*Bruffee: the making of knowledge*
Conversation ~ contact with another intellect
Thought ~ conversation internalized
Writing ~ conversation re-externalized
Assignment: Show what waste or greed looks like. Take the reader to some point of contact that will legitimately express (via SHOWING) waste/greed, itself or perhaps a wasteful or greedy being.
To me, wasting is like forgetting the last kids picked in gym class. Granted, this style is rarely seen in real classes anymore (NO child left behind), but maybe imagine you’re on the playground instead. A game of dodge ball is about to start under the hot sun, and all of the children take a break from their sugary candy and interesting bug collections to make a line on the blacktop. As the captains choose one by one, there will inevitably be the children left standing, unwelcome on either side. Who has the power to say that they aren’t worthy of joining the dodge ball game? The overlooked children, all individuals with their own strengths and abilities, are stranded on the line while the rest of the children (favored for millions of unknown reasons by their peers) begin the game. But what is so wrong with the stragglers? Each one of them has the same potential as the rest to achieve greatness in this game, so who is to say that their energy and strategy should go to waste? Leaving all of these game-ready and excited children on the sidelines is the definition of waste. The captains have cast aside something that could have been to great use to them without providing a legitimate reason. Based on social standing and assumptions, two of many flimsy biases or judgments, the kids on the line are becoming this waste: a waste of vigor, a waste of talent, and a waste of resources sitting right in front of their peers. This theory can be applied to any kind of waste, regardless of type. By ignoring a perfectly stable asset when that option is just as easy as it’s opposite, we choose to waste. Why? That is what we must ask the wasters, why? I think we would all be surprised by the lack of a solid answer.
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Your view of waste was completely different than mine, but also very similar. I liked how you concentrated on the talents that many of us neglect to see in others because of our own pride and egos. I was more concerned with the material things we waste. But all around it all falls under the same umbrella. This gave me something to add to m idea of waste and greed. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this. It's a different angle from how most approached the subject which is always nice to see. Using a social situation like that is something I never would've thought of using. Good job!
ReplyDeleteWow you thought so deep into this. You took it like 5 steps further and came up with a pretty sweet metaphor. Instead of picking an object to concentrate on, which is what most people did, you used people and talent to show another side of waste no one really thinks about. Everyone approached the waste blog post so differently and I really liked how you did yours.
ReplyDeleteI like how you described waste as a waste of talent, vigor, ability, etc. Whenver I think of waste, for some reason I immediately think of food or objects that people have thrown out even though they're still entierly usable, but I probably wouldn't have thought of a waste of something like talent, even if I had more time to think. I really like that train of thought since those are probably the most common things wasted today. It definitely helped me widen my view :)
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought of your view as waste but I completely understand. I like your vivid image of the waste of a child. It is sad for those whoa re picked last. I always hated it when it happend to me when I was little but everyone had there day to get picked last. Would you suggest the people who pick teams is greedy too? We should make everyone even. No stragglers left behind maybe?
ReplyDeleteI never thought of waste in this sense. Reading this gave me a whole different perspective of waste. It was really great when you applied the wasted child example to a more commonly seen example of waste, which was waste of a "perfectly stable asset." When I read that, for some reason, I felt like I was reading something for a economics class. This comparison really helped me understand the point that you were getting across.
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