Emerson vs Swimme free essay sample

This paper is going to examine the writings of Self Reliance and How Do Our Kids Get So Caught up in Consumerism. Self reliance is from Emerson, and is basically addressing the reader in terms that people need to be authentic and it’s all about how people should be themselves. â€Å"How do our kids get so caught up in consumerism,† is writing from Brian Swimme, which explains how kids get caught up in the world of consumerism and how it affects them. In this examination of these two writings the main points, and how they are alike and dislike will be compared and analyzed at a deeper thought. In order to explain how we can learn from these writings and so what. The major points established in the readings are based on the by Emerson and Swimme. In self reliance, Emerson talks on the fact of how we as a society, fail to recognize the chains (norms) that bind our mind and behaviors. Also in the reading, he explains that there is no authenticity in this world. In Swimme`s reading he’s answering the essential question of â€Å"How do our kids get so caught up in Consumerism. † Swimme`s major points are that society doesn’t realize how much advertisements and consumerism influences kids, and culture in general. Another point he makes, is that the world of advertising/consumerism has interfered with the moral and spiritual development of kids. This eventually causes kids who aren’t recalcitrant too accept consumerisms basic worldview as their cosmology. These two readings are different but actually are a lot alike. There are three reasons of how these two readings are in common with each other. The first reason, is the idea that kids and our culture have no authenticity because of the chains that society uses to conform them with. In self reliance Emerson states â€Å"Their mind being is whole, their eye is as yet unconquered†¦Infancy conforms to nobody† (Emerson 89). This is basically saying that a child has an authentic mind, because it has yet been conformed by the chains of society. In Swimme’s reading, Swimme states â€Å"It is just too horrible to think that we live in a culture that has replaced authentic spiritual development with the advertisements crass materialism† (Swimme 156). So what Swimme means by saying this, is that crass materialism has replaced authentic development in our culture. As you can see the themes of these readings in terms of authenticity obviously match up, and are alike on the topic that authenticity is there but is affected by chains brought on by society. Second reason why these readings are alike, is that they both talk about the ways and how the world shuns nonconformity. Emerson in self reliance said â€Å"For nonconformity the world whips you out with displeasure† (Emerson 90). This line means that the world casts out nonconformist with displeasure because it shuns nonconformity. In Swimme’s reading he states that â€Å"advertisements determine the sort of shoes our children desire, the sorts of clothes and toys and games and sugar cereals that they must have†¦unhappiness that in many cases leads to aggressive violence†¦to obtain by force that which †¦parents will not or cannot give them† (Swimme 156). This passage is explaining the point, that materialism brought by these advertisements really mess with our kids, and cause them to lash out to get what they want. It could even lead to in groups and out groups in a school setting. This causes things such as bullying because someone isn’t following the trend therefore he or she isn’t a nonconformist. Third reason is that the authors are actually talking to us in deeper thought; it is not just about consumerism, or just about morals and traditions affecting our authenticity and etc. What essentially should be brought to the reader’s attention, is that these two authors are explaining, more or less showing us how we fail as individuals to recognize the chains of society that bind our mind and behaviors which is a reference to Plato’s writing The Cave. So to explain further the chains of society is just a metaphor that describes the things that hold or ride society, the norms if you see it that way. In Self-Reliance, Emerson says â€Å"These are the voices which we hear†¦The virtue in most requests is conformity. Self Reliance is its aversion. It loves realities and creators but names and customs† (Emerson 89). In this passage Emerson is basically describing the chains of society and he is saying these are the voices, the names and customs; these are the illusion for customs and traditions which are the chains that are applied in society. In Swimme’s writing he states, after comparing the industry and its actions to the Soviet Union, â€Å"Immersed in the religion of consumerism, we are unable to take such comparisons seriously†¦ But as with any reality that we rarely pay ny serious attention to, there may be a lot more going on there than we are aware of† (Swimme 155). He also sates â€Å"An ads job is to make them unhappy with what they have† (Swimme 156). These direct quotes from the reading tells us clearly that we are unable to be aware of the things that consumerism makes us think about. Some of those things are ads which makes us feel unhappy with what we have. This affects our mindse t and can cause people to seek those things out, and sometimes leads to behavioral problems. So comparing these two, we can see that these two writings are both alike, in incorporating their author’s opinion on what chains are applied on society. They are also alike in terms of both saying, that these chains influence our mindset and behaviors such as, the example with ads. There are also three reasons that show how these two readings aren’t alike. First is that the two authors differ in views of nonconformity. Emerson in Self-Reliance comes more from the point that an individual should be total self reliant, and should at a young age be raised by their own understanding and integrity of one’s own mind. Swimme on the other hand, speaks more on a part of society that affects us such as consumerism, and how that stops the development of a child which should be taught by the parents and etc. Second reason goes hand in hand with the first reason in terms