A Call for Increased Community Engagement and Conversation in the Summer Reading
Human discussion and reflection demands to be relished and indulged in. Meaningful conversation between individuals, whether it be over art, education, or self-identity, is a valuable part of existence, and with the sudden rise of technology in our society, reflection with one another and all the power it holds can bring us closer in a more intimate and human way.
In Better Living through Criticism, A.O. Scott argues about the need for a celebration, criticism, or discussion between people around works of art. He states that the act of “think[ing] about, recaptur[ing], and communicat[ing] our delights” is “as strong as the urge toward pleasure itself”. Scott believes we must recognize the reach and the depth of art and the power it has to be exactly “what we’re looking for” on a metaphysical level. He argues that the way we do this is through discussion with each other about art. Not only does this shared reflection between individuals spark new ideas, it also brings us closer with one another. Scott argues that discussion and criticism makes our opinions feel, “less solitary, less ephemeral”. Essentially, a reflection shared between groups of people gives our thoughts a new purpose and brings us closer together with one another.
Author Warren Burger calls on the need for increased discussion in a different part of life: education. In A More Beautiful Question, Burger focuses on the way our society values curiosity within our education and occupation system. After describing the limitations set in place on curiosity in the American education system, Burger then looks at the way the greatest thinkers and inventors of our time have utilized their curiosity to their advantage. According to him, a shared trait among the Silicon Valley CEOs is their use of questioning and curiosity. Unlike the education system, the most successful and innovative thinkers focus on questioning and discussion rather than distinguishing between right and wrong. However, our education system is far from cultivating students who question. Instead, Burger describes our education system as being “mostly one way” and devoid of any meaningful discussion or conversation. She states, “It’s not about the student asking, it’s about the teacher prompting the student by using questions that the teacher has formulated...only the people who know more are allowed to ask.”Burger calls on our education system to recognize the value of questioning and open discussion because it not only connects students with one another, but also creates a creative environment where new ideas will flourish and risk taking is invited. With a stronger emphasis on questioning and conversation in our education system, there will be an increase in more innovative thinking, creativity, and problem solving.
In Renaissance Self Fashioning, Stephen Greenblatt analyzes the way individuals present themselves and the way they reflect their culture. He calls for an increased awareness around Self-Identity, and he believes literature and discussion are a positive environment in which ideas around self identity will grow. Greenblatt states, “Language, like other sign systems, is a collective construction; our interpretative task must be to grasp more sensitively the consequences of this fact by investigating both the social presence to the world of the literary text.” He believes the only way our society will understand literature and the way it’s used for self-identification is to interpret, question, and discuss. The more our society becomes aware of our own perceived identities and the more we start to question and analyze these reflections, a stronger relationship with not only our self but our culture and the people in it will emerge. Self awareness leads to further awareness of others and the willingness to engage and connect with others. Furthermore, a stronger relationship with one another will yield a more productive dialogue and discussion around self identities.
In each of these texts, a central theme of increased discussion and dialogue around meaningful concepts is evident. Each author describes the manner in which their specific disciplines can not only benefit from dialogue, but also create a more reflective and discussion based culture. These texts call for an overall increase in community and cultural engagement, and they demand us to rethink our relationships with ourselves and with others.
In Better Living through Criticism, A.O. Scott argues about the need for a celebration, criticism, or discussion between people around works of art. He states that the act of “think[ing] about, recaptur[ing], and communicat[ing] our delights” is “as strong as the urge toward pleasure itself”. Scott believes we must recognize the reach and the depth of art and the power it has to be exactly “what we’re looking for” on a metaphysical level. He argues that the way we do this is through discussion with each other about art. Not only does this shared reflection between individuals spark new ideas, it also brings us closer with one another. Scott argues that discussion and criticism makes our opinions feel, “less solitary, less ephemeral”. Essentially, a reflection shared between groups of people gives our thoughts a new purpose and brings us closer together with one another.
Author Warren Burger calls on the need for increased discussion in a different part of life: education. In A More Beautiful Question, Burger focuses on the way our society values curiosity within our education and occupation system. After describing the limitations set in place on curiosity in the American education system, Burger then looks at the way the greatest thinkers and inventors of our time have utilized their curiosity to their advantage. According to him, a shared trait among the Silicon Valley CEOs is their use of questioning and curiosity. Unlike the education system, the most successful and innovative thinkers focus on questioning and discussion rather than distinguishing between right and wrong. However, our education system is far from cultivating students who question. Instead, Burger describes our education system as being “mostly one way” and devoid of any meaningful discussion or conversation. She states, “It’s not about the student asking, it’s about the teacher prompting the student by using questions that the teacher has formulated...only the people who know more are allowed to ask.”Burger calls on our education system to recognize the value of questioning and open discussion because it not only connects students with one another, but also creates a creative environment where new ideas will flourish and risk taking is invited. With a stronger emphasis on questioning and conversation in our education system, there will be an increase in more innovative thinking, creativity, and problem solving.
In Renaissance Self Fashioning, Stephen Greenblatt analyzes the way individuals present themselves and the way they reflect their culture. He calls for an increased awareness around Self-Identity, and he believes literature and discussion are a positive environment in which ideas around self identity will grow. Greenblatt states, “Language, like other sign systems, is a collective construction; our interpretative task must be to grasp more sensitively the consequences of this fact by investigating both the social presence to the world of the literary text.” He believes the only way our society will understand literature and the way it’s used for self-identification is to interpret, question, and discuss. The more our society becomes aware of our own perceived identities and the more we start to question and analyze these reflections, a stronger relationship with not only our self but our culture and the people in it will emerge. Self awareness leads to further awareness of others and the willingness to engage and connect with others. Furthermore, a stronger relationship with one another will yield a more productive dialogue and discussion around self identities.
In each of these texts, a central theme of increased discussion and dialogue around meaningful concepts is evident. Each author describes the manner in which their specific disciplines can not only benefit from dialogue, but also create a more reflective and discussion based culture. These texts call for an overall increase in community and cultural engagement, and they demand us to rethink our relationships with ourselves and with others.