The Eye of the Beholder - Essay Example

English Journal Journal 24 February The Eye of the Beholder Pushing “play” to watch an advertisement “Neverstop” featuring Natalia Vodianova I expected to see another Cinderella story of a model’s road to fame. However, the video triggered the thoughts of a different kind. It got me thinking about beauty, labels and the notion of norm. What is beauty, physical beauty to begin with? Even though the ideas of attractiveness vary with different nations and even with the same nation over the time the foundations of the standard of attractiveness are the same. Beautiful person exemplifies the ‘looks’ norm for the society or group. Attractive person strikes the cords in the hearts of most individuals who belong to the same community because he or she is believed to prove that harmony exists. Harmony, in its turn, can be viewed as a combination of ‘right’ and ‘desirable’ phenomena or concepts. Getting the idea of what is right, people start looking for the proof that the ‘right thing’ exists. Natalia Vodianova, the main character in the commercial, is seen by many as a very attractive woman. When she is shown in the video running with a prosthetic leg her aura of strength, glamorousness and grace is enhanced. In most cases, new things, unknown traits disagree with the concept of harmony and are not universally seen as attractive. But the video once again shows that the beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder. Worrying about ‘norms’ and labels people are ‘blindfolded’ and don’t see every person’s beauty. 3 March 2014 ‘Currency’ of Life As the song goes “Money can’t buy me love”. But the same can be true about any other emotion or sensation. Money basically cannot make you feel something other that the joy of having money (provided you are prone to avarice). Thai commercial “Unsung Hero” inspired me to consider what money really means to people and what ‘currency’ can be invested in life. According to the authors of the commercial what people really want has nothing to do with fame, fortune, and success. It is the emotion or feeling of happiness. And in many cases it has nothing to do with money. Going on holiday to a new location, trying new dishes, buying new things is exchanging money for sensations. The holiday sun tan disappears, exotic food is digested, new clothes or gadgets soon become habitual and start serving their purpose be it protecting us from the rain and cold or facilitating communication. But the sensations, the emotions such as the excitement of the discovery of new destinations, fascination with one’s own reflection in the mirror in a new outfit or awe at the sight of new technology can outlive the events that trigger those feelings. As a result, people accumulate things when in fact they want to accumulate the ‘currency’ of life: feelings and memories. 15 March 2014 Ukraine, Russia, and the US: New World Disorder When the riots started in the east European country of Ukraine no one could have predicted those events would echo across the globe. What at first sight seemed nothing more than the internal affair of a sovereign state trying to change the course of its economic and political development resulted in the struggle for global dominance. While brief mentions in the news and hardly any comments from politicians were giving way to sections of newspapers devoted to Ukrainian crisis the whole situation looked more and more confusing. Now it seems to me that the balance of power as we knew it and the world order we got used to are changing. Russia suddenly showed its growing ambition to become the new global superpower that can dominate international relations. I think that the events in Ukraine have significantly shaken the belief in the international agreements and guarantees of territorial integrity. Another question is how long will the crisis last and how deeply will it affect other territories? In the global world economics and politics, welfare and security are closely connected. Pulling just one thread with too much force we risk destroying the whole fabric of multiple connections and beneficial cooperation, safety and predictability. That is why I believe that the US position concerning Ukrainian crisis should be firm and consistent. 23 March 2014 Social Network: Friend or Foe? Social networks have brought about a radical change in relationships between young people. However, neither scholars no general public are ready to say that social networking media such as Facebook or Twitter have more benefits than flaws. On the one hand, the advantage of instant communication online can allow users to share their ideas and ask for advice or help from friends when they need it most. In social network a plea to find a lost item, runaway pet or even a missing person can reach many people in all corners of the world. In some instances this quickness of reaction may be crucial. What is more, with social media the whole world is at user’s fingertips. They can make friends and meet new people from any countries or even parts of the world. This communication can broaden user’s outlook, teach them understanding and tolerance. On the other hand, absence of tolerance is increasingly becoming one of the flaws of the social media. Sitting comfortably in front of their screens some users are prone to criticizing and even bullying. What’s the point in achieving something or developing a talent when plenty of attention can be gained through downgrading the achievements of others? This way of thinking and the actions it triggers can dangerous for social media users. But it can hardly be called the flaw of the social media; bullies would have found some other way to criticize. The point with the social media is that they are a different kind of reality. People learn about the ways to live happily and safely in the real world so rules of conduct for ‘cyber reality’ should also be taught. 