So.
Seamus Heaney found this
word a suitable opener for his (incredible) translation of the epic Beowulf.
If Seamus Heaney (SEAMUS HEANEY, GUYS!) found it a suitable opening, well then!
In his words:
"Conventional renderings of hwaet,
the first word of the poem, tend towards the archaic literary, with 'lo' and
'hark' and 'behold' and 'attend' and—more colloquially—'listen' being some of
the solutions offered previously. But in Hiberno-English Scullionspeak, the
particle 'so' came naturally to the rescue, because in that idiom 'so' operates
as an expression which obliterates all previous discourse and narrative, and at
the same time functions as an exclamation calling for immediate attention. So,
'so' it was..."
I don’t pretend my
musings are as important or impressive as Beowulf. Rather, I loved
the idea of such a small word "obliterat[ing] all previous discourse and
narrative" and "calling for immediate attention." That’s where
my head is today. I want to articulate some thoughts that’ve been slithering
around in my brain for some months now. Many of those
thoughts call for a reconsideration/reframing of my previously-held beliefs
(huzzah for paradigm shifts!). Therefore, "so" it is.
So.
Recently, I've been
reading a lot. Here's a sample of what's been on my bedside table over the past
months (most of these I've read; three I'm in the process of reading; one is
next on my list):
American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures
of North America
Colin Woodard
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show
Business
Neil Postman
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Breakfast of Champions
Kurt Vonnegut
Cat’s Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut
Daring Greatly
Brené Brown
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Joseph J. Ellis
Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think
George Lakoff
Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Developmental Map
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie
Planted
Patrick Q. Mason
The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of
Civilizations
Jonathan Sacks
The Little Book of Skin Care: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy,
Glowing Skin
Charlotte Cho
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and
Religion
Jonathan Haidt
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe
Noticing anything?
YES! I now have soft,
dewy, radiant skin. (Seriously, though, y’all should try the 10 step Korean
skin care rituals. My skin is the best it’s ever been! I make people feel my
face, so watch out.)
In addition to my
improved complexion, I’ve been chewing on some big ideas that frame public
discourse. I’ve had a lot of questions about WHY
we are the way that we are in our public spaces right now
(specifically those spaces that house our political ideologies and moral
convictions) and what I can do differently to effect some change in the current
reality of engagement.
See, I believe in the
redeemability of the human condition. I subscribe to a world view that
understands people as inherently good yet deeply flawed, and ultimately worthy
of redemption. I believe that people do hurtful, even hateful things out of a
place of fear or insecurity (at least initially). MOST human beings don't
go around trying to be assess just for the sake of being contrary. Are there
some people like that? Sure. (Are they still redeemable? Yes. But, those folks
are a special set that I'm not going to address in my musings today.) I'm
looking at the run-of-the-mill, everyday sort of folk who are just doing the
best that they can with what they have. I'm one of those people, and therein
lay my interest.
After that preamble, let's settle in to the meat of my thoughts, shall we?
What are they again?
Yes, the human condition
and public discourse.
More and more, I am
struck by the vital role of civil discourse in preserving society
(specifically, OUR society).
First things first, what is civil discourse? Well, according to Wikipedia (which actually has a wonderfully robust definition, y'all):
First things first, what is civil discourse? Well, according to Wikipedia (which actually has a wonderfully robust definition, y'all):
“Civil discourse is
engagement in discourse intended to enhance understanding.”
Isn’t that lovely? Civil
discourse has as its aim understanding. One who engages in it does
so with the intent of listening to understanding rather listening to respond.
When I approach conversations with the desire to get behind others' views (a
desire born of a humility devoid of smug certainty), I find those conversations
to be fruitful and humanizing. I always come away with a deeper appreciation of
the individual in front of me and the group(s) that person may represent. I
hope my partners come away just as enriched. (Though, I can't control that, NOR
SHOULD I TRY. Once that becomes my sole focus, I'm back in the realm of smug
certainty and nothing comes of the intercourse save for further entrenchment.)
This leads me to ideas
I've bumped into about first principles. As an educator, I've learned the
importance of defining my intended outcomes for my lessons (in eduspeak: objectives).
When I have a clear idea of what I want my students to be able to do, know, or
love by the end of a lesson, I'm better prepared to make decisions about how to
get them there than I would otherwise be. Because education is, at heart,
conversation between students and teachers, I can't pretend to control all the
outcomes. That's just silly. I'm not that powerful. Rather, I do what I can to
intentionally set the conditions which will increase the probability that
certain outcomes will result. With an idea of where I want to go with my
students, I can frame our activities, my questions, and my responses to
students in a way that will point us toward my intentions. It's all about
framing intentions.
The same
intention-framing comes into play as I engage in public discourse (especially
on divisive topics). If my aim in engaging others is to persuade, I make
certain decisions along the course of the conversation. If my aim in engaging
others is to understand and humanize, well, I make different decisions along the
course of the conversation. Additionally, I'm finding it more and more
important for me to articulate my own beliefs about and desires for the
communities of which I'm a part. That's the purpose of taking to my keyboard
today—to give shape and form to my beliefs and, eventually my desires, so that
I may better engage with the world.
What do I believe?
1. Human beings are worthy of redemption.
2. The worth of a human soul is not contingent on
circumstance or choice.
3. The vast majority of people want good things for
the whole of their communities.
4. Human beings are complex and function both as
individuals and members of groups.
5. Engaging the individual as an individual (rather
than a representative of a group) is the best way to lead out in productive
conversations.
6. Vulnerable engagement on my part creates safe
spaces for connection.
7. Human endeavors are fraught with unintended consequences, and
therefore, should be treated as difficulties to navigate rather than problems
to be solved.
8. Human flourishing is the ultimate good and with
an eye toward that, other goods fall into place.
9. Deep truths about what it is to be human are
nuanced, complex, and sometimes seem at odds with one another. Morality,
therefore, is a nuanced and complex issue. (The principle of complementarity in physics may be a good
analogy.)
10. We need each other. Those around me have important roles to play in
the conversations taking place. So do I.
What do I desire?
Well, lots of things. But, for now, I’m going to watch a movie
with the best man I know. Besides, this post is getting a little long.
More to come…