Writer's Block Turned Wild
Disclaimer: this block of time, 1:30PM - 2:00PM was devoted to writing film studies final paper; however, due to an "unexpected" turn of events this blog post was born.
It seems that every time when I have trouble writing, in midst of constructing flowery prose, articulating seemingly intelligent arguments that really amount to nothing if you are truly paying attention, dreading the process of filling empty word document with my nonsensical logic, I sprint to my blog to post something in order to prove that I, yes me, can still write beyond third grade level. Albeit no one ever reads this blog, as I have intended, blogging somehow enhance my confidence of writing, or just simply fill the void of unproductive writing with a productive one.
What is 'thy' argument? Probably the question asked many times by Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, the great thinkers in the history of man (yes...cheezy indeed). The simple truth is I have no argument. Do I really care about speed, duration, memory, and time? Of course I do, I wish I can fly to school instead of walk, I wish I can erase the embarrassing memories when I tripped and broke my umbrella while walking to Evens Hall, I wish I have 30 hours instead of 24 in a day so that I can have movie nights every night. But of my childish concerns with these issues, do they really matter in my college level essay? Of all the easy questions one can answer in life, this one cannot be more obvious. Then why do we let the generations of college students suffer through this both physically and mentally painful process of articulating something that we have utterly no interest in? The answer came to me as surprisingly simple: intellectual exercise. The question is not really about your argument, it is about whether you can defend it.
Millions of college graduates probably moved beyond their papers and theses to accomplish greater things in life. However, few people found something in their papers, their sentences, their words. They found the power of language, the ultimate super power that can evoke all kinds of human emotions. Why did people fear Communism? Why did people fear Marxism? Did millions of middle class workers really analyze the intricacies of communistic society in relation to capitalism, and conjure up the logical conclusion that yes communism should be shunned and ostracized? Quite simply put, Marx and Engels were really effective writers; their Manifesto motivated a cult-like following because of its persuasive arguments, which posed a seemingly tangible danger to our way of life. Though in today's perspective, McCarthyism seemed like an ignorant/silly exercise, and Manifesto lost its appeal, good writing still inspires people everyday to be all they can be.
American people need great oratory to be convinced that higher taxes is necessary to reduce national deficit, that universal health care is nonnegotiable, that we need a foreign policy involving global community, that we don't need to build a wall to protect our borders. These arguments are not an easy sell, they have to be defended and defended well.
This post has digressed beyond my wildest imagination, perhaps this is an intellectual exercise as well...duh....There are topics I feel comfortable arguing, and there are ones that I cannot care less (actually latter one is usually the case). I'd like to think that we would always learn something during the process. For now, I am stuck with the one that could potentially determine the grade of my last lower division course of my undergraduate career, and I shall not rest until I prevail and conquer this unfamiliar territory of speed, duration, memory, and time in the eyes of Paul Virilio.
It seems that every time when I have trouble writing, in midst of constructing flowery prose, articulating seemingly intelligent arguments that really amount to nothing if you are truly paying attention, dreading the process of filling empty word document with my nonsensical logic, I sprint to my blog to post something in order to prove that I, yes me, can still write beyond third grade level. Albeit no one ever reads this blog, as I have intended, blogging somehow enhance my confidence of writing, or just simply fill the void of unproductive writing with a productive one.
What is 'thy' argument? Probably the question asked many times by Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, the great thinkers in the history of man (yes...cheezy indeed). The simple truth is I have no argument. Do I really care about speed, duration, memory, and time? Of course I do, I wish I can fly to school instead of walk, I wish I can erase the embarrassing memories when I tripped and broke my umbrella while walking to Evens Hall, I wish I have 30 hours instead of 24 in a day so that I can have movie nights every night. But of my childish concerns with these issues, do they really matter in my college level essay? Of all the easy questions one can answer in life, this one cannot be more obvious. Then why do we let the generations of college students suffer through this both physically and mentally painful process of articulating something that we have utterly no interest in? The answer came to me as surprisingly simple: intellectual exercise. The question is not really about your argument, it is about whether you can defend it.
Millions of college graduates probably moved beyond their papers and theses to accomplish greater things in life. However, few people found something in their papers, their sentences, their words. They found the power of language, the ultimate super power that can evoke all kinds of human emotions. Why did people fear Communism? Why did people fear Marxism? Did millions of middle class workers really analyze the intricacies of communistic society in relation to capitalism, and conjure up the logical conclusion that yes communism should be shunned and ostracized? Quite simply put, Marx and Engels were really effective writers; their Manifesto motivated a cult-like following because of its persuasive arguments, which posed a seemingly tangible danger to our way of life. Though in today's perspective, McCarthyism seemed like an ignorant/silly exercise, and Manifesto lost its appeal, good writing still inspires people everyday to be all they can be.
American people need great oratory to be convinced that higher taxes is necessary to reduce national deficit, that universal health care is nonnegotiable, that we need a foreign policy involving global community, that we don't need to build a wall to protect our borders. These arguments are not an easy sell, they have to be defended and defended well.
This post has digressed beyond my wildest imagination, perhaps this is an intellectual exercise as well...duh....There are topics I feel comfortable arguing, and there are ones that I cannot care less (actually latter one is usually the case). I'd like to think that we would always learn something during the process. For now, I am stuck with the one that could potentially determine the grade of my last lower division course of my undergraduate career, and I shall not rest until I prevail and conquer this unfamiliar territory of speed, duration, memory, and time in the eyes of Paul Virilio.
Labels: Berkeley
posted by 凱西 at 1:27 PM
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