"In Chapter 2, Albert Knox states that "It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world." What does he mean? Do you agree with him? Explain why or why not, using examples from this first section of the novel (pp. 1-120) and your own life experiences."
The statement made by Albert Knox, “It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world” is self-explanatory. As we grow up, our curiosity seems to diminish. We are no longer engrossed by our surrounding and therefore stop questioning it.
I beg to differ; I do not think that grown-ups lose their ability to wonder about the world. As we grow older, our curiosity is diverted to different aspects of the world. We get accustomed to our surroundings as we have asked all the questions and know all there is to know. Here the saying applies, “Been there, done than.” For a child, the dog is an unfamiliar object in an unfamiliar surrounding. So, obviously the child will be curious. For example, I was awe-struck when I first saw ice falling from the sky. It was a strange phenomenon my little mind had never experience, obviously ice was meant to be in the freezer and rain was meant to be falling from the sky, what was happening? An adult would already now that it was hail, so there is nothing for them to wonder about. If a grown-up was to be placed in a completely new surrounding, everything was different or new or where expectations are not fulfilled. His/her reaction would not be far off from a child’s when it first encounters the world, wonderment is created.
With knowledge, the simpler and straightforward questions are answered. Once a child is told that the “Bow-wow” is in fact a dog, the image to word association is created. The child doesn’t ask why it is called a dog, but just accepts this knew knowledge and moves on to something else, maybe to the “Meow”. But a more intellectually matured being might question the answer given, “why a ‘dog’? Why not ‘Bow-wow’? Wouldn’t that be a better option, it would be easier to remember and it seems more logical.” So, with age, the number of topics to wonder about may reduce but the depth increase significantly.
What is the point of having those extra years of experience on the world if your thought process is the same as that of a child? By questioning, we gain knowledge, which leads to more questions and later in life our beliefs and life are based upon these findings.
Wondering also loses its significance as we age. How the universe came to be will not help the person live comfortably. What is waiting for us after death is not going to help feed the family. As a child, we were looked after, but later people have more immediate burdens. Some people get so entangled by this, that they have no time to wonder about the questions in the book. Though people may say that you can make time, but some might not see the significance of doing so. A young child doesn’t ask “what is the purpose of my existence?” And an adult may find the reply or rather no reply to this rather depressing or unsettling. There are many reasons as to why some people are deep in the rabbit’s fur. However, no where does this mean that they have lost their ‘faculty to wonder’ or in this case ability to journey back to the tip. On the contrary, we might even say that ‘faculty of wonder’ has increased but some chose not to journey up the hair but rather ‘crawl deeper’ though the reasons may vary. Some may find questioning our existence rather intriguing. So it depends person to person. Socrates is an example of a person who wondered and wanted others to do so too.
The statement is very much a generalisation and even so I don’t believe that with age we lose our ability to wonder. It is up to the individual whether or not they want to stifle the thought to the darkest corner of their brain as it brings into focus the uncertainties in their life and very existence, or they cannot come to terms with the answer if the opportunity arises. An opposite scenario would be to let those questions flood the mind as they are intriguing rather than frightening and an example of these people would be philosophers who make it there job wondering.
The statement made by Albert Knox, “It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world” is self-explanatory. As we grow up, our curiosity seems to diminish. We are no longer engrossed by our surrounding and therefore stop questioning it.
I beg to differ; I do not think that grown-ups lose their ability to wonder about the world. As we grow older, our curiosity is diverted to different aspects of the world. We get accustomed to our surroundings as we have asked all the questions and know all there is to know. Here the saying applies, “Been there, done than.” For a child, the dog is an unfamiliar object in an unfamiliar surrounding. So, obviously the child will be curious. For example, I was awe-struck when I first saw ice falling from the sky. It was a strange phenomenon my little mind had never experience, obviously ice was meant to be in the freezer and rain was meant to be falling from the sky, what was happening? An adult would already now that it was hail, so there is nothing for them to wonder about. If a grown-up was to be placed in a completely new surrounding, everything was different or new or where expectations are not fulfilled. His/her reaction would not be far off from a child’s when it first encounters the world, wonderment is created.
With knowledge, the simpler and straightforward questions are answered. Once a child is told that the “Bow-wow” is in fact a dog, the image to word association is created. The child doesn’t ask why it is called a dog, but just accepts this knew knowledge and moves on to something else, maybe to the “Meow”. But a more intellectually matured being might question the answer given, “why a ‘dog’? Why not ‘Bow-wow’? Wouldn’t that be a better option, it would be easier to remember and it seems more logical.” So, with age, the number of topics to wonder about may reduce but the depth increase significantly.
What is the point of having those extra years of experience on the world if your thought process is the same as that of a child? By questioning, we gain knowledge, which leads to more questions and later in life our beliefs and life are based upon these findings.
Wondering also loses its significance as we age. How the universe came to be will not help the person live comfortably. What is waiting for us after death is not going to help feed the family. As a child, we were looked after, but later people have more immediate burdens. Some people get so entangled by this, that they have no time to wonder about the questions in the book. Though people may say that you can make time, but some might not see the significance of doing so. A young child doesn’t ask “what is the purpose of my existence?” And an adult may find the reply or rather no reply to this rather depressing or unsettling. There are many reasons as to why some people are deep in the rabbit’s fur. However, no where does this mean that they have lost their ‘faculty to wonder’ or in this case ability to journey back to the tip. On the contrary, we might even say that ‘faculty of wonder’ has increased but some chose not to journey up the hair but rather ‘crawl deeper’ though the reasons may vary. Some may find questioning our existence rather intriguing. So it depends person to person. Socrates is an example of a person who wondered and wanted others to do so too.
The statement is very much a generalisation and even so I don’t believe that with age we lose our ability to wonder. It is up to the individual whether or not they want to stifle the thought to the darkest corner of their brain as it brings into focus the uncertainties in their life and very existence, or they cannot come to terms with the answer if the opportunity arises. An opposite scenario would be to let those questions flood the mind as they are intriguing rather than frightening and an example of these people would be philosophers who make it there job wondering.
4 comments:
"How the universe came to be will not help the person live comfortably." - Swati
I like how you took a practical and down to earth approach to answering this question. Your reasoning that people only choose to find out
things which will help themselves and those they care about is very convincing. That they do not choose to wonder because it is pointless and reduces our self to that of a child yet to experience the world.
However, not questioning time and time again can lead to bad habits and in my opinion leave you unable to acquire new knowledge.
A great response! I agree with your views entirely.
I like how you used sensible and relevant examples to support your opinions- especially the one where you connected the present 'commitments' with the future and death. ("What is waiting for us after death is not going to help feed the family").
I like the way you have put down your personal opinions in such a practical manner.It definitely makes more sense.But then at the same time,don't you think that there is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing where life actually came from?
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