Response HW Ch 5 and 6 The Art of Activism

-“As artistic activists, we need to become really good storytellers.” p. 187

When doing any form of activism, I do believe it’s great to have a story to tell. Something that really helps people to understand your side and the cause you’re fighting for. In this chapter, Duncombe and Lambert note that, in order be good storytellers, we must become good listeners. So this means listening to what others have to say and acknowledging their beliefs as well. On this same note, a similar quote I found was, “A bit of knowledge about how the mind and brain work, and a creative story-based approach to activism. allow us to bypass some of the cognitive barriers that stand in our way. “ p.194. While we are listening to others and understanding each other, we are able to get over these bumps and even if we are not fully agreeing, we are respecting each other and maybe in the end both sides will agree and see things (and each other) differently. 

This next part isn’t necessarily a quote but something I found very helpful in my own work and for this class which is, The Five P’s found on pgs. 216-219. The Five P’s are: Product, Price, Placement, Promotion and Positioning. In chapter 6, the five P’s are brought up because of the fictional scenario of someone trying to convince someone in their neighborhood who drives a huge SUV that uses a ton of gas to instead ride a bike. The product would be the bicycle, the price would be the cost of the bike, the placement would be where this person would purchase a bike, promotions would be flyers, commercials etc, and lastly, positioning would be considering the differences and appeal of other modes of transportation such as the train or bus. These three pages were great at laying out all of this information in a way that makes sense and I thought it could easily be applied to my project and personal work.

FINAL INTERVENTION 3

 Written Post:

 

            My project is to explore the extent to which what we were taught during our formative years does or does not affect adulthood. To be more specific, I am interested in exploring the thread of injustice and to take that a step further, how my cultural identity has or has not affected my self-identity experienced through the lenses of a Japanese, Korean, and Puerto Rican woman, me!

            I chose to explore this topic because I feel that it is way too simple to simply follow what you are told; however, my father raised me during my formative years to always question authority, especially when I felt something was unjust or wrong. He would also share his knowledge with me; however, he would allow me to make my own conclusions. I recall a time when I asked my father why there was homeless near the nursing home where my paternal grandfather resided and then my father, the intellect that he was, turned the question around and asked me what my thoughts were. To further reiterate the lesson that my father was attempting to teach me, before we would leave from visiting my grandfather, he would tell me in Japanese to make sure that I study hard to earn the best grades so that my future would be a bright and successful one. 

            Being both a Criminal Justice and Public Health major, my topic will fit perfectly into my intended career path because there exists obvious discrimination and marginalizing of the black and brown communities through no fault of their own. I have always felt a disdain for those who have a superiority complex towards others due to their own blind prejudice. As a Public Health educator, I hope to be able to educate others towards living a more healthful and productive lifestyle through advocating education, good nutrition, receive medical attention when it is warranted, and to reduce the amount of stress in their lives to circumvent future chronic illnesses. On the other hand, as someone who would also like to work within the Criminal Justice system, I am seeking to become to an advocate for children who are either involved in our judicial system either due to domestic abuse or family court requiring mediation. 

 

Artists/Projects that Influenced This Project:

 

1.     Nobita from Japan: Nobita is a Japanese man who creates YouTube videos. His videos explores in depth social issues which should concern the Japanese such as Japanese society is built on the sacrifices of the weak, blatantly obvious discrimination against the vulnerable population, why Japan will never change its ways, sexless marriages on the rise, crushing student loan debt is partially to blame for the younger generation foregoing or delaying marriage, the low birth rate crisis, lonely deaths/hikikomori on the rise, and the like. Nobita is unapologetic about pursuing those topics which the average Japanese person might find too personal or controversial. 

2.     Takashi from Japan: Takashi is a Japanese man, who recently graduated from university. He is considered an influencer on Instagram as well as on YouTube. In his Instagram posts, he goes around Japan interviewing Japanese and non-Japanese on various topics. During his in-person interview on the street, he encourages the person being interviewed to be honest and transparent in their answer. I admire a Japanese person who is open, honest, and transparent with others because most are not. He inspires me to continue being me and continue to question things that others might find too personal or controversial. 

