Currently, I’m li
stening to Charles Murray’s Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010. I decided I needed to get myself a little more grounded again after The Handmaids Tale. It’s a controversial and fascinating account of social developments that have taken place in America over the last fifty years of so, particularly the development of a new “upper class” and a new “lower class.” There is a point in which the numbers of statistics from studies become rather mind-numbing to listen to, but I’m far enough into it that I’m going to tough it out. My observations seem to be in line with the narrative of Dr. Murray, at least as far as the rise of the new upper class. I just started the part on the new lower class. I’m expecting it to be as on point as part one was.
stening to Charles Murray’s Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010. I decided I needed to get myself a little more grounded again after The Handmaids Tale. It’s a controversial and fascinating account of social developments that have taken place in America over the last fifty years of so, particularly the development of a new “upper class” and a new “lower class.” There is a point in which the numbers of statistics from studies become rather mind-numbing to listen to, but I’m far enough into it that I’m going to tough it out. My observations seem to be in line with the narrative of Dr. Murray, at least as far as the rise of the new upper class. I just started the part on the new lower class. I’m expecting it to be as on point as part one was. I’ve also gotten into Werner Jaeger’s Paideia. It’s quite an interesting read on the educational aspects of ancient literature. He makes the point that the poets were seen as educators, and brings out what each of the poets shows us and teaches us. I’m really starting to think that these mid twentieth century literary criticism classics, like Paideia and Mimesis are classics for a reason. Part of me is thinking that I should have read Paideia earlier, and part of me thinks that it wouldn’t have made that much since apart from a few readings of the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s good to start taking the whole aspect of continuing education and preparation seriously. Paideia has been on the shelf for a long time and it’s good to finally get into it. Jaeger has a great eye for making connections across all of the classical works. He is able to teach out of depth in a way that very few contemporaries are able to do.
I don’t feel like I’m producing anything that close to something I’d want to share with cyberspace.. It’s kind of disturbing. A few weeks ago, I was just churning it out. It’s possible that the cause of this is not making space in my life to think. I’ve become a little too task oriented over the past few weeks, which may lead to shallow living. It’s probably time to dial it back a notch and to live as if the people in my life really do matter, rather than having my nose to the grindstone 24/7.
Half Baked 