This blog belongs to the Art In The Everyday course at Eastern Connecticut State University which explores everyday life experience through various frames of reference, including: sound, ephemeral sculpture, movement and community building.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Comments/Responses to Impro excerpt

What are some things that struck you about the reading? How do the author's ideas coincide or conflict with your own worldview/ life experience? Write what freshly occurs to you, bearing in mind Keith Johnstone's argument for being responsive to first thoughts.

32 comments:

  1. This reading wasn't really like any other "school" reading I've ever experienced. It was informal and out of the ordinary. I liked how the author expressed the importance of acting the way you want, without worrying about how other people will see you. I was in drama during high school and I had never acted so ridiculously in my life before. People who were not in drama and saw me dancing through the hallways singing at the top of my lungs with my fellow drama students probably thought we were insane or a little "special". But, looking back on it, I don't think I cared. But when I was in the classroom setting and wanted to share an opinion about something, I would think carefully about what I was going to say and worried about sounding stupid. I think this is a common issue in society, at least in this American society. I think people constantly worry about what others think about them and try to edit or censor themselves so that others will like them. There is a strong urge to be popular. I have to admit, I worry about what people think about me sometimes when I wear a certain jacket. And I put make-up on every morning. If I didn't care about what others thought, I wouldn't need make-up I guess. I just want to fit the norm, which everyone seems to want. In this society, we talk about being independent and demonstrating individuality but we are constantly worrying about not being normal or being dramatically different or acting differently then the person next to us. Maybe we just don't know how to be original anymore, we don't allow ourselves to *be* ourselves. We should be worrying about a lot of other things but we're just worrying about how we come off to others or worrying about what we should say next because we want to get the most laughs.

    I think most people worry about fitting in somehow or worry about coming off sounding stupid at one time or another in their lives. It affects everyone.

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  2. I felt like this was very true to what many feel. It reminded me of when I was in Drama club and I always was worried about how I was doing rather than letting myself relax and enjoy the experience. Maybe if I had done that I would have stayed all four years. A lot of people (myself included) are so worried about rejection that they try to be someone they're not. No matter how secure and confident someone seems, deep inside they can still be questioning themselves and their actions even to the point of insanity. Society puts up "norms" which we all try to abide by. We are society, and therefore we make our own mental cages for which we feel there is no escape from. It is only when we throw caution to wind and follow our dreams that we truly start to be ourselves, and live life to its fullest.

    I also felt that the author’s style was very reflective of the articles message. It was written in a whimsical way, with jokes and references which made me laugh (I was in particularly giddy mood that day as it was Friday ^^). My parents always tell me “you’re your own worst enemy”, and “you would be surprised at how little people think of you (If you appear normal or not), they are too worried about how they appear.” It is hard to take a mask off at a masquerade.
    -Samantha Mims

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  3. This excerpt is an interesting take on the very strange human psyche and society that we live in today and is a very good eye-opener to what others are thinking and how they could react to certain things that are "insane thoughts" while i am sure some thoughts that people have are actually insane, but not necessarily mental problems as we would treat them as today. This is an interesting piece of philosophical writing that i actually plan on forwarding to my professor of philosophy and get his take on it as well. I am also intrigued by how he states the face that people who try to be original are truly unoriginal and not at all inspired, which agrees with alot of thoughts i have about certain performers and writers. I look forward to the next reading and posting on this blog again.

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  4. This was a very interesting reading that I really enjoyed. Its a take on life that I haven't thought of in that way before. I knew that there is really no such this as normal, but these ideas make sense and kind of elaborate on that.
    This reminds me of my sociology of gender class. Gender, femininity and masculinity, are socially and culturally constructed, as normality, sanity and obscenity is.
    This also reminds me of the ninja that was outside Constitution today. He put his presentation of sanity on the line, tried to show some originality, and didn't care what people thought of him, so he did it. My friend thought it was crazy and stood and stared at him for a little while. I response, people stared at her, so she stopped and moved along. Rejection and what not is a good tool to keep people in that line of sanity. People worry too much about what people think, so a person's real nature and ideas don't come out as much. It's kind of sad.

