people with vision

"What we don't have, in other words, are thinkers.  People who can think for themselves. People who can formulate a new direction... a new way of doing things, a new way of looking at things.  People, in other words, with vision."

(Deresiewicz, Solitude and Leadership, p.3-4)

In his lecture, entitled Solitude and Leadership, William Deresiewicz discusses the making of a leader; what produces a good leader and societies pitfalls that generate poor ones. Among these pitfalls is the way success is measured.  Success is not measured by your ability to produce world altering ideas, success is measured by standardized tests and by how well you can fake it. The quote that I've chosen to wrap this idea around expresses the need we have for genuine thinkers; people who can concentrate and then produce something innovative.  Something that can rewrite history.

Recently we had the opportunity to listen to Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist, as part of a university forum.  Wesch's speech was entitled- The End of Wonder in the Age of Whatever.  Wesch gave points and insights that parallel the lecture given by Deresiewicz.  Wesch talked a lot about how, in theory, new technology is meant to broaden our minds and social connections but, in reality, it does the opposite.  We replace real interactions with digital ones and replace learning with fact finding. This translates to society of superficiality.  A society that focuses on checking things off the list rather than passionately delving into that which interests us.  Wesch gave an example of a valedictorian who was able to achieve the highest of honors but in her speech said this, "I have no clue about what I want to do with my life,  I have no interests... I saw every subject of study as work and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning."

What is it that is happening here?  As Wesch would say, the leaders and winners are good at physics exams, not physics.  Meaning those at the top of society fulfill the requirements but they lack depth.  I think that Deresiewicz tries to make the same point in his lecture; the leaders of today go through the motions but how can we have progress by doing the same old thing? The answer is, we can't.  We need people with passion.  We need people with vision.

conquered and christianized

"'Chile sits there waiting to be conquered and Christianized, Señor Marqués Gobernador, a duty that we, the subjects of the emperor, cannot neglect,'" 

(Allende, Inés of My Soul, p.105)

This week's quote comes from the great Pedro de Valdivia.  At this point, Pedro is trying his best to gain authorization for his expedition to Chile.  Chile is his dream, it is all he wants to achieve, it is where he hopes to found a marvelous utopian society.  The words Pedro uses to sway his superior are the essence of the explorer mentality--conquest in the name of Christianity. Those explorers who set out to the New World left under the banner, or rather the pretext, of Jesus Christ.  

There is a musician that I enjoy who goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco.  Much of Lupe's music reflects his thoughts regarding political and social issues in American and around the world.  A song entitled American Terrorist came to mind while pondering the many themes of conquest in Inés of My Soul.  This particular track describes forms of oppression and attack that come from more recent history.  There is one line that really jumps out at me, "Bibles and glorious Qurans the books that take you to heaven and let you meet the Lord there have become misinterpreted, reasons for warfare, we read 'em with blind eyes I guarantee you there's more there."

If we examine the definitions of two distinct words Pedro said--in the same breath--conquered and christianized, we will find that something doesn't quite add up.  Conquer means--to gain or acquire by force of arms.  That sounds quite fierce. What does christian mean? One who professes a belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.  The last time I check, Christ never professed seizing anything by force--let alone inflicting his own teachings by force.  If Pedro and the explorers of the 1500's truthfully believed their quest was ordained of God, then terrible misinterpretation of holy scripture was running rampant in the New World.  Taking land and life for the sake of God just doesn't make sense.  Like Lupe Fiasco says, maybe the people of that time were reading the Bible with blind eyes and not willing to understand the true meaning of Christianity.

solitude defeats solitude

"Adolescence is a break with the world of childhood and a pause on the threshold of the adult world... It is during this period that we become aware of our singularity for the first time.  But the dialectic of the emotions intervenes once more: since adolescence is extreme self-consciousness, it can only be transcended by self-forgetfulness, by self-surrender... The vision of the adolescent as a solitary figure, closed up within himself and consumed by desire or timidity, almost always resolves into a crowd of young people dancing, singing or marching as a group..." (Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, p.203)

My first thought when I came across this passage by Octavio Paz was, "I like it but... I don't know why." I had to read over this section a few times and ask for some help before I could understand what Paz was getting at; I think I get it now.  In our teenage years we begin to realize that we are individuals and we develop a sense of independence.  We realize that adulthood is fast approaching and we will become our own guardians.  The future can seem daunting, intimidating and lonely.  The natural response is to shy away and become a recluse.  Yet we understand that a friendless life is hardly a life at all--so we search for belonging in new places.  Our newfound independence become a vehicle for us to expand, find where we fit in, and overcome our solitude.

I recently saw the book-turned-film The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, and I can't help but see Paz's idea through the characters in that movie.  The movie follows Charlie, an extremely shy and somewhat emotionally disturbed high school freshmen.  Charlie literally doesn't have any friends and he lacks the skills to connect with he peers.  At this point, Charlie is the epitome of a loner.  But he makes the resolve "to not be a loser."  As Charlie tries new things he develops humble friendships, and then suddenly he is accepted into this group of misfits.  Out of his solitude comes the courage to stand out and be spontaneous.

Just like Octavio Paz writes, Charlie is able to surpass self-consciousness by self-forgetfulness. Solitude and adolescence go hand and hand; but so do adolescence and sociability.  How does this all work?  Well, this movie, The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, has helped me figure it out.  As youth we don't really know where we are headed and I think Paz wants us to understand that our journey starts with our solitude.  Then out of solitude we find the desire to--like Charlie says in the movie--"turn things around."

allow me to introduce myself

Who am I?

My name is Joseph Wiest.  I was born December 27, 1990 weighing in at 9 pounds 5 ounces.  Little did I know that 22 years and 2 weeks later I would become an amateur blogger.  I am from a little town in Oregon called Tangent.  If you look up Tangent's Wikipedia page, the most interesting thing you'll find is that we hold the title of "Grass Seed Capitol of the World." Nice.  I don't come from a huge family; at home its just my parents and my little sister who is a freshman in high school.  My go-to interesting fact/talent is that I can stand on my head and recite the alphabet backwards... simultaneously.

What do I like?  What are my interests?

• Lists with bullet points.
• Sports.  I'm not obsessed but I do love basketball and football.  That being said I'm sure you're wondering who my teams are.  Portland Trail Blazers, of course, and there is nothing better than some Oregon Duck football.
• Cooking.  I really like to eat, thus I've learned to enjoy cooking.  I took a few foods classes in high school and I don't mean to boast but I can hold my own in the kitchen.
• The outdoors.  I was born in the outdoors!  Not literally.  I was actually born in a hospital but I do love being outside.  Camping is great, hiking is awesome, rivers are fun -- the list is endless.
• Rap music.  My love affair with rap started around the 8th grade and life simply hasn't been the same since.
• The beach.  I don't surf or anything, its too cold in Oregon to do that anyway, but going to the coast has always been one of my favorite things.  When I was growing up we always went crabbing in mid-October; not quite Deadliest Catch style but still a lot of fun.

Game day with my sister Emily and girlfriend Heather.

What has lead me to IHUM 260?

The reason I wanted to take this class probably isn't that unique.  I fell in love with the latin culture on my mission; I served Spanish speaking in El Paso, Texas.  El Paso isn't quite south or central America but ever since I've been intrigued by latin people and what makes them special.