1. What does the conversation tell us about the opening phrase, "There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good, who lived with her wicked stepmother in a house in the forest"?
The descriptions of the girl are stereotypical and exaggerated. It's very fairy tale like with a clear protagonist that's "poor" and an antagonistic "wicked" stepmother.
2. What sort of things does the second speaker object to?
Sterotypes, biases, descriptions - anything subjective
3. What is the principle behind the objections?
To write an objective piece, with no descriptions that discriminate, or no descriptions in general.
4. Is the principle reasonable?
No, because most things are subjective, and without detail there is no story.
5. What would happen if the second speaker applied her own principle to her own speech?
She would have writer's block if she were writing, and would not say much if she were speaking since she finds fault with everything that the first speaker says.
6. What can we learn about language from this dialogue?
Language is subjective. The piece also highlights the importance of diction, or word use and the importance of being politically correct. It also tells us a lot about positive and negative connotations to words chosen.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Week of December 6th 2009
Aside from looking at language and how it relates to cutlure (see Language post for answers to questions), we also looked at the phrase "Time flies like an arrow"
We had to add punctuation to it to get different meanings.
2 of the meanings mentioned were that;
time flies, like an arrow. Hence, time passes fast
time: flies like an arrow.
time flies; like an arrow. This one was suggested to mean timing flies.
An interpretation that I came up with was that time flies like an arrow in the sense that you can't go back in time, as arrows aim ahead. So all there is is the present, moving in the direction of the future. However when I said this, people gave me weird looks since it was a different/weird interpretation, but I still stand by it and hopefully someone else will eventually see the phrase the way I did.
We had to add punctuation to it to get different meanings.
2 of the meanings mentioned were that;
time flies, like an arrow. Hence, time passes fast
time: flies like an arrow.
time flies; like an arrow. This one was suggested to mean timing flies.
An interpretation that I came up with was that time flies like an arrow in the sense that you can't go back in time, as arrows aim ahead. So all there is is the present, moving in the direction of the future. However when I said this, people gave me weird looks since it was a different/weird interpretation, but I still stand by it and hopefully someone else will eventually see the phrase the way I did.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Week of November 22nd
This week we recieved a worksheet on language and what it's used for. We also had to evaluate a source, find a biased article, and invent an English word. Language is a way of communication, to communicate thoughts, ideas, feelings, or send messages. It's used everyday, all around us, by people through speaking, or writing. The biased article that I found was one on mobile phones and it stated that a certain brand was 'better' than the rest. The next TOK lesson, we were supposed to discuss language and its impact on society but I was sick/absent.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Language
What is language?
To me, language is a means of communication. It is also a way of expressing oneself through spoken words or writing. It can be used to communicate, or persuade people to do something like in advertising. Language is used all around us by everyone. It can also reflect one's culture. Language can determine the meaning when answering a question. It can direct one's thoughts.
List the different ways in which language is used for the purpose of communication.
- spoken words (talking, speaking, saying a speech, advising, socializing)
- writing (e-mails, poetry, novels, books, articles, advertising, blogging)
- body language (actions and the way one acts or does things)
Language and Values - Objective or subjective?
Language can be both objective and subjective. When personally answering a question, writing, or expressing oneself, language can be considered subjective. In many cases, choice of words is crucial. Language is also subjective in the sense that some languages don't have certain words, which direct the ways one speaks or thinks. Like Mandarin, that does not have a word for 'no'. I would consider language to be more subjective than objective, but it could be considered objective by stating facts, or inventing new words to suit one's thoughts as thoughts are limitless and language should reflect that.The writer of the piece on the Texan revolution supported the Texans. This is evident as he writes from the Texan perspective, and says that "Sam Houston led a surprise attack.... securing victory for the Texans". The word victory is used instead of saying that the Texans simply 'won'.
Select a newspaper article that has a biased slant. The article I chose was an analysis and comparison between the iPhone and the Blackberry. Although the writer stated the advantages and limitations to each phone brand, at the end of the article it said "posted from X's Blackberry", which not so subtly shows a bias as he prefers blackberry since he typed the article from his phone and posted it. Also, the article gave alternatives to the limitations of the blackberry and hinted at the fact that there were more advantages than limitations, while not doing that for the iPhone.
