Individuality is a Sin

[micmac]

Okay, I wrote this a while back and I found it on my computer today. It's basically a little rant I went on after an especially annoying session with the english teacher from h*ll. What had happened was there was a class discussion on romance. We were arguing how people became attracted to one another. The teacher's opinion was that the only factor that there was in considering a mate was the personality or inner beauty. This opinion was shared with the majority of the class, but the few who dared to raise their heads and oppose it got verbally destroyed by the teacher. Not through logic, or an argument, but by cutting one such student off mid-scentence with a "WOW, *insert censored name here*... Anyone with a REAL point?" Another student was silenced by being called a "devil's advocate" and for the rest of the discussion being ignored. This is not a discussion, this is a brainwashing. Cue rant.

Even if it is pecimism, that shouldn’t be shunned! Just because somebody doesn’t agree with you, doesn’t make their point invalid! In fact, it makes their point more important than those who do agree with you for the sole reason that the same situation from different perspectives can be completely different, a-la WW1, looking at the entente’s reports vs the Alliance’s reports will show you a clear difference. In fact, even stating that there is a bias is implied, so why not try harder to understand somebody else’s point?

I find the closed mindedness that you’re demonstrating is, quite frankly, disgusting. What makes it even worse, is that you’re a teacher, teaching students that there is only one true answer, and that all other opinions should be thrown out the window without a serious analysis of the perspective. Not only do you isolate the student who speaks his or her mind when you do that, but you also encourage the others to do so as well, treating them as the devil’s advocate just because their ideals account for the horrible barbarism that people naturally have. BEING REALISTIC DOES NOT MAKE YOU THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE! It makes you smart enough to look beyond the image that we are force fed through media.

There were only two answers, one was that beauty doesn’t count, and that personality (or inner beauty) was the only factor in choosing a life partner, or that superficiality accounts for only a small amount of the choice. The simple notion that people are superficial got one student to be called a “devil’s advocate,” and another to be stopped mid-sentence, when he had a strong argument to support his point. The unwillingness to appreciate an answer that is not the right answer, and to go even further and cut the speaker off before giving them a chance to legitimately defend their answer demonstrates your unwillingness to expand your horizons beyond the shallow perspective you hold.

In a time where the media teaches people that individuality is the biggest sin of the modern world, finding those few gems who still have the courage to share their opinions, even if they’re not the simple, conformist opinions they know their audience is expecting and hoping for, should be great. Sharing your nonconformist opinion is the pinnacle of all things that will generate respect for you in my eyes. I believe that those few opinions that glimmer like diamonds in a sea of mental DIAHREA should be PRAISED, not SHUNNED! Individuality is the world’s last great resource, and not because it can generate revenue, but because it is a population rapidly going extinct. More precious than fossil fuels because you can’t invade a country for ideals.

The few who are lucky enough to see this I have chosen because I believe you to be intelligent enough. Not because you’re intelligent enough to understand such a verbose verbiage, but because you are intelligent enough to open your mind, to expand your horizons, to live a life that is truly your own.

The last paragraph doesn't quite fit anymore, but it didn't seem right without it.

To anyone who read the whole thing: Thanks, tell me what your opinion is, and I'll actually try to appreciate it!

[moneyfaery]

I read most of that. It'd be great if you could further break it up into paragraphs.

Anyway, your teacher is deluded. People ARE superficial. Otherwise, consumerism wouldn't work because no one would give a **** about their appearance.

[Ruan Chun Xian]

Firstly, in a group discussion, it is NECESSARY, GOOD AND HEALTHY to have a devil's advocate sometimes to avoid groupthink. Groupthink is bad. Despite the name, a devil's advocate is not always a negative thing, devil's advocates are useful in a discussion but it shouldn't be the same person everytime because you just end up hating that person. Differing opinions is good as long as it doesn't get nasty.

Secondly, people are not superficial? Really? What planet does he live on?!?!?!

