For the last
several years I have had the habit of pulling some MLK, Jr. off my bookshelf to
revisit his writings on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This probably would have
been yesterday’s post had I read some before thinking about wisdom, but I never
got around to perusing King’s sagacious words until later in the afternoon.
Yesterday’s selection was from a collection of his famous sermons, Strength to Love, which is excellent if
you’ve never read it.
One of my
favorite essays in the book also happens to be the first, “Tough Minded and
Tender Hearted.” He speaks to the necessity of engaging in deliberate thinking,
something we are trying to do with our little experiment on “What’s Up, Soc?”
Here’s a short sample:
Let us
consider, first, the need for a tough mind, characterized by incisive thinking,
realistic appraisal, and decisive judgment. The tough mind is sharp and
penetrating, breaking through the crust of legends and myths and sifting the
true from the false. The tough-minded individual is astute and discerning. He
has a strong, austere quality that makes for firmness of purpose and solidness
of commitment.
Who
doubts that this toughness of mind is one of man’s greatest needs?
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage
in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers
and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
This prevalent tendency toward
soft mindedness is found in man’s unbelievable gullibility.
Take our attitude
toward advertisement. We are so easily led to purchase a product because a
television or radio advertisement pronounces it better than any other.
Advertisers have long since learned that most people are soft-minded, and they
capitalize on this susceptibility with skillful and effective slogans.
This got me
thinking about commercials on television. I am notorious for being critical
about the “real” message lurking behind the overt advertisement for a
particular product. The reason we should all be so critical of these types of (or
all, really) ads has to do with what they are subtly conveying about our culture of
conspicuous consumption. Take these AT&T commercials for instance:
Overwhelmingly
these commercials always tout the virtue of “more,” “bigger,” “faster,” et
cetera. Is this always the case? Should these goals be the endgame of
consumption? Are they even virtues at all? Why do we prize such values blindly? Can you think of ways in which more, bigger, or faster is not
better? Try to watch more commercials in this way and think about aspects of
life you might not otherwise deliberate over.
P.S. - Tomorrow I should be back in the courtyard at school. More posts themed on actual dialogue with students coming up!
