So a radio station in our area is really pushing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land right now, and my immediate reaction was something along the lines of, "The economy is in the tank, lots of our brothers and sisters are struggling, and you want to take an expensive vacation because it's somehow good for your faith to be a tourist and waste money you could be giving to help those who need it?"
Possibly a little harsh. Maybe not. I don't know. There's evidence in the value of pilgrimage. Lots of stories come from that tradition. What are your thoughts about pilgrimage?
Showing posts with label cynicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cynicism. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
The grass is browner
No matter how sorry you're feeling for yourself, there is always someone in a much worse situation. I kind of can't believe this, but then again, I kind of can, and it makes me really want to seriously consider becoming a hermit or a monk. What other laws have consequences like this that we aren't hearing about?
It's like something out of a dystopian future novel nightmare. Be sure to read the more full account from the victim, but the basic deal is that a guy got stopped at a random inspection at the Canadian border, asked why, ended up being hit in the face and pepper sprayed and is now a convicted felon. He's an author of science fiction, which has a rather close relationship with dystopian future nightmare novels, so he's aware of the precedents, but I bet he never expected to be victimized quite like this.
Should a law like this that takes away our civil rights be allowed to exist?
We're not even talking about war time or because of suspicious activity here. He was randomly stopped, probably like we had to randomly screen people coming through security checkpoints when I worked for the government. We did not do it because we suspected them of wrong-doing; we did it because they were the Xth person through the metal detector. We always had to be alert in case our randomness caught a real baddie, but not this kind of alert (which reminds me of a kind of alert Dave Barry mocked in a particularly memorable article about dogs who alertly watched a thief break in and steal their masters' stuff), the kind of "alert" that hits people in the face for asking perfectly logical questions and assuming they have rights, the kind of alert that feels justice is served by this outcome.
I'm more than a tad disturbed by this. Any thoughts from you on it? (Feel free to comment anonymously, since Big Brother may be watching . . .)
It's like something out of a dystopian future novel nightmare. Be sure to read the more full account from the victim, but the basic deal is that a guy got stopped at a random inspection at the Canadian border, asked why, ended up being hit in the face and pepper sprayed and is now a convicted felon. He's an author of science fiction, which has a rather close relationship with dystopian future nightmare novels, so he's aware of the precedents, but I bet he never expected to be victimized quite like this.
Should a law like this that takes away our civil rights be allowed to exist?
We're not even talking about war time or because of suspicious activity here. He was randomly stopped, probably like we had to randomly screen people coming through security checkpoints when I worked for the government. We did not do it because we suspected them of wrong-doing; we did it because they were the Xth person through the metal detector. We always had to be alert in case our randomness caught a real baddie, but not this kind of alert (which reminds me of a kind of alert Dave Barry mocked in a particularly memorable article about dogs who alertly watched a thief break in and steal their masters' stuff), the kind of "alert" that hits people in the face for asking perfectly logical questions and assuming they have rights, the kind of alert that feels justice is served by this outcome.
I'm more than a tad disturbed by this. Any thoughts from you on it? (Feel free to comment anonymously, since Big Brother may be watching . . .)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Why the bad guys should win
I was watching a show recently where an antagonist challenged the protagonists by explaining to them why they would never win. He said that since he was a child, he never got into superheroes or hero shows because they seemed so fake. The good guys would always win just because they were the good guys when any logical person could see that the bad guys should have won. The bad guys, he said, can do anything while the good guys are constrained by morality and such. The bad guys should have won because they bad guys can do whatever they want.
I've had that cynical thought myself. Maybe it's the time and culture we live in, but it's often difficult to look around and see evil triumphing all over the place because it has no scruples and still believe in the simple hero triumphing because of his or her virtue.
Have you ever struggled with this strain of cynicism? What are your thoughts about it now? When you read stories that contain conflicts set in the current world, do you need this imbalance acknowledged, or can you get into the spirit of good triumphing over evil even if it doesn't make sense?
I've had that cynical thought myself. Maybe it's the time and culture we live in, but it's often difficult to look around and see evil triumphing all over the place because it has no scruples and still believe in the simple hero triumphing because of his or her virtue.
