Central Argument: Like formal words of gratitude, simple things in our life no longer seem to have the same meanings anymore.
Linton Weeks, in her article "Please Read This Story, Thank You," talks about how formal words of gratitude, like "thank you" and "you're welcome," are being replaced by other words, such as "no problem" and "sure," that do not carry the same message and weight. Our day to day speech, according to Weeks, is turning into something more casual. What was important to us in the past is no longer important now.
Things we did in the past start to loose their importance as time passes. As a high school student, I can think of one example: bed time. When I was little, they made up take a nap for two to three hours during the day. And when I got home from pre-school, my parents put me to bed at around 8 p.m. I remember how much I used to fight and cry because I would want to stay awake too, doing the same things they did, like watching television. My mother would get angry and tell me that I really needed to rest because I was a growing child. Even then, I would try to make excuses after excuses to get to stay for even just a little bit longer. However, as I grew up, the hours of sleep I got everyday started to lessen more and more. I would have to actually make an effort to go to sleep early. Nap times were long gone. Soon, as I came to high school, it became more and more difficult for me to get even 7 hours of sleep everyday. Other things, such as catching up with my homework, seemed more important than getting a good night's sleep. I could stay up late just playing games or chatting with my friends into the night.This experience, and reality, shows us how as time passes, certain things start to change and get less attention. They don't seem so important now as they have lost their importance.
However, this kind of loss doesn't always have to be in a negative sense. For example, meal time is always supposed to be family time. After a busy day, a good dinner is what joins the family together and lets stories be shared and feeling be recited. However, in my family, ever since I was little, we never had such rules in the house. My sister and I ate dinner first. After feeding us, my mother would have her dinner with my helper, since my father was away. However, as we started growing older, and my father settled back in Nepal, meal times did start becoming family time. My sister and I would set out the table very enthusiastically for the whole family, including my little brother, to sit. Once everyone returned home, we would gather together and have a great meal, happily, as a family, sharing the experiences of the day. This example shows us how sometimes, simple things in life can change for the better. Certain modifications can be made which are certainly harmless and can be a good development as well.
These two examples provided show us that when little things in life change, they can be negative or positive.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Week 4- Article 2: Why We Like What We Like
Central Argument: We like what we like because of the context we experience these things in.
Why do we like the things we like? What gives us that thirst to do things that are pleasurable for us? Well, Alva Noe, in her article "Why We Like What We Like," explores this dilemma and tells us that we like what we like because of the context we experience these things in. I agree with her because the context or experience gives us a particular feeling we like feeling.
Doing certain things triggers feeling which we then like feeling. For example, I love art. I love drawing and painting and being creative. When I sit in that wide room with the sunlight flowing in, I forget everything else. In that room, its only that paint brush and me, only that sketchbook and me. The feeling that builds up when I paint is that of joy and happiness. I feel relaxed and comfortable. I don't worry about anything else. The satisfaction and joy builds up till my throat pushing everything else aside. I let my imaginations go running and let my heart lead the way. Because I enjoying doing art so much, I do it again and again. I don't get sick of it because art is something I can let myself be absolutely controlled by, no matter how good or bad the results may turn out. This example shows me how painting, for example, triggers a relaxed and joyful feeling in me that I love and that I try to get more of by continuing what I do with art.
In addition to triggering a special feeling, we do something we like because of the significant impact it has on our collected sphere of experiences. In the novel Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, she talks about two modern Chinese girls. They are beautiful and wealthy and can take advantage of the luxuries of the day. They frequently visit an artist for whom they model. He paints them beautifully and sells these paintings to the newspapers and magazines for advertisements. The author specifically describes the girls' feeling and thoughts as they model for him. The moment when he captures every detail of their posing, from the lighting to the folds of their skirts, stays with the two girls for a long time. Even after they have shifted to Chinatown in the States, they still recall those good days when they led such comfortable lives. They frequently recall the studio and the artist and remember how much of a luxurious and comfortable life they had had. They only remember all this because the thoughts and feelings they felt at that time left a remarkable scar in their memories to cherish even after such a long time. This example shows us why we do something we like, and it is because doing these things have a deep and significant affect on our memories.
Through these two examples, one can see how doing things we like have an impact on us: they trigger special feelings inside of us and they also leave heavy scars in our memories that we can call back later on.
Why do we like the things we like? What gives us that thirst to do things that are pleasurable for us? Well, Alva Noe, in her article "Why We Like What We Like," explores this dilemma and tells us that we like what we like because of the context we experience these things in. I agree with her because the context or experience gives us a particular feeling we like feeling.
Doing certain things triggers feeling which we then like feeling. For example, I love art. I love drawing and painting and being creative. When I sit in that wide room with the sunlight flowing in, I forget everything else. In that room, its only that paint brush and me, only that sketchbook and me. The feeling that builds up when I paint is that of joy and happiness. I feel relaxed and comfortable. I don't worry about anything else. The satisfaction and joy builds up till my throat pushing everything else aside. I let my imaginations go running and let my heart lead the way. Because I enjoying doing art so much, I do it again and again. I don't get sick of it because art is something I can let myself be absolutely controlled by, no matter how good or bad the results may turn out. This example shows me how painting, for example, triggers a relaxed and joyful feeling in me that I love and that I try to get more of by continuing what I do with art.
In addition to triggering a special feeling, we do something we like because of the significant impact it has on our collected sphere of experiences. In the novel Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, she talks about two modern Chinese girls. They are beautiful and wealthy and can take advantage of the luxuries of the day. They frequently visit an artist for whom they model. He paints them beautifully and sells these paintings to the newspapers and magazines for advertisements. The author specifically describes the girls' feeling and thoughts as they model for him. The moment when he captures every detail of their posing, from the lighting to the folds of their skirts, stays with the two girls for a long time. Even after they have shifted to Chinatown in the States, they still recall those good days when they led such comfortable lives. They frequently recall the studio and the artist and remember how much of a luxurious and comfortable life they had had. They only remember all this because the thoughts and feelings they felt at that time left a remarkable scar in their memories to cherish even after such a long time. This example shows us why we do something we like, and it is because doing these things have a deep and significant affect on our memories.
Through these two examples, one can see how doing things we like have an impact on us: they trigger special feelings inside of us and they also leave heavy scars in our memories that we can call back later on.
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