This reminded me of news outlets today. Fox News is always saying that CNN is fake news and vice versa. Yet, each company is firm in their own convictions and comfortable with their own facts. When it comes to picking which side actually does have the facts and truth, it seems our divided country simply picks one or the other and sticks with it. It's such a strange way to rely on such important information about our government, nation and security.

This is one of my favorite words, so I had to look into the etymology of it given the chance. First of all, steadfast, as the next sentence defines, comes from the Old English "stedefæst," which means "secure in position, steady, firm in its place." This is from the Online Etymology Dictionary.

I like that this sentence suggests we cannot predict the future. I like how it hones in on the unpredictable and the reality that no matter how much control we have in our lives, each moment is different and unreliable in the sense that things don't always work out as planned. It's comforting to think that our stories are literally made up of what "we can make at the time." It's not all structured and concise and clear. It actually is muddy and messy and unexpected.

In an earlier sentence, the author writes, "The process of invention may occur...at some subterranean level." Subterranean means "concealed." This sentences intertwine because at the moment plays out, what will happen is subterranean. We simply cannot predict how we are changed or how we live in the moment.

I saw a TikTok recently that resonated with me. I can't find the actual video, but the video was talking about how you will never enjoy your life if you are trying to mimic someone else's. That really stuck with me. So often we look for something super specific and out of our realms of reach for contentment, but once we accept our lives as they are, we begin to enjoy the story that we are individually and uniquely crafting. We have to look past the standards or the ideals that we set in our head to really begin to see the story of ourselves. This quote reminded me of that, and the message is so important because in the age of social media and technology, it is so easy to want someone else's life, but it reaches a point where we can forget to love our own.

The part of this line that reads "through the conceptions that are always being formed as the tales of our lives take their shape" specifically reminded me of a quote from "Normal People" by Sally Rooney. Sally Rooney writes, "No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not." Both of these quotes have the same message, which is human life is both about growing independently and growing from the influences and people around us. We are unique because of our own traits, but also the characteristics and identity pieces we take on from others. No one can be wholly independent because by nature, we are changeable and vulnerable to the people around us, who have the ability to ultimately alter us too.

This makes sense to me. I took philosophy my senior year of high school, so it's all a little rusty, but philosophers create their works to try to convince everyone to think a certain way. Each philosopher has their own set of beliefs, and the reason they write is to persuade, even if it isn't a conscious decision. You could say that any writer uses rhetoric and and persuasion, whether they intend to or not. It seems obscure and strange to even attempt to separate them because they are naturally tied.

I love the use of the word "radically." This suggests that what is occurring is unconventional, exceptional, and thrilling, which I think is a great way to describe the importance of rhetoric. Every engagement we have with another person, every experience we have, every conversation we have is constantly shaping our motives in life, and this couldn't occur with rhetoric. I also love the use of "the insistent present" because once again, it suggests that this phenomenon is constant and has some kind of great power. In class, Michelle talked about the economics quote that reminded her of Carpe Diem. Even though this isn't economists we are talking about, this line gave me a similar passionate feeling. Our discussions, our rhetoric, our encounters can radically change how we think and live our life, which I think is so powerful.

Yes! I believe that the best forms of communication are when both channels are gaining something. This applies outside of university and society as well. It can happen on a much smaller scale. For example, the best classroom environments in my opinion are the ones in which the teacher can learn something new just as much as the students. All lines of communication and conversation are never one sided, or at least, the strongest examples of communication never are.

This is an interesting way to essentially say that scholars are a product of society and culture. Scholars do not just exist, but they are shaped and changed by the ideas and truth around them. There is often a debate regarding whether university teaches students what to think. This might just make me an independent thinker, but I don't think this is true at all. I think college provides opportunities and many learning chances that teach people to think for themselves and narrow down what they believe. College exists to create thinkers, just like culture creates scholars. This line just reminded me of that.

I read about Allan Bloom in my Political Science Theories of Justice course last semester. While the subject of this piece is not what we focused on regarding Bloom, understanding his opinions can help me narrow down my opinion on Bloom's stance here. In my Theories of Justice class, we discussed how Bloom believes in a natural division between men and women and their roles in society. I would say for the most part, society has rejected those beliefs today. With that in mind, it is necessary to consider if Bloom's argument is dated and if it is dated, has much purpose in argument. I don't know when this piece was written, but personally, it can be difficult to rely on a man's beliefs when they rejected feminism so directly. However, one person's belief does not dictate all of their beliefs. This is merely an observation of mine due to my previous academic work with Allan Bloom.

This is kind of unrelated, but oddly enough, this line reminded me of the huge debates that are constantly surrounding curriculums regarding things like the Critical Race theory and in general the history of the United States. You simply can't have this "supermarket" curriculum alongside an education filled with discourse. Or, if a school is hoping to achieve that, students have to be given full range of voice. I attended a small private school, and discourse and discussion was greatly encouraged, which I think was a great way to learn and share ideas at the same time. However, in many ways I think the supermarket style pulls education down and makes it inefficient in many spheres. Discourse is extremely necessary.

I had no idea what this word was! According to Merriam-Webster, isomorphic means being in identical or similar form to something.