In Walter Isaacson’s book Kissinger he noted that as a young man Henry Kissinger read the newspaper daily but that he never read the opinion pages because he needed to make up his own opinion. In other words he needed to be able to think freely. The ability to analyze information and draw conclusions is critical in learning how to think independently. It is a skill that is liberating and prevents ill informed decision making.
To illustrate the importance of thinking freely Matt Taibbi wrote in Hate Inc. that “People need to start understanding the news not as the news but as just such an individualized consumer experience. Anger just for you. This is not reporting it is a marketing process designed to create rhetorical addictions and shut any non consumerist doors in your mind.” Modern technology allows us to create echo chambers where we only hear the voices we want to hear. An echo chamber stifles independent thought and prevents critical examination of one’s conclusions. One who has never been presented with a dissenting opinion will view it as heresy when first encountered and never pause to contemplate the merits of the dissenting thought. It must be categorically rejected. Individuals falling into this camp will never be able to think freely.
As you watch pundits on TV are they telling you facts or are they telling you how to think? Are you being provided with news or opinions? Have you developed methods or second sources to verify the information you consume? As Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to Benjamin Rush “ It behooves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.”
The ability to think freely prevents a person from falling prey to the manipulative actions of others. If you belong to a political party can you think of 5 things that that party has done that you disagree with? How about 10? Preservation of liberty requires critical thought not blind obedience to the party.
To be able to ingest information and form your own opinions is what makes you sovereign. Think freely and share your thoughts. Rise above petty squabbles that only serve to distract or divide. Don’t passively partake or pander to the purveyors of putrid thoughts. Determine what is of most value to you and pursue it. Think freely and act accordingly and you will be able to proudly proclaim no man is my master.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
What plays a greater role in success luck or habits?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Poet, Critic, Philosopher
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the most gifted literary minds of his generation. A poet, critic, and philosopher, he possessed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Yet his life was marked by unfinished projects, difficulties with discipline, and an increasingly destructive dependence on opium.
Coleridge produced some of the most memorable poetry in English literature, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. But he also struggled to translate his ambitious intellectual plans into completed works. His friends recognized his extraordinary abilities, even as they witnessed the difficulties that prevented him from consistently applying them.
Unlike Sydney Carton, Coleridge achieved lasting recognition. Nevertheless, both men illustrate the distance that can exist between ability and accomplishment.
Consider the comparison. Was Coleridge's potential diminished by his inability to complete everything he envisioned?
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