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Chapter 10

Religion

“Karma is the name given to the cumulative moral consequences of actions. Good karma means an accumulation of good deeds; bad karma, the accumulation of sins.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 281)

I chose this quote because karma is a big factor in Buddhism and Buddhism is my faith. On the fact of karma I am a strong believer in the saying “what comes around, goes around.” According to Oxford Languages the saying “what goes around comes around” means the consequences of one's actions will have to be dealt with eventually. I have done a lot of things that most likely would be considered to be “an accumulation of sins” in my past. I believe I received my bad karma in full force, all at once. Since I have committed a the Buddhist faith, I have not done any of the things that would be possibly considered to be sins that I did in the past. I spoke of a few of those “sins” in my blog on Love. I still have a guilty conscience of the things I discussed in that blog post. I guess you could say I did more bad deeds in my life than good deeds, but I am trying to redeem myself through my faith and self forgiveness.

“In Buddhism, an enlightened person loses all consciousness of ego and, utterly detached participation in the stream of life, sees everything as it is, with total objectivity, understanding everyone’s thoughts, motives, joys, and sorrows. Since it is freedom from the emotional strain of living within one’s ego, enlightenment in Buddhism is the gateway to achieving total peace—nirvana, which is not death, but peace without end.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 282)

The eight paths are:

Right views—opinions based on a knowledge of things as they are.

Right intentions—decision to act on such views.

Right speech—saying what is appropriate, guarding one’s statements so that they do not provoke anger and defensive behavior in others (but not saying what is false in order not to offend).

Right conduct—behaving toward and interacting with others in the accordance with things as they are, not what you want them to be.

Right livelihood—earning what is needed to survive and help others to survive, but never earning for its own sake and for unnecessary possessions earning makes possible.

Right effort—striving to do what needs to be done not to advance one’s own cause or prestige.

Right mindfulness—maintaining the sitting or meditative attitude anywhere m whether in solitude or in a society.

Right concentration—focusing unwaveringly on reality without intrusion of ego and the idle chatter that floods the mind. (Janaro & Altshuler p. 283)

I chose this quote for obvious reasons. If you did not realize by now, I am Buddhist. It is such a relief to have faith in something you truly believe in. The Noble Eightfold Path or Siddhartha’s Eightfold Path according to the text is the Buddhist guide to a life of peace and harmony, a life can, as death nears, be recalled happily, in the knowledge that one has brought goodness into the world. For me, Noble Eightfold Path seemed right and obvious to do your best to follow the path. If you are already doing at least one of Noble Eightfold Path guides, you just took the first step on your journey to enlightenment and nirvana already!

“An agnostic (from a Greek word meaning “unknown” or “unknowable”) is a person who does not patently disbelieve in God but who asserts that nothing about God, including his existence, can be known for certain. Agnostics are sometimes accused by the faithful of being too lazy to bother with religion. They are challenged to prove that God cannot be proven.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 299)

I chose this quote because I consider myself to be an agnostic. From a very young age, I never thought there was a God because He could not prove his existence. For a while I identified myself as an atheist because I was not aware of being agnostic. I am not sure if there is a God or the universe was created science. I believe in science more than a book that was written 3,500 years ago, all I am saying.

Works Cited

First picture: Ekdahl, A. K. (2019, March 28). Karma – about actions and their consequences. Creativity boost. https://creativityboost.net/2019/03/26/karma-about-actions-and-their-consequences/.

Definition: Oxford Languages and Google - English. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/.

Second picture: Hinducosmos. (2021, April 10). hinducosmos. Hindu Cosmos. https://hinducosmos.tumblr.com/post/648105623889805312/vajrapani-china-18th-century-kapoor-galleries.

Definition: History.com Editors. (2017, October 12). Buddhism. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism.

Third picture: Rivette | 11/10/19 7:11am, E. (2019, November 10). Agnosticism at Elon University. Elon News Network. https://www.elonnewsnetwork.com/article/2019/11/agnosticism-at-elon-university.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 9

Cinema

“An ever-expanding variety of resources is available to contemporary directors. Standard shots—long shots, medium shots, close-ups, pans, zooms, tracking shots—allow directors to establish content, focus the audience’s attention on single characters or objects, or follow the progress of characters or action through an ever-widening landscape.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 241)

I chose this quote because I am aware of how film is shot. I took TV production classes in high school all 3 years I attended high school—I was dual enrolled senior year. The first year in TV production is learning about production of film and movies and doing storyboards. According to Wikipedia, A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualising a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The class would draw out their storyboards and then go get the video recorders to take the shots they put in the storyboards. In TV production 2, was considered to be the class that did the morning announcements. The class would rotate who was doing what jobs for the news or who was not going to be on the news crew that week. Some of the jobs were anchors, camera people, director, switcher, sound, and the teleprompter. I usually only rotated from anchor or to teleprompter on my news crew weeks. On weeks that you were not on the news crew, you would have to create a video and go through the process of doing a storyboard, then executing the storyboard idea. The best videos that were made by the students on the weeks off from the news crew, the teacher would choose one to play at the end of the week on Fridays on the school news that week. I included one “public service announcement” videos that was played on the news one day (yes that is me, my junior year of high school!). The other video is something I directed and filmed for my AICE media final. I used a lot of the different shots that was mentioned in the quote above. I thought that was pretty cool!

https://youtu.be/2mvmEbIhVrs

https://youtu.be/K8FQEanolhA

“After his death in 1966, the studio released a series of ever-more popular features, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. In 2013, Frozen became Disney’s highest-grossing film of all time.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 255 & 256)

I chose this quote because I absolutely adore Disney movies. I love Pixar movies as well but I did not choose a quote about Pixar! The Little Mermaid is a classic Disney movie (when I think about classic Disney movies at least). The movie does a great representation of what a little girl without her voice would be like in my opinion. It is a lot of hand gestures and lots of continuous head shaking or nodding. I think there should be a Disney movie where the princess is born with a disability and despite her shortcomings, she finds her prince (or princess) charming. Children need to be more aware that some humans and kids have disabilities that should be recognized more often. We all know what great (also classics) Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King is so I thought I would show some love to one of my favorite Disney movies ever, Frozen. My family always say that my older sister is Elsa and I am Anna. My sister and I were exactly like the movie but not about the ice power and stuff. Just the way the sisters grew up together being the best of friends when they were little to almost strangers at a point when they got older then reconnected as adults. You probably don’t even know how many times I have literally said to my sister “do you wanna build a snowman?!”, or maybe you could understand as you lived in Massachusetts as well!

