I didn’t have any expectations for myself or this class going into it. Required courses have always seemed to me to be a load of material to temporarily absorb and then deposit as soon as conveniently possible. Due to my arrogance, I had believed my own ethical beliefs to be infallible. The notion of a class having a profound impact on my thought processes concerning right and wrong to be laughable. Indeed, as I went to class and I read and read and read, two things became apparent. One, that I had little clue as to what these old dudes were trying to say in there writings. Two, that I was only paying attention to and utilizing the ideas that reinforce my own beliefs.
Change is a gradual thing. While I would love to say that after the first class where we as a collective were fed like baby birds the sustenance that made up the almost completely indigestible reading, that I opened my eyes and saw the error of my ways, I know that to be false. My arrogance was chipped at, chisel in hand, one small piece at a time. I had always thought that a degree, was a piece of paper that screamed, “Look ma, I done it!” but I think I see it now as proof of thought. The ability to think in different ways, the rules of mathematics, the laws of physics, the art of writing, to question in philosophy, and more. It is too easy to be trapped in your own head, and believe yourself to be King or Queen of thoughts and ideas. What happens between my ears is a gift to the world, I just don’t know how, or wish to share it.
The takeaway, was understanding what motivates other people to make decisions. It is so easy nowadays to get stuck in a perpetual thought chamber. To scream into the void of 1s and 0s and have it echo back with a different username attached. For me, this class evolved to the understanding and thought process not of my own, but of others. Instead of just disregarding what was said if I didn’t agree, I instead asked, “why?”. Now I’m not that much of an evolved primate, to then consider the answer to why, but it is a step in the right direction. I have been greatly humbled by this class, and my own perceived self importance. I didn’t go with that as a goal in mind, and I don’t think the professor or department set it as such. That’s not important though. I delved into the writings and philosophies of dead men, and expanded my own ideas and motivations.
