October
14, 2015
This
entry is less about what's happening with Em and I and more about
things that I've been thinking about; more like a journal entry, exactly the kind of thing people don't like about blogs. Just a... just a little heads up.
There
are many things that I don't know about my time here thus far, or the
time to come over the next 22 months. What I do know is that I will
be a different person when it's over.
Granted,
that doesn't mean much. We're all different people from one moment to
the next, really. (Emily and I had an extensive debate about this
that I won't recount here but which I thoroughly enjoyed.) I know
people who claim they've had a sandwich or a particularly tasty bowl
of macaroni and cheese that changed their lives.
The
question here, though, is in what way I will change. What kind of
person will I be when this is all over? For example, I think I have a
decent handle on the kind of person I am right now – I tend to
notice negative things before I notice positive things. But after a
while, all of those negative things start to converge, especially
when you're thinking about people. How many different ways can you
complete the following sentences (you don't have to believe it)?
______ are terrible drivers. ______ are always late. ______ eat weird
food. _____ love to drink _____. _______ are selfish. _____ are
arrogant. ______ are stupid. ______ are crazy.
The
blanks can be filled with dozens if not hundreds of different
responses. Obviously you don't need to believe the things that you
put in there; I think the point is that someone believes that.
Maybe more to the point, several someones or groups of someones
believe that.
Asians
are terrible drivers. French people
are always late. Rich people
love to drink brandy.
Men are selfish.
Atheists are
arrogant. Republicans
are stupid. Women
are crazy.
I'm
not sure where I'm going with this; even as I write these things out,
they seem self-evident. And maybe, intellectually, they are and
always have been to me. But now, the truth of this is so much clearer
than it ever has been that I don't know how to process it. We humans
love to simplify; it makes a chaotic, indifferent universe seem like
it has a rhyme and a reason. I had to know these stereotypes to
create the responses, right? I had to, on some level, believe them –
why else would I pick them? Women
are terrible drivers. Italians are
terrible drivers. People from Florida
are terrible drivers. Why did I go with Asians? I don't know.
I'm
worried that my cynical attitude, no matter the balancing that
Emily's relentless positivity provides, is going to explode into some
sort of full-blown neurosis that leads me to become a super-villain,
or something. I've already begun to accept that climate change is
going to happen because we're too short-sighted to do anything about
it. Part of me even sees it as a good
thing; humanity's cauldron must – and will inevitably – be
stirred every so often.
Good
God. I tried to avoid exactly this kind of post, but I can't help it.
I just won't publicize this one. If you made it through, I salute
you.
Let
me know what you think.
This is actually pretty interesting. In my "Problem Solving" class that I teach (yes that has soooo much to do with art, I know) I usually touch on biases and what they are for a week or so. Discussing with the students where our biases come form our how we obtain them is really intriguing for my side as well. The important aspect that I always stress is that we need to recognize that we all have biases in our life, we are human we can't help that. What matters is that we recognize the biases that we have, and do not let them interfere with out decision making and daily life. I might steal your fill in the blanks, if that is ok. It could be an interesting data collection to keep and use in discussions.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well.
I'm a proponent of the CASE method: copy and steal everything. I'd be very interested to see what kind of person responded in what way, and who got angry about potential trigger warnings or whatnot.
DeleteFirst of all, I have to say that I know very many Republicans that are far from stupid, for instance, Brain surgeons, Neurointensivists, Scientists, Teachers and, of course, Nurses. Thats all I have to say about that, as Forrest would say. And then- SUV owners are terrible drivers. Egotists are always late. Mongolians eat weird food. Alcoholics love to drink cheap wine and beer. Toddlers are selfish. Atheists ARE arrogant. Non-voters are stupid. MY friends are crazy. ________ will always love you no matter what you do. But most of all; don't take life too seriously, just enjoy it. Thats what my mom always said and turns out she was right! I feel certain your negativity will be offset by Emily's positivity in time. Why does it take us so long to learn things?
ReplyDeleteThere is a saying I heard when young that I think needs to be kept in the forefront of peoples minds, at least if you are a citizen of the USA and follow our constitution, that whole pesky freedom of speech thing, it is: "I may disagree with what you say but I will fight to the death for your right to say it!".
ReplyDeleteHaving said that...LOL...Global warming appears to be happening. Do humans cause it? There is no proof. Can humans do anything about it? Doubt it. Appears to me to be a continuation of the warming in an interglacial period going on for the last 10,000 years or so. I said ten or fifteen years ago that the cherry tree in the front of the house blooms at least three weeks earlier than it used to.
Biases, stereotypes, prejudice etc. etc. all are individual shortcomings that each one of us has to deal with. I don't know anyone who doesn't have some, and though some people deny it most have a bunch.
Love you both