My newly invented words:
Flurbishness: Saying the first thing that comes to mind in a situation where the comment may be inappropriate.Spinduptuality: The ability to read someone’s mind while in a déjà-vu
Friday, 20 November 2009
Week of November 15th
This week in TOK, we were split up in groups and had to choose a question from the "Knowledge Issues" paper and had to decide how we would structure the presentation if we were to do it and tell the class. This also had to include examples of things we have done so far in TOK. My group chose to do the question on culture and how that affects perception. We decided that we would structure the presentation by having a powerpoint. The example that we thought clearly showed how different backgrounds affects perception was the meat story, as the protagonists had an objective view of humans and saw people/analysed the race in a completely different way than people see themselves. We thought it would also be a good idea to have a video showing an interview of 2 people from completely different cultural backgrounds and show their view on a subject.; or act out the interview ourselves and writing a script before hand. Other groups thought it would be relevant to add optical illusions to their presentations but they did another question about sense of perception.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Week of November 8, 2009
During the 2 lessons this week; we visited these 3 websites and looked at different illusions. We also did 2 similar challenges.
The three websites were the following:
www.kids.nieh.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm
www.sciencebob.com/experiments/illusion.html
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/senseschallenge
The first senses challenge that I did was out of 10; and I got an 8. One of the questions I got wrong had to do with combinations of taste where I guessed the answer. Apparently pineapple and soy sauce taste good together. The other question I got wrong had to do with the most sensitive part of our body; and I remembered studying in grade 7 that it was fingers but I thought it was supposed to be a trick question, so I said it was taste. The second challenge that I did was out of 20; and I got a 15. One of the illusions was particularly interesting as two creatures appeared to be the same time but one was significantly bigger. We also looked at various optical illusions where some things appeared to be moving although they weren’t moving. In some of the optical illusions, the brain is tricked and makes things appear to move or adds certain elements to images that aren’t actually there. We rely on our sight and use it more than our other senses and sometimes it deceives us like with illusions where we see shapes move although they aren’t moving. This teaches us that things are not always as they appear.
During the first lesson this week we looked at an illusion that was quite interesting; there were two images/illusions of women and they both looked scary/angry when we looked at them closely, but when we looked at them at a further distance the scarier/angrier one appeared not to have an expression on her face while the other one looked angrier.
The three websites were the following:
www.kids.nieh.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm
www.sciencebob.com/experiments/illusion.html
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/senseschallenge
The first senses challenge that I did was out of 10; and I got an 8. One of the questions I got wrong had to do with combinations of taste where I guessed the answer. Apparently pineapple and soy sauce taste good together. The other question I got wrong had to do with the most sensitive part of our body; and I remembered studying in grade 7 that it was fingers but I thought it was supposed to be a trick question, so I said it was taste. The second challenge that I did was out of 20; and I got a 15. One of the illusions was particularly interesting as two creatures appeared to be the same time but one was significantly bigger. We also looked at various optical illusions where some things appeared to be moving although they weren’t moving. In some of the optical illusions, the brain is tricked and makes things appear to move or adds certain elements to images that aren’t actually there. We rely on our sight and use it more than our other senses and sometimes it deceives us like with illusions where we see shapes move although they aren’t moving. This teaches us that things are not always as they appear.
During the first lesson this week we looked at an illusion that was quite interesting; there were two images/illusions of women and they both looked scary/angry when we looked at them closely, but when we looked at them at a further distance the scarier/angrier one appeared not to have an expression on her face while the other one looked angrier.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
The Truman Show (Week of November 1st)
1. Write a brief synopsis of the film, including the basic story line and the main characters.
The Truman Show is a film about Truman, an individual whose life is the focus of a reality TV show. He has been the reality TV star since birth and he doesn't know it. The people whom he believes are his parents and friends are actually actors; his life is a lie.
2. Give three examples from the film where Truman's perception of reality is deliberately manipulated.
One instance in the film where Truman's perception of reality is deliberately altered is when Truman is talking to his 'best friend'. Truman was sharing his concerns with his friend; that there's something weird going on with his life, while his friend is wearing a mic and simply saying what the director of the show is telling him to. Another instance where his perception of reality is altered is when it's a clear day, and then it suddenly starts raining on Truman, and the rain follows him as he moves. Another instance where his perception of reality is altered is when Truman sees the person whom he believes to be his father and the actors that surrounded Truman made sure that he didn't get to see his father; when he went on the bus, the bus stopped and all the passengers went off but him.
