Final Thoughts

Coming into ILS I had no idea what to expect. A friend of mine told me that in his ILS class they worked on writing one paper the entire time. To be honest I was not looking forward to this. It was a pleasant surprise when I found out we were writing in blogs. I have never written in a public forum such as a blog and I was excited to finally use a blog. I did not expect to learn as much as I did in this class. Never before have I learned about rhetoric like this. This class opened up a whole new world of communication to me. It allowed me to analyze my communication as well as the communication of people around me. Never again will I listen to a politician speak without listening for a straw man fallacy. In the future I will be able to balance the amount of pathos, logos and ethos in my arguments. I learned how to not only speak more effectively, but also listen more effectively to arguments posed by other people. Overall I am very satisfied with what I am taking from this class.

Can Language Capture the Enormity of Experience?

Can Language Capture the Enormity of Experience?

My first impression is no. When thinking of my life experiences I cannot imagine trying to fit them on pages. Personally I like hiking and being outdoors. I really have an appreciation of nature. For me to try to take the beauty, tranquility and the sublime aspects of nature and put them into words would not do them the justice they deserve, especially with my writing and communication skills. I do not believe that anyone has the ability or mastery of language to be able to truly capture an experience such as hiking in the mountains. I know that there are some authors and storytellers that can paint a vivid picture of a scene but in my experiences, nothing can bet the real thing. Although I am more of a visual person, I think that the actual experience is more powerful. It is the experience that inspires a person. The experience is what creates the language in order to try and capture the experience.

Language, when used the right way, can almost capture the experience. Although I don’t think that language can completely capture the experience, I think that language is just as important. Language serves to allow people to live through experiences that they would otherwise not be able to. Language allows people to gain knowledge and wisdom experiences otherwise out of reach for many people. This being said, I believe that a person’s personality and characteristics are based strongly on life experiences. Experiences are something that for the most part have to be first hand.

Closing Thoughts!

In my experience as a student of ILS 200 I have written multiple papers, become a blogger, and fulfilled my Comm. B requirement. More than that, I have grown as a writer by analyzing logos, pathos, and ethos in rhetorical analysis. I really enjoyed being able to do assignments through the blogs because it was nice being able to read other students' interpretations of topics to further develop my own opinions. Plus I thought there was a consistent and appropriate workload throughout the semester. One thing I would have changed this semester is that I would have liked to see more examples of logos, pathos, and ethos in literature. Though I feel i got the overall concepts, I still would have liked to see good/bad examples of rhetoric. Although overall, I really enjoyed being a part of this class.

Language and the Enormity of Experience

Initially upon thinking of the past pieces of literature I’ve read in my life, this question seemed clear to me that language can almost capture the enormity of experience; however, it will still always be impossible to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” completely. Through infinite description, one can empathize with a character and imagine oneself imbedded in the story, but they will never develop the terrifying or incredible memories that the author may have gone through or written about. I believe it is possible to become completely enveloped in a story and think you know exactly what it feels like to be that person, but it is truly impossible to go through the same experience and live that storyline enough to match the exact feelings of the character.
When I think about the impact of language on a reader, I think of the time I read the book Where the Red Fern Grows in my childhood. Never has a book affected me so much, that I could not keep myself from crying throughout the entire ending. Though I knew it was just a fictional book, for some reason I sympathized so much for the boy and his dogs. To me this was a book that knew its audience, and knew how to communicate effectively to deliver a feeling that could incorporate all the right emotions to truly impact the reader. Hypothetically, though, if this was a true story, I still do not believe that it would be possible to understand the connections and relationships between the characters or the impact of the events, without being there—seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing every interaction taking place.
Likewise, earlier in the semester we heard about the story of Joannie Rochette, who lost her mother before a big Winter Olympic performance. Needless to say, no one will ever relate to the immensity of her experience without having lived it, even through countless interviews and articles about the incident. Her experiences are too unique for anyone to fully understand it through language because it involves all of the senses to fully encompass the entirety of the event.
I believe the impact of language can only go so far. It can evoke empathy and several emotions, but I don’t think it can fully describe the enormity of the experience itself. To be able to say you know exactly how a person feels when their loved one dies is actually rather insensitive because it is impossible to put yourself in someone’s shoes completely. Events can affect one person completely different than the next, and language can often hide or forget about the little aspects of the experience that can only come from being in the situation at the time.

