Week 5: Differences

This week while reading Seeing and Writing, it really made me think how I've viewed those who are different from me. It seemed like something that I don't think about very often because it usually doesn't direct how I feel. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, I am probably far too careless about sensitive things or take silly, perhaps even offensive, things for granted because I don't think about others differences. On the other side, however, I feel that because I don't think about it, differences don't really bother me that much. Reading the material today made me realize how much I actually appreciate the difference that is around me. I enjoy learning from what others have to teach me based on their culture or background. True I may not understand all of the things that they enjoy, but I definitely appreciate those differences.

With that said, I feel that far too often we worry about offending because we are far too prone to take offense. I believe we must respect one another's differences, but we also have to realize that differences create tension and at times stupid things are said. We have to learn to be comfortable with who we are and not let those things get to us. As a media creator, if I worry that every little thing I make might give offense, I can really shut down my creativity. Yet on the other side I must respect others' differences. For me, the line is drawn when what I say is meant as an attack. If what I say might be construed as such, well I can't always prevent that...nor would I want to. Some things must be said. When it comes down to it, it is up to us individually to learn when to fight and when to let something pass by. All three passages we read from Seeing and Writing scared me a little. Not because of what the passages fought against, but because of the insecurity of the subjects. Whether it was worrying about personal beauty or personal status, it made me sad to think that we rely so much on others opinions. I guess in the end I feel that instead of trying to fight the makers of beauty products or striving to eliminate the class system, it feels more important to work towards helping individuals understand that their self-worth is dependent on only themselves, and that those differences they have make them who they are. After all, a world full of only the high class and the beautiful would be a boring world to live in.