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  5. Everyday in high school I would walk through the halls wondering what i could do to make people like me. Yet as I grew older and i guess in some ways more wise I have really found that being your self is a lot easier. Now that I am in college and still look around and see people dressed up in some of the most different clothing it reminds me that they are sometimes the happiest of all. I know that people are going to read my post and say o well this kid always tried to fit in and hes not his own person and what ever. Well for all those people out there i want you to go back in your life and tell me that there wasnt one time that you tried to fit in with a group of people. ...Exactly, and for those that still say no, good for you. I wish that i could do that. I think that the way that our culture is now especially in the younger generations tends to put down and harass the people that are different or are "odd". I guess that some people can just blame it on how they were raised OR they can take responsibilities for the way they think and act.
    I definetly fell like the author hit the nail right on the head with this article, it shows how people arn't them selves just so that they can be what other people call sane.
    The movie Step Brothers kind of sums up this arttcle in some ways. The two brothers were exactly who they wanted to be and some were say the were odd if they met people like that in real life, but they were just being themselves. Then towards the end of the movie after their father makes them grow up they are so unhappy until they once again become who they are.
    There is a little dinosaur in all of us, let it out.

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  6. The article I read was interesting. The author's writing style wasn't formal. It was like he was writing to his friends. I thought that his writing style was easy to follow and felt like he was writing to one of his friends.
    I like two points he wrote about. He began with the topic of sanity. He said that sanity is just a cover. Nobody wants to be looked at as insane, so they won't act like how they feel. In the author's opinion, people are only rejected and get the label insane, if they have an unpredictable behavior.
    He also talked about originality. He said that the more a person looks to be original, the less original they turn out to be. Also that When a person acts more obvious in any type of situation, the more original they appear to be. I feel that the author is correct. Having originality isn't about looking for an elaborate joke, it's about saying what first comes to a person's mind.

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  7. My high school consisted of roughly over 300 kids. I had a graduating class of 78, so therefore everyone knows everyone, and absolutely everything about you, whether you want them to or not. I found high school very challenging for me. I felt forced to be the person I was. I felt as if I didn't have a say of who I wanted to be friends with, how I wanted to dress, or how I wanted to portray myself as a person. If I didn't morph myself to be the person my friends wanted me to be, then I was afraid that they would judge me. My senior year I slowly began to break myself out of the shell I had been put in. I tried out for the school musical, and got cast as the leading role of Cinderella. I felt a new found sense of freedom. Being silly and not caring what others thought about me, was a great feeling. But I still had some difficulty at it. It wasn't until I started college, that I truly began to realize who I am. I have found some great friends who get me for who I am. There is no fear of judgment. Acceptance is a great thing. Especially when you accept yourself. The reading really emphasized that if you just be yourself, and accept yourself. Then others will accept you for that. The last line, "Striving after originality takes you far away from your true self, and makes your work mediocre." really struck a chord with me. I learned that forcing yourself to be something your not, is going to get you no where. Just be yourself.

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  8. When I first read this piece, I thought that this man was extremely out of the ordinary and might be insane himself. But after reading farther into his writing, he began to make a lot more sense. Our society only accepts sane behavior. If we see someone act out of line at any extent we judge them right away. Our society will not accept a person dancing in the middle of the street alone as he/she listens to their ipod. And because of this we block out any originality that vanishes our creativity. I love the point the author was making when he discussed how our originality is only based on what other find original. There are a bunch of moments where an instructor would ask for opinions or fresh ideas and even if I do come up with something I won’t share it because I am to concern of what others may think of it. If we all let that boundary go, our creativeness and imaginations would mean so much more and everyone could express themselves as they are.

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  9. I enjoyed this exerpt very much!
    The author in my opinion was very witty and it was a pleasure to read.
    So on his first part about Psychotic Thought I agree with him. Everyone keeps to themselves some of their thoughts sometimes because if they share they may be precieved as insane (I am one of those people who keeps certain thoughts to myself...granted I know I'm insane but some of the people I know don't know I'm insane). Oh and thinking about it, if someone came up and bit me...I'd find them insane and sought that said person should seek some help...not just throw him out.
    I got lost on the rant of being obscene. I guess I thought of obscenity was foul language or gestures that shouldn't be done in public.
    Alot of what was being said about the school teachers and the children seemed relatively normal to me because that's the world we live in today. The kids hear the language from their parents, relatives, older siblings or people walking on the streets. So for them to repeat it is down right normal. As the for teachers to have their own dirty conversations...they're people too, everyone does it...so its normal.
    My favortie part of this entire excerpt was the Originality part. What he said was so true. To be an original say the simpliest thing. It made me reflect on my friends when someone would say something...there'd be a long pause then someone would blurt something out trying to be witty and funny. Why not just say a relatively normal thing...like the whole Buckingham Palace bit that was brought up. I just find it comical how people try to out do each other with a comeback or a remark which all in all is stupid and lame.