Have you ever struggled with this strain of cynicism? What are your thoughts about it now? When you read stories that contain conflicts set in the current world, do you need this imbalance acknowledged, or can you get into the spirit of good triumphing over evil even if it doesn't make sense?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Composition arguments and teaching cynicism
I am having a cynical thought. The shock! Sorry for surprising you like that. :) I watched a training video at work where once again only evidence supporting the management's policy was shown, and the management openly concluded, "See, we were totally right!" I thought back to some of the arguments swirling around college composition over the last decades and had to smile a bitter little smile.
I think maybe when I teach composition I won't use the reasoning, "We're teaching you how to make proper arguments, addressing both sides and proving your point, because you will surely need to exercise this skill set wherever your job takes you no matter what your job is!" This is a lie. A huge, huge lie.
However, I think it helps you to know how to make a good argument, so you can recognize a bad one your employer is making, so you can feel a little bit superior to those suits making tens of thousands more dollars than you from their corporate ivory towers . . . Yes, a cynical moment. Ahem.
I am prepared for the smart aleck reply/question from a student challenging this belief about the benefits of composition classes in college. It really is in your best interest to know how to spot a bad argument, not just for the feeling of intellectual superiority it gives you but also because bad arguments are everywhere. People are constantly trying to persuade and convince you, and you need to know you need to know how to stand your ground and push back. Unless you want to be swayed by the mindless beast of opinion, you need to know how to sift through what's being flung at you and arrive at an intelligent, reasoned decision.
Your employers do not. Your employers do not have to convince you. You have to do what your employers say because they pay you, and unless it's morally objectionable (ASIDE: If I get stalked and killed, please sue my employer because it's their fault for making dumb and dangerous policies they don't have to carry out in the field), you have to bend to their arguments.
But, no matter what, you have to keep thinking, or you'll be drowning in a sea of bad arguments you can't even see, suffocating for lack of reason both at work and outside of work. I think it's better to see the world burning up around you than to be someone who blindly sprays gasoline around or throws more wood on the flames. Maybe if you pay attention, you'll be able to help others around you by reminding them to stop, drop, and roll or stay low to get the better oxygen until you can find your way to fresh air again.
What explanations did your college composition teachers give you about the purpose of college comp? Did anyone even ask about it in your class? Have you ever thought about it? What are your thoughts about composition's place in liberal arts education?
I think maybe when I teach composition I won't use the reasoning, "We're teaching you how to make proper arguments, addressing both sides and proving your point, because you will surely need to exercise this skill set wherever your job takes you no matter what your job is!" This is a lie. A huge, huge lie.
However, I think it helps you to know how to make a good argument, so you can recognize a bad one your employer is making, so you can feel a little bit superior to those suits making tens of thousands more dollars than you from their corporate ivory towers . . . Yes, a cynical moment. Ahem.
I am prepared for the smart aleck reply/question from a student challenging this belief about the benefits of composition classes in college. It really is in your best interest to know how to spot a bad argument, not just for the feeling of intellectual superiority it gives you but also because bad arguments are everywhere. People are constantly trying to persuade and convince you, and you need to know you need to know how to stand your ground and push back. Unless you want to be swayed by the mindless beast of opinion, you need to know how to sift through what's being flung at you and arrive at an intelligent, reasoned decision.
Your employers do not. Your employers do not have to convince you. You have to do what your employers say because they pay you, and unless it's morally objectionable (ASIDE: If I get stalked and killed, please sue my employer because it's their fault for making dumb and dangerous policies they don't have to carry out in the field), you have to bend to their arguments.
But, no matter what, you have to keep thinking, or you'll be drowning in a sea of bad arguments you can't even see, suffocating for lack of reason both at work and outside of work. I think it's better to see the world burning up around you than to be someone who blindly sprays gasoline around or throws more wood on the flames. Maybe if you pay attention, you'll be able to help others around you by reminding them to stop, drop, and roll or stay low to get the better oxygen until you can find your way to fresh air again.
What explanations did your college composition teachers give you about the purpose of college comp? Did anyone even ask about it in your class? Have you ever thought about it? What are your thoughts about composition's place in liberal arts education?
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