"By exploring the contributions of others, we begin to see how we ourselves might contribute... as more thoughtful and critical human beings." (Janaro and Altshuler, 2017)
I agree with this statement. By looking at the works of other people, we can widen our range of viewpoints of the world and, in turn, be better people. We all have our own experiences that influence how we think and behave but looking through the eyes of others can give us a way to interpret the world differently and change how we think and behave for the better. An example of this can be found in the sources we go to for our news. Many news sources have their own agenda and portray the world differently to their viewers in order to push it. As a viewer, the more of these sources you consume, the more portrayals of current events you'll see, and you'll be able to see more of the world and from a variety of viewpoints, rather than experience the world from a very limited perspective.
“When you search for the beautiful, you will be astonished to realize how close it is.” (Janaro and Altshuler, 2017)
After reading this sentence, I took a few minutes to look at and listen to my surroundings. I was quite surprised at the aesthetics of the things in my room. I looked at how the lighting reflected on a colorful energy drink can created a wide variety of colors. I listened to the humming of the fan, the ticking of the clock, and the rain hitting the window. I watched the hat hanging off of my shelf sway side to side from the wind created by the fan. All of these things entranced me for some time as I simply took a moment to experience them. As someone with ADHD and a short attention span, I was truly amazed at how such simple things could catch my eyes and ears the way they did, and it didn’t take much effort at all. I wonder how many more seemingly straightforward occurrences can be this surprisingly pleasing to the senses.
“Through the humanities, we can live more than once: here and now, and yesterday as well.” (Janaro and Altshuler, 2017)
I believe this statement is very true. Humanities provide us with a great many things that can give us a good idea of what has happened before our time. For the time before written language was invented, there are very few ways to determine the events of the past. But as more and more people began writing, painting, documenting, etc. we have become much more aware of the history of humanity, and we can use these experiences in our own lives today. With humanities, we can metaphorically live in the past as well as the present.
Sources
Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2017).The Art of Being Human: the Humanities as a Technique for Living, 11th edition. Pearson Education, Inc.
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