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  10. The whole time I was reading the essay all I could think about with Eastern. I’m not trying to be negative or say I am unique or different from any other students at Eastern but I find myself often sitting in Hurley trying to find someone who dresses completely out of the ordinary. You can’t find it. Most boys and girls have followed the usual trends and in my mind fit labels based on their clothing. Also I think about the converstations that happen around me and the ones I myself are a part of. Everyone sort of talking about the same repeated topics, typical college stories, nothing that really interests anyone and even the person talking I feel like doesn’t even want to talk about it, but really what is there to talk about anyway? In the essay the author talks about suppressed thinking, sanity, insanity, and imagination. Students at Eastern might as well be insane because there is no way every person on the campus truly dresses, acts, talks and lives how they feel. In my point of view everyone is sort of living within the lines of what they feel is sanity, and what won’t make them look strange because being strange is actually scary. I think that people need to all start acting strange so that everyone can unleash their weirdness, or else like it said in the essay " students will have to go on pretending to be dull." I don't think I want to pretend to be dull but really sometimes it's easier and it a way in structured society like school there is no way to escape dullness. You live in a box with people you don't really like but pretend to get along with just not to cause problems (because its the right thing to do ), we take required classes so we can be what is called "well rounded" but mean while we are being forced inside out, only doing what we are supposed, only thinking about how we are supposed, writing papers in particular, stressing about every word and every grade. This is all where we forget to pretend and think wildly, colleges and should teach us that. Our whole society needs to stop pretending to be dull. This might not even make sense.

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  11. I liked this article because it wasn't fake like other article's you read in school. This article was different and you could tell that what the author was saying was exactly the way he felt, he wasn't making things up to sound socially acceptable. It was clear that he didn't like conformity to the people who just happen to be around you. I found this article very refreshing because everything that we read in school sounds scripted and fake almost. I think school would be a lot better if we were able to express our thoughts more in an environment that invited those thoughts. Most teachers are looking for one specific answer all the time and it would be nice and even beneficial if our classes were more based on imagination and original thought. People try so hard to fit in and, in my opinion, I find it ridiculous.
    I thought what the article said about thinking of original answers very true and comical. You can always tell when a person has thought ahead of a comeback because it ends up sounding stale and premeditated. The article was completely right about just saying the first thing that comes to your head. This article was interesting and refreshing from "normal" school articles.

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  12. This atricle seemed really confusing to me. It was interesting to see that this particular person believes that "normal isnt normal" per say, because everone has a diffrent normal. I agree that people shouldnt be forced to write a certain way because maybe that isnt how they write. I like the idea of a "guru" or a someone there not to neccessarly teach the student but to allow them to dip there fingers in the unkown and the crazy. People need to get out of writting the the MLA format or stansa poetry. People need to express what they have to say in a way that is right for them. They need to be able to express the world as they see it in the words and style that they see fit.

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  13. I thought this article was pretty interesting; I liked his point of view. I don't completely agree that everyone is insane in their own minds (I don't think I am), unless that's exactly what he's saying. I consider myself "normal" just like I'm supposed to and was brought up to think. I liked his view on people who were insane because I have a friend who I consider a bit crazy. His thoughts are very strange yet sophisticated and deep. I guess he knows how to express himself without any censorship whatsoever and shares everything possible.
    My favorite quote has to be "If it isn't possible to let students speak and act with the same freedom they have outside the school, then it might be better not to teach them drama at all". I agree completely; what's the point of discussions and learning if you're not allowed to talk and act as you normally would? I also thought the author's view on originality was interesting, because as an artist, I've never really had that epiphany of ideas that I could call my own and only my own. My attempt to be completely original has almost always failed me. I always seem to get ideas from other people/artists.
    This was a very nice article, thanks for sharing!

