To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist,
that is all. – Oscar Wilde
I chose this Oscar Wilde quotation
because I agree that we can get so caught up in following the rules and doing
what we are supposed to that we don’t step back and ask why we are following
this path. We are just existing, instead of really thinking about what it would
mean to enjoy every day and not necessarily do what
is expected of us or what is defined as success.
As a senior, I think about this a
lot lately: I am tired of my life being sleep, school, homework, over and over
again. And the whole goal is just to get to college and take more classes with
more homework and more tests and probably less sleep. Does this really lead to
happiness? Is it living or existing in a framework someone else created?
The girls in the podcast seemed
pretty typical, talking about when to post, waiting for likes, and the same
comment of “you’re so pretty” over and over. It was an interesting dissection
of what other people comment as a way to understand your
social world and diagram how people relate to each other. I thought the podcast
made social media sound less pointless than adults usually think it is.
I agree with you on the college thing. When ever people ask me if I am excited for college I always say yes (because it is just easier that way) and I am slightly excited, but also it is really four more years of school. I just have to remind myself that college will be different because I will be able to study things I am especially interested in. I also know that going to college is a privilege not everybody has and I am thankful to be able to go. As far as the girls in the podcast I'm not sure if I agree with you that they are typical. They seemed to go a little over and beyond with their social media, which to me at least made social media sound really stupid if you think about it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really powerful message. Wilde is basically saying that we should be real and live life the way we truly want to live it. I notice all the time that people comment on posts on social media even if they don't necessarily enjoy the post. People say "hahah" and never really laugh, or they say "love you" to someone they hate just to get ahead socially. To really live is to speak your mind all the time. I love it!
ReplyDeleteCasey,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your analysis of Wilde's quote. I think he's saying there's a big difference between just existing and doing what you're supposed to be doing and actually doing what you want to be doing and taking risks. I think a lot of things we do in life are just because we think they are socially accepted, whether that's going to college in order to pursue the typical life plan, or participating actively in social media like the girls in the podcast.