I agree that, “When we shrink from the world, our souls shrink too” because when we ignore what is happening in the world, or even our community, we are looking at life through a narrow window. Unfortunately, that is what most of us find comfortable. We live our lives with our own personal goals, like getting a degree just so we can have a better paying job. We go to work, get paid, and spend our money on useless stuff; we surround ourselves with big screen TV’s, computers, video games, furniture, further and further isolating ourselves from others. We create our perfect little worlds, and we become lonely because what we use to fill that hole in our lives only makes it emptier. And then there are those who Loeb mentioned that are hurt by knowing what is happening in their communities and/or the world, but do nothing about it and become even more depressed because they feel powerless. It is important to know that our lives can gain meaning through the lives of others. When you help another person out, or a group of people, you become empowered knowing that you made a difference to someone. It’s through other people that we leave an impact on the world, and no matter how small, it gives your life meaning.
I generally always stay silent over public issues even though, contradictory to my actions, I believe that it is almost always important to voice your opinion on matters you care about. Although Loeb later states that it is important to speak up no matter what, even if you are not educated on what you’re arguing, I slightly disagree. I think that people sometimes respect your opinion more if you don’t flip-flop on issues and if you know at least a little bit of both sides of the argument in order to know where you stand and so you are able to defend your reasoning.
I think that the “perfect standard” might not always discourage us by making us feel like we are not good enough to help, but rather we think that these heroic figures are going to pop out of nowhere and fix our problems for us. It doesn’t really surprise me that MLK received a “C” in philosophy, regardless of his intelligence. I think Loeb wanted emphasize how our “perfect figures” are/were only human.
Eddie, I thought that it was really good for you to say that you do not always speak out, because it shows that you recognize that and know what you need growth on. Hopefully through SLICE you will be able to do that. I also would have to admit that I am the one who usually always is talking about everything. I feel too that this may cause a problem for the others that are near you and trying to learn from each other. I wrote in my blog that I think a good mixture of both is the way to go. You have to pick and choose your battles. If you go after everything, will you really be able to contribute the attention needed to each topic? That is why I am working on that. Well I guess we both could learn a little from each other. I thought that your points were clearly stated and well put together. (LOVED THE PICTURE!)
ReplyDeleteHa, yes, very cute picture Eddie!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like through reflection we both came to a similar conclusion - we get wrapped up in our own lives, surrounding ourselves in riches (TVs, furnitures, video games, car) and we do become lonely. And then the cycle continues. As people get lonely, they spend more and more money looking for happiness and purpose. I think in the process of acquiring these worldly riches we lose the richness of life: The pure joy that comes with knowing that you made a difference in someone's life, knowing that you put a smile on someone else's face, or knowing that you gave someone hope. I think that as long as we remember that life isn't about the wealth or the status, it's about the people around us we'll be able to live a purposeful and happy life.