Papers. No time. MOAR PAPERZ!!!
So you get a cannibalized version of an essay I wrote (just for fun! Yeah, I'm a freak) a while back. It's not funny, but it's on an issue that is of extreme importance, in my opinion.
"An Entreaty"
It’s been said that “a picture’s worth a thousand words,” but why, then, do we have books of words instead of simple picture books? If it is much easier to simply show someone an image, why spend the countless hours of wordsmithing to find the right phrase? The answer is obvious, yet much overlooked in our culture of iPhones, HDTV, and streaming video. Words express thoughts, while images can only express (at most) vague emotions or one specific snapshot in time. We think in words; the only pictures in our thoughts are memories or vague approximations that must be translated into another format (drawing, painting, etc.) or words before we can pass them on in any meaningful way.
That is not to say that art is unimportant, because nothing of beauty should be overlooked, whether a song, a watercolor, a sunset, or a poem. However, the messages sent, the lessons taught, the ideas transcribed through other art forms are generally very broad and vague. This is one thing that makes them so appealing: they can mean different things based on the person receiving them; they are more open to interpretation than words are.
Other art forms (especially music) are held to a lesser standard than are words. One can listen to every song ever written and be moved to tears or driven into a frenzy, but music can never change your opinion on anything except itself: music. Listen to Mozart and you can see how it is more beautiful than other composers, but it will never change your opinion about another subject. Music can never be labeled “good” or “evil.”
Words, on the other hand, carry much more weight. Someone can write a few words and make the reader absolutely furious. For instance, examine your gut reaction to this: “Mexicans are stupid and lazy.” See what I mean? You probably just got a mixture of anger, disbelief, and righteous indignation. How dare he say that! If I actually believed that sentence, most of you would (rightfully) stop reading and write me off (ha! It’s funny…) as an ignorant bigot. Now, I obviously don’t believe the statement, I simply made it to illustrate the power of words.
The bottom line is the fact that our thoughts are formulated as words. If we do not have a word for something, it is nearly impossible for us to conceive it. Probably the best illustration of this is found in George Orwell’s 1984: Newspeak. The Party tries to eliminate words in order to make it nigh impossible for people to even conceptualize anything that goes against The Party’s wishes. If the word “rebellion” was completely removed from the English language, if anyone who even knew of the word had long since died, and no one currently living knew how to describe what it means, then the subjugated populace would be hard pressed to even realize such a thing was possible, let alone actually gather enough followers to do so.
The concept that words are the substance of thoughts, which are the cornerstone of empowerment, is not a new concept. Through the years it has been voiced by a multitude of leaders, from Einstein to Malcolm X. However, this truth has been thrown by the wayside as of late, as our credit-card culture embraced ignorance over education, instant gratification over investment. Simply watch MTV (or whatever the devil those kids are watching today) for a few minutes and see the glorification of ignorance, crime, and excess. Chris Rock said it best, when he describes the “civil war” between two types of people: “black people and ‘niggas.’” While he is speaking of the differences between two types of black people, it holds true for people of all ethnicities. The war is between those who embrace civilization and education, and those who embrace ignorance. And the ignorant camp is winning.
While I decry the school of thought that glorifies ignorance, I find it impossible to feel any anger towards them, only pity and hope. I pity them because they cling to their ignorance like an infant clinging to a dirty diaper. “It’s nasty and stinky, but it’s warm and its mine.” And I hope that our people, my friends and relatives, my peers, can change the direction in which our culture is headed.
Now, I am not so arrogant to think that I am better than anyone, even the completely ignorant. However, I love learning things. I love knowing things! The pursuit of knowledge is what separates the ignorant from the enlightened. Dave Ramsey has stated that the average millionaire reads one non-fiction book a month. I figure, if you want to win at something, find someone who is winning and do what they do. Zig Zigler said, “You are what you are and where you are today because of what has gone into your mind; you can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.”
So I leave you with an entreaty: go read a book, write a poem, have a stimulating conversation. Unplug the TV, turn off the Wii, and expand your mind. Yes, it may be difficult, and it might even hurt a little, but everyone has growing pains, and you will be better off in the long run. It will take time, and it’s hard work, but there’s nothing worth having that you don’t have to work for.
No comments:
Post a Comment