Power of Thought

I think the thoughts in my head are very helpful. If the voices in my head were to shut off, I would be very desperate for encouragement. For example, when I do any physical activities such as sports or working out, I continue to encourage myself throughout the entire process to keep going and not give up. I believe that the thoughts in my head keep me going, they let me believe that I’m unstoppable. Also thoughts flowing through minds would be very detrimental if ceased. Thoughts of how to do everything in your life. She couldn’t do anything when the voices in her head went away. All of her memory was lost, she couldn’t even remember where she was before the seizure occurred. If the thoughts in my brain went away, I couldn’t even write this blog entry. Like they said, “Language is an ongoing information processing,” we need our mind to process these changing times and to keep us going. Also in this world, people are influenced very easily. Imagine if the voice in your head wasn’t there letting you know what is a good and bad decision. The voice in my head does many things, lets me know what’s right and wrong, my own support system, and even without it I would just be lost. I wouldn’t get those late night scares of “Did I have homework due tomorrow?” Everyone has a voice in their head because that’s the essence of living, everywhere we go and everything we do the voice in our head tells us to.

Option 1

The name of different things can change the way that you see them. For example, if grass was called water, how would you see it? I feel as if different names come with different connotations. Once I receive a name for a concept that I could not name before, the whole meaning to that concept changed for me. The word Iktsuarpok means to go outside or to check if anybody is coming. I never really could describe this action in just a word until now. This shortcut as you can tell just opens up the mind to see things differently. For instance, this word makes it feel like this particular action is so much more complicated than it really is. In this way, our language is changed, for the better? That is up to you to decide if that is so. Concepts are meant to be explained with many words. Having just one word to describe something that would take a sentence is the point of language. To expand our vocabulary and how we use it. What we say, the way we say it should mean more than just the words themselves, it should mean what it means to you and others should get that feeling from those words also. These different words are meant for people to use different language to explain something. Whether you like just explaining something very quickly, or just really going into great deal of detail. This brings meaning to me in a way that no other simple phrase could do justice for. I think that the reason that language is always changing is because society is constantly changing. Therefore the language the society speaks must be morphed to fit the current times. Overall, concepts that are explained in just one word can change the way you see that concept.

Inner voice

I've always had that little voice in my head so it is very difficult to think of a life where I am free from it. This voice is very helpful but it does cause a lot of problems for me so I think that it would actually be pretty great to not have it there anymore. Without a constant inner monologue you would be given the opportunity to focus on so many more things then before. You could become a better listener and really be able to connect with people on a deeper level then most are used to because of the lack of distractions in your head. This would also help being less distracted while doing tedious or mundane things that require concentration like homework, reading, falling asleep, or paying attention during a particularly boring lecture because your mind wouldn't be able to wander. Another reason why I think getting rid of the little voice would be good is something that I have learned to call the chatter in your head. This is any negative or discouraging thoughts in your head telling you that you’re going to fail, not good enough, or things like why bother trying when we all know nothing is going to go right or as planned. I usually don't let it happen but sometimes I do let these negative thoughts get to me and stop me from what I was trying to accomplish. If I didn't have this chatter filling my head with negative thoughts and telling me I'm destined for failure then  life would be so much more easy and simple. 

Brunch

If these two narrator’s sat down to have a discussion over brunch I would believe that they will have similar views about life and how they could possibly work together to help guide the world in a much more humble way. Each one seems to have faced an experience in their lives that made them much wiser. They both are trying to test the individuals the interacted with to live life as it comes and learn from it no matter how hard it may get. I believe that these two would teach others to seek the positive e things that life has to offer and if they are faced either negativity to embrace it and learn from it. In the articles, the narrator’s don’t intend to show off what they did in their life to be better, instead explain that without struggle they would have not progressed and become the people that they now are. They don’t want attention but they are well respected by those who are around them. Their experiences are what any of us face and looking at the bright side of them is what helps the individual succeed in this hectic world. They do not try to tell you how to live your life, instead how to look at it and embrace it. 

Compare and Contrast

In these two stories there is one difference that sticks out the most to me, in “Toni Morrison’s Noble Lecture”, Morrison uses the story of the wise blind old women to teach a lesson to two children that she is wary of. While in “This is Water”, although it starts off with a story of fish swimming it quickly changes the focus to everyday life for a tired hardworking man. While they both reveal valid points in their own way the points are very different. In “This is Water” Wallace claims that knowledge is useless unless the educated knows what to think about, that some college classes even teach you what to think about. While “Toni Morrison’s Noble Lecture” claims that censorship “thwarts the intellect, stalls conscience, and suppresses human potential.” I think these two statement have a difference in views, while Wallace sees these classes as a way to keep people “alive” and happy, I think Morrison would see this as a type of censorship to keep peoples thought suppressed from being free ranged. Although Wallace does repeat many times that he does not want to influence people’s decisions and they should believe in what they want, only requesting they listen to what he has to say.

Compare

In the two speeches “This Is Water” by David Foster Wallace and the “Nobel Lecture” by Toni Morrison you can find many similarities and differences. For example in “This is Water,” Wallace explains the importance of understanding that you’re not the only one in this world. You may be taught that you are the “center of the universe.” He says in his speech that we all are born with a “default-setting,” which is that we are all pretty much self-centered. If you think about it, he is right. Now in the “Nobel Lecture,” the story has a lot to do more with responsibility that a person has. In the story of the wise blind woman the children ask her if the bird in their hands is dead or alive. She replies to them like this “If it is dead, you have either found it that was or you have killed it. If it is alive, you can kill it. Whether it is to stay alive is your decision. Whatever the case, it is your responsibility.” Basically you have responsibility over everything you do in life. Now the similarity of the two speeches is that you are the main control of how your life is shaped. You have choices and responsibilities to uphold. You can choose to look at everything negatively, or positively. You can be responsible for the good or the bad, and it is as simple as that. You’re the only one who can choose your life reputation and path.

Compare and Contrast

These speeches both speak of how perception can change a situation. “This is Water” speaks of the more pessimistic view. This difference in how people see everyday life and use language to describe what their day is like can prove to be helpful in trying to figure out how language is manipulated. The Nobel lecture shows that language can be shown in a positive way to see life as a beautiful place. On the other hand, “This is Water” shows how language can prove life to be absolutely terrible. These different perceptions of life can change as life proceeds. The perception that a person has about different situations can improve or make their day worse. The Nobel Lecture also shows that the absence of language can prove to be more powerful than saying too much in frustration. When the woman is asked a question just because the kids wanted to be disrespectful, she did not answer because she knew their intentions. Instead she thought about what she was going to say. Something we all need to learn how to do. Overall, both of these speeches represent an idea that language can help people see life differently in a good way.