Lande-O’Malley 1

Joseph Lande-O’Malley

11/14/2018

Libs 101: The Human Enigma

Professor Ianthe Brautigan Swensen

Differing Perceptions

This semester I have found it interesting to observe how people can interpret the

same text in so many different ways. This has led me to realize that how a person sees

thing provides an incredible amount of insight into who they are. It can shape their beliefs

and affect how they interact with others. My goal has always been to try to understand

viewpoints that differ from my own. Many of the books that we have read, the movies that

we have watched, and even some of the places that we have gone have provided me with

viewpoints very different from my own. I have always found it interesting to study how

people with different perceptions of information interact, and there were a few texts that I felt

really provoked these discussions, or even delved into this idea on their own. These

included: The Stranger, Braiding Sweetgrass, Ways of Seeing, Redeployment, and

“Allegory of the Cave”. Not everyone agreed on everything within these texts, and it was

enlightening to hear the different interpretations.

The first text that helped bring to light the theme of perception this semester is

“Allegory of the Cave” by Plato. This reading explained the idea of differences in perception,

and gave an example of one outcome when you try to force your perception upon others.

This piece sparked an interesting discussion about whether or not it is really possible to

change someone’s mind, and if it is, how to go about doing so. We also discussed how

there can exist multiple, drastically different perceptions of the same thing, and that
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everyone involved believes that they are seeing the true image. The people in the cave see

the shadows reflected on the wall, and to them, that is reality. The one person who made it

outside of the cave, and was initially shell-shocked, but eventually came around to the idea

that what he was seeing outside was reality. Unfortunately for him, he took this new idea

and tried to force it upon the people within the cave. They fought back, eventually inflicting

physical harm as a way to stop him from attacking their perception of reality. This idea can

easily be translated into life, since no one wants to be told that they are wrong. Throughout

history, when groups of people, especially those in charge, are told that they are wrong,

they tend to violently put down those who speak out against them. This challenges their

rule, and one one person starts to question them, they become vulnerable and others being

to question them as well.

The next text helped me begin to see the deeper side to art. John Berger’s Ways of

Seeing explains the different lenses through which art is often studied and explains how to

begin to understand what the artist was trying to portray through their art. Alongside reading

this book, we went to two art museums, The Palace of the Legion of Honor and the

SFMOMA, which further pushed the limits of my understanding of art, since they hold

drastically different types of art. This book taught us to look at everything with a more critical

lens, to find the things that are maybe a bit more hidden. The museums provided the ability

to look at art in what is seen as a “normal” setting, while the book seems to urge us to look

at things around us as art, and study it in that fashion. This teaches us to challenge our own

preconceived perceptions, and tells us to look deeper.

In my opinion, The Stranger by Albert Camus provoked the most interesting debate

out if the books that we read. The class couldn’t quite seem to agree on what was going on

with the narrator, with people moving between the belief that he is moderately sociopathic
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and the belief that he disassociates from his emotions to protect himself. The narrator

presents a complex character which allows for more interesting discussions. His perception

of reality differs greatly from what most people consider normal, which means it requires

more of a stretch to try to put ourselves in his place. We have to stretch our own idea of

reality to be able to even try to begin to understand his character. I enjoyed this novel

because it pushed the limits of what I can understand, allowing me to gain experience

understanding very different personalities.

The novel Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer provided a very detailed

look at what it is like to live in perfect harmony with the planet. I willingly admit that I do not

live my life in such perfect harmony with the planet, so this book gave me a better

understanding of the path I would need to take if I wanted to live like the author does. I also

appreciated the chance to respond in a more creative way. It allowed me to take the book

and my feelings about it, and express them through poetry. The author had lived a long life

and had learned many things that I had not had a chance to learn and this changed my

understanding of what is necessary if I want to live in a more fulfilling way.

The most recent book that I read is Redeployment by Phil Klay which has 12 fictional

stories of veterans in various arms of the American military. Each story provides a slightly

different view of war, with opinions ranging from the idea that how we wage war is not

acceptable to the opinion that anything that you do in war is acceptable. This book is a

perfect example of a text that displays many different perspectives all in one novel. While I

personally am of the opinion that war is rarely the best option, I know that many people

would disagree and I am interested to hear how the in-class discussion will go. This strikes

me as a topic that is very controversial, so I will be interested to hear what people have to

say about this topic.

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The discussions that we had in class about these texts were interesting and

enlightening and I hope that future discussions will continue to be this way. I enjoy hearing

how different people feel about topics, and I hope our class will continue to work together

and discuss. I feel like the more opinions that we have, the better it is for everyone,

although I also hope that there will be bits that we can all agree upon.
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Works Cited

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books,
1977.

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. First Edition ed., Vintage International, 1989.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge

and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2015.

Klay, Phil. Redeployment. Penguin Press, 2014.

Plato, and Benjamin Jowett. The Allegory of the Cave. Enhanced Media, 2017.