“The “new” television and video not only has become a home for quality drama (and comedy, for that matter) but also has changed the way we watch things. Programs can now be produced and released all at once, and we can “binge-watch” through the night if we find the narrative and the characters compelling enough. Nothing will ever replace the experience of viewing movies on the big screen among an audience of likeminded souls, but we can also say now that the intimacy and depth of a long-form television drama can rarely be matched by a two-hour theatrical movie.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 269)

I chose this quote because I always find myself binge-watching tv shows. I am a firm believer that a tv show can very well be just as, if not more interesting, dramatic or comedic. Sure a good movie is great but once those “two-hour theatrical movie(s)” are over, the audience always wants there to be more. As for great tv shows, the audience has options of what episode they would like to watch and movies do not have episodes (other than Kill Bill but those are volumes not episodes!). All I am saying is that movies and binge-watchable content can very well be matched to a movie.

Works Cited

First picture: Old Camera Silhouette: Camera Clipart, Cliparts of Camera Free DOWNLOAD (WMF, Eps, Emf, Svg ...: Camera Clip ART, CAMERA Silhouette, Movie Camera. www.pinterest.com/pin/202802789443320880/.

First video: Hideaways Short AICE Media © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Second video: PSA Gulf Coast High School News © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Second picture: Guerrasio, Jason. “Why the Iconic Walt Disney Pictures Logo Was Changed for 'Tomorrowland'.” The Record Herald , www.therecordherald.com/article/20150522/BUSINESS/305229990.

Third picture: Wilcox, Auburn, et al. “Binge-Watching Associated with Poor Health Habits.” The Daily Universe, 29 Jan. 2018, universe.byu.edu/2018/01/30/binge-watching-tv-associated-with-poor-health-habits1/.

Definition: “Storyboard.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 16

Freedom

“A great many scientists, philosophers, sociologists, economists, and psychologists maintain that total freedom is an impossibility, even in a free society.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 429)

I chose this quote because I agree with this concept. Are we really ever “free” if we are doing what is expected of us? We live to go to school to get a good job, work that job for the rest of our lives, retire, get old and die. We live to die when you really think about it. Freedom in a free society, in my opinion, would be letting citizens live how they want to live. But that is not possible because some would abuse the free society. We are obligated to follow the laws, which requires getting an education and going on through the cycle of life. Although, scientists, philosophers, sociologists, economists, and psychologists may all have their own definition of what a free society is- which will differ in each view.

“Freedom of will can be defined as the ability to choose between alternative, ranging from fairly straightforward ones—obeying the speed limit or driving faster than the law permits; going to class or sleeping in; spending a paycheck on video games or putting it in the bank—and more complicated ones—choosing to live together, get married, or stay single; choosing to continue to worship in your parent’s faith, find a new one, or turn your back on organization religion. Listing the number of options with which we are faced each day, from deciding how many spoonfuls of sugar to put in our morning coffee to picking the time to turn off the iPad at night, might cause us to think we are indeed free.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 429 & 430)

I chose this quote because it made the most sense to me in explaining the determinism view, I believe. Every choice we make in our daily lives, leads us to believe that have freedom. But tying it to my first quote, we are only given the freedom of what path we are on in life. We are faced with options on top of options from the time that we wake up until the time we go to sleep at night. In my opinion, I think that this is what we have to consider as freedom because this is our reality. If we didn’t have all of those decisions we are faced with on a daily basis, what exactly would be considered the freedom to make our own choices? If not that then what makes us “free”?

“Determinist arguments are too powerful to be ignored. Economics, politics, innate character, genetics and biology—these are forces that, we must admit, come into play in most lives. But does the existence of these forces necessarily mean that we have no real freedom? It may depend on how we define freedom. (Janaro & Altshuler p. 438)

I chose this quote because it went along with the overall theme of this chapters blog posts, and I can see both sides of the views; those views being free will or determinism. I think there should be a point where free will and determinism meet. In the modern society we are forced to obey and follow orders, I guess you could say. Whereas determinists argue of topics such as economics, politics, innate character, genetics and biology which are-constructs of our own findings meaning we have the freedom to find those specific forces. We have as much freedom as possible without going to extremes.

Works Cited

First picture: Awesome freedom iphone wallpapers. (n.d.). https://wallpaperaccess.com/freedom-iphone.

Second picture: Zachary Fruhling. (2020, May 25). Video: Introduction to Philosophy Online Class Session - Free Will and Determinism. Zachary Fruhling. https://www.zacharyfruhling.com/philosophy-blog/video-introduction-to-philosophy-online-class-session-free-will-and-determinism.