3.     Adam Foss: Mr. Foss is a former assistant district attorney from Suffolk County in Massachusetts. Like myself, he believes that mass incarceration does nothing to solve the issue at heart, which is income inequality. He is a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform. He owns his own company, which is called Prosecutor Impact. It is the belief that with trained incoming prosecutors, that it is possible to reduce the incarceration rates because the prosecutor would work in conjunction with the defendant to find an alternative to incarceration. Adam Foss inspires me to be the best version of myself, in additional to being of assistance to others regardless.

4.     Masako Owada, Japan’s current Empress. Masako Owada was a former diplomatic who represented Japan. She is a highly educated woman, who attended Harvard University, Tokyo University, and Oxford University. Ms. Owada speaks six languages: English, Russian, French, Spanish, German, and of course, Japanese. Empress Masako still inspires me despite that she now takes a passive role as determined by the Royal Household; however, for a woman to achieve all that she has during her lifetime is simply commendable! Her intellect and her caring and kind personality has won the heart of the Japanese people, myself included. 

 

Three Quotes from the Readings:

 

a.     This is What I Know About Art: page 28

“Those are also the times when, even though I know I can get out of the cage, I can never quite escape.”This quote resonates for me because although I can think for myself and come to my conclusions, the indoctrinations of the Japanese mindset that I was once subjected to during my formative years crosses my mind at the most inopportune time. For split second, I will doubt myself then I will remind myself that I am much bigger than to blindly follow what I was taught. My father taught me to think outside of the box using my critical thinking skills from an early age. Everyone has a right to be who they were meant to be regardless of any “shortcomings.” 

b.    The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible: page 129. “In order for history to be useful, we need to use it—to learn from it and then put these lessons into actions.” This is another quote that resonates with me because during my younger years, I was always told how I should act, think, and feel through Japanese indoctrination; however, thanks in part to relocating to New Jersey some twenty-five years ago, I have learned to think outside of the box and to draw my own conclusions. We all deserve the freedom to be who we were meant to be regardless of any “shortcomings.”

c.     The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible: page 86. “We should not seek to replicate the examples of history but to learn from them.” As I have mentioned on several occasions, indoctrination about the Japanese mindset took place during my formative years. I was “told” my responsibilities to my family, my community, the Japanese society, and to myself because anything that does not follow protocol is considered “disturbing the harmony or peace of the group collectively” and heavily frowned upon. For many years, I clung onto those delusional and antiquated ideas; however, I came to realize just how divisive, toxic, and exclusionary those thought patterns were.  I will never ever revert back to that rigid mindset for the sake of my children and my well-being. 

 

Five Resources:

 

Japan court upholds ban on same-sex marriage but offers hope. (n.d.). Www.aljazeera.com. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/1/japan-court-upholds-ban-on-gay-marriage-but-offers-hope

 

Japan’s plummeting birth rate prompts calls for action | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News. (n.d.). NHK WORLD. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2160/

 

Koreans living in Japan without nationality. (2018, June 6). Koreatimes. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/06/103_250233.html

 

People dying alone are going unnoticed longer amid pandemic | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis. (n.d.). The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved May 15, 2023, from https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14403339

 

Pictures of Life in Isolation: Japan’s Hikikomori. (2018, February 14). Photography. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society

 

Stokes, B., & Devlin, K. (2018, November 12). 3. Perceptions of immigrants, immigration and emigration. Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project; Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/11/12/perceptions-of-immigrants-immigration-and-emigration/

 

This picture once again begs the question of the "two faces" that Japanese people to possess. The first "face"is known as "Tatemae" in Japanese or known as the "face" that we show the outside world, including our colleagues at work, friends, and even family members. However, the other "face" is called "Honne" or also known as "our true inner self face" and this is usually reserved to only ourselves or our most trusted friends and/or family members. Most Japanese people will never fully express how they feel about anything or any given subject matter because being transparent and honest is considered "rude" and "disrespectful." I, on the other hand, have always chosen to be transparent and honest with NO filter to sugar coat nor bullshit with anybody about anything. What you see is pretty much what you will get. Take me or leave me, I really do not care. Thankfully the indoctrination that occured during my formative years has to dictated nor controlled my life, thanks in part to my father teaching me to how to think outside the box and to draw my own conclusions. 