Can language capture the complexity and enormity of experience?

I have not been able to come up with one, definitive answer for this question.  At first, as I reflected on all the books, articles and poems I have read, I thought the answer was surely a yes.  I felt this, and part of me still sees it this way, because there have been many authors –and speakers – who have crafted their language and tone in such a way that I have been driven to shed tears, turn on the lights, laugh out loud, or sigh wistfully while reading or listening to them.  The author’s best shot at connecting with his audience is to choose his words with care and thoughtfulness.  The right words have the power to move the audience, to make them feel like they themselves are immersed in the story, in the characters, and ultimately, in the experiences of what they are reading/hearing.  I always know it’s a great book when I finish it feeling like I know the characters -- as if I could be friends with them in my real life – because I’ve “felt” their pain, laughed at their jokes, “watched” them grow.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that relating to people and emphasizing with their stories, no matter how much emotion it inspires in you, cannot hold a candle to the actual experience.

                Although my eyes may well up with tears every time I read a news article about the death of a soldier and the horrors of war, I will never understand what those soldiers and those communities have gone, and are going, through.  I can gasp in horror and say “how awful” when I see pictures of the victims of war, but I’ll never feel their terror, I’ll never know how petrifying it is to walk through or live in war-torn towns, wondering if myself and my loved ones will live through the day.  There are simply no words that can capture the reality of such a situation.  Similarly, every time I turn on the news there are countless stories of murder, rape, destruction and all sorts of unimaginable events that have occurred since the previous day.  No matter how profoundly language is used, words just cannot capture the suffering and emptiness a parent feels when they have lost a child, whether to accident or a horrific tragedy.  Language can be beautiful and it can speak to the soul, but we can pick ourselves up from words, we can move on from them, leave them behind.  We cannot do that with our memories.  Words may inspire us to feel sympathy and compassion for those parents and soldiers, but at the end of the day, they are just words.  It is not our experience and therefore, not our memories or our pain.

                This, of course, is not strictly limited to experiences of immense sadness.  Someone else’s happiness can never be our own.  If you are anything at all like me, you read travel magazines, look at pictures of beautiful, faraway places and/or enjoy shows like Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel.  Reading about, listening to, and even watching someone else’s travel experiences will never be the same as being there and doing those things yourself.  It doesn’t matter how many times someone tells me how majestic the pyramids are, how searing the Sahari may be, or how serene the Indian Ocean looks from the beaches of Phuket.  These stories only make me long for my own experiences at these places, they are not able to capture it well enough to make me feel as if I no longer want or need to travel there.  That’s why I believe that despite languages power to speak to the soul, and sway emotions, words will never be able to capture moments the way first-hand experience will.

Pathos in Public Discourse

                It can’t be argued that the world, as we and recent generations before us have known it, is changing, at a pace so rapid that most of us cannot keep up or comprehend it.  The information that we have at our disposal now was inconceivable even 50 years ago.  Not only are we bombarded with more news, media and information than we can grasp, but we are receiving it so fast that we hardly have time to understand what’s going on before we are barraged with something else to keep up with.  This is probably just one of the many reasons that journalists, reporters, advertisers and politicians employ highly pathetic techniques to obtain, and keep, our attention.  We see pathetic statements made on the front of every magazine cover, most especially tabloids, as headliners in newspapers and on websites and also when watching TV.  They are everywhere, and for all different reasons, not just political.