Third picture: Elliot, J. (2018, October 26). free will vs determinism. jackelliot. https://jackelliot.over-blog.com/2018/10/free-will-vs-determinism.html.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 15

Nature

“Similarly, Japanese art has long celebrated the primacy of the natural world, although often the focus is on its necessary evanescence, as evidenced in the changing of the seasons. Such seasonal changes are central to the Japanese belief system of Shintoism, and seasons are often welcomed with festivals or picnics, which Japanese painters and writers have long used as inspiration. The inevitability of change is captured in the distinctive convention in Japanese landscape painting of depicting all four seasons in a single work that might include some trees in full blossom, others just beginning to bloom, and still others bare of any foliage.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 416)

I chose this quote because I have been to a picnic in Japan. I have experienced how much Japanese traditions are actually used in the Japanese culture first hand. The people of Japan are, for the most part, very traditional in a sense. They work until they die, they don’t have social security benefits and what not. They are completely and utterly respectful and willing to help anyone as much as possible. Picture this: cherry blossoms in full bloom and sitting under the trees in a park. Pretty picture right? I got to experience that! Wicked cool! I also got to eat lunch at a shrine in Tokyo. The nature was stunning, unforgettable.

“City-dwellers rely on public transportation rather than private cars; they don’t waste water on lawns. Urban residents collectively leave a smaller “carbon footprint” than any other group. But what is lost when we turn away from the serenity of nature?” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 418)

I don’t understand nor agree with this quote. I have lived in Boston, Massachusetts and Plymouth, Massachusetts and there is a big difference between the two cities in terms of leaving the size of the “carbon footprint” they leave. However I would not say that urban residents leave a smaller “carbon footprint” just because they don’t have to water their lawns. City-dwellers have more ways to contribute to the gain in the “carbon footprint” they make. They tend to work in more factories and the water is more polluted than rural residents water, in my opinion. Everyone should make an effort to lessen their own individual “carbon footprint” on the planet.

“Biologists are identifying animal species in locations where they have never before appeared; sea levels are rising and more polar bears are being stranded; much of North Africa has shifted from arable land to desert; massive storms like Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2013), formerly predicted to occur once or twice in a century, now come every few years; California is suffering a drought of four years and counting, and the governor is rationing water consumption. All of this is the result of climate change.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 425 & 426)

I chose this quote because this makes me so unbelievably angry. Governments across the globe should be doing something to aid in the climate changing problem. It is not only the United States with different weather catastrophes occurring. The planet should be of upmost importance for every single person on the planet. This is what is literally keeping us alive from the air we breathe to the gravity at our feet. I tried to make it sound nice, you get the point... The world is the only thing that is sustaining life so everyone should take better care of it. I do not understand why people can not see the situation like I do, it could all be so simple!

Works Cited

First picture: Yakult. “Japanese Winter Traditions.” Yakult, 7 Mar. 2017, yakult.com.mt/japanese-winter-traditions/.

Second picture: “Urban Vs. Rural: Who Has a Smaller Carbon Footprint? : The Takeaway.” WNYC Studios, 10 Dec. 2015, www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/urban-versus-rural-carbon-emissions.

Third picture: AFP, French Press Agency -. “Polar Ice Caps in Greenland, Antarctica, Melting 6 Times Faster than in 1990s.” Daily Sabah, Daily Sabah, 12 Mar. 2020, www.dailysabah.com/life/environment/polar-ice-caps-in-greenland-antarctica-melting-6-times-faster-than-in-1990s.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 14

Life Affirmation

“Death can be thought of in a number of ways. It may be an enemy out to get us; a force that makes us all equal; a glorious finale to the lives of the pious and the brave; a preordained end destined for everyone (but not until our “number is up”); a beautiful woman or a handsome man, welcoming arms extended, inviting us to a haven of peace and joy; or a natural event, part of the universal cycle.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 384 & 385)

I chose this quote as my first because when I was skimming through my highlighted notes, it really stuck out to me. This is now my favorite chapter of the book so far because it just so happened one of my best guy friends died. I truly believe what we all, as human beings have in common, is that we all were taught how to live but no one teaches us how to die (or deal with death). Some of the topics in this chapter subconsciously, helped me to cope with the loss of my friends. My friend was honestly such a bad ass, he was the absolute sweetest person, and just the best friend to have. He had the biggest crush on me and I never gave him the chance. Maybe it’s me waiting for him in another life for him with welcoming arms extended. Death is peaceful, easy really. You never know when it’s your time to go. You don’t know when your last meal will be, you don’t know what your last words will be, you don’t know when will be the last time you tell your loved ones you love them. So never miss a chance to make sure you tell the people who mean the most to you, that they mean the most to you and you would not know what you’d do without them.

“For some, fatalism is the inevitable conclusion that must be drawn from the belief in God’s omnipotence. But people of faith adopt different attitudes toward fatalism:

depression, because a disaster can be just waiting to happen and nothing can be done about it;

willingness to accept the inevitable no matter how unsettling, because if what happened had to happen, then it’s really nobody’s fault, is it? Nothing could have changed the outcome.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 392 & 393)

I chose this quote because I feel strongly about this. Fatalism is the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable. I believe in this wholeheartedly. I have a mix of the two different attitudes toward fatalism. Going back to my friend who died, he overdosed. Nothing could have changed this outcome, as most overdosed circumstances are. He actually reached out to me on Thursday, and I sort of was ignoring him. He said that he missed me and that he was lonely. My heart is absolutely broken. I should have replied to him and said I was here for him. I feel so damn guilty about that. I don’t know the full circumstances of his death - if he purposely overdosed or if it was an accidental overdosed. Either way I could have said be safe or SOMETHING but no. I ignored that he said he was lonely. But it was bound to happen, right?

“The effects of the music vary, depressing some listeners, uplifting the spirit of others.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 398)

I chose this quote because I have been listening to music nonstop since yesterday when I found out about my friends death. Some songs made me cry, and if I wasn’t crying I was looking for old pictures and videos of us together or with our mutual friends. It didn’t matter what genre the song was, whether that be pop, alternative, hard rock, or rap they would would remind me of him. I don’t want you forget him, I want to feel all of these feelings because cared about him so much. He deserves for me to think about him this much. Music both depressed and uplifted me at the same time.