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  14. I enjoyed reading this article because the author has a unique take on sanity, originality, and obscenity. The author tries to convince the reader that expressing your true self is important and that being spontaneous and not questioning whether your actions are sane allows your real self to emerge. I liked how the author pointed out that some of the greatest plays and novels were written based on obscene and insane situations. Society has trained us to worry about our sanity and to question our thoughts. I agree how author says, sanity is a way we learn to behave. I feel that great things can come from those who are not afraid to show their sanity. I agree that sometimes originality and stating the obvious can be a good thing. Saying what is on your mind allows you and others to better understand who you are.
    In my own personal experience I sometimes find it difficult to express exactly what is on my mind because of the fear of social rejection. It was often encouraged in my high school to express exactly who you are and because of this I am slowly learning to be more open with people in my surroundings. The more personal expression is encouraged and reinforced, the more people will be less afraid to be their true selves.

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  15. I really enjoyed this reading, especially because it is so different from what you would normally expect to read for a class.
    The author shows us a new meaning for the three topics he brings up: sanity, obscenity and originality. His writing actually serves as an example of what it is he is trying to explain to us.
    I feel like he has a very good point in saying that as humans we live by social norms and behave in such a manner so that others will accept us. But just because there are others who many don't classify as 'normal' or 'sane', so to speak, doesn't mean that we should question their sanity, for they are the ones who are truly being themselves.
    His perspective on these topics really interested me. He is encouraging people to take a step out of their comfort zone, and to feel free to just be who they are and say what they think

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  16. Justyna

    I agree with this a article. I do believe that many people close of their imagination and do not express themselves the way they want to. I have to say that I am one of those people, I do keep a lot of things to myself and in many ways I do not know how to express some of my emotions. I have many friends that have great talents and are very unique. Most of them keep it to themselves and only their really close friends know about it. I believe that if people spoke out more often and just said what was on their mind everyone would be more at ease and not stress out so much. I believe that people should be allowed to express themselves in any way that they wish, we as a society might not like it at first but who are we to judge what’s normal and was insane. When you think about it, everyone has grown up with that one person in their school that is truly him or herself, at first we might not agree with their actions or not like them but when you look back you can see that that person was truly happy and lived their life the way they wanted to. I believe our society should accept different characteristics and speak our minds out more often.

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  17. This reading was one that I genuinely enjoyed. The way that it encouraged speaking your mind and being who you are was kind of a breath of fresh air. I feel that school would be taken much more seriously, and people would learn alot better if classes were taught in this way... less censored and more open. It wouldnt be seen as an unfortunate job, or obligation. It would be more, a part of everyday life, and in which case more people would be open to it. One thing that really stuck out to me, as im sure it did to most people is the story of the girl who burned to death in a fire, because she was ashamed to run outside naked. It just shocked me that society would let it get to the point where someone finds themselves even second guessing saving their own lives. What I think the problem is is that people are too concerned with what others think of them, and not concerned enough about themselves, as they should be at all times, contrary to popular belief. You can't let other people scare you out of doing things that you would normally do in a world all your own, or else you well never achieve a true sense of who you are. When it all comes down to it, I think the author did a great job portraying to all of the readers that psychosis, obscenity, and unoriginality are parts of everyones life, no matter how much they try and hide it, and it is better for your mental wellbeing if you embrace them, rather than ignore them.

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  18. I didn't really enjoy reading this article and nothing caught my attention although I did understand and agree his with his views. I'm having a real hard time typing some solid thoughts about this article but I feel that originality seems hard to come across and to be without being labeled. Also, that sanity is something that is a stereotype because if that person goes and does something unusual, he's "crazy". Being civil is more important than being sane, or cool.