I was approved for SSDI benefits back in 2012; however, once again, I probe the question if this label has influenced how I identify myself. In the beginning, I felt ashamed to be collecting disability benefits; however, what I came to realize is that I have paid into the system through working full-time for many years and now that I require financial assistance to support my two children, I should not feel guilty. Furthermore, being permanently medically disabled, I do not like to rely on others for assistance if I can help it because I have always been fiercely independent since relocating to New Jersey come twenty-five years ago. Whatever I own materialistically, I worked hard to purchase, in addition to raising my two adult-aged children being a single mother. Being a disabled person has made me become a more resilient, thankful, and more tolerant of others because being ill with a chronic illness such as congestive heart failure (CHF) has taught me to practice patience. 

https://youtu.be/GwGDM9knTcw

Daniel Scott Essay Assignment

 Daniel Scott Essay Assignment

 

Quotes from Bell Hooks:

 

1.     Page 18: “Patriarchal gender roles are assigned to us as children, and we are given continual guidance about the ways we can best fulfill those roles.”

This quote resonates with me because one would assume that the role of a mother is to support her daughter in all her endeavors; however, this was not the case with my mother. She upheld patriarchy perhaps in her desperate attempt to “protect” me from the world; however, my father taught me better than that. I raised to be an independent thinker who always questions authority if I felt that something was unjust or felt wrong. Call me a “rebel” from a young age; however, I never allowed my mother to bully me into doing anything that I did not want to do despite being called “disrespectful.”

2.     Page 18: “Patriarchy is a political social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence.”

Last year during the month of December, I came across an article written by NPR that states that South Korean men apparently see feminism as a form of “mental illness.” According to this article, these men feel that are being discriminated against based on their gender because they now must compete with women that are equally qualified academic and experience wise. Numerous political figures have fallen due to sexual misconduct, thus enforcing the fact that Korean women will no longer tolerate being treated as second-class citizens. 

3.     Page 18: “As their daughter, I was taught that it was my role to serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking, to caretake and nurture others.”

My mother attempted to raise me with this very same mindset; however, I have resisted her every step of way since my formative years. This does not mean that she did not attempt throughout my entire life to convince me otherwise. My father raised me to be assertive, believe in abilities, and to always shoot for the stars. The Japanese idea of a “good woman” is one that is demur, submissive, thoughtful, kind, obedient, and willing to “follow her man.” 

 

The Lemmerman Gallery that exhibited the Daniel Scott collection affected me deeply. As I was walking through the doors, I felt this intense feeling of history, struggle, racism, discrimination, and harsh manual labor. The first picture that drew me to it like a magnet was the cross with the hanging noose. This image beckoned from the doorway because it depicts feelings of racial discrimination, harsh back-breaking hard work, commitment, deplorable act of brutality, unbound fear, and hatred projected towards those of African American descent. It made me wonder how the most powerful nation on this planet we could have committed such atrocities towards its own citizens; however, this is reality. The second picture that was the glass jar filled with cotton. This image was powerful in that it reminded me of a time when America was full of hatred and seemed undaunted that it was committing despicable atrocities against its own people. Siegler’s Chapter 5: Civil Rights, I Have a Dream article depicts the real-life struggles of the African American community and explains the reason behind the Civil Rights movement effectively. The pictures found throughout the article reinforces the notion of the despicable atrocities that they have endured and also as a “wake up call” for all of humanity to become activists in our own right. 

As I stand before the old Japanese flag, this is a symbol of much heart ache and pain. The older version of the Japanese flag was the official symbol of the Japanese Army flexing its muscle in such deplorable acts the occupation of the Korean Peninsula, cannibalism, rape and forced prostitution, murder of noncobatants, and biological experiments all experienced under the Emperor Hirohito of Japan during World War II. Although I was raised in a very strict and tradtional Japanese family and grew up in the typical Japanese mindset, over the years, I have come to realize and am comfortable with coming to my own conclusions by critical thinking for myself. My self-identity is that of a Japanese national; however, I do not necessarily subscribe to the complete mindset or "brainwashing" that occurred during my formative years. 

