism and especially Obama’s use of it. However, this connection helps me understand that postmodernism can be adapted to the current, developing society and used to encompass all these characteristics. We talked about how the film about President George Bush should have been based off postmodern principles rather than modernism. In this regard, it is crucial that we equate President Obama to postmodernism to truly understand his character and actions.

Metacognition: First Semester

First semester was a chaotic one for me. I struggled to balance my life for a good amount of the semester. The unique thing about English though was it actually helped me get back on track and allowed enriched learning in my classes. In class, we emphasize the importance of having an open mind, and I see that in the assignments we complete. The broad array of tasks we complete address multiple types of skills that varying people are suited for. We have the formalized vocabulary tests, the spontaneous reading quizzes, “philosophic” essays if you will, creativity spread across numerous projects (like those King Lear skits), explorative discussions, and much more. English class helps me find my strengths and weaknesses and be able to focus on improving that. Something pretty cool I noticed was that once I started finding the right balance between all our “genres” of English assignments, I simultaneously was balancing all my other classes much better. It could be all the skills English puts to use or maybe there’s something magical about English class (ha-ha...I kind of the like the second one).

The main influence English class has had on me this semester was massively enhancing my ability to EXPLORE. Rhythm within sentences- that’s what jumpstarted this idea. Once I learned the power that the simple formation of words could yield, my mind completely viewed things from a different perspective. From then on, I was able to discover deeper meanings in literature in a new and unique manner. I try to pay attention to the details of the way it’s structured. It’s like I’m competing in the author’s own scavenger hunt. I love our discussions in class because it really pushes my thinking to go the limits. After hearing an interesting idea, I ponder it awhile and new ideas continuously branch off as I explore it.

In Sophie’s World and in some other discussions, we’ve talked about the thinking process. Now, more often than ever, I attempt to find middle-ground thinking in any given situation. It helps with my exploration process.

When my thinking is driven by exploration, that’s when it’s at its best. I also tend to enjoy these results more because I felt I plunged into something deeper independently. Independent discovery guided by classroom assignments has an awesome feeling. Something I was frustrated about with my thinking was the fact that on numerous occasions it was stunted. I think the reason for this was because I couldn’t choose to stick with one idea to explore. I tried dealing with many at once. This pertains most well when being forced to write class essays. As I transition into the second semester, I’m going to choose more effectively what I explore to hopefully avoid these “brain stunts”. Overall, this semester helped me explore myself down to the roots of my thinking process and it helped me discover myself to a fuller extent.

Blogging Around

I chose to first comment on Taylor's blog which analyzed the song "Sleep Through the Static" by Jack Johnson. She discussed how music allows us to express ourselves and criticize society and how people are more receptive to music. She also talked about how society tends to ignore issues that occur around the world. I responded with the following:

"Taylor,
You have an interesting post here. I wholeheartedly agree that society is more receptive of music probably more than any other form of communicative expression. The power of music is often not taken for its full importance, but it is much more powerful than some believe. When you have a good artist writing a beautiful song with passionate emotions and meaningful lyrics, the strength of their message is much more powerful, and listeners can feel that. Fans of music and even those who are not are reeled in by the rhythm that makes your head nod and opens their ears to listen to the words with a clear mind. People tend to listen to views they normally wouldn’t when it’s in the form of music.

I also agree that people are often unaware of the issues going around them; I find myself a victim to this from time to time. Sometimes we hear or see tragic events, and all we do is make a small comment and then push it out of our minds. People don’t want to think anymore past that. People don’t know about the importance that events in other countries can have on their lives. Maybe it’s fear that’s holding them back? The fear of exploring into an unknown territory. Maybe it’s ignorance? Maybe it’s something more than that?
All in all, nice post! Also, nice song choice!"


Next, I chose to respond to Chelsea's blog which connected classroom collaboration to collaboration on the volleyball court. I commented with the following:

"Chelsea,
I can really connect to your post since I’ve experienced some of these feelings when playing volleyball. I’ve learned a lot of helpful qualities from volleyball, but the most important would probably be teamwork. One of the hardest things for me to overcome was to let other people pass/set the ball. I used to run into other peoples’ “areas” and return what should have been their volleyball to hit over. I used to have that mindset that I had to be the one to hit the volleyball over. Eventually, I came to realize that I couldn’t get every ball that came onto our court, and if I tried to it could actually hurt our team. If I went into someone else’s area to return the ball, I would be slow in getting back to my position and miss a spike that I should have returned.