Works Cited

First picture: R4pro. “Little Angel Of Death.” Freepik, 2 Mar. 2020, www.freepik.com/premium-vector/little-angel-death_7099265.htm.

Second picture: Martin, Sean. “Life after Death: Man Has No Fear of Death after NDE as He Believes Immortality Awaits.” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 15 Apr. 2020, www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1268770/life-after-death-immortal-infinite-life-what-happens-when-you-die-nde.

Third picture: Taraa. “Home.” Most Inspiring Images on Favim.com, favim.com/image/1745168/.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 13

Love

“Scientific evidence suggests that what we call “love” is the result of the release of successive waves of chemicals in our body: first the gender hormones of testosterone and estrogen; then adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin, which give us bursts of energy and sleeplessness and cause us to think nonstop about the person to whom we’re attracted; and finally the “cuddle” hormone oxytocin and its partner vasopressin, which promote long-term attachment.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 356)

I chose this to be my first quote because it grabbed my attention on the very first page of this chapter. Don’t mind the pun, but I absolutely love love. It’s awesome to think the chemicals in our bodies actually determine who we love. I wonder what sparks to make us feel love. It probably sounds ridiculous but I truly feel like I have been in love 3 times, with 3 different boys obviously, all within the span of 5 years. I know what you are thinking already, yes I had sexual relations with each one from the ages of 13-17. The years might not add up because I fell in love when I was 11/12, hence why I said 5 years. I still am deeply attached to all 3 of the boys but I don’t speak to any of them anymore other than one, my last boyfriend Michael. My first boyfriend’s name was Mark and we dated from the ages (for me because he was a grade above me) from 11-14. We broke up because I did something bad which I can explain more in my next blog entry about “adultery” or cheating in my case. The next boy friend (not boyfriend) who I fell in love with name’s David. His family is from Boston just like me and my family so think we would have been perfect for each other, right? Not. He met my best friend before he met me and they were an item before I even got the chance. That is yet another story for my next blog post on “adultery” or cheating. David and I loved each other but it couldn’t work out between us. And lastly, Michael. I feel the most about him and David the most now, but Mark was my first love. Anyway I felt most connected with Michael out of all 3 boys and I still feel that way. Let me tell you about long-term attachment!

Pictured: Mark & I

Pictured: David & I

Pictured: Michael & I

“In many circles today, sexual encounters are assumed to be be of brief duration, and relationships with numerous partners are accepted standard behavior. Freedom to engage in such relationships does not, however, mean that ending them is always painless.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 361)

I chose this quote as my second quote because I had a lot to say on the topic of adultery and/or cheating. I just want to first put there that cheating does not always mean they don’t love the person they cheated on. Most of the time the individual who is doing the cheating feels very guilty, as did I in my 2 real life examples that happened to me. The summer before going into high school was my first time, you know, with Mark. First of all I know I was very young but we both felt like we were going to be together forever, like the foolish kids we were. One Friday night my freshman year, Mark and I would have a sleepover at his friends house (shh don’t tell my parents, they still don’t know I was doing that). However, Mark could not stay the night at his friends house that night but I could not ask my parents to get me because I had already told them I was in my friends house when in reality I was at the pool with Mark and his friend waiting for it to get dark so I could sneak in the window. And then Mark got picked up and he gave me the permission to sleep on his friends bedroom floor so that is what I did. I ended up kissing his best friend that night and then I immediately felt sick and swore to never speak of it again. Long to make a story short, his best friend ended up dating my best friend and one day they got in a fight over the phone and Marks best friend told my best friend that him and I kissed one night. So my best friend ended up telling Mark and then he broke up with me. I still regret that day. The second incident was about David and one of my best friends. (Keep in mind this is a year after Mark and I lost all my friends over the Mark thing so I got new friends who partied). 3rd of July night I was with my best friend, David, and 2 of his friends drinking on the beach. Everyone was pretty spread out and it was pitch black and then David comes over to me and sits down and drunkenly says that if he knew I was an option then he would have picked me over my best friend and then I said the same but in reverse (if he met me first and not my friend). That night I ended up sleeping over that best friends house but she was living with David because they were dating and her mom moved away so his parents let her live with them. So later on in the early morning hours of the 4th of July, I was craving a cigarette (no I don’t smoke anymore) so I look to see if there were any on Davids lanai and there was not any but David was out there and he was smoking one so I went out and asked him to hit it and he said yes but only if I kissed him and I did. It was just the beginning of something much bigger than what we had ever expected. We were sneaking around my best friend and his girlfriend to see each other. That is my biggest regret, more than Mark, I lost both of my best friends that day she found out a few months later. I feel terrible about it to this day and it happened in 2015. Michael has nothing to do with cheating but if you were wondering, he came after mark for one week over spring break (my spring fling 2014), and then that next summer I kissed David. Technically he came after Mark, and after David if that makes sense. I could talk about my loves for days but I will stop.

“In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), all rights have been taken from women. They are denied education, careers of their choice, and the ability to choose a mate based on love. The handmaid of the title is a slave who must always wear an identifying garment; her name, Offred, means she is owned by a man named Fred. When they have sex, as is required when a handmaid is in her fertile period, Fred’s wife is present to oversee the process. The child will then belong to the husband and wife. Atwood shows that the powers of the state, even in a democracy, can be used as instruments of oppression against those deemed undesirable.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 380)

I chose to end with this quote for this chapter of love because I LOVE the show on Hulu, The Handmaid’s Tales and I enjoyed the section reading of “Imagining a World without Love.” I do not want to get all philosophical but I believe we were created to reproduce. The way humans find their mates is by who we are attracted to and that is what drives our instincts to want to reproduce. I feel like everything happens for a reason. All of the reasons why something didn’t work out with a boyfriend/girlfriend, leads you to the bigger picture and you find someone else who sparks your interests. I believe my reason for being here is to love and to offer love to those who are in need of it. Imagining a world without love? I could never! I just wanted to say, by far this has been one of my favorite chapters so far in the book. I enjoy the readings every week because I am always learning something new about the humanities.