This wooden cross with the hanging noose spoke to me as soon as I entered the gallery. It symbolizes the struggle, the discrimination of being seen and treated less than human, a sense of inferiority complex, mistreatment, abuse, hatred, minimization of the African American race, and white supremacy. It sickens me to think that even today, nothing really has changed as it pertains to the victimization of African Americans where they are seen as "the enemy" or a race to be afraid of. 

This jar of hand picked cotton is a stark reminder of a time when African Americans were used and abused on plantations for the sake of the white plantation owner. Deplorable working conditions such as unsanitary conditions, inadequate nutrition, nonstop back-breaking work, thus exposing these hard workers to to diseases. Furthermore, illness were most often not treated adequately and these slaves were often forced to work despite being and feeling sick. Again, nothing has really changed because now, Hispanics have now replaced the African Americans of working in the fields picking fruits and vegetables, thus perpetuating the cycle of enslavement. 

This is What I know About Art

"This is What I Know About Art" by Kimberly Drew, an art curator, writer, and activist. The book provides a personal exploration of art, focusing on her experiences as a Black woman in the art industry and her observations on the power and potential of art.

Drew begins by discussing her childhood and college experience and how she developed her passion for art. She emphasizes the importance of representation in art, specifically for marginalized communities, and highlights how art can be a tool for activism. She then shares her experience working at the Studio Museum in Harlem and the impact it had on her knowledge of the art industry. 

One quote that stuck out to me was when she was explaining her situation with her grandfather passing away and how financial aid believed her family inherited his assets when in fact, they didn't. She says, "This nightmare, one experienced by so many families trying to pay for college, only worsened when I couldn't enroll in classes for the fall semester due to financial holds on my account" (13). Financial aid, in any situation, only makes things worse. While I and many others can relate to this at njcu, I honestly believed that it was just an njcu issue, not a "first gen across America" issue. 

Another quote that stuck out to me is when she explained her post-grad plans. She says, "That June, I began a paid fellowship at the creative time, a public art organization based in New York. Growing up in new jersey, I hated the idea of moving to New York. I wanted to travel far beyond the comforts of the east coast, but I could not say no to a paying gig (even if it was paying poorly)" (29). This is an unfortunate but fortunate reality of post-grad. The job market is different from when Drew was graduating, but it's never easy to find a job post-grad, but if you do, it's not going to be the perfect dream job. I might be lousy pay and require you to relocate to somewhere you don't want to live. The fortunate thing is it's a paying job.

"I could use my Instagram to illustrate my success, despite the odds. Maybe people would think, If they can do it, so can I" (34). I love this. When you're the first of your people to do something, make it a show. Put it on display. I remember when I went to study abroad, I was the first at my university to find my own program, get it approved, get funding, run their social media, etc., and I documented it. I wanted everyone to see that they can do it too. You become what you see. Drew is correct in showing people what free events and museums are out there to see. Cause if she can do it and show others, it will inspire them to do the same. 

Lastly, she says, "Real talk - working at a small and under-resourced art institution was a powerful, humbling experience" (39). She says this after saying she got her dream job as a social media manager back at the studio museum. She was asked to do more than just run their socials as the company was small and under-resourced. Another quote people can relate to, but the more important thing, is why did she stay? Why was this job serious to her? Because it was something she was already passionate about, as it connected her with #blacktwitter, her community. Her activism and supper power is using art activism to show her community what they're capable of and what change can look like. Kimberly Drew is a perfect example of how to bring activism and change into your corner of the world in your own unique way. 

Drew, Kimberly. This Is What I Know about Art. Penguin Workshop, 2020.