Finally being able to trust others through volleyball truly helped my teamwork skills. It has translated over to academics, specifically when we work on group projects. You said that a “real team” is one that works together to overcome hardships and battles. I agree and I feel like the best groups for an assigned project are those that utilize the strengths and weaknesses best of everyone in that group. Your analysis on the leader-follower struggle is also great. I have to agree with you that both positions are equally important. A group can’t function without having both leaders and followers; finding the balance is difficult but it leads to the best outcome.

Overall, connecting athletics to academics on your part was interesting. Personally, I enjoy these two areas and feel there should be more connections like these that extend beyond the academic setting. Hope club volleyball goes great!"

iMedia: Life is Like a Cup of Coffee

“Life is like a cup of coffee”- a weird comparison but that is exactly what drew me towards this video. This video strikes me personally because I can truly relate to it, and I bet many others can also. Life is full of struggle, stress, and pain, but a large portion of this is caused by our own actions. The way we value and treat things in our life determines how we perceive life. We give such a high value to material possessions, but what value do they actually have? Does this type of value matter? Life is coffee; all the other material possessions, like jobs, money, and our “social rank”, are all cups. They are tools we utilize to contain life. I feel I sometimes overly concern about the materialistic values in my life this prevents me from enjoying the coffee. This video helped me to reveal that I need to strive to not care for the type of cup I hold life in, but to value the gift inside.

This affects our culture because in our capitalist society today we overly emphasize our cups in life. We compete and compare to always have the best cups possible. Yet, we also complain and struggle to find happiness in our lives. We wonder why is this so? When we erase the distinction between types of cups, we can find a deeper meaning to life. We erase the divisions between people. There are no Africans, Latinos, Asians, and Americans. There is no rich, poor, or middle class. There is no privileged and unprivileged. There are only humans. By focusing on life itself instead of the various tools that merely form its exterior will we be able to truly value it.

The video’s use of beautiful pictures, inspiring music, and a touching story help vocalize the message it attempts to deliver. This specific media matters because its message is one that should be passed to all people. Media is one of the best forms of communication. It’s crucial this inspiring story is contained in this specific type of media because that is the best way for people to learn its message. We know people look to material values first, so the video’s use of images and music is what appeals to them. If the story was merely written on paper, it wouldn’t be as popular with people. People would fail to notice it. An inspiring story within attractive media features is the method to spread the message.

Again this piece of media matters to itself because it is a symbol of looking to the more internal value of objects in our life. It matters to me because it helps me rearrange some of my personal priorities and it allows me to view life with a different perspective. It matters to others because it offers a solution to find harmony and happiness within the chaotic order of one’s life.

Connection: Cordelia and Antigone

When we were categorizing characters in King Lear into those who uphold Medieval values and those who uphold Renaissance values, one of the characters we saved for the end was Cordelia. She is one unique character. As I began to think about the qualities that make her so special, I found her resembling another character we studied last year. Just as Cordelia is to Shakespeare, Antigone is to Sophocles.

Cordelia is a noble woman in being able to sacrifice owning a third of her father’s kingdom in order to uphold her personal values. She doesn’t need to resort to publicly demonstrating her love for King Lear; in fact, that would make it artificial. Instead, she knows her true love is plentiful within her heart and that is the only place it has to be. Cordelia is also the most loyal to King Lear among his three daughters. She loves him, but not enough to go against her own values. In this way, she is very individualistic. She also attempts to help Lear once he learns of the betrayal of his other two daughters. Lear is traveling to Dover in order to be received by her French army.