Works Cited

First picture: What Is Love ? (Scientifically Speaking). 13 Mar. 2017, guernseydonkey.com/what-is-love-scientifically-speaking/.

Mark pictures: Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

David picture: Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Michael picture: Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Second picture: Savin, Jennifer. “The Scientific Theory Why Breakups Hurt More When You're Younger.” Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, 21 Oct. 2019, www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/a29513628/breakups-heartbreak-worse-younger/.

Third picture: “The Handmaid's Tale's Race Problem.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 31 July 2017, www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/31/the-handmaids-tales-race-problem.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 12

Happiness

“The Greek philosopher Artistippus (435-356 BCE) declared happiness to be the sum total of pleasures experienced during one’s lifetime.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 334)

Hedonism (from the Greek for “delight”) is the name given to the philosopher that happiness is equivalent to physical pleasure and to the possession of the things that they provide us with pleasure.” ( Janaro & Altshuler p. 334)

I couldn’t pick between these two quotes because it astonishing to believe that. For the first quote, I disagree that happiness is the total of all the pleasures during an individuals lifetime. If this was true everyone would be chasing things that please them for their entire life, which is completely unrealistic. For the second quote, I disagree with that definition of happiness as well. Happiness is not about physical pleasures or the possessions of things that provide us with pleasure. Sure I guess you could say some of those things can provide some kind of pleasure but there is a big difference between small pleasures and utter happiness. Happiness can be many more things than material objects or physical pleasures, such as: the sky, sunsets, natural smells like the ocean or flowers, it can be accomplishing something that you worked hard for and being happy you accomplished that thing. I just think there is so much more that defines happiness.

“.. to a different philosophy of happiness: epicureanism. The sudden cessation of a toothache brings happiness, according to this philosophy— the happiness not being in pain.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 337)

I chose this quote because I have ne heard of epicureanism before. I understand this concept more than the philosophers definitions of happiness. The reason why I feel that way is because the philosophers definition of happiness is not the same definition of happiness. I loved this analogy of not being pain anymore brings some kind of happiness. I’ve never thought about it like that before - about that feeling you have after being ill (or something to that effect) and the feeling of almost relief you get from it. I find that very fascinating how someone felt that feeling and then put a definition and word to that feeling of happiness.

“When people are asked what would make them happy, the standard answers include loving relationships, family, health, money, a good job. Sometimes the responses include peace or justice for all. Artistotle concludes that the reason we want money, health, love, and everything else worth striving for is that they provide happiness. Therefore none of them by itself can be happiness. The person who delivers your mail is not the same mail. Individual goods, in other words, are means to the end, but none can be the end in itself— although some people often make the mistake of believing that is possible. For example, a poor person might dream of someday inheriting great wealth from a distant relative. “If I had all that money, I would ask for nothing more.” Want to bet?” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 343 & 344)

I was debating on doing my last quote on Buddhism but I have already made a blog entry on Buddhism so that’s why I chose this quote/paragraph. I think it is sorta obvious that happiness is an emotion, not something possible of “being”. Other then, Artistotle is spot on the money. The things that make us happy are very serious things that is the most important things in our lives. They make us happy but those things can’t be happiness itself. In closing, I always say something like that to my mom when she says if we won the lottery we would be set for life, and yes that’s true in a sense but my argument to that is money, love, and good health doesn’t just fall out of the sky- you have work for those things.

Works Cited

First picture: Punia, Ravishu. “The Pursuit of Happiness.” Medium, Medium, 6 Apr. 2020, ravishu-punia.medium.com/the-pursuit-of-happiness-6d20b5b700e9.

Second picture: Brooks, Arthur C. “There Are Two Kinds of Happy People.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2 Feb. 2021, www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/01/how-balance-hard-work-and-pleasure-happiness/617847/.

Third picture: “If Money Can't Buy You Happiness, Why Is It That When People Lose Lots of Money They Are Sad?” Quora, www.quora.com/If-money-cant-buy-you-happiness-why-is-it-that-when-people-lose-lots-of-money-they-are-sad.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 11

Morality

“Life pushes us into so many quandaries that doing the right thing in every instance is exceedingly difficult. That is why the humanities are sensitive to the pain that can be caused by moral dilemmas and the often tragic results of what we thought were the right choices.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 308 & 309)

I chose this quote because it is completely true. I knew I was really going to enjoy this week’s reading right from the beginning when I read this, and I was right! I feel like everyone is pressured making sure you do the right thing and “play by the rules” because that’s what we were taught to do. Sometimes making the so called right choice isn’t as simple as it looks. A bad choice might just be a good choice in disguise but you don’t realize it was a bad choice until it’s too late and probably already suffered from the consequences of that one decision you made. It’s not guaranteed that everyone will make the right decisions but we might as well try!

“The major world religions— Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam— provide moral orientation for over 70 percent of the world’s population. They differ in many respects. All of them, however, share moral precepts:

Their followers believe that the world was not created for human beings to do with as they please.

Their followers believe that human beings owe an obligation either to a personal God or to the moral order governing the universe.