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  19. I found the reading to be extremely interesting. The thoughts were abstract, intriguing and eye opening. The reading focused on three main pints of Psychotic Thought, Obscenity, and originality. Throughout the paper were examples that were useful to understanding the writers’ concepts.
    For example, the man with the fish in his jaw was a great way to explain the concept of sanity not having anything to do with the way you think, but instead how you act when around others. This explains that even the most abstract person, that has the most outrageous thoughts is actually not outrageous at all unless he shares these thoughts with others – only then is he seen as an outsider, or “insane”. Even though he has these thoughts whether he tells someone or not, it is only if others know his thoughts is he insane. “Sanity is a matter of interaction, rather than of one's mental processes”
    The reading also explained that people “block their imaginations” for the fear of not fitting in, not being “normal”, and for the fear of being rejected by society. I totally agree with these statements. I believe that many people never step out of their comfort zone, never speak up, or never try something different for the fear of failing or being rejected. An example that was used in the reading was the students that the writer has taught who he viewed as “damaged and unteachable”. He views them as unteachable because they have been taught previously to fit a mold rather than act out how they felt inside. Because of this repressed behavior they are now superficial. They do not feel free to express themselves, in turn making them bad actors and actresses.
    I also found myself agreeing with the concept of not being afraid of what you’re thinking, but to embrace it. The example that the reading gave was that of Mozart. Mozart said that he doesn’t understand how he thinks of the things he does, and doesn’t know how they come to him, however he embraces them, retains them, and then expresses them. If he were to be scared of these thoughts he would have disregarded them, not told others, and suppressed them. But by accepting the thoughts for what they are, and not being afraid of expressing them, he was able to become an influential composer of the classical era, composing over 600 works.
    I enjoyed this reading and look forward to more of these thought provoking topics.

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  20. This article was very interesting and enjoyable to read. His points of view about sanity is extremely different then anything i've ever read. His ideas definitely open up to new ideas that I have never thought of previously. The idea that most people are insane rather then sane makes sense and seems to be true. The way he wrote the article also reflects the ideas he made in it. The way it was written made it seem important, understandable, and something that should be thought about more often. We do act and behaive in certains way so we fit in with what is "normal" to us, but saying that someone else is sane, is not right, since everyone is sane in their own way.
    -Holly

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  21. Reading this article I couldn't help but agree with certain points the author made. I'm a strong believer in imagination, and not withholding any of your thoughts or ideas that pop into your head because usually they're of great amusement or lead to an interesting conversation. By suppressing these thoughts, you're not letting yourself...know yourself! There are too many people that are uncomfortable with themselves that if they let loose a little, I'm sure they'd be a bit happier. Overall, the article was an interesting read.

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  22. I really enjoyed reading this piece. The author didn't have a usual topic or writing style and that was refreshing. Though the topic was the part that I enjoyed the most. The way he spoke wasn't in a formal educated way but rather a very informal way. It felt less like a doctumary and more like chating with a friend over coffee. From what was said in the excerpt the author is clearly educated but with the casual way he speaks it's difficult to grasp just how educated he is. His opnions were ones that I gladly agreed with and his loose casual style was one that I could easily get along with. I enjoyed this excerpt throughly.
    -Jackie

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  23. This article was kind of like unlearning everything that I have picked up from society and the people around my age group. Being the odd ball out was always a bad thing growing up. That one lonely kid that always sat alone at lunch, or the ones that wear all black and walk around hating themselves claiming that no one understands them. That's the first thing that I thought about when, I read the line in the article about trying to be original can take away from your actual talent. When you actually stop to think about it. There are so many people who always want to be the first at everything, want to be the trendsetter or the example that everyone else ends up following. I realize that this article was more about drama and theater than other situations but the same still applies to me. I really enjoyed reading this article, even though it took me some time to read it because I kept getting distracted, but I got through it. And I ended up really enjoying what I read, its nice to hear sometimes that being crazy, isn't exactly a bad thing and that you aren't the only one out there that feels insane. Maybe if you felt criminally insane that's a different kind of story, but I think that the person who wrote this article is right. What are we striving so hard to be original for? Whats so wrong with doing something that someone else has done? Isn't that the sincerest form of flattery, to have someone else do what you did, try to walk down the path that you already created. The way that this person wrote this made it sound like, from unoriginality comes originality without a person even knowing, or being aware of it. It becomes original I think, because it is what you make of it. Yes, someone else might have done it before, but they weren't you, they weren't the same person as you are. Therefore, you could potentially stumble upon originality without even meaning to. I like his ideas about us censoring ourselves for fear of someone else taking it the wrong way. Whats wrong with just being yourself? Yeah, you might say stupid things or possibly something inappropriate but as long as its not physically hurting someone else or degrading someone else, whats the harm? I think my favorite line from this entire article is the opening line, "The truth is that the best ideas are often psychotic, obscene, and unoriginal". I think that's something that a lot of people should keep in mind. To me I interpret that as be yourself even if it means doing something unoriginal because you never know what good might come out of it. And I think that's enough for my blog entry and, I'm pretty sure I wrote a little bittt to muchhh than what was neededd. SORRY. = )