                But the political realm is where I believe public discourse is as pathetic as it gets.  I won’t even argue that it’s not occasionally necessary to use pathetic fallacies and emotionally moving language in the political realm – it is.  Yet, today I feel that the relationship between pathos, ethos and logos is ignored many more times than not.  Much of the political rhetoric used, on BOTH sides (strong emphasis on both) of the spectrum, in no way is in accordance with the three principles of rhetoric – it is not fair, accurate or principled.  And it is definitely not balanced.  Does the situation we are in today call for this sort of “news” and political discussion?  Is it appropriate, is it the “kairos” for pathetic arguments?  I believe the answer is no.  Yes, we are in the most troubled times that any of us have ever seen.  Yes, many people are suffering from the financial crisis and we are facing a shifting of global influence, as well as many other scary prospective situations in our future.  But, just because things are changing does not give the media, and the elected members of our government, the right to manipulate the public in the way that they have become so fond of doing.

There is too much focus on assigning blame and tearing others– individuals, parties, groups, etc -- down to build one’s own point up.  We, the public, are not given the honest facts or figures, we are overwhelmed with biased news and political figures too focused on pointing fingers to focus on fixing things.  It’s absolutely imperative, especially in a democratic nation, that the public be provided with unbiased and untainted information so that we can make the most educated decisions possible, in regards to our public actions, our political affiliations, our voting choices and the activities we wish to engage in or support.  As I said before, we are so bombarded with information that most of us do not have time to take a claim made by some news reporter, or some politician, and further research it for its validity.  We should be able to trust that the people we elect, and the people working to provide the American public with information, are doing their jobs with the country’s best interests in mind and with complete transparency.

Obviously, it is necessary to make the public aware of the dire situations taking place and to not hide from us how bad things are, and so in those situations pathos, and its various fallacies, are perfectly acceptable tools to utilize.  Pulling at heart strings, trying to use anger and dismay to bring about public action, are not in themselves bad.  And in certain situations, at certain times, they are crucial tools to use in order to get people to see all sides of a situation, not just the logical (cold) one.  But, I for one, have a really hard time taking a lot of the stuff in our news today seriously because I am so sick of all the bickering and the blaming and the lack of positive, effective action that is taking place in the “United” States of America. 

I believe that we as a culture use pathos more than we should. I do believe that pathos should have an important part in our society but I believe that too much of it can interfere with many aspects of our society. The best example of this is politics. It happens all too often that emotions decide our political debates rather than truth. The over use of pathos clouds the truth and hides facts. I am not saying there is anything fundamentally wrong. I am saying that put into the wrong hands, pathos can be abused and used as a tactic to avoid the truth. The problem with the current two party political system is that every issue is divided into two emotional fundamentals with no middle ground. Simple issues constantly get bogged down with an overload of pathos. Much of our country gets caught in a blind rage over political issues. The pathos in our society gives a majority of people an excuse to not actually educate themselves on the issue. Pathos have a place in our society but I think pathos can be detrimental if left unchecked, especially in politics.

Pathos in Today's Society

Today in society, I believe that the amount of pathos incorporated into the media and other public discourse is appropriate for today's events. With all of the dramatic events in the news circling us everyday, emotions are bound to rise up, and I think that it is because people really do care about society and its future. For example, with today's economy lives are significantly effected, so I think it is only appropriate for emotions to come out in public discourse because it encourages and initiates a change that could improve our conditions. I think we live in some tough times and to claim that we are being to emotional about it is being insensitive to the people who are suffering from the hardships of today's society. Without news coverage of these stories, the truth about these incidences would go overlooked and people would go unheard. However, I do not think that the pathos in today's public discourse should be increased or amplified because then the news coverage could be based off of strictly emotions and opinions which may obstruct the truth. Overall the amount of pathos in public discourse is appropriate and has a natural tone as to how people react to the events in today's society.

Pet Peeves in Language

Everyone has his or her own pet peeves. These pet peeves range from physical annoyances to spoken language. For example I have a specific pet peeve with a common habit in our spoken language. I find it irritating when people I do not know very well give me generic nicknames. Common examples include sport and buddy. I feel like using one of these nicknames sounds degrading. It makes the speaker sound overconfident and as if they think they are above their audience. My least favorite nickname is “buddy.” I do not want to sounds mean but if I’m not friends with someone I do not like it when they refer to me as their “buddy.” I really do not mind when my friends or family give me nicknames, in fact I have nicknames for almost all of my friends. Personally I think that a nickname is a sign of friendship, which takes time to earn. Calling people by generic nicknames is a sign of disrespect. I would never use the term “sport” to refer to anyone I respected or wanted to make a good impression on, and I assume most people think the same. It almost seems like calling someone by his or her first name is becoming formal.