Their followers believe that none are free to behave irresponsibly toward themselves (since they did not create themselves), toward others, and toward the earth (which they did not create either). “ (Janaro & Altshuler p. 323)

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize that all of these precepts sound like law and order. For the first precept, humans can not act like savages like humanity was probably like at the beginning when humans first walked the earth. The second precept all religious individuals very well believe in their own version of their higher power or God but if we’re all praying and worshiping different Gods, how do we know what god is the right one? -I feel very strongly about this because I grew up Roman Catholic but I realized how things didn’t quite add up with the whole God living in the clouds and heaven and hell stuff, it sounds like someone made it up on a bad acid trip. Moral of the story is I now identify as a Buddhist. I believe heavily in karma and what you put into the world is what comes back to you.- As for the third and final precept, again it sounds like laws and rules to obey so that we can continue to have human peace- not acting like savages.

https://youtu.be/ZTI3P9zx-oY

“Vivid images of heaven and hell in Dante’s The Divine Comedy strongly influenced how many people thought— and still think— of rewards and punishments for sin.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 325)

I chose this specific quote as my last because I thought it was an interesting way of what some people think hell is like. I also believe I read the play in school so that was another reason. I’m focusing on the storyline more than the actual story, for example: the journey of the character, not the story as a whole. The circles of hell basically are based on the worst possible offenses that you could commit- of course I believe in that somewhat and some I don’t think should be on there. So basically tying it back to my second blog post, if you don’t follow those three precepts, does that make you any less of a follower of that certain regions? Religion is confusing and I think most humans act out of their religious beliefs, for example: September 11, 2001 (9/11), those terrorists were only following what they thought was the right thing to do.

Works Cited

Homer Simpson picture: Butler, Eamonn. The Nature of Morality. 26 Apr. 2017, www.adamsmith.org/blog/the-nature-of-morality.

Religion picture: Barsky, Allan. “Ethics Alive! Religious Freedom and Social Work: Ethics of Referring Clients.” SocialWorker.com, 1 Jan. 2019, www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/ethics-alive-religious-freedom-and-social-work-ethics-of-referring-clients/.

Dante’s The Divine Comedy picture: LaConte, Grace. “Dante's Inferno From a Strategic Perspective.” LaConte Consulting, 9 Mar. 2020, laconteconsulting.com/2017/11/24/dantes-inferno-from-a-strategic-perspective/.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 6

Music

“The most evident gift from great music is its sound. But the very absence of sound is just as important. Remember: Music is the shaped sound between silences.” (Janaro & Altshuler p.147)

I chose this quote because it is so true. The “silence” section of this chapter really stuck out to me because I don’t think anyone notices the silence in music. I just thought that was interesting. One piece of music that I thought of while reading this quote is To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra. I listened to the song on repeat when my first boyfriend broke up with me. Crying. Lots of crying. Now when I listen to the song, I have a different feeling about it; it’s a great piece of music. I can appreciate the pauses and the silence more in similar songs like this one.

https://youtu.be/oUFJJNQGwhk

“As children, we had nursery songs to teach or lullabies to soothe us. Most of us learned the alphabet by singing the letters.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 153)

I chose this quote because I didn’t realize how music has been integrated into my school learning since the very beginning. I almost can’t concentrate on my school work if I don’t have music playing in the background of my mind. I wonder if there’s a reason for that. I included a list of the months because I feel like everyone knows the alphabet song, but less people remember or maybe even weren’t taught the months in the year song. Honestly, the song is how I still remember the months of the year in order. I couldn’t find the exact version of the song that I taught but the one linked below is the closest to it.

https://youtu.be/5enDRrWyXaw

“But with all the sound for you to hear, don’t forget to spend a little time with your silences.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 170)

I absolutely love this quote. I feel this way a great way to end the chapter. What this quote means to me is that; everyone is constantly consuming that involves some kind of music or artificial sound such as tv, but no one takes the time to enjoy the silences in life such as listening to a rain shower while reading a book. I spend most of my time with myself in silence because I don’t have a voice so going back to my second blog post for this chapter, I try to fill the void with music when I’m doing my homework. Needless to say, I’m very comfortable in silence and even though I try to be listening to something all the time, I appreciate the silence including my own silence. I would like to share one more song with you, it’s called Silence by Marshmello.

https://youtu.be/4oXgCJf4hf8

Works Cited

First picture: The BART Center for music. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://thebart.org/

Second picture: Months of the Year song AND Poster, bulletin Board, CIRCLE time: Months in a year, PRESCHOOL Circle time, kindergarten circle time. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/149955862578395780/

Third picture: Roston, T., About the authorTom Roston is a Brooklyn-based journalist who freelances for The New York Times, & Freiwald, C. (2020, October 05). The surprising power of silence. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://ideas.ted.com/putting-silence-under-the-microscope/

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 5

Art

“A classic is a work of art— a painting or sculpture, but also a novel or poem, a play, a film, a piece of music— that continues to be not only admired but also viewed, read, performed, seen, or played long after it was created.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 96)

Immediately when I read this quote, my mind went back to my visit to Japan. This photo pictured above was taken at The Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. The sculpture is based on a character from the classic Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky, and is at the top of the museum- looking down at us. Inside the museum there are a lot of different rooms and exhibits to see. Sadly, there is no photography permitted inside the premises of the museum- only outside of the museum and on the rooftop- where the photo was taken that is pictured above. Anyway, the exhibits consisted of all of Hayao Miyazaki, and other founders of Studio Ghibli’s film and animation works. Just to give you an idea of what the exhibits were like, one section was completely dedicated to the colors that were used in each specific production; there were slips of papers covering the walls with different colors everywhere, not a space of wall was showing. I might have to go back to get the experience again!

“In the twenty-first century, art produced through technology— what we now call digital art— has taken up more and more space in the art landscape.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 127)

We use, watch, and create digital art on an everyday basis. I consume digital art from the time I wake up to the end of the day when it’s time for sleep. Technology is something every person has to use to get the news, to make our own art, or even just to relax and watch a good show. Speaking of digital art, I took the picture above while at the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. Technically speaking all digitally edited pictures are forms of digital art, as well as movies, animated shows, video games, things as simple as or 2D graphics used for advertising. Come to think of it life would be incredibly boring with the absence of any other those things.

