I think a big problem with our world today is that we fake too many emotions, too many actions, and too much of our lives in general. I think that a lot of times in our society it can be hard to tell if people are being genuine or if they are fabricating emotions to best fit the mold that society sees. it’s hard to deal with the constant paranoia of the way we should act versus the way we feel. Even using Maus as an example,“I could avoid the truth no longer-- the doctors words clattered inside me… I felt confused, I felt angry, I felt numb!… I didn’t exactly feel like crying, but I figured I should!…” (Spiegelman 101). The words “ I figured I should” have incredible depth. Think about how many things we do on a daily basis that we feel fit into the mold of society. Think about how many smiles you fake, or laughs you manufacture so that you feel that you fit in. it’s sad to say that in our world today what we feel isn’t good enough to express all the time. We all have times where we put on a mask and pretend to cry, or smile, or have fun, or even just being present in general. We fake these things yet we know that this isn’t stuff that we truly feel, yet we are okay with it because it’s socially acceptable. I think we as people should start expressing what we really feel even if it’s not what we think we should. We should express ourselves the way we feel we should be expressed, not the way society feels we should be expressed. It’s okay not to cry, it is okay not to smile, but it is never okay to pretend with something as delicate as emotions.
Lesson #4: Emotions are an important perspective of who we really are.
Jessica, this is amazing! I agree with the fact that we as human beings oppress what we are truly feeling to satisfy the people around us. We need to stop shutting ourselves up and live our lives using our own thoughts. No one should have to be ignored.
ReplyDeleteJess, I really loved the perspective you chose to take this week with your lesson. This really hits home for me, and you explained an important truth that lots of our generation struggles with perfectly. I feel like whether in everyday life or in respects to the Holocaust, many people do fake their emotions in order to present themselves as more acceptable to those around them.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to what your saying and i agree that its important to be able to express yourself the way you want to. Society sometimes holds people back from being themselves. I think sometimes its because fitting in is easier than disagreeing or being different.
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