1. ALWAYS READ THE EPIGRAPH.
2. "Nonfiction" is just a label. It doesn't mean that it is fact. This also includes documentaries.
3. Question everything (even though this wasn't a philosophy course).
4. What we think we know is actually an illusion but once we acknowledge that, we can discover some greater truths.
4. What we think we know is actually an illusion but once we acknowledge that, we can discover some greater truths.
5. Meaninglessness is actually a kind of meaning.
6. Telling a story does not necessarily mean you are lying.
7. Do what you love and love what you do. Self-actualization.
8. Having too much freedom of choice can cause a lot of anxiety and pressure.
9. We are subjected to manipulation everyday - positive and negative.
10. I was manipulated into learning everything on this list. And yet, I am perfectly okay with that.
Overall, I feel like I've learned more through this course than what the title gives off. Truth, lies in literature? More like truth, lies in people. Circling back to the explanation Professor Schwartz gave us in the beginning about the title, truths and lies can be found in people, but people can also have truths that lie. My everyday life consists of people and relationships and therefore I am almost always exposed to truths and lies. However, I believe that through awareness and understanding, I can discover more that humanity has to offer.
I love how you wrote out an actual list of everything you've taken away from this course instead of focusing in on manipulation. I haven't read many other posts yet, but I liked the perspective you introduced about the course being so much more than its' title, it's so true. I also agree that the fact that we weren't always necessarily treated as students made us experience the class in an entirely unpredictable way. I personally feel that it allowed me o focus more on what I wanted to take away from the class instead of what I feel like I should have learned, making it a more individualized experience.
ReplyDeleteWow. I don't mean to echo what Sarah wrote, but the format of your list is just such a great way of putting out what you learned from the course. I know the blogposts are pretty much over at this point, but I can't help and wonder if we missed out by relying solely on paragraphs in order to express our thoughts from week to week. I have to agree though, that I too was manipulated into learning everything on that list, and I am okay with it as well. I think the reason that we are both accepting of this type of manipulation was that it was pointed out at every step that we were, in fact, being manipulated.
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