More on History

I was looking over a US history textbook with my brother tonight, when I noticed another side of bias that we didn't really mention in class. The text seemed to throw all its support behind the winning side, whether in an election or in a war. For me, it just seemed to further cement the idea of constant bias serving as a roadblock against the achievement of a historian's ideal (to portray events completely objectively). This bias towards the winning side reinforced for me how omnipresent bias is in history, and how it's essentially impossible to be rid of. Any other thoughts?

-Tara

Making Sense of the World

I was talking with a friend the other day who is really into learning about zodiac signs and their meanings. She was telling me about all the different personality types associated with when someone is born and what moon he or she is born under, etc. Listening to her, I found what a complex "science" astrology is. Many disregard that zodiac signs have any real meaning and that those daily astrology advice columns are just bogus. After all, if you read through them, they're all give very general advice that can be applied to most life situations and problems. So why get hooked?

My friend made it clear that she studied all of this stuff out of entertainment and for the "psychiological" aspect of it all, not as a religion. She does believe that some of it is true, but still has a Christian-based faith. It made me think that although there is little hard, factual evidence to back up astrology, it's still a way that people make sense of the world. For my friend, it was a way to make sense of the actions and behaviors of herself and the people around her, and a way to seek self-improvement when her religion couldn't clearly answer these questions. After all, aren't we all looking for clarity in life? Don't we all want to know that what we believe is the true and right way? Just in the same way the Puritans held fast to their faith, we all need some sort of belief system by which to orient our lives. And even though others may think these beliefs are bogus or radical, they're still important to those who are faithful to them.

Thoughts?
(emily)

Puritan Influences

I just felt like continuing our class discussion about how much Puritan influence remains in the United States since I didn't think we had enough time to finish the talk in class today. Personally, I feel that the Puritan tradition of education is certainly pervasive in the New England area, with so many elite universities in these areas. Along with this, the idea of having to work hard for personal gain is a widely held American belief. However, I still feel that it's a great stretch to say that our society today is still rooted in the Puritan model.

While religion and belief in God remain powerful forces in America, they certainly aren't what they used to be. I would even argue that the emphases on the individual and on wealth have long ago supplanted God as the dominant American ideals. Therefore, I feel that it would be foolish to say that our society, which has become more and more secular, is closely related to a society in which everything centered around God. Thoughts on this?

-Bryce Cody

Slanted Words and Vocabulary

Today, my mom received a survey asking what she thought of President Obama's policies. We began to answer the questions, but threw it out when we realized how slanted the words were. One question asked "Do you think we should have a universal health care plan run by government bureaucrats?" First, this is a vocab word. Second, this is a slanted word designed to make you say "no". No one wants bureaucrats running the policy, but had they said officials or some more positive term, you would be more inclined to say "yes". I don't remember the other questions but they were all of a similar nature. This shows how word choice can affect the answers people give and how they think about politics.

On the back of the survey was a form asking for donations. They expected to rile people up after using slanted words so that they would be more willing to donate.

This remided me of Hayakawa while using a vocab word, so I thought I would share it and see what everyone else thought.

~Becca

Puritanism

I had a flashback in class today to the book I read back first marking period, The Stuff of Thought. I can't remember whether the author, Stephen Pinker, or someone he quoted is the source, but either way the book had a nice definition of Puritanism.

Puritanism - the fear that someone, somewhere, is happy

It's a little harsh, perhaps, but amusing regardless. And is it really that far off from the truth?

-Colin

Dreams and Symbolism

So I had a fever over the last couple days (its gone now) and had a dream right out of a soap opera. Someone I used to know (now deceased) came to me and gave me profound advice. Which got me thinking. Are there some 'universal' elements to dreams. We've been talking about metaphorical dreams, but what about the real one's? Maybe, for the most part, the dreams we have at night are random but there are themes everyone shares that pop up at times. I guess what I'm asking is whether or not there is such thing as a universal symbol, even a very vague one?

-Melissa C.

A New Year?

When it comes down to it, to me nothing seems really different between December 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010 other than name. Why is it then, that so many people think it is a remarkable opportunity to change? Any day is as good as any other to make a resolution, and I don't know many people that follow through with their New Year's Resolution any way. Why do people wait for a New Year to change, when really a New Year is just a symbol we use to measure time? I was arguing with someone about this, and they told me it had some sort of symbolic value, but I just didn't get it. What am I missing?

-Colin