KinFolk by Danielle Scott

 

The first art piece that spoke to me was MaDear Seamstress 2022. The gold was the first thing to catch my eye, but then I noticed the mother's crown and the red and gold fabric on the wall. The child dressed in gold was the first thing that attracted me to the painting. When visiting the exhibition on Thursday, February 9th, I asked Daniella about the paintings. She chose the fabric for the seamstress to bring the story to life. Often times slaves were the seamstress, and I'm assuming the children were the helpers. The crown is to remind us that Africans were royalty. They belonged to tribes. In class, I noticed that a few children were missing in the picture. When I asked her why she removed them, she emphasized the storytelling of her work. Often times slave children were separated from their mothers. In addition, Danielle mentions she talks to her artwork and decides what to do based on what she feels they want. For example, she shared a story of one of her artworks surprisingly catching on fire before being transported to campus. That specific artwork she's been having issues with prior. 

The next art piece was Charlotte Noble 2022. What attracted me to this painting was the fact that the man looked like one of my friends. This specific friend is very Pan-African and is all about wearing things representing black and African culture. He especially wears bucket hats and sun hats with a string to tie at the chin, like in the painting here. Another aspect that drew me to the image was the real-life cotton from the resin. It gives an authentic but eerie feel to the picture as it represents the man as a slave picking cotton in the field. 

Lastly, another art piece that spoke to me was Queen of Angles 2020. It was apparent that this was a woman in today's time based on her clothes. Danielle revealed that she was her mentor, and this specific piece was to pay homage to her. As someone with a mentor currently, I can sympathize with how she feels. On her mentor is a shirt with faces on it, and it looks like she's going to work. It seems like she's caring her ancestors and the people that inspire her to where she's going. The sprout on top of the ironing board signifies that her mentor poured everything she knew into Danielle, which was a beautiful symbol. 

In conclusion, Daneille's inspection was to share a story through her work. She wanted the art to make people reflect and feel something with her art. In "The Art of Activism", it states, "Art is highly effective at translating events, facts, and ideologies into stories, images, and performances, making objective things into subjective forms we can experience feelings, and importantly, remember" (25). She, in fact, does make people remember the times of slavery through the clear pictures of the people and the names of those who've been freed from enslavement. 

Kimberly Drew Short Essay

 Kimberly Drew's "This Is What I Know About Art" was a great read in telling her journey with art and how not only changed her but allowed her to make change with others as well. From her beginnings during the college days coming to the realization of a lack in acknowledgement for black artists, she makes it a goal to learn more about them and give them the recognition they deserve. Things take a turn sadly during one of her classes with her professor saying "If I were an African American, I would see white guilt as equally offensive as outright racism." Hearing that had my taken back for a moment, the logic of needing to be someone else to compare racism was just wild to me. Her journey in using the media through her Facebook and blog to spread awareness of her experiences and acknowledgement of black artists was a wonderful thing to see because those were the starting points of her coming out of her shell and going on the make bigger acts.

I thought it was interesting how in the beginning she starts from having barely interest to fully commitment in learning more about art and succeeds in expanding their mind on many colored artists and spreading their names. Then at the end she then goes on the tell you the reader on how we can also make the change in ourselves whenever we want to, on how our activism is important for us to let out because of the change we can make if we are willing to give it a shot. At least that's how I interpreted it, and I really thought that was inspirational because to me it tells how even in dire situations where it seems that everyone's against you, your voice can make all the difference if you just give it a try. For me I think opening up to things during our previous interventions was a positive start and improvement in becoming more open just like how Kimberly Drew did during her college years.

Works Cited -  Drew, Kimberly. This Is What I Know About Art. Penguin Workshop. 2020

Intervention 2 Performance

 The issue that I have always found intriguing is the dark side of Japanese culture because on the surface, it appears that Japan is a well-organized and a traditional society; however, the agonizing truth is that my culture is full of contradictions.

            Most Japanese people are fully aware of their dark side; however, most choose to practice what the Japanese would say “mite mitenai furi” or in other word, we chose to not acknowledge what is blatantly obvious. One issue that comes to mind is the issue of the recent low birth rate that is being experienced in both Japan and Korea. It is estimated that there are more senior citizens living longer lives versus babies being born, thus begging the question of the future of the Japanese Social Security also known as MOFA. MOFA is considered universal and comprehensive because it combines both public pension and medical insurance. The low birth rate is jeopardizing MOFA because who will be paying into MOFA if the population is already on the decline? It was estimated that during 2022, the birth rate has fallen to its lowest rate of 799,728 recorded birth versus in 1982, it was recorded at 1.5 million. The low birth rate crisis in Japan is being perpetuated by vital concerns such as the high cost of living, working unpaid overtime is considered the norm, expensive and few daycare centers, lack of funding from the government to assist parents with young children, sexless marriages on the rise, and the rise of Japanese women choosing higher education and careers over getting married to start a family. 