28 March 2014 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Carrying out research is quite a demanding activity. Moreover, coming up with a research topic is a challenge in itself. What can be the source of the research question? Whenever a student tries to find the topic that interests him or her personal experience and observations seem the obvious choice for the research question. Firstly, it is interesting for this particular student. Secondly, it is likely to be unique as no two people are alike in their perception of events or understanding of concepts. Finally, it would make the research process far more challenging because trying to answer the research question a student would be able to find out more about himself or herself. What does the fact that a student is interested in this or that phenomenon disclose about who he or she is? However, later many students cast such research topics aside since they don’t seem to very significant or observable for scholarly research. It is difficult to tell whether a topic based on non-scholarly observation could expand the knowledge about the world. Thus more often than not, students turn to academic study for inspiration in search of research topic. ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ may seem a safe choice (Lessen, Scieffer 56). Well-established researchers have contributed years of hard work to build a firm ground. It seems that new generations of students have nothing left to do but to build on the knowledge left by the predecessors. But on closer inspection, it turns out that the greatest advances in science were made not because scholars wanted to pay homage to those who came before them or were looking for a ‘giant’ strong enough to hold them. In my opinion, the deepest insight, the most genuine spark of interest can come from within, from the individual’s experience and way of thinking. That is why while choosing a research topic we should not cast aside personal experience and preferences. Who knows, they may hold potential for a higher quality research and self-discovery along with uncovering new knowledge. 4 April 2014 Leaving Trace It is rather difficult to predict the future or peer into it for just a tiny second. It is even more difficult to try to contemplate life going on without me. Still I have tried to think of the obituary as the way to sum up my traces in this world when the time comes. As far as I know many obituaries have a line about “making a difference” or being “good parent, citizen, and professional”. I do not think that my obituary would be radically different. Even though it might not speak of groundbreaking discoveries in science or saving the world from the catastrophe those plain and seemingly dry words would still mean that a person’s life mattered. ‘Good’ is quite a subjective category. Every person sees ‘good’ through his or her own perspective. In our life we come across a whole array of different people with different tastes and beliefs. We live in society playing different roles and performing various obligations. And if obituary says that a person was good in those many roles it means that he lived not in vain. Leaving a trace in people’s memory is valuable in itself, and if this trace is a good one cannot wish for more. 15 April 2014 Does ‘Global’ Mean ‘Good for All’? Globalization is a very controversial phenomenon. On the one hand sharing the advances in technology and science can make life in many parts of the world better. Free access to scientific findings, international collaboration and joint projects in healthcare are among the obvious benefits of globalization. Even standardization or unification in the way of life can be seen by some individuals as a manifestation of progress. For example, tourists traveling to foreign lands can feel reassured if they find familiar fast food chains or supermarkets. No matter where you go in the world due to the effects of globalization you can expect to find more or less familiar components of comfort and familiar lifestyle. For some people globalization means knowing what to eat or what to buy in foreign countries. This way they can avoid the perils and frustrations of the unknown. On the other hand, globalization can be seen as an attempt to create a global society, where traditions and peculiar features no longer count. It seems much easier to opt for working out and imposing a uniform set of ideas than to try to understand other people’s values. While in cultural sphere effects of globalization are subject to strong criticism, in economy global integration can be beneficial. Developed countries can find new markets while developing countries can join economic cooperation and significantly reduce poverty. Thus globalization can indeed become ‘good for all’ as long as we respect other nation’s viewpoints. 20 April 2014 Philosophical Question The philosophical question I’ve been trying to answer recently concerns the necessity to study philosophy. Do universities in the XXI century need this department? Firstly, philosophy is believed to be the mother of all disciplines, but they have taken their separate paths ever since. Secondly, philosophy does not teach any practical skills or give any hands-on experience that in the ever-changing can be crucial for professional development. Thirdly, graduates’ contribution to the welfare of society is not as immediate as that of graduates of departments of economics or medicine. Then why do big universities still support philosophy departments? However, looking back at the history of higher education, we can notice that philosophy has always played a significant role. In my opinion the study of philosophy is still relevant because it is concerned with trying to answer general questions. It attempts to solve problems and advance knowledge that would be relevant to other disciplines. What is more philosophy can teach us to assess the concepts and ideas we already posses as well as those created by humanity on the go. Modern world puts forward a lot of philosophical questions, but luckily we still have scholars who to try to solve them. Works Cited Lessen, Ronnie, and Alexander Scieffer. Integral Research and Innovation (Transformation and Innovation). Gower, 2010. Print. Read More