The Art of Being Human, A Shining Beacon
The Humanities that are within the world is how individuals get to openly express and discover themselves. The world itself continues to grow at an ongoing pace along with the people all around. You cannot simply go ahead and say the humanities were solely the work of the famous philosophers we can only date back to because you have to put in perspective that the admiration of classical art, literature, and philosophy had lost souls that did not get documented into the timeline of history. Those three disciplines are the primary things that distinguish our humanistic traits.
Those who want more out of life are more likely to study and even be inspired by the works of others. It allows our imagination to flow and create moments of aesthetic pleasure. The never-ending resources of the humanities are often overlooked by most people where they fail to realize that the knowledge and enlightenment it may bring to you is an absolute gift. Often times admiration comes from the feeling we get within ourselves that makes us feel appreciative of it or one’s existence. It takes the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” into effect because one’s fondness of something may not be as appealing to him/her as it is to you. That aesthetic pleasure we get from it, is your own form of justification. Art for example is often more than just an image created for decoration.
Messages are expressed in various ways that the only way we are able to read them is to try and see them from a different vantage point. According to the text, “The humanities can be enjoyed for both their aesthetic and communicative functions. Learning to distinguish one from the other is an important part of critical thinking…” (8.1.1) The critical thinking is what helps us keep our sanity in the ongoing changes in the world. It allows us to have the chance to combine and make up the meaning behind everything the humanities have to offer. Literature for example often take roles of people. When you’re on stage, having some sort of an identity or a certain flow in words like in a poem is what gives art life. Being able to bring that character to life is what gives literature the ability to speak to us.
Experiences that come through the humanities helps us realize that the present comes to be from countless past events in order for us to better understand what being alive and truly living is all about. By effectively homing in on the present issues and those from the past, our view and the humanities itself will be able to expand viewpoints and developing factors within ourselves. By doing so you might be able to become the “Infinite” person you may aspire to be. Things such as zero crimes against humanity, not limiting the freedom of yourself or others, free of rigid prejudices, and etc are ways to achieve that sense of enlightenment. This chapter on the humanities made me realize that there is never enough. The creative work behind these intellectuals do nothing but inspire us to seek more out of life and to stay away from the bare minimum of what society has to offer.
Janaro, R. P., & Althshuler, T. C. (2013). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. Pearson Learning Solutions.
Retrieved from In Education, O. C. (n.d.). Download 140 Free Philosophy Courses: Develop Critical Thinking Skills & Live the Examined Life. Retrieved from http://www.openculture.com/2014/12/download-130-free-philosophy-courses.html
