What to say?
What to say to the young fellow who does not see the fun of reading difficult texts. His preferred way of living is to work a little and spend as much time as possible with friends, drinking beer and watching movies. Why read, why study, why sit long evenings at a desk to work on an article or read what others have written? Why do all that when there’s not much money in it anyway?
I now and then run into a fellow like this (usually hanging out on a couch). What are the topoi (if you don’t know about rhetoric, topoi are the commonplaces, the repertoire of arguments you can draw from) that may have an impact on such a fellow? What would you say? And what would get him off that couch?
wilfred said,
May 5, 2008 @ 10:39 am
Actually, I have been one of the young fellows not seeing the fun of reading difficult texts, And actually, i stil do not see any fun there….but I got somewhat eager to read and study. Mainly because of the influences of (people like) Arjo.
I think, the one thing that can get someone into that, is the realization that these difficult texts matter. That they inhabit some wisdoms relevant for personal life and society as a whole. And, what is needed for that, is some good fundament of knowledge and understandings. Some of the people hanging on the couch or wherever simply do not have that fundamental base (yet). It is , of course, not realistic to expect from anyone to work on articles or to read and understand difficult texts. And, of course, all the little working of all these people not spending their times and devotions to writing and reading also matter a lot.
I think shaping the right contexts is major for getting people with potentials of reading and writing to actually go for it. Showing them the possibilities and potentials there. Or, like in my case, just being sent to some great discussions. The texts, the discussions, are the right arguments there. To give persons a choice and maybe to make them realize about the values of greater texts and discourses.
Alice Verheij said,
May 21, 2008 @ 1:49 am
and sometimes a firm kick at the butt has much the same effect…
Seriously, I think it’s very OK that kids spend time enjoying life, being absent minded, not interested in whatever there is that might be interesting. Being demotivated, lazy and pubertal. Being party animals and being more interested in girls, guys or whoever they fancy.
As long as it’s a phase. And as long as there still is an opportunity to address them an get them motivated. Where that motivation leads is less important. It might be study, it might be working on a life that’s useful. It might be arts, it might be sciences. And it might even be reading difficult texts from mainly dead people. It al depends on the talents they have been given and the people who do address them to do that in the right way and ‘pushing the right button’, meaning to have an open eye for these talents they have and giving them the opportunities to use these talents.
We shouldn’t be to somber on the behaviour of youths. Because when we do that it usually means that we have lost some of our own youth.
Alice.
artgrrl said,
May 22, 2008 @ 11:05 am
Why do other and mostly older people worry so much about the behavior of youth? Let them have their fun or lay on their couch. There is a lot to be seen in movies as well in difficult texts, which are often difficult for no apparent reason. There’s no real fun in them; maybe they can be interesting but not all people are academics. I think I know interesting ways of discussing and having fun with friends.