Knowledge: really, whats the point?
Progress is being made on the whole Leaving Los Angeles Situation. We have our tickets to fly to Philadelphia in two weeks. Drew's working on his portfolio. In 30 minutes we're driving downtown to look at fabrics for the portfolio's cover. But I'm still waiting to hear from the NY school I visited at the end of February, so things aren't quite as settled as I'd like.
I've been reading a lot. Lots of New York Times. It's been years since I was this informed on this many subjects: the firing of the top judge in Pakistan; the status of Saudi Arabia after the summit in Riyadh; the issue of Palestinians and the right of return; the plight of the diamond miners in Sierra Leone; why cheerleading has gotten so pyramidal and cheerleader throw-y (because most schools got rid of gymastics in the 80s 'cause it's too dangerous, FYI). It's quite a commitment, but it's used up a lot of time that I would normally spend watching Barefoot Contessa reruns on Food Network. So I guess it's time better spent (since I rarely make any of Ina Garten's recipes. I mostly just salivate when she lathers icing onto baked things.)
But what, exactly, are you supposed to do with so much information? Other than showing off on your blog, I mean. I don't really have anyone in my daily life who wants to talk about world affairs in that much depth. And even if I did, what would be the point of debating with a friend? It doesn't really change anything. It's so fucking difficult to commit to being an activist, though, because you can never know enough to be truly comfortable with any one position. I guess that's why intellectuals are frowned upon by some policymakers. I have friends like that, who just argue against every position anyone takes without ever actually taking a firm stand on anything themselves. The more you learn about the daily happenings around the world the more you see how blissful ignorance can be so appealing. I already feel like I vote the right way for my own beliefs, so what else can I do? I think, honestly, you're supposed to engage the opposition in serious discussions. But... ugh. I do not like the opposition. And it's so rare that you actually find two people with different viewpoints who are willing to hash things out. You usually run into some wall of propriety and people just choose to agree to disagree.
If I could seriously keep it up for the next five years -- reading every story on the front page of the NYT to completion, regardless of whether or not I was interested in the subject -- I bet I'd learn more than I learned in college. So I guess that's the reason to do it. It's kind of turning into an obsession, though. It probably goes hand in hand with all my crazy dieting and exercise. I don't know that I'll be able to keep it up come fall. I mean, I'm not the fastest reader, so I don't know if I can invest 45 minutes a day reading the paper + an hour of exercise + med school. But I figure it's good to make it a habitual thing now and see how long I can stick with it.
I rather enjoy it, I must say. If you really read the whole story, regardless of your interest in the subject, you'll always learn something. But you have to get to paragraph six or seven before they'll give you background (like today, when I couldn't remember the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah). Otherwise it can just be a huge waste of time.
Kind of like you reading this entry. Huge waste of your time. I honestly don't know why you do it. Thanks, though!
I've been reading a lot. Lots of New York Times. It's been years since I was this informed on this many subjects: the firing of the top judge in Pakistan; the status of Saudi Arabia after the summit in Riyadh; the issue of Palestinians and the right of return; the plight of the diamond miners in Sierra Leone; why cheerleading has gotten so pyramidal and cheerleader throw-y (because most schools got rid of gymastics in the 80s 'cause it's too dangerous, FYI). It's quite a commitment, but it's used up a lot of time that I would normally spend watching Barefoot Contessa reruns on Food Network. So I guess it's time better spent (since I rarely make any of Ina Garten's recipes. I mostly just salivate when she lathers icing onto baked things.)
But what, exactly, are you supposed to do with so much information? Other than showing off on your blog, I mean. I don't really have anyone in my daily life who wants to talk about world affairs in that much depth. And even if I did, what would be the point of debating with a friend? It doesn't really change anything. It's so fucking difficult to commit to being an activist, though, because you can never know enough to be truly comfortable with any one position. I guess that's why intellectuals are frowned upon by some policymakers. I have friends like that, who just argue against every position anyone takes without ever actually taking a firm stand on anything themselves. The more you learn about the daily happenings around the world the more you see how blissful ignorance can be so appealing. I already feel like I vote the right way for my own beliefs, so what else can I do? I think, honestly, you're supposed to engage the opposition in serious discussions. But... ugh. I do not like the opposition. And it's so rare that you actually find two people with different viewpoints who are willing to hash things out. You usually run into some wall of propriety and people just choose to agree to disagree.
If I could seriously keep it up for the next five years -- reading every story on the front page of the NYT to completion, regardless of whether or not I was interested in the subject -- I bet I'd learn more than I learned in college. So I guess that's the reason to do it. It's kind of turning into an obsession, though. It probably goes hand in hand with all my crazy dieting and exercise. I don't know that I'll be able to keep it up come fall. I mean, I'm not the fastest reader, so I don't know if I can invest 45 minutes a day reading the paper + an hour of exercise + med school. But I figure it's good to make it a habitual thing now and see how long I can stick with it.
I rather enjoy it, I must say. If you really read the whole story, regardless of your interest in the subject, you'll always learn something. But you have to get to paragraph six or seven before they'll give you background (like today, when I couldn't remember the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah). Otherwise it can just be a huge waste of time.
Kind of like you reading this entry. Huge waste of your time. I honestly don't know why you do it. Thanks, though!
Labels: Drew, Medical School, Politics, Television
1 Comments:
Hmm... well, you could have discussed and debated current events with the boy who was supposed to be my new boyfriend. But he decided to be a total douchebag, so sorry. I used to be good at discussing stuff, but my brain died, I think.
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