Similarly, Antigone is a noble woman. The fathers of both characters eventually turn mad, yet they are both present to assist their fathers in the end. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, remained with her father until he died. Antigone heard with indignation that the body of her dead brother, Polynices, was to rot and be left for the dogs and vultures. Her brother was deprived of essential rites for those who died. Creon, the uncle of Antigone and also Polynices, published a decree prohibiting the burial of Polynices. However, Antigone violated this. When Creon questioned her, she admitted her actions. However, she didn’t regret anything she had done, similar to Cordelia. In fact, she also rudely responded to a higher authority. She said, “Because it was not God nor Justice that heralded the command. I did not think your proclamation coming from a mere mortal should transcend the eternal laws of God.” Just like Cordelia, Antigone had knowingly defied given orders to uphold her own beliefs. She would not be stopped in giving her own brother a basic burial. Although she respects her own uncle, she doesn’t respect him enough to violate her own values.

This relationship matters to me because it shows how a simple act can be grand. Furthermore, we see a more powerful position in women that is new to the era of when the stories were written. Both in ancient Greek and Elizabethan times, we see the dominance of males in political affairs. However, both characters illustrate the strength females have. We learned that Cordelia was a hybrid between Medieval and Renaissance values. This connection helps me to understand those values and attempt to find other characters in other works of literature with that same mix. Cordelia finding the middle ground between the two sets of values is rare enough, but to find another character from a different novel makes it especially unique. Antigone shows utmost loyalty to her father and thus forms her Medieval side; she is also individualistic, breaks the established order by defying Creon, and strategically finds a way to bury Polynices, which helps shape her Renaissance side. Forming connections between characters based on their values is interesting to me, and it helps open up deeper meaning in the characters I read about.

Dialectics: Politics and Morals

This week we listened to an interview with Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli’s The Prince. One of the themes that came up was the idea of ruling with brutality when necessary. He believed the ends justified the means; preservation of the state was the ultimate goal. However, don’t mistake this as always ruling viciously. He believed rulers had to resort to evil sometimes and when it was absolutely necessary. I found this interesting because it jumped around this struggle between political ends and moral ends. Machiavelli doesn’t dismiss morality entirely, but he politically defines the concept. He shapes it into the criteria for accepting cruel action. He does this because he knows that sometimes good results come from harsh actions.

Surprisingly, this idea jumped at me when the Global Activism speaker, Mary Njoroge, came to talk to us. In our discussion groups, we explored this dualism between ethics and politics. In the healthcare debate, yes, it’s morally right that all people should have access to basic healthcare services. However, is that the only reason why a fixing of our healthcare system is so important? No, it’s crucial for our economy since health care costs are undermining its capability. In history, we learned about the reasons slavery was abolished in other nations. Yes, moral revelations about its true horrors was a major cause; however, slavery led to constant tension and rebellion. The high costs in maintaining slaves and rebellion also assisted in its abolition. So in order for the U.S. to aid Africa with education efforts, is a moral incentive enough? Do we also need a political drive (i.e. helping Africa will drastically boost the global economy which in effect helps our nation)?

So often in today’s world, people try to separate politics and morals as much as possible. Politicians are viewed as the least trustworthy officials and religious leaders are the least informed of political events. Politics and moral are viewed as polar opposites. But are they really? Politics can be a necessary expression of ethics. Often, the only way to achieve an ethnic goal is through a group effort- i.e., politics. We live in a society run by politics. So when we practice ethics in relation to society, shouldn’t it be integrated with politics also? Humanitarian efforts that are translated into action are governed by political mechanisms. Our morality pleads with our conscience that we can’t watch and stand by as people starve to death. However, whom we choose to help specifically (or not to help) is a political question.

Each concept doesn’t stand as strong as they do together. In reality, politics/economics can’t stand isolated. The role ethics plays in politics is its premise and its tool. Similarly, there is no moral life unless economic and political life is established first. There can be no moral life that is not both economic and political. We can illustrate the relation between the two in the human figure. Think of our body as the “politics” and our soul as the “morals”. They both coexist and need each other to form one person. We should strive to think about this dialect more often in our lives. Maybe, like Machiavelli’s The Prince, this duality applies more to our leaders. When we seek to create effective policies, we should seek to incorporate a combination of political and moral incentives. The advantages of each will help attract a broader range of people. Our political views are shaped by our personal beliefs (or our morals), and our morals are shaped over time through “political” experiences. We need to eliminate this fear of mixing the two ideas and being afraid of those consequences. Combining the two and trying to find the middle ground gives us a stronger drive and purpose in achieving anything we want. Like they say, “two is always better than one.”