Cognitive Fluency

                While I agree with much of the article “Easy = True”, there are several ideas mentioned that strike me as false, or at least much too narrow.  It makes logical sense that people prefer things that are easy to process as opposed to those that are challenging – in some aspects of life.  When Bennett talks about how people perceive things as truth when they are repeatedly presented to them, well, that makes sense to me, too.  Not because someone sat in front of you and repeated the same few words consecutively, but because, generally, if we hear an idea once, and then happen to hear it again from somewhere or someone else, it seems more true because other people being aware of it somehow means it is more valid.  As we discussed aphorisms a few weeks ago, many of the most popular and most famous of them involve some sort of rhyming.  I think its true that when something rhymes we are more likely to remember it, and therefore, unconsciously more likely to except the idea as true in place of something that may say the same thing, just with different words.

                What I disagree with about this article is Bennett’s idea of what it means to us when something is familiar.  He uses familiarity as a synonym of simple.  And although I think it is obvious that familiarity with a person, place, image or idea makes it much easier to decipher, in other words, makes it so we can more fluently assimilate to whatever situation we are in, I do not believe (and science may prove me wrong but I still feel this way) that human beings, as a whole, prefer the familiar, or even the easy.  Everyone knows the saying “the challenege is half the fun”, and that holds true for so many aspects of our lives, whether it be in regards to relationships, academics, athletics, art, writing, reading, traveling – and the list goes on.  While I can thoroughly enjoy sitting down with some mindless romance novel, I also thoroughly enjoy sitting down with a book like Anna Karenina or anything by Maugham and having to read each page carefully just to make sure I don’t miss all the themes that are presented on them.  While I mostly enjoy professors that use language I can understand, my favorite classes are the ones where the professors have an abundance of knowledge that I am not yet familiar with and they present it in such a way that inspires you to want to learn more, know more, discover more.  While great professors may not provide their students with dry, boring texts, they also don’t stimulate their students by giving them easily deciphered, seen before material.  We don’t travel because we crave familiarity, we have an urge to travel because we crave newness and adventure.  When I buy something, many times its because it is unlike anything I already own or have ever seen.

                I especially find this notion of preferring the familiar, or the average, to be false when it comes to what we find as beautiful.  When I find a particular piece of clothing, or jewelry, that strikes be as beautiful it is because it stands out from the crowd, it looks different from all the other pieces surrounding it.  Many consumers are moved to buy things from newness – in packaging, production, appearance, etc—not from our level of comfort with a particular product.  I feel that many people find what is to them exotic, not prototypical, to be the most beautiful things of all, whether it be people, places, animals.  Of course, maybe I am wrong and this is only my particular opinion on this topic.  Yes, I think cognitive fluency is powerfully at play in many areas of our lives, but I truly hope that people look beyond names and fonts– of stocks, of candidates, or ideas – and at the content of what is being presented to them before they accept or reject anything as believable or true.

Response to Cognitive Fluency

The article about cognitive fluency brings up a lot of good points that can be interpreted in many day to day tasks that nobody ever really thinks about. For example, it states that stocks tend to do better when they have a simpler, fluent, more common name because it is recognizable and easy to process mentally. Personally, I think this is a good tactic when thinking of business names or product names because you make what you’re selling more relatable to the consumer, and will probably end up doing better. In today’s society, everything is in fast-forward, people running around looking for the fastest easiest way to get things done. It was only a matter of time before we figured out our brains did the same thing with the littlest things, like advertisements. We are always looking for shortcuts, and maybe it’s just because our brains are programmed to look for the shortest, fastest ways possible to get around, as seen with examples from this article.
Also, the point the article had that we base beauty or attractiveness based off of common ideas of beauty or attractiveness is interesting, and it makes one stop and think about how true that really