Sunday, October 19, 2008

I get so frustrated sometimes, and I don’t know how much my attending this university has anything to do with it. But whatever it is, there is advice being given all the time here. It’s like we live in a culture of advice givers. Everyone has every solution to every single one of our problems in every situation in our life because we feel we grasp all eternal truth. It’s like no story we go through is hard because everyone knows the ending if we make the correct plot choices, we don’t even get a chance to effectively feel the story out. Because I know the gospel is true I should know that being sad or confused is a result of sin, heaven sent trials, or some other condition that can be summarized by a scripture mastery quote. There are so many quotes and spiritual thoughts that I can’t even think! Every situation I find myself in I think, ‘Oh, I already know the problem and answer, I just need to apply through hard work and gumption;’ but, jumping to the end of the story with a scriptural solution before seeing the plot through forces me to live a scripted life. Thomas Plummer quotes S.I. Hayakawa about living a preprogrammed life:
Most people don’t know the answer to the question, “How are you? How do you feel?” The reason why they don’t know is that they are so busy feeling what they are supposed to feel, thinking what they are supposed to think, that they never get down to examining their own deepest feelings. "How did you like the play?" "Oh, it was a fine play. It was well reviewed in The New Yorker.@ With authority figures like drama critics and book reviewers and teachers and professors telling us what to think and how to feel, many of us are busy playing roles, fulfilling other people's expectations. As Republicans, we think what other Republicans think. As Catholics, we think what other Catholics think. And so on. Not many of us ask ourselves, “How do I feel? What do I think?” C and wait for an answer.[i]

2. Thomas G. Plummer, "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome," Lecture delivered to Delta Phi Alpha, the German Honor Society at BYU, April 5, 1990.

4 comments:

jessamyn said...

Good point! I've always been against teachers teaching about books in school, I can only imagine that the authors are rolling over in their graves saying, "You're not getting the point!" It should be a discussion not a curriculum.

Jessica Tingey said...

Remember the exercise we did once outside of the library: what is it that's bothering you? Does this come from a truthful reality or from your own biased world? :) Don't you think most advice is only given through the biased perspectives of complex human beings just trying to find their own way? Just take it for what it's worth and make your own way. We weren't made to simply endure. :)

Kate said...

Impressive musings, Son. I enjoy reading your thoughts - they cause one to reflect.

Carla said...

i agree with getting sick of hearing the scriptural answers "this is happening to you for a reason, or maybe you were supposed to fail for some bigger purpose, blah blah blah..." Sometimes I don't want to be all happy and positive so I hold firmly that sometimes life just sucks.