            Another issue that is at the forefront of the dark side of Japan is the “kodokushi” or lonely deaths that appear to be on the rise. It is estimated that people as young in their 30’s and 40’s have been found dead due to living alone, perhaps suffering from a chronic illness with little to no communication ties with family, friends, or the outside world. These poor souls are discovered only when their bodies begin to decompose, and a neighbor reports an unbearable smell emanating from the decedent’s apartment or house. Another issue that goes hand in hand with kodokushi is hikikomori or social reclusion. Quite often, those who die alone has fallen out of touch with their family, friends, or neighbors, in addition to pretty much keeping to themselves to not “burden” others with their problem. 

            Lastly, another topic at the forefront of the dark side of Japan is discrimination on all levels amongst its own people. Japanese people in general resist change because their philosophy is “if it works, why fix it” thus, clinging to the traditional ways and not allowing for individuality to flourish. One can be discriminated against for reasons as simply as being disabled, being divorced, being a single parent, lacking higher education, not earning an “adequate” salary, inability to climb the corporate ladder, inadequate financial and social ranking, a family member who has been incarcerated or has connections to the underworld, being a woman, migrants, asylum seekers, ethnic Koreans, LGBTQIA people, and choice of profession to name a few. 

            

Quotes:

1.     “When we protest, we are also demonstrating to the world who we are, what we believe in, and how we’d like the world to be,” page 90.

This quote is poignant for this assignment because my “concerns” are basically. 

            Form of protesting the social injustice and prejudice directed at the vulnerable population. I feel that whenever we feel the need to discriminate against another person because he/she does not meet our expectations, we are sending a signal that we feel some sort of superiority complex towards that person, thus we are minimizing and discounting them. Furthermore, we are also revealing our personality indirectly because we are demonstrating our shallowness and the need to feel superior to others by putting others down. 

2.     “In order for history to be useful, we need to use it-to learn from it and then put those lessons into action,” page 129.

Japanese parents are known to “brainwash” their children from a very young age, and I was no different; however, after I moved out of my parents’ house some twenty-five years ago, I began to define life on my own terms and consequently, began to question all that I was taught about what it means to be Japanese. Although I was raised in a strict and traditional Japanese household, it was my father that implanted the seed of questioning authority whenever I felt something was wrong or unjust and not to simply follow the crowd. I was also taught how to think on my own and to not rely on others for anything. I am no longer afraid to “think outside the box” even if that means that I stand alone in my convictions and allowing my moral compass to guide me and something that was set during my formative years by my father. 

 

References:

 

Annual Births in Japan Below 1 million for Third Straight Year. (2019, January 15). Nippon.com. https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00365/

Bremner, M. (2015, June 26). In Aging Japan, Dead Bodies Often Go Unnoticed for Weeks. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/06/kodokushi-in-aging-japan-thousands-die-alone-and-unnoticed-every-year-their-bodies-often-go-unnoticed-for-weeks.html

Koreans living in Japan without nationality. (2018, June 6). Koreatimes. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/06/103_250233.html

Pictures of Life in Isolation: Japan’s Hikikomori. (2018, February 14). Photography. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society

Stokes, B., & Devlin, K. (2018, November 12). 3. Perceptions of immigrants, immigration, and emigration. Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project; Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/11/12/perceptions-of-immigrants-immigration-and-emigration/

Tokyo court upholds same-sex marriage ban but also offers hope for equal rights | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News. (n.d.). NHK WORLD. Retrieved May 14, 2023, from https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2152/

 

Chapter 5 and 6 Quotes and Responses

 Chapter 5 Cognition, Quotes and Response:

 

