How does one become ‘the colonised’? Not in terms of a historical fact or political status, although they are certainly important elements, but in terms of an experience. If we think of being ‘the colonised’ as a way of experiencing one’s life, how does one become it? In his book, “Black Skin, White Masks”, Frantz Fanon explores … Continue reading Knowing Yourself As The Colonised
“Proper Study of Mankind is Man”
This famous line from the 18th-century English poet Alexander Pope's poem "An Essay on Man" is as captivating today as it was 300 years ago (especially if we mentally substitute 'man' with 'human'). Sometimes, when we fail to express our confused thoughts and feelings, we do what people have done for thousands of years - … Continue reading “Proper Study of Mankind is Man”
Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
What is visual literacy? What is the value of close looking? In her recent article for Psyche, writer and art historian Grace Linden explores the idea of visual literacy as a skill that needs to be learned (and taught). We do not just see what is out there, fully and objectively. We see what we … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
Buried Giant and Forgotten Memories
What is the value of memories? They are our personal histories. Often, memories extend beyond our individual stories. So to ask about the value of memories is to ask about the value of history. Awareness of the importance of history is one of the frequently stated critical differences between the continental and analytic philosophy traditions. … Continue reading Buried Giant and Forgotten Memories
Spreading the Word: What Is Bibliotherapy?
Can books help us heal? The author of this recent article on Psyche shares his experience of bibliotherapy: "Reading books is not just a pleasure: it helps our minds to heal". Here is the link to the article: Reading Books as a Therapy. Enjoy! Keeping up the "Spreading the Word" tradition, I hope to share … Continue reading Spreading the Word: What Is Bibliotherapy?
Heraclitus Meets Derrida and Saunders: Misunderstanding and Oversimplification
Misunderstandings are one of the typical features of being human. We can be confident in declaring that every person who has ever lived has misunderstood others and was misunderstood by others at least once in life. This reveals the interpretive structure of our thinking and the fundamental role understanding plays in our lives. Understanding is … Continue reading Heraclitus Meets Derrida and Saunders: Misunderstanding and Oversimplification
Spreading the Word: What Is Lived Experience?
People use the expression 'lived experience' with increasing frequency. We usually mean it as the first-person privileged access to a particular way of experiencing something. Usually, this particular way is intertwined with and expressed in various social identity terms. My lived experience as a woman, as a migrant, as an Eastern European, and so on. … Continue reading Spreading the Word: What Is Lived Experience?
Measuring and Living an Experience
What's the weather like where you are now? How would you check it - glance out the window, open it to get a feel, step outside, consult your preferred weather app? From this follows a more intriguing question - which would you trust more, your lived experience or a measurement? I'm from a generation that … Continue reading Measuring and Living an Experience
Spreading the Word: Being Ashamed Of Your Accent
Immigrants are often ashamed of their accents or feel uncomfortable because of how they sound. Why? Because language is not just a tool, it contains a world of implied social and cultural norms, values, beliefs, and presuppositions. In many languages, there is one way of speaking it that is considered 'proper'. I have read and … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Being Ashamed Of Your Accent
To Speak A Language Is To Participate In A World
In his book, "Black Skin, White Masks", Frantz Fanon argues that language, far from just a tool for conveying information, expresses a world implied by it. In other words, words matter in shaping who I am in your eyes, as does my tone of voice, accent, dialect, and so on. If I am a foreigner speaking your … Continue reading To Speak A Language Is To Participate In A World
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