3. "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented". Bearing in mind this quote from the film, what does this film teach us about perception? Consider our discussions surrounding the concept of illusion.
The film teaches us that we take our sense of perception and the way we perceive reality for granted; and for a character like Truman, he thought his life was real (he was living in the real world) and later found out that although no one controlled his actions, the people and things around him were controlled and he was living a lie. His wife, friends, and everyone he knew were merely actors. However, although the audience knew thought that Truman wasn't living in a 'real' world, for Truman, his life was a reality, which teaches us that someone's reality is just their perspective, or what they perceive reality to be.
4. How does this link with the concept of our senses being the only link to the outside world?
Our basis of knowledge, and some of our beliefs are based on our senses. The things we believe to be true, for many things in life, depend on our senses and perception, and we use them to know the truth or use them as the basis of what we believe to be true. Once can't express truth or prove something right or wrong without their senses; senses/perception of reality and truth/beliefs(to some extent) go hand in hand.
5. "There is no more truth out there than in this created world." This quote was said by the show's director just before Truman left the dome. What point do you think he was trying to make?
The director is indicating that to Truman, his life is real. So reality is what you perceive it to be. Truman thought that he was controlling his own life, and that's what people do in the real world. They just live, relying on their senses as the basis of truth and reality.
6. Give three real life examples where a person's concept of reality is deliberately altered.
One - pictures of models and actors in magazines/advertisements as they are edited/made to look different
Two - Beliefs in Santa, the tooth fairy etc. Children mostly believe in these because of what their parents tell them
Three - mental illnesses like schizophrenia where patients can be delusional, believing that they are being watched or sometimes hear noises coming out of sockets/electricity.
Four - Products that are advertised; like shampoo that 'makes your hair shine/healthy' and when you actually use the shampoo you can tell that there's a significant difference between the way your hair looks after using it and the way the person's hair looks in the commercial.
7. If this film is considered a work of art then what do you view as its main message?
Reality is simply what we perceive it to be.
8. Do you think that the Truman Show could actually be created? Explain the reasoning behind your answer.
No; as far as technology is concerned, there probably is the technology to create a fake world and hire actors etc. But I don't believe it ever would be created because of the amount of money it would take to build a fake world. Also, people can't be bought, and especially with the internet, someone would know if they were the center of a reality show. Also, I don't think it's possible to create a world that looks real, or seems real enough for someone to believe it's real; like the sky etc. Although there have been advances in technology and science to control the weather in recent years, I don't see it becoming a regular alteration to the world because it costs too much and some people believe it to be unethical. In theory, technology is developed enough to create a fake world, but it's an unrealistic thing to expect to happen as it would require a lot of time, money, and interest in the matter; and even if it could be created, there would be too many problems with the 'alternate reality' to function or last long.
The Truman Show is a film about Truman, an individual whose life is the focus of a reality TV show. He has been the reality TV star since birth and he doesn't know it. The people whom he believes are his parents and friends are actually actors; his life is a lie.
2. Give three examples from the film where Truman's perception of reality is deliberately manipulated.
One instance in the film where Truman's perception of reality is deliberately altered is when Truman is talking to his 'best friend'. Truman was sharing his concerns with his friend; that there's something weird going on with his life, while his friend is wearing a mic and simply saying what the director of the show is telling him to. Another instance where his perception of reality is altered is when it's a clear day, and then it suddenly starts raining on Truman, and the rain follows him as he moves. Another instance where his perception of reality is altered is when Truman sees the person whom he believes to be his father and the actors that surrounded Truman made sure that he didn't get to see his father; when he went on the bus, the bus stopped and all the passengers went off but him.
3. "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented". Bearing in mind this quote from the film, what does this film teach us about perception? Consider our discussions surrounding the concept of illusion.
The film teaches us that we take our sense of perception and the way we perceive reality for granted; and for a character like Truman, he thought his life was real (he was living in the real world) and later found out that although no one controlled his actions, the people and things around him were controlled and he was living a lie. His wife, friends, and everyone he knew were merely actors. However, although the audience knew thought that Truman wasn't living in a 'real' world, for Truman, his life was a reality, which teaches us that someone's reality is just their perspective, or what they perceive reality to be.
