Monday, February 1, 2010
L'Etranger
What I've taken most out of our discussions of this book is the concept of honesty. In order to succeed in this society, you have to share those little white lies. There's a certain etiquette required to be "normal" and usually success happens to those who are "normal" with a touch of crazy. To be wildly successful, you have to be able to fit in with the normal crowd, but have that extra touch of insanity. Meresault was not normal, didn't tell those lies, and gave everyone the brutal honesty- for this he was put to death. It does make a difference that he believed he was successful: "I had been right, I was still right, I will always be right." I believe that in order to be successful, you must be viewed by others as successful. Meresault didn't share that conviction, and essentially didn't care what others thought of him. So perhaps in order to be successful, you must first determine what success means to you. If you agree with my working definition, you will follow the rules with a hint of spice.
Monday, January 18, 2010
A Bug's Life?
Let's be honest: even after days of discussion in class over The Metamorphosis by Kafka, I still don't fully understand it. And I don't think I ever will. I wish I could read this allegory and immediately think, "Why yes, this is a perfect model of the de-humanization of industrialization" while I just thought, "Why is this man a bug?" So, in relation to my question, Gregor does not overcome adversity, but his family does. I think the difference that is made for the family is when the person that they were relying on was taken out of their lives. When their comfort was eliminated, they found that it was their time to step up to the challenge and accept life in that spirit. All along they could have succeeded, but it wasn't until they did it for themselves that they found they could.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
First Semester Findings
Here are my points compiled:
1) You have to find a place of honesty and consider not only yourself, but everyone. Every action you take impacts another person in some way, however small.
2) Good intentions will theoretically lead to a good outcome. Moreso, humility is the key.
3) Be vulnerable, expose yourself and your desire.
4) Even if the odds are stacked against you, run for it. Visualize yourself winning and that picture will motivate you.
5) Everyone can have good intentions, but winners have good actions.
6) Appreciate adversity for what it is, love every minute of it, and dedicate yourself to it.
7) Push yourself to a deeper understanding of everything, even the losing side.
1) You have to find a place of honesty and consider not only yourself, but everyone. Every action you take impacts another person in some way, however small.
2) Good intentions will theoretically lead to a good outcome. Moreso, humility is the key.
3) Be vulnerable, expose yourself and your desire.
4) Even if the odds are stacked against you, run for it. Visualize yourself winning and that picture will motivate you.
5) Everyone can have good intentions, but winners have good actions.
6) Appreciate adversity for what it is, love every minute of it, and dedicate yourself to it.
7) Push yourself to a deeper understanding of everything, even the losing side.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman
How do I even begin to wrap my head around this book? I spent forty-five minutes in the kitchen with my parents the other night reading pages 200-210 and discussing them at length. Needless to say, this book is wonderfullly thought-provoking.
I can't really decide at this point, however, whether or not Stephen has failed or succeeded. In society and in the church, it is failure but to himself it seems to be a different case. He has overcome that which had been holding him back. I really admire in him the fact that he really tried to submerse himself in the life he did not appreciate, the church. I think that gave him an edge as he had deeply experienced it all and now had a legitimate reason to argue against it. It reminds me of election season. Everyone runs around proclaiming their views, when in reality few have taken the time to see the other side. You must "walk a mile in their shoes" in order to truly understand why you believe what you believe. This reminds me of a point of Stephen's, in talking about art with Lynch. He says "Truth is beheld by the intellect which is appeased by the most satisfying relations of the intelligible" (202). This quote means people will believe what sounds pleasing to them and happens to conveniently make sense. I think that's why Stephen succeeds, because he notices these specific aspects of life and understands that "the first step in the direction of truth is to understand the frame and scope of the intellect itself, to comprehend the act itself of intellection" (202). He knows that in order to know anything, he must know how to know, put simply. He searches for such a deeper understanding in everything in life. Sometimes, this may put him at a disadvantage- he may know too much. But I believe it gives him an edge above everyone else that has not taken the time to consider such ideas.
I can't really decide at this point, however, whether or not Stephen has failed or succeeded. In society and in the church, it is failure but to himself it seems to be a different case. He has overcome that which had been holding him back. I really admire in him the fact that he really tried to submerse himself in the life he did not appreciate, the church. I think that gave him an edge as he had deeply experienced it all and now had a legitimate reason to argue against it. It reminds me of election season. Everyone runs around proclaiming their views, when in reality few have taken the time to see the other side. You must "walk a mile in their shoes" in order to truly understand why you believe what you believe. This reminds me of a point of Stephen's, in talking about art with Lynch. He says "Truth is beheld by the intellect which is appeased by the most satisfying relations of the intelligible" (202). This quote means people will believe what sounds pleasing to them and happens to conveniently make sense. I think that's why Stephen succeeds, because he notices these specific aspects of life and understands that "the first step in the direction of truth is to understand the frame and scope of the intellect itself, to comprehend the act itself of intellection" (202). He knows that in order to know anything, he must know how to know, put simply. He searches for such a deeper understanding in everything in life. Sometimes, this may put him at a disadvantage- he may know too much. But I believe it gives him an edge above everyone else that has not taken the time to consider such ideas.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Voice Update and Rivers and Tides Connections
I'm not in any way trying to say that what I went through with my voice was true adversity. Yes, it was a really hard time for me, because the way I deal with my problems is by singing, and I had to find another outlet. But, so many things much worse than that happen to many people every day, unfortunately. I'm really lucky: my doctor scoped my voice on Wednesday and told me I was back to normal and I could start singing again in a couple of weeks. What pushed me through this was a combination of two things: dedication and support. I stuck with my instructions day in and day out. I regulated my diet, took my medicine, did all of the necessary precautions, and most importantly refrained from singing. I know that absolutely made a difference. But I also learned that you need to take care of the mental aspect too. I surrounded myself with a wonderful 17 person support system (Arapahoe Singers) and all of the other incredible people in my life. I honestly could not have survived this mentally without everyone.
