This class certainly has stretched the bounds of my thoughts on the social aspects of our society. Ethics, freedoms and rights, simplicity, "living deliberately: all topics I have thoroughly covered in my mind due to this class. What has this class taught me? First, I'd say that'd be that we live in a world with many faults. We always have, and most likely always will. Still, it's worth fighting, persisting, aiding, for what, in your opinion, is the right way to live. After all, what else are we going to do with our time? Second, nothing is as it seems. Only through careful deliberation and due process of thought can one begin to catch a glimpse of the complexity of any of the problems we have facing our society today. Even then one may be wrong. It is quite important to have the perspective of the whole of our existence, and not what our current lives have trained our eyes to see and ears to hear.
This class has conditioned me to be more confident in airing my thoughts in front of a critical audience, and being comfortable with speaking to a large group about my opinions and not just a preset presentation.
The authors of these pieces of literature helped solidify they idea that being different and not fitting in to the society around you is completely and totally alright. It's OK to disagree with everybody and live differently. Especially with those I identify like Vonnegut, Thoreau, and Emerson, I've taken away the idea that it is not an absolute goal to belong to any community. Community is simply a human pursuit that fulfills the desire to create value within oneself.
Vonnegut taught me that being kind is not always the end all be all. In his case, as I see it, his aggressive response to actions taken against his book was necessary and executed with acute skill.
The idea of plenitude has helped me identify a feeling that I too have and could not previously explain to those around me. I now have a term for it and a method of explaining this perverse affliction that seems to have taken hold of a lot of the western world, and eastern world as well.
Above all else, all of the authors of the chosen literature for this class have defended what they believe in with passion and heart. This, I have come to realize, is what separates great people from the rest of those around them.
