10 June 2020
❏ Sophomores 2020
❏ Blogger #31
AIM: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation?
Reflection:
➔ What did I learn? For our do now, we were given a quote by Winston where he stated “They could not alter your feelings; for that matter, you could not alter them yourself, even if you wanted to.” This is a very subjective quote and is quite disputable. I believe that the ability to alter your feelings at will is very dependent on the emotional strength of the person. Sometimes, you’re so inclined to your personal feelings that it becomes virtually impossible for your feelings to be swayed. This can be seen in politics as many politicians are already set in stone to their own core beliefs and yet they still ask questions despite the fact they know they won’t change their opinion in an argument. However, other people are more open to concepts so the ability to alter your feelings in my opinion is really based on one’s personalities. Manipulation is a recurring notion in 1984 and people tend to forget topics easily if it isn’t significant. This forgetfulness is something we’d discuss later on. Continuing, that is why it was easy for manipulation to take place because forgetting means the brain creates space to process new information and if they’re fed the same information everyday, it’ll be ingrained. Thus, the elite are able to force people into believing certain notions. An example from real life would be the Hitler Youth organization, as kids were brainwashed into believing one ideology. One interesting portion in today’s lesson was the section where I had to record what I did last Friday morning. Despite everyone failing to remember what they did, I personally actually remember everything because I have a written account of that day. I’ve kept a journal documenting my everyday life since the start of this quarantine. It’s very circumstantial.
➔ Why did I learn it?
It’s important for us to realize when and where manipulation is taking place. The concept of altering someone’s feelings, emotions, and perspectives is actually very apparent in today's society. We see it in politics and that's the foundation that news is based off of. It’s crucial for everyone to understand what is going on in the news and current events. However, such news reporters develop their own respective viewpoints and sometimes the news is misconstrued or easily misinterpreted. It was significant to learn this because in this new technological age where information spreads rapidly and on a global scale, we need to make sure we validate such sources and verify their credibility. We must acknowledge other points-of-view rather than staying with only your own beliefs. I think this lesson demonstrates that some aspects from 1984 are apparent in modern society. Although quite disappointing, it’s very impressive that Orwell’s writing can still be applied today. I’m a cynic much like Orwell and believe that humans are really driven on selfish desires. That’s how life works. The people on the top want to remain there and they’d do whatever they can to still there. People need be more open-minded and that’s a very important lesson to learn.
➔ How will I use what I learned?
Well, like I said before, the concepts in 1984 and this lesson is present in modern society. Therefore, there’s actually a lot of useful takeaways from the lesson. A prime example of manipulation today is in the news. Nowadays, it’s really hard to distinguish which news sources are reliable and presenting true, honest facts, as everyone has their own opinions. Humans are growing more separated every day. Although news is constant (but sometimes they may be censored so don’t trust everything you see on the news! Make sure you research for yourself as well.), perspectives aren’t constant. News sources to an extent are responsible for splitting our unity because some news sources are very conspicuous in their support for certain political parties. There’s an ongoing battle with republicans and democrats through these such news sources and it’s driving people apart. This is very obvious in Fox news and CNN, where they present the same ideas, but the people reporting them define it in different lights. The news is manipulating us and the narrow- and simple-minded are more easily convinced by whatever these news sources say. Thus, it’s important to assert your own beliefs whilst still acknowledging the opposition. You shouldn’t instantly believe what others say— research it yourself. I will use this lesson to be open to other people's feelings and emotions, whilst still being true to my own perspective. In addition, I will make sure I’m also not ignorant as hypocrisy is a huge problem currently and it has always been.
—
<> What is it like working from home?
I’ve been working at home for practically 2 months and honestly, it feels like routine to wake up and do my work. Although home gives off the impression of relaxation, I’ve made my basement my “office” and workspace. Thus, I tend to always do my assignments in my basement because one of the first topics we talked about during the start of second semester was how to study properly. The bedroom gives off the vibe where you’d want to rest because that’s where you sleep. Psychologically, you are less motivated to do work in your bedroom because it’s your place of rest. By making my basement my workspace, I am able to concentrate better. I tried to not make myself too complacent however, as working from home has been fun and I’m very proud of Mr. Erlenwein’s efforts in making remote learning as smooth as it is. I understand that working from home isn’t just about the students. The teachers contribute so much too by spending their time teaching us. I am very grateful.
I’ve been working at home for practically 2 months and honestly, it feels like routine to wake up and do my work. Although home gives off the impression of relaxation, I’ve made my basement my “office” and workspace. Thus, I tend to always do my assignments in my basement because one of the first topics we talked about during the start of second semester was how to study properly. The bedroom gives off the vibe where you’d want to rest because that’s where you sleep. Psychologically, you are less motivated to do work in your bedroom because it’s your place of rest. By making my basement my workspace, I am able to concentrate better. I tried to not make myself too complacent however, as working from home has been fun and I’m very proud of Mr. Erlenwein’s efforts in making remote learning as smooth as it is. I understand that working from home isn’t just about the students. The teachers contribute so much too by spending their time teaching us. I am very grateful.
<> What are you learning about your world/community based on the reactions?
Currently, we’re witnessing the civil rights movement from the 1960s but rather than protesting for rights, we’re protesting for basic human rights. I don’t understand why there is so much debate and controversy about racism and human rights. What is there possibly to argue about? This situation is based on ethics. THERE IS NOTHING TO DISCUSS. I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to be controversial as it is not a topic I’d like to talk about at the moment. I’m very careful about what I say. Something I always found troubling is when people criticize one person, they always bring up another person who also supposedly did something bad. Why are you bringing up another person? Like, stay focused on the issue at hand. I will say that there’s a lot of hypocrisy going on and the corrupted police are literally scum on the earth. Many fallacies are apparent. Also, the Coronavirus isn’t slowing down anytime soon so it seems like this will be our life for another few months. With the government hastily reopening the economy we might experience a second wave. How shameful they care more about money than the people. Also, isn’t it ironic that riot gear is funded so perfectly and the doctors fighting COVID-19 are underfunded and lacking necessities like masks? I’m just learning about something that I’ve always learned about this world: It’s disappointing.
<> Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
I’m just perplexed but not surprised with what has been going on. I expressed a lot of my personal feelings and thoughts actually above. I don’t have a lot to say anymore because if I did, I’d be typing a 10 page essay. I’m just disappointed with humanity, but I’m not surprised either. As a realist and cynic, I see this as the breaking point. For now, I just want to cherish the final years of childhood I have left. When I become an adult, I’ll become part of this sad world. I just want to enjoy my life while I still can. Your life can end in the blink of an eye. I miss my friends a lot and I am holding on to the smallest bit of hope that things will go back to normal soon-- but let’s be real, nothing will be normal after this. Au revoir!
No comments:
Post a Comment