1.     “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” page 171

The significance of this quote cannot be overstated because I have always believed that if we wish to see change in this world, it begins with everyone. From as early as my formative years, I detested my mother for her overbearing, manipulative, and controlling behavior. I somewhat became a carbon copy of how my mother mistreated me and in turn, I exhibited similar behavior; however, upon divorce from my husband of almost thirteen years, I came to the painful realization that the way I treated my children needed to change because emulating my mother’s behavior is dysfunctional, toxic, and based on favoritism. I have never claimed to be the “perfect mother;” however, nowadays, I try my hardest to be the best version of myself for my two adult-aged children because I love them both unconditionally regardless. I may be unable to erase the past; however, I am attempting to be the best version of myself these days.

2.     “When we are confronted with information that challenges the beliefs we hold as true, instead of changing our minds we often “doubled down” on our original belief systems,” page 184

A recent telephone conversation with my oldest sister proves the validity of this quote. She had been diagnosed with both hypertension and diabetes recently; however, she adamantly refuses to take medication for her condition. As a Public Health major and having taken a Human Disease class, I shared with her that the number cause of kidney disease and kidney failure can be attributed to two medical conditions: hypertension and diabetes. I also reminded her the diabetes is now considered Diabetes Type 3, which also can be a precursor for dementia and/or Alzheimer’s Disease as well. She brushed me off by saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah” and continued to brush me off as though she was immune to the devastating side effects of these two diseases. Furthermore, she has been neglecting to visit both her primary care physician and OB/GYN for her annual wellness check-ups as well. It frustrates me to realize that my sister feels as though she can outsmart her body from the devastating effects that are silently taking a toll on her fragile body. 

3.     “Artistic activism is a full-service approach in reaching hearts and mind, and this is what makes it so effective” page 207

Who does not love a good story? My life experience is a good story because since I decided to relocate to New Jersey some twenty-five years, everything and anything that could have happened to me has happened. I have seen both good and time times; however, I have overcome those experiences and have lived to share my story of both triumph and defeat. Life has been my greatest teacher because with each new experience, it has taught me resilience and the ability to never surrender under any circumstances, especially if it holds something of value to me. My life experiences have taught me to become a more loving, understanding, unconditional, tolerant, giving, kind, patience, and optimistic person because I want to simply live my best life and be the best version of myself for my family and society. 

 

Chapter 6 Persuasion: Quotes and Response 

 

1.     “When people don’t agree with us, and when they don’t change their behaviors in the ways that we’d like, we too often dismiss them as bull-headed, ignorant, or even stupid,” page 211

This quote resonates with me as it pertains to a previous response in Chapter 5 quote number two. Although I do not particularly agree with my oldest sister’s approach to her health, I do not dismiss her as though she is stupid; however, I try my hardest to convey the message that she should take a more consistent and aggressive approach to her health because after all, this is her life and her decisions. It frustrates me to think that she is willing to jeopardize her health and unintentionally putting her son in a vulnerable position where he may or may not be responsible for taking care of his two sick parents in the future due to their own negligence and unwillingness to take better care of their own health. 

2.     “But there is another way: to try and understand why people think what they think and do what they do, and to then use this to build a better world together,” page 241

As the old saying goes, “walk a mile in my shoes” resonates with quote. We can never fully understand another person’s perspective unless we attempt understand their perspective. We all come from different walks of life not to mention different life experiences; therefore, how do we expect others to understand our perspective should they differ? I have always believed that it is okay to agree to disagree just if there is no disrespect or hard feelings. 

3.     “We need to manifest general ideas into specific actions that can be visualized and thus enacted,” page 214

This quote resonates with me because I am the type of person who likes to match my words with action. Most people that I have met in my lifetime quite often have offered me “lip service” because talk is cheap; however, I have always been one to back up what I say with action. For example, if I were to promise you something, chances are that nine times out of ten, I will follow through with that promise; however, if I am unable to follow through, I will let you know in advance and recommit to follow through with that same promise. I have come to learn to never expect anything from anyone because you will never be disappointed. It is when we have expectations of others that we put ourselves in that vulnerable position to experience disappointment.