Early this week, we filled out a quiestionnaire in class, Mythology & Identity The US And Us (Bolos and O'Connor). I found #5, and my answer to it relative to the majority in our class, very interesting. Each 'question' was in the form of a statement and we were to pick whether we Strongly Agreed, Agreed, Disagreed, or Strongly Disagreed.
#5 was: Each of us has the ability to make our life better.
The majority in our class Agreed with this statement. I, however, Disagreed. I believe the discrepancy is probabaly because I interpreted the question a bit differently, or I have simply had different experiences (the more likely in my opinion). But, back to the point. I disagreed because I think some people's lives just can not be improved in any way (ex. permanently scarred and bitter people). Also, there are people who do not have the tools, nor the knowledge of the tools, they need to improve their lives (ex. children in high-crime, low-income areas may never be exposed to the possibility of college, even as a dim and distant option. College would be helpful in getting these children out of their crime-laden neighborhoods). So, no, not everyone has the abillity to make their life better.
I wonder why so many students agreed with #5, so any possible explanation would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to understand the other side's argument.
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I think much of what the confusion may have been is what you define as "better". When you say that "permanantly scarred and bitter people" cannot be changed in anyway, you're concluding that their emotions and trauma have become destructive to their well-being. Though I do not disagree with you in that the power of emotion and thoughts can change us significantly, my belief is that positive emotions and thoughts can become just as powerful and strong. If we have the ability to tear ourselves apart (or become torn apart) we can bounce back. This is why I agreed with #5 - I guess I don't believe scars are permanent. Secondly, I think it's unfair to associate "bad" with "children in high-crime, low-income areas". In fact, I think this association would only perpetuate the growth of high-crime, low-income areas as we have studied that children are often most susceptible to messages and associations around them, explicit or implicit. Also, I do not believe that "college" makes our lives better. There are plenty of people who, regardless of where they live after obtaining a degree, are into "high-crime" (politicians immediately come to mind for some reason). Though colleges would be helpful in getting them out and making their lives better, other things could make their lives better, as well. Health, a stable job, and a family good make lives better. Not everyone's redemptive arc follows the same path.
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