Pseudo
New member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2012
- Messages
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- MBTI Type
- INTP
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- 5w4
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- so/sx
Ti reets especially.
Ah, the eloquent elucidation of a man of high culture.
Ti reets especially.
Yes... I actually can see how literature, especially stuff that's more character-focused and less plot-focused, would help with empathy/social skills. To some extent, I've benefited from it. Film could potentially do the same thing, or TV. I think the important thing is that these are all narrative.
I'm not convinced that visual arts or classical music (seeing as how it is either without words or in a language most peole don't understand) would help. Certainly, it is capable of stirring things emotionally. But what could it possibly teach you about interacting with someone else? How does a Hudson River School painting (look it up), for instance, teach someone social skills or empathy?
No.
Your argument was just dumb.
Ah, the eloquent elucidation of a man of high culture.
Yours is dumber.
Do you think the point of High Culture is to inspire empathy and social skills?
For much of history, it seems to exist to give rich people something to do. Which is fine, I suppose. That doesn't make it "bad".... the sciences were much the same. But let's acknowledge this, if we are talking about empathy and social skills.
So the renaissance happened just to give the wealthy something to do?
Not sure about this, but the connection to wealth is certainly there.
No ones arguing that, but in your estimation what is the purpose of high culture?
Yes... I actually can see how literature, especially stuff that's more character-focused and less plot-focused, would help with empathy/social skills. To some extent, I've benefited from it. Film could potentially do the same thing, or TV. I think the important thing is that these are all narrative.
I'm not convinced that visual arts or classical music (seeing as how it is either without words or in a language most peole don't understand) would help. Certainly, it is capable of stirring things emotionally. But what could it possibly teach you about interacting with someone else? How does a Hudson River School painting (look it up), for instance, teach someone social skills or empathy? Maybe it teaches them about appreciating nature, though.
If I found some other dictator, would that help?
Why is it "relevant" that the guy who shot up The Dark Knight Rises was studying neuroscience but not "relevant" that Hitler liked painting and classical music? Or, to bring a more recent less interent meme-worthy example, why is it not "relevant" that the perpetrator of the Virginia Tech shootings was an English major?
No ones arguing that, but in your estimation what is the purpose of high culture?
Fo sho, I think narrative and complexity of character are key. I don't think the medium is that important.
I'm not convinced either, and certainly didn't make that claim. I don't know enough about other domains of the cultural world to speak for its benefits.
I don't know a whole lot about that Dark Knight shooting incident, since it wasn't as big of a deal where I live, but I myself never claimed this fellow's educational background was relevant.
Are you having some argument about the media misrepresenting the sciences as harmful to a person's character (just a guess)? Could you explain why the dark knight shooter matters here?
I feel like you're bringing outside baggage into this discussion. These weren't points raised in this thread, were they? Sorry to make you explain, I just can't see it.
What do Hitler's cultural inclinations prove? Surely you don't think high culture caused the holocaust? No, of course you don't.
Are you saying that Hitler's lack of empathy for the Jews, despite his reading habits, is demonstrative that literary fiction doesn't help people be empathetic?
If so let me remind you that the study claims that literary fiction stimulates empathy in people (at least in the short term). This is a rather modest claim. The study doesn't claim that people who read literary fiction are very empathetic and those who read popular fiction aren't. It definitely doesn't claim that literary fiction has the ability to completely rehabilitate the emotional life of monstrous human beings. It just says that it gives people practice being empathetic, which MIGHT help them be more empathetic in their daily lives.
Besides, Hitler didn't necessarily lack empathy. I think Hitler demonstrated a very deep understanding of how many people felt and thought in his home country. You can be good at empathizing, but choose not to engage these powers with certain groups of people.
I don't know. I'm not terribly educated. I have a two year degree in general studies from a rural community college. So basically, all high culture means to me is that it's old. But surely not everything that is old is high culture? So that is why I asked. I looked and couldn't find anything specific.