Thirdly, WHY THE HECK IS HE TEACHING IB IF HE THINKS LIKE THIS?

Frankly your English teacher sounds like a jerk (and that's a nice word) considering your other thread as well.

Irene: It was in paragraphs but it doesn't show well as the indenting didn't work. I edited it so it's a bit easier to read.

[meh]

Wow, it is quite unfortunate you were subjected to having a course taught by such a person. I can't comprehend how he can be a teacher when he controls the classroom in such an oppressive manner....I would definitely (anonymously) complain to school authorities, because all teachers should encourage their students to express their opinions even if they go against the majority.

Edited April 28, 2009 by meh

[Sandwich]

Yeah, suckish teacher.

Why would intellectual beauty exist and physical beauty not? O:

Anyway, to quote a bit of Plato, if you have a beautiful body, you must also have a beautiful mind 8]

Even the best and most famous of us get it wrong.

[Tilia]

Lousy teacher.

Show her the second chapter of On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.

[Chronos]

oh yeah. that's a question that needs to be asked.

in regards to your teacher, she/he is infuriatingly narrow.

[Psychobabble]

I read the whole thing... I commend you for this artwork of a rant.

I am so sick of this superficial bull**** though.

Looks are what get a person interested, personality is what makes them stay.

I'm sorry but I can't see a personality from the other side of the room and I'm not going to stay with someone who is a complete bitch, that's just how I see it.

Your teacher is an idiot and I personally think that the whole "inner beauty only matters" is a sad attempt to compete with the unrealistic physical beauty you see all around.

In the end if inner beauty was all that mattered, physically beautiful people would be in the exact same position say that "Beauty isn't only on the inside."

Why not try to be beautiful from the outside in, why can't someone appreciate your whole instead of one simple part.

I think I'll end it there before I get carried away.

(Oh and have you ever noticed that the ugly girl in movies is always a super-model underneath those old clothes. All they needed was some new threads.)

[thinkgreen95]

Honestly, I think your teacher is an immature narrow-minded person incapable of accepting or even considering other viewpoints as you already mentioned in great detail and using excellent phraseology (which is used properly btw). I agree. And I would also like to insert my opinion: If you are unwilling to consider and discuss viewpoints and ideas opposite to or in some way differing from your own viewpoint then it is likely because you are 1)unable to defend your own point in the first place, or 2)not certain of your own views (which is fine), 3)unwilling to admit anyone else could possibly be right, or 4)some combination of the previous three, or 5)narrow minded and incapable of such,etc., etc.

Nice wording by the way. You should develop this into an essay on individualism, like one of Emerson or Thoreau's essays =]

[Austin Glau]

I also am quite surprised that an IB teacher would act with such ignorance to opposition. He really shoud not be teaching at all, he needs a semester long sub . Love the rant, by the way. But I got lost in the middle - you sounded quite mad at the teacher

Edited December 15, 2009 by 2401 I Hate Tangents

[embyr]

Devil's advocate is an important person in debates because they force you to defend your accepted ideas and they provide different ways of thinking. A good debate should have strong arguments on both sides, and sometimes you need the different view point in order to form said other side. Simply because someone either is playing a devil's advocate or voicing a different opinion which makes it sound like they are does not mean their argument or their point is invalid. Invalidating someone's claim on the premise that it's simply someone being "the devil's advocate" is a falacy.

The fact that your teacher seems to have been looking for one accepted answer is stupid. In my opinion, personality and inner beauty are/can be factors, but by no means are they the only ones. Physical beauty is/can be a factor, and sometimes money is too... well, maybe more than sometimes, but I'd like to stay a little opptimistic...

[kingdomx]

I agree with all the above comments. Your teacher has some....issues.

My view on this is that people should live interdependently, not 100% independent, but not 100% dependent either.

Life should be full of balance, and thus individuality is definitely not a sin.

[Grumps]

Isn't what she's doing the whole point of school?