of their view, as you can see there is some conflict with their views. In Self-Reliance Emerson the reader can see that Emerson is opposed to many social norms and developments such as religious and moral which stems from the chains referenced earlier as being customs and traditions. For example, Emerson states â€Å"Then, again, do not tell me, as a good man did today, of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor? I tell thee, thou foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar†¦ I give to such men as do not belong to me† (Emerson 89). In this paragraph of the reading this is an example of a moral value and social norm situation that Emerson opposes because he doesn’t approve of society giving their money to these poor men and he is against this because the poor men are basically not his problem. Swimme on the other hand does support the fact that kids should have their life shaped by parents and teachers, and that spiritual and moral development is needed. For example with the shaping of parents and teachers Swimme states â€Å"Such teachers will shape our children when they are young and vulnerable, so of course we want this shaping to be done only by people who care†( Swimme 156). Swimme in this paragraph is saying that the kids should be shaped and by only people who care. Swimme also states â€Å"It is just too horrible to think that we live in a culture that has replaced authentic spiritual development†¦and yet when one compares the pitiful efforts we employ for moral development with†¦energies we pour into advertising; it is like comparing a high school football game with World War II† (Swimme 156). Swimme is essentially trying to explain the point that we have replace society’s authentic spiritual development, and we have tried pitifully to employ or implement moral development as the shaping of love ones because in the end these ways of employing development doesn’t compare to the consumer industry effect. These ways are trying to compete with advertising which is a football game to World War II and basically says the advertising has more influence and therefore means it’s more implemented. So as you can see these authors differ in opinions because Emerson says be total self reliant don’t let yourself be developed by morals and the spirituals of society but Swimme is saying that that’s okay and is needed. The last reason would be that these two authors write to me in different views. If you look at Self-Reliance Emerson is speaking and making points that really are selfish in nature. For example, Emerson states â€Å"All men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves† (Emerson 92). To interpret this you have to know that plume means to congratulate. So Emerson is basically saying that all men congratulate themselves on the improvement of society but no one man improves. So he is essentially saying that the men themselves individually hasn’t improve and you can see that this is all about the individual interest and well being which is selfish. Swimme’s view is different than Emerson’s because Swimme has a more group or societal view. For instance, on changing the primary way in shaping children from ways of consumerism Swimme states â€Å"we are left with the task of inventing new ways of introducing our children and our teenagers and our young adults and our middle-aged adults and our older adults to the universe†(Swimme 157). In this passage Swimme is explaining how people who care can shape their loved one and as you can see he involves a lot of demographics. So in the end you can see that these two authors have very different views or perspectives. To summarize, this paper has so far covered the main points, the likes and the dislikes of these two readings. As you can see they were alike and could be compared in many ways such as on topics of authenticity and nonconformity. Also they were in contrast in a lot ways including their perspectives. So what is the point of this, why care? 410 million dollars is number for how much taxpayers might pay to create more surveys on bullying. About 160,000 children miss school everyday due to the fear of bullying. About 2. 7 million students are being bullied every year. This is the point, this is the so what because bullying is a problem that stems from these points from the reading. These points are conformity and the advertisings and just the fact of being different from the chains of society. Well how does this apply to school, how does this create the bullying statistic. Well if you look at Swimme’s writing you see that advertisements cause kids to want things, and that can cause out groups for the kids that can’t obtain these things which could lead to bullying. Emerson applies because of his point that the world displeases nonconformity. You can see that in the world of high school and down that the conformist are usually popular because they conform to the trends and etc. This therefore can cause bullying because as said the conformist displeases nonconformist or people who are different and stand out. So bullying can apply to most people because most people know someone or saw someone who was being bullied when they were in school and if not you’re one of the taxpayers contributing to that 410 million dollars. So this issue does affect most people and if we can take to heart some principles, or points in these readings maybe we can be more aware of how nonconformity is not a bad thing and how some social aspects can contribute to this thinking such as consumerism. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. † The Human Experience: Who Am I?. Ed. Winthrop University. 8th ed. Littleton, MA: Tapestry, 2012. 88-93. Print. Swimme, Brian. â€Å"How Do Our Kids Get So Caught Up In Consumerism. † The Human Experience: Who Am I?. Ed. Winthrop University. 8th ed. Littleton, MA: Tapestry, 2012. 155-157. Print. Trump, Ken. Translating Ed ucation Department Spin on School Safety Budget Cuts | School Security Blog. School Security Blog. n. p. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 21 May. 2013. . Bullying Statistics 2010 Bullying Statistics. Bullying Statistics Teen Violence, Anger, Bullying, Treatment Options. N. p. , n. d. Web. 22 May.