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  24. We are all human, which means we are all more similar than we are different. We tend to judge each other by calling out each other's differances, but it doesn't really get us anywhere. when we look at other people's cultures, we point out whats different about them, and sometimes critisize them of not doing something correctly just because it is different. One culture might think another culture has the wrong beliefs or traditions, which is not true. Most things in life don't have one right or wrong answer. there are many different ways to solve one situation. just because one person uses a different method to solve a problem than another doesn't mean that one of them is insane. different approaches to problems and different mnd sets are some of the things that keep this world interesting. If everyone used the same exact thought process, nothing new or exciting would ever happen again. the world would just be filled with normal-ness! I strongly agree with Johnstone when he says that what humanity defines as sane is way off. Just because someone is a little less conformed to society, doesn't mean that they are insane. people live how they live because it makes them happy. most outgoing people aren't stressed or depressed, its the people that hold their originality in that are stressed, and almost driving themselves insane.

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  25. In my opinion this passage relayed so much truth that is left unsaid. From day one we are always taught to be "ourself", but we seem to stray from the concept when peer pressure gets in the way. Peer pressure does not have to be direct but it can also be very indirect, as in feeling the pressure to have all the latest name brand fashion accessories and top-line electronic gadgets. We seem to push aside our true identities if they are perceived even mearly different from someone we admire in order to be accepted by that person. The article really seemed to convey a focus on perceptions and how people perceive things differently; sanity, obscenity, and originality. I feel that most people today try to find common terms in what they feel each are, in order to be accepted. Thankfully, not everybody is programmed to think the same so these opinons are somewhat different- allowing a person to retain some of their individualism without fully realizing it. Everyday people point out what is different to them and question it's purpose and the truth is this happens all over the world. Without differences the world wouldn't be what it is today; there have been differences in the thought of whether women and African-American's should be equal to men, and other historical differences through out time. It was the person who thought different from the pack who allowed us to gain opportunities like this. People loose the concept of individualism at an early age in life and I feel it is worst in America and should be something to focus on. - Danielle

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  26. This article struck me as a particularly opinionated peice. I found myself in a situation that I seemed to be almost scolded by the author, instructed to change my ways of thinking or else all would be doomed. I think that using this method was overall counter productive, because that would require us to simply follow him and trust him as a teacher, where he so adamantly is against them.
    However, I both adamantly agreed with and vicsously disagreed with the article. His whole idea or origonality and unoriginality I disagreed with. However, I strongly agreed with his ideas on psychotic thought. I am not entirely sure of my opinions on obscenity, i agreed with parts of his argument, and disagreed with others.

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  28. MaryD
    This article made me think of Ken Kesey's 'Cuckoo's Nest' and how 'the system' completely killed McMurphy's originality with a lobotomy meant to fix his shocking behavior that they identified as 'insanity' only because it was diferent. Jack Kerouac's philosphy of writing also comes to mind; he wrote outrageously long run-on sentences and avoided edits and revisions because he thought they unnaturally censored his words' honesty, finding value in the purity of free-form stream-of-consciousness writing and believing that editing only serves the purpose of shaping style and content into something more externally acceptable. He refused to humor critics of his lifestyle or writing style because he felt so good when he wrote how he wanted, and feeling such excitement and bliss is well worth the cost of any condescending looks or words from other people. He's my favorite writer/artist and, like the article explains, ("But the real avant-garde aren't imitating what other people are doing, or what they did forty years ago; they're solving the problems that need solving"). Admiring his philosophies means I have to create my own to honor them, which can't be done by copying his. Bands who try to be the Beatles elliminate their shot at originality. Relevance, focus on the present time...
    I'm also thinking about a close friend of mine who teaches me, by example, to become completely unaware of and unconcerned with the way others percieve me. I always admired his nature: extremely laid-back yet intensely passionate about things he found significant. Outsiders might wrongly judge him, but everyone who really knows him absolutely loves him. "It was when somebody's behavior was percieved as unpredictable that the community rejected them"... and so having a friend like him supports me as I try to grow confidence in marching to the rhythm of my 'internal drumbeat' and living each hour exactly the way I want. A guru has to be cryptic or speechless and it's hard to trust someone who feels so distant... but they want to help you overcome the fear of trusting yourself. All of the people in my life who are the most chill/happy/content alone have the best social/friendship/relationship skills... yet society teaches us to pity someone even if they're only going to the movies or dinner alone. The people who look the craziest might have the the happiest days with the best peace of mind so why waste time judging them instead of working on ourselves? It's not about striving for obscurity and it's not about striving for normalcy...it's about doing what you truly feel rather than letting other opinions disrupt the direction of that feel.

