The most important aspect of humanity is how deeply we are able to feel emotion. Gender, culture, or life experiences don't really matter, because we all feel a variation of the same emotions. Although there are physical differences between male and female, both represent important characteristics of being human. Males are often associated with logic and strength while a female brings to mind care and emotions. That does not mean women aren't logical and men aren't caring. The balance of these traits is extremely important and without it we wouldn't be human.
I think the quote from The Creative Impulse is trying to point out how much humans try to be cognitive when they need to focus more on how or what they are feeling. Sometimes our brains are much easier to listen to than our hearts, because the facts are available and we can predict the outcome. There is no predicting what will happen when it comes to love or the other emotional states humans go through. But we are able to feel emotion deeper than anything on Earth, and to ignore it strips us of some humanity. Everything does not need to be proved or seen. Some things are meant to only be believed or felt, thanks to out imaginations and ablility to hope, which are not cognitive at all.
Not only are emotions ignored, the fact that humans are even alive is sometimes overlooked. Life is taken for granted so often, that it just passes us by and we don't truly understand how amazing and beautiful everything is. I think we will gain some humanity when we are able to appreciate every single day and realize how lucky the human race is to be experiencing and feeling the things that we do.
Emily, your focus on the role of emotion in human life was very insightful, and reveals your empathy, a trait which is very visibly part of who you are. Your statement that “everything does not need to be seen or proved” highlights the excessive focus on left brained process, which Shlain criticizes in his “Right/Left Brain” selection. While I believed that your arguments were strong and heartfelt, I think they could have been strengthened by a more explicit connection to the reading or something we discussed in class. Also, one thing I wish you had explained more was how a “balance” of traits makes us human; I find it intriguing but fleshing out the idea more it would have added tremendously to your reflection. Finally, I think your tendency to view things from a humanistic perspective would have made for a strong commentary on what it means to be an artist.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what you said. Human emotion is so powerful, and how people perceive what happens in their reality. I also appreciate how you say that gender roles aren't as black and white as some make them out to be-- they are more of a gray area between emotional and logical. I enjoyed the section about how we can regain some of our humanity. I often find myself taking things (like life, nature, or my mind) for granted and have to remind myself how lucky I am that I am part of the human race. Although, I wish you had elaborated a bit more on the "you can't predict love" section. This post was really well-written and it made me think.
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