“It gives many cities their distinctive look, and it adds an aesthetic dimension to life. Not all of it, of course, can be considered art.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 128)

This photo was taken once again by me at the foot of the Skytree in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Skytree is not only the tallest tower, but it’s architecture is quite literally breathtaking. I had the chance to go in the tower, go to the main viewing area (tembo deck), and then to the highest level of the tower (tembo galleria). The Tokyo Skytree has got to be the most interesting architecture that I have ever seen. It was an absolute honor that I had the opportunity to go there with my family and experience it with them. Just to point out, I would definitely consider the Tokyo Skytree to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye while also adding a distinctive look and dimension to life. I consider this to be art in its purest form of architectural design.

Works Cited

First picture- Laputian Robot (“Castle In The Sky”): Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Second picture- Senso-ji Temple garden: Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Images three and four- Tokyo Skytree Town: Image © Lauren Elizabeth Tower

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 4

Literature

“Great literature, whether from the past or present, makes us feel, makes us think—and inevitably we are changed.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 68)

I concur with this quote I chose: well thought out literature is able to take you to a different dimension, open your mind, and calm your soul. Literature is quite honestly a necessity to the world we know it. Every great book that I have read, always left me feeling as if I had accomplished something because I learned something in the literature I was reading. I love poetry but I’m no good at it. I’m better at creative writing, I’ll leave one of my favorite pieces of mine below this post. To get to the point, no matter the circumstances, a good piece of literature will spark a feeling of something inside that hasn’t been experienced yet and subsequently will be forever changed.

“From Gershwin to Sondheim to Springsteen, from Snoop Dogg to Drake to Kanye West, we are witnessing a flowering of poetry that can be as rigid in format, and as compelling in sentiment, as anything that has come before.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 79 & 80)

The only person who I’m very familiar with who writes their own music is Eminem (pictured above). Eminem is able to take you on a journey into his mind through his lyrics in his songs. I feel the emotions through his lyrics and I think it has to be one of the most beautiful things in the humanities, as well as the words in literature. Another artist not listed in the quote is Post Malone- I saw him live and he preformed my favorite song and I cried! I will try to include video of the concert below. That song inspired me to create my creative writing piece (above), along with my experiences with my now-ex boyfriend. The song touched me so much, I actually used a line of the song in my last instagram picture the day of graduation. The line in the song was “Work so hard forgot how to vacation.” I adore any piece of work that can make me feel so strongly about a hypothetical situation.

“Once you open the pages of literature, short or long, prose or poetry, you will discover infinite worlds and dimensions of reality that carry you to a place only the humanities know about: your own private island of imagination.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 87)

I never before considered literature to be an aspect of the humanities or I never thought of it. I wasn’t aware of what the humanities are: the humanities tells our way of life and our passions. I find I tend to be more interested in poetry rather than prose. I like how poems get straight to the point and don’t “beat around the bush.” In constrast prose writing is long and drawn out and you have to read the whole book to see what the moral of the story was.

Works Cited

Eminem Writing: Britton, Luke Morgan, et al. Eminem Annotates His Own Songs for Lyrics Website Genius. 2 Apr. 2015, www.nme.com/news/music/eminem-32-1220915.

Three Readers: Myers, Jessica. Emotions Found in Classic Literature Help Us Understand the Universality of the Human Condition. 6 Aug. 2018, www.statepress.com/article/2018/08/spartcult-emotions-in-old-literature-and-the-human-experience.

Tea and Books: “The-Pastel-Corner: Book Art, Tea and Books, Good Books.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/366410119662589887/.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 3

Myth and the Origin of the Humanities

“If nothing else, myths can be interesting stories, unrestricted to literal facts, truthful physiologically and emotionally.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 35)

I chose this quote from the text because I think it encompasses what mythology is all about. Behind each fictional story comes real life lessons to ponder. Depending on the mythological story you can come across love, hate, war, death, gods, goddesses and many more interesting topics. Ancient Greek mythology has got to be one of my favorite things to talk about. Every mythological story is very intriguing to me such as Bigfoot, Yeti, and the Loch Ness Monster. My sister and I used to watch Finding Bigfoot on Animal Planet when we were young. You could say I’m basically a pro at hunting Bigfoot now.

“All too often, however, we prefer to identify with the publicized deeds of celebrities and downplay the importance of our own achievements, especially if we have deep-rooted feelings of unworthiness.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 39)

I think each and every person can relate to this quote. People get so caught up with the achievements of others and then in turn forget about themselves. I feel as if everyone needs to take a second and think it’s okay where I am in life at the moment and continue to congratulate yourself on the little wins. The instant you stop praising yourself, you risk feeling down about yourself and then feeling like you’re not worthy enough. I feel it’s more than watching others achieve while you stay stagnant, it has something to do with you and your feelings about yourself. In order to feel more confident in our own personal achievements, you first have to recognize those achievements before you focus on what everyone else is achieving.

“Our earliest encounters with literature, the stories told or read to us, probably influence our expectations of later life.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 52)

I know for a fact the stories that were read to me as a child shaped my expectations of later life. Always the story of the prince and princess and then happily ever after right? WRONG. Life isn’t always about finding your soulmate, it’s about finding yourself too. I also watched a a lot of Disney movies that never failed to inspire me to become a better version of myself. I still watch Hercules to the day because it’s so much more than a children’s movie, it teaches you important life lessons and morals. From our youngest days, we hear stories of mythological creatures and larger than life heroes or heroines who save the world, which undoubtedly captivate our attention as children. These stories can encourage us to be the hero (or heroine) in our own story and apply those morals we hear from stories, to the real world.