    some of 'kerouac's 30 beliefs of modern prose:'
    "1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
    2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
    3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
    4. Be in love with yr life
    5. Something that you feel will find its own form
    11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
    12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
    13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
    14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
    15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
    16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
    17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
    28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better "
    http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/kerouac-technique.html

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  29. I thouroughly enjoyed the reading, after trying to make a comment and for some reason the attempt failing, it erased everything i wrote and now i have forgotten and am drawing a blank on what to write.
    I do remember one thing that struck me in particular. Our prudery is obviously unnatural; as it causes pain in a natural process. The jamacian women's experience in childbirth versus english women's is absolutely fascinating. it reminds me of a passage from the bible (in case you are wondering I'm not at all religious, I'm simply curious about theology). When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge they discovered they were naked and covered themselves. God punished Eve by making childbirth much more painful for her. Interesting huh? In both stories the presence of prudery affected the experience of childbirth with pain.
    In conclusion, I loved this article. I actually tried to convince others around me to read it. It made me even more excited to be in this class. Do you recommend any other reading? Books, magazines, articles, bathroom walls?

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  30. This exerpt was really interesting and did not bore me at all. I was very surprised at the information the author presented and the way he put things. It is very true. It is crazy how most of us are so worried about what other people think and how hard it is to express ourselves whether it is through writing, talking, or even body language. You can tell when someone is feeling very insecure and when a person really does not care how they present themselves. This piece of writing has really explains how people think. Like when he mentions "sanity," it made me believe that everyone is insane and keeps things hidden so others do not think they are nuts. It is hard to share all of your feelings without thinking about being criticized. A lot of people are very concious about there actions which allows them to come off as a completely different person than who they really are on the inside. It blocks their chances of being original. This exerpt has changed the way I think of myself in a positive way. I feel now that it is a good thing to express who you really are, but only to a certain extent (not like the guy with a fish in his jaw). It is a common problem among the American society to be closed off and think before you speak so you sound normal. In reality I believe expressing yourself is a way to show off your talents and originality.

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  31. So I don't really know how to find what it is I am suppose to be reading, so if someone could send me a link or somthing like that? After reading a few comments I can see that the article has somthing to do with being original and out there...being an individual and what not...About that I guess I could say that with each generation, and almost with each year (now that the media has such a strong influence) things are constantly changing...currently, and for the past ten/fifteen years the "in" thing to do is to conform and look like every body else...and act like everybody else..and If you don't then you are considered weird , or you are laughed at. This isn't entirely true for everyone; but I think alot of it has to do with the brainwashing of bullshit tv shows like Mtv which show you """""reality""""" shows where all the girls are tiny and orange and blonde and all wear the same clothes and love all the same music and things...This gives any watcher a false view on reality ..even their own...
    ...but anyways...I'd still like to read the article...

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  32. The reading we had to do was very different from other reading i have done. I also agree with the article a lot. I feel most people don't express themselves the way they really truly want too. I liked how the author talked about really being you and not holding back in any way, so then you can see who you really are, by not caring if you are being sane or not. The article talked a lot about how society is today and whether we are being judged or not. One example of being judged that I do every day is that I worry about what people think of the clothes I’m wearing, how my hair is done, and how I look, like when I put on makeup. These are all things people can say about one another.
    Kerry Loughrey

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