VLOG LAND!

The idea of talking to myself in front of a camera was and still is taboo for me, but after watching the “look at me video blog” it makes perfect sense. The first two purposes identity negotiation and narcissism really got me thinking. Every one of us at some point feels the need to express and feel that we are part of something, because of this we crave the need to be accepted. Vlog land in this sense helps us be part of something even if it deletes that physical interaction.

Reality & circumstance

“The rear window” by Alfred Hitchcock is a very interesting film in terms of human nature. The film entails the idea of individual selfishness, and our tendencies to conform or question what is mentally fed to us. This being the case, we can freely say that; reality is directly proportional to an individual’s proficiency in the art of physical, mental, and spiritual well being. This film also brings up three excellent points to question. These inquiries branch from what I believe is the main scheme in the film. The first is the idea, or better yet. What are the set standards in terms of “normal behavior” viewed by our peers? Will fear push us to conform to an illusion for the sake of our well being? And finally if this second thought under question is correct; wouldn’t this replace the individual’s idea of illusion, with his current reality?
“The Rear window” is a suspense film, but more than just a suspense film I would say it’s a form of looking glass into our nature as human beings. What is normal behavior? The film outlines “moral standards” or “normal behavior” in two different ways. The first forced by the main characters social circle. The second exponentially increased with the mid twenty first century conservative culture.
Another question that needs to be dissected is the individuals need to strive for well being in all areas of his or her life. This question is very well implied by the characters suggesting that everything we do has a selfish purpose disguised as a selfless act.

"Reality" fact or idea?

“The allegory of the cave” is an excellent example of certainty in terms of physical truth. The narrative depicts the struggle between reality and illusion. Most people, including ourselves, live in a world of relative ignorance because it’s all we know. I think that the main point stressed in the allegory is that ideas, not the material world of change, possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality. Is it in our nature to conform, or question our apparent reality? Can knowledge bring us closer to certainty? And most importantly, once we’ve grasped it, will we ever go back to being ignorant?
We are humans, therefore living organisms that obey the natural laws of life; as a result, it’s in our nature to adapt, or die. We either accept or question our physical surroundings. A section in the narrative describes that the individual will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. The key word is “accustomed,” meaning that even though the individual’s exposure was dramatic he will in fact gradually adapt to the new environment. Another important section that needs to be defined is the concept of “Truth”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines truth as: the body of real things, events, and facts; in addition, with the proposal of truth the idea of good follows. With this said we can argue that the idea of truth could vary from one individual to another, and if this is the case the idea of truth can be interpreted in numerous ways. The struggle between reality and illusion is similar to the struggle of good and evil. Socrates interpretation of the truth is directly pointed towards knowledge. The more we know the closer we are to the truth. In the middle section of the allegory the individual is dragged back to his natal prison, and is forced to live his previous lifestyle. Is it possible to suppress our natural inquisitive tendencies? Will the individual ever be the same after experiencing a truth other than the one he was born into? I would like to think no; because, this would symbolize that once we’ve tasted certainty our hunger for knowledge, truth, and our individual idea of good will exponentially grow.
I think that the concept of reality becomes difficult to define, because of its different and personal meanings from one individual to another. Ideas and not our world of physical change truly do define our reality.