4. How does this link with the concept of our senses being the only link to the outside world?
Our basis of knowledge, and some of our beliefs are based on our senses. The things we believe to be true, for many things in life, depend on our senses and perception, and we use them to know the truth or use them as the basis of what we believe to be true. Once can't express truth or prove something right or wrong without their senses; senses/perception of reality and truth/beliefs(to some extent) go hand in hand.
5. "There is no more truth out there than in this created world." This quote was said by the show's director just before Truman left the dome. What point do you think he was trying to make?
The director is indicating that to Truman, his life is real. So reality is what you perceive it to be. Truman thought that he was controlling his own life, and that's what people do in the real world. They just live, relying on their senses as the basis of truth and reality.
6. Give three real life examples where a person's concept of reality is deliberately altered.
One - pictures of models and actors in magazines/advertisements as they are edited/made to look different
Two - Beliefs in Santa, the tooth fairy etc. Children mostly believe in these because of what their parents tell them
Three - mental illnesses like schizophrenia where patients can be delusional, believing that they are being watched or sometimes hear noises coming out of sockets/electricity.
Four - Products that are advertised; like shampoo that 'makes your hair shine/healthy' and when you actually use the shampoo you can tell that there's a significant difference between the way your hair looks after using it and the way the person's hair looks in the commercial.
7. If this film is considered a work of art then what do you view as its main message?
Reality is simply what we perceive it to be.
8. Do you think that the Truman Show could actually be created? Explain the reasoning behind your answer.
No; as far as technology is concerned, there probably is the technology to create a fake world and hire actors etc. But I don't believe it ever would be created because of the amount of money it would take to build a fake world. Also, people can't be bought, and especially with the internet, someone would know if they were the center of a reality show. Also, I don't think it's possible to create a world that looks real, or seems real enough for someone to believe it's real; like the sky etc. Although there have been advances in technology and science to control the weather in recent years, I don't see it becoming a regular alteration to the world because it costs too much and some people believe it to be unethical. In theory, technology is developed enough to create a fake world, but it's an unrealistic thing to expect to happen as it would require a lot of time, money, and interest in the matter; and even if it could be created, there would be too many problems with the 'alternate reality' to function or last long.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Week 2 - October 19
This week we did the following:
-we identified the difference between objective and subjective and brought articles/examples of objective and subjective articles.
The subjective articles were based on opinion while the objective articles stated facts - and views from all perspectives (they were unbiased and not based on opinion). They included a lot of data and numbers. It was mentioned that objectivity requires "dettachment" from the subject matter.
We alsomentioned the 5 senses and discussed which one we trusted the most. Most people said that sight was the sense they trusted the most (I was among them) while a few others argued that touch was their most trusted sense.
We also looked at the "dove evolution" clip on youtube that showed a model's day at work and how photographs taken are photoshopped. It then stated "no wonder our perception of beauty is distorted". That was to show us how much we can actually trust our sight in certain circumstances.
We also received the "Sense Perception" worksheet and we're taking a look a it today.
-we identified the difference between objective and subjective and brought articles/examples of objective and subjective articles.
The subjective articles were based on opinion while the objective articles stated facts - and views from all perspectives (they were unbiased and not based on opinion). They included a lot of data and numbers. It was mentioned that objectivity requires "dettachment" from the subject matter.
We alsomentioned the 5 senses and discussed which one we trusted the most. Most people said that sight was the sense they trusted the most (I was among them) while a few others argued that touch was their most trusted sense.
We also looked at the "dove evolution" clip on youtube that showed a model's day at work and how photographs taken are photoshopped. It then stated "no wonder our perception of beauty is distorted". That was to show us how much we can actually trust our sight in certain circumstances.
We also received the "Sense Perception" worksheet and we're taking a look a it today.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Week 1 + 2 - 12 October
3 levels of importance/belief
-pet goldfish level (least important) - i.e. orange juice (how do we know it's orange juice; not that important)
-family dog level
-Own child level (most important) - i.e. belief in god/religion/things that matter
Areas of Knowledge: Ethics, mathematics, natural sciences, human sciences, history, the arts
Ways of Knowing: Emotion, reason, sense of perception, language
-pet goldfish level (least important) - i.e. orange juice (how do we know it's orange juice; not that important)
-family dog level
-Own child level (most important) - i.e. belief in god/religion/things that matter
Areas of Knowledge: Ethics, mathematics, natural sciences, human sciences, history, the arts
Ways of Knowing: Emotion, reason, sense of perception, language
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