Works Cited

First picture- Brouwers, Josho. Teaching Greek Mythology. www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/teaching-greek-mythology/.

Cute creatures- “Ancient Greek Mythical Creatures Cartoon Clipart.” FriendlyStock, 9 Dec. 2020, friendlystock.com/product/ancient-greek-mythical-creatures/.

Hercules- “Hercules (Film).” Disney Wiki, disney.fandom.com/wiki/Hercules_%28film%29.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 2

The Humanities and Critical Thinking

“Many, early on, seek what they term “altered states,” achieved through substance or alcohol abuse. A reason often given is that life is too complex: we have too many responsibilities- school, parental problems, money problems, relationship problems- so escape is not only pleasant but absolutely necessary.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 16)

I feel very strongly about this quote from the text due to my personal experience with substance and alcohol abuse. I turned to those vices in high school to numb myself, help me cope with what I was going through, and escape. Janaro and Altshuler failed to point out friendships are also a responsibility to keep up with to maintain a positive relationship with friends. I had lost a brother to suicide, I got kicked off the schools cheer team, and my boyfriend broke up with me all within 3 years of high school- I was dual enrolled senior year. I wanted to do anything to make my thoughts go away because I couldn’t stop thinking negatively about myself and my situation. What got me through my substance abuses were to think of how I got to this point in my life and if I could’ve changed anything so that some of those events didn’t happen to me. I came up with answers for all of those unfortunate moments, how I got to that point and if I could’ve done anything different and then processed the information and made note of what to do next time in those situations.

“While acknowledging our very human emotional responses, we should always seek to find out why- the reasons that work of art or literature or performance has moved us in that way.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 19)

The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s the only thing that came to mind about a performance that was from a piece of literature. The Handmaid’s Tale is a Hulu Original about a totalitarian society when fertile women, always known as the handmaides, were forced to provide children to their assigned commander. The main character, June, known as Ofred in season one and two does an excellent job of capturing the mood of the scene and captivates the viewer. June goes through hardships in the show and I felt deep empathy for her. June isn’t a real person but I still felt her pain just as if she was a real person who was going through the same obstacles. It’s truly amazing how touching books, literature, movies, songs, music, and shows can be.

“Critical thinking is indispensable to the art of being human.” (Janaro & Altshuler p. 31)

Critical thinking is essential for a person to think more in depth about a certain topic. If humans weren’t able to think critically, the world would be in black and white- without color. Thankfully the mind is our greatest asset which allows us to feel emotions through critical thinking that in turn are translated into works of art such as music or literature, to let others have the same experience with the mood of their emotions. If we were unable to critically think, what would happen to the world and humanity as we know it?

Works Cited

June Picture: Berman, Judy. "The Handmaid's Tale Season 3 Could Be So Much Better." Time. Time, 05 July 2019. Web. 17 Jan. 2021.

Critically Thinking Picture: Fox, Matthew. "On Being Human: Critical Consciousness, Critical Thinking." Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox. 03 Sept. 2020. Web. 18 Jan. 2021.

Beyond Critical Thinking: Roth, Michael S. "Beyond Critical Thinking." CHE. CHE, 23 July 2020. Web. 17 Jan. 2021.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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Chapter 1

The Humanities: A Shining Beacon

“The humanities give us stories to inspire our imagination, ideas to stimulate our intellect, musical sounds to excite our passions, and the knowledge that we can respond to the creativity and thoughts of others.” - (Janaro & Altshuler p. 3)

I choose this quote because I for one didn’t know how much the humanities had an impact on my life and my daily routine. I hear stories of seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things, teachers who inspire me through their ideas, and musicians who make me feel alive when I hear a good song and they all inspire my imagination, stimulate my intellect, and excite my passions. These are the things that keep me going in life and what makes me human. When I hear someone talk about their inspirations, it sparks my interest because I love hearing people talk about what they love and what they’re passionate about.

“In the economic world, we can’t always be rich by choice, but in the world of the humanities, we can be “poor” by choice.” - (Janaro & Altshuler p. 5)

I think this quote is so true! You can’t always have the monetary value to be considered rich or wealthy but that doesn’t mean you have to be be poor in the world that really matters. You can have all the money in the world but none of it will matter at the end of the road when you look back at your life and see you’ve done nothing but be unhappy and you have nothing that can fill that void. You couldn’t have a penny to your name and be rich with your imagination, ideas, or creativity, and that’s what really counts for me. Happiness isn’t always about how much money you have, it’s almost never about that.

“The more we absorb from the humanities, the more we expand our knowledge, our capacity for understanding both ourselves and others.” - (Janaro & Altshuler p. 13)

I’m so excited to learn more about the humanities and ultimately broaden my horizons of knowledge. I wish to have a fraction the of amount of interests and achievements as the “Renaissance man” has. We, as humans, have an unlimited amount of opportunities to continue to grow and evolve as a member of the human race. If I can do as little as to learn more about the humanities, to expand my knowledge, I’d say that’s one more step closer to becoming a Renaissance person.

Works Cited

Lighthouse Picture: “Pigeon Point Lighthouse: Behind This Long Exposure Image.” Digital Photography School, 9 May 2015, digital-photography-school.com/pigeon-point-lighthouse-behind-long-exposure-image/.

Holding Hands Picture: Eker, T. Harv, et al. “13 Differences Between a Poor & Rich Mindset: T. Harv Eker.” T. Harv Eker Blog, 15 Sept. 2020, www.harveker.com/blog/13-biggest-differences-rich-poor/.

The Vitruvian Man Picture: The Vitruvian Man - by Leonardo Da Vinci. Web. 14 Jan. 2021.

Janaro, R. P., Altshuler, T. C. (2017) The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Boston, MA: Pearson.