Upon reading more into the notion of New York City and Rome reflecting themselves as a whole. I came to realize that all perspectives are necessary into thinking about the history and implications behind these two cities and maybe our everyday lives. Should we always live in our first-person mode (which is naturally how we see things)? Or should we tell ourselves to take a step back and look at the things all around us and see what is held in our past, present, and future?
Viewing New York City from a skyscraper (as discussed in class), is a daunting view. It is something that can only be accomplished from traveling to a tall building and standing on the top floor and gazing out. This powerful metaphor is what is necessary to our everyday lives.
"Look at the bigger picture," "think bigger." These two phrases are thrown out into common conversations in everyday life. What do they in fact implicate? As the text stated, there are shadows that obscure things that are "in plain sight" if you were to be on the city streets of New York. How can we live from the view above the city and also that on the streets. The answer is to shine the light on the shadows.
No matter where you are as a person in New York City, there are people, history, emotions, buildings, everything is around you. A person must carry the thought that there is more to something in front of them.
I definitely agree with the sentiment being expressed here. We tend to think of our understanding of the world as a product of our own experiences, but there is more at play. Cities like New York City are filled with millions of different people and experiences and view points, and in order to get a full picture, we must step back and consider other perspectives. We must climb up to the top floor and look down at the city to get the full picture.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an important consideration in the context of the Helen Keller reading. Many of her critics argued that she could not have a true understanding of the world because she did not have what they considered to be an acceptable "first-person mode." But as you've said, there is more to the world around us than just our own experiences. And ultimately, it's impossible to "think bigger" if we're only concerned with what we personally experience.