Written Thoughts

Seeing the prompt we were reviewing in class about creativity, it made me take into account that we may be in a creativity crisis more than ever and how much creativity is really needed and should be more valued. Creativity highlights skills of original thought, brainstorming, problem-solving, and artistic ability. Some can argue school already takes away some creativity, because of its requirement for only one answer being allowed, kids feeling unable to express themselves in a classroom setting, and more. With this, schools can be unintentionally discouraging creative thought because of standardized testing, doing things catered to teacher expectations rather than exploring new ideas. Along with that, this is likely only going to worsen with our new modern technology and AI. Today, thinking is an optional thing to do. You can brainstorm ideas with the use of AI and completely eliminate the need to problem-solve with your own thoughts.  At the same time, creativity may not fully d...

 "Me Talk Pretty One Day" made me realize how much being a beginner / in a new environment can affect the way you get treated, or if you will get judged. David Sedaris describes his experience trying to learn French humiliating, but also comedic. His use of humor describes uncomfortable moments, and instead of complaining about the teacher, he hyperbolizes harsh comments and reactions, like how he said that she "stabbed" a student in the eye, when it was just a poke. This makes the story funny, but also reveals how stressful a new environment can be and how being a beginner has a sense of humility and embarrassment to it. Even though the students are trying their absolute best to learn, their mistakes are just a sign of stupidity and being unprepared in the teachers eyes. While Sedaris struggles with his French, the teacher treats him with incapability and views him as lazy. In reality, he's just new, and this isn't something you can pick up right away, whic...

 Reading about Nacirema made me think about how normal behavior can look strange when used with different language, and from an outside perspective.  One ritual that reading Nacirema reminded me of was Costco. This stood out to me because in Nacirema, we are all accustomed to going and grabbing mega-sized carts, massive aisles, and buying things in bulk, even if you do not need that much at once. The experience feels less like shopping and a cultural routine that everyone in Nacirema takes part of. Thinking more about this experience, it appears as a ritual for the Nacirema's long history with high levels of consumerism.  People buy giant packages of food, paper towels, snacks, produce, all because it feels practical and more convenient. Leaving Costco with an overflowing cart feels almost like an accomplishment as well, knowing you won't have to go shopping again for weeks, and for some products even months, due to Nacirema's overconsumption problem. The more you buy, th...