I was really inspired by Rivers and Tides. His passion makes the difference for him and his work. I have never seen such dedication. Particularly, I remember his pinecone-type sculpture on the beach. Those rocks fell in time after time after time, and yet he kept going. He was doing it for himself and because he wanted to give something away to the world. His motivation was there. But also, he loved the collapse. I remember the quote, "I like to bring every piece to the edge of collapse. It's a really beautiful balance there." This comes together with the idea of vulnerability. The edge of collapse is a place of 100% uncertainty, but it's the closest one can ever come to perfection. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than that. That edge of collapse is the point at which one can either overcome her troubles or fall right back down. Yes, you may fall, but unless you get to that point, you won't succeed either. Dare to be daring.
I was really inspired by Rivers and Tides. His passion makes the difference for him and his work. I have never seen such dedication. Particularly, I remember his pinecone-type sculpture on the beach. Those rocks fell in time after time after time, and yet he kept going. He was doing it for himself and because he wanted to give something away to the world. His motivation was there. But also, he loved the collapse. I remember the quote, "I like to bring every piece to the edge of collapse. It's a really beautiful balance there." This comes together with the idea of vulnerability. The edge of collapse is a place of 100% uncertainty, but it's the closest one can ever come to perfection. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than that. That edge of collapse is the point at which one can either overcome her troubles or fall right back down. Yes, you may fall, but unless you get to that point, you won't succeed either. Dare to be daring.
Friday, October 16, 2009
King Lear and the Concept of Adversity
In order to determine what makes certain people succeed in King Lear, it must first be determined who succeeds. Some would argue that there is no one that meets their goals over the course of the play. I think it is important, though, to acknowledge those who are still alive at the end of the play: Edgar and Albany. Both went under disguise and had noble intentions. This is quite important. Edgar was not attempting to wreak havoc, or more importantly, benefit himself. By intending to help others, he profitted himself. Albany behaved likewise, thinking primarily of the King's benefit.
For those characters that did die, which seems to be more than half of the characters of the book, the method of death reveals much about the characters themselves. Goneril killed Regan and then killed herself; both are fitting crimes for the two women. Edmund was murdered as he had intended to murder others. These characters didn't think of the well-being of others, and acted to ruin it. In a way, their deaths are karma. Cordelia, on the other hand, died as a martyr, which is an honorable death. Lear, likewise, died of grief. The two of them were not attacked in the end.
So, essentially, the intentions of the characters reflect back to their success. I'm not sure if I agree entirely with the way this play ended up, because while intentions are indeed reflective of character, it is the actions that truly make one good. While King Lear had decent intentions, there were no redeeming acts about him. I'm sure most students applying to NYU have great intentions, but it is the actions that make the different.
For those characters that did die, which seems to be more than half of the characters of the book, the method of death reveals much about the characters themselves. Goneril killed Regan and then killed herself; both are fitting crimes for the two women. Edmund was murdered as he had intended to murder others. These characters didn't think of the well-being of others, and acted to ruin it. In a way, their deaths are karma. Cordelia, on the other hand, died as a martyr, which is an honorable death. Lear, likewise, died of grief. The two of them were not attacked in the end.
So, essentially, the intentions of the characters reflect back to their success. I'm not sure if I agree entirely with the way this play ended up, because while intentions are indeed reflective of character, it is the actions that truly make one good. While King Lear had decent intentions, there were no redeeming acts about him. I'm sure most students applying to NYU have great intentions, but it is the actions that make the different.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
A fighting attitude
I went to the otolaryncologist a few days ago where I was diagnosed with a left SLN weakness, essentially underdeveloped nodes. I recieved a long long list of those things I can and cannot do, the biggest of which being banned from singing for a few weeks. My All-State Choir audition was scheduled for today.
After beating Cherry Creek last night in football, I decided that even if the odds are stacked against you, you have to run for it. I haven't had much practice for the audition, but today, I went out there and gave it everything I had, despite the fact that doctors told me I couldn't. And much like that 41-21 Arapahoe victory last night, I did well.
Sometimes when everything isn't going your way, it's almost better. You know that you have so much to overcome, but you can see that shining picture on the other side. What would happen if you DID do it? And what would happen if you didn't even try?
After beating Cherry Creek last night in football, I decided that even if the odds are stacked against you, you have to run for it. I haven't had much practice for the audition, but today, I went out there and gave it everything I had, despite the fact that doctors told me I couldn't. And much like that 41-21 Arapahoe victory last night, I did well.
Sometimes when everything isn't going your way, it's almost better. You know that you have so much to overcome, but you can see that shining picture on the other side. What would happen if you DID do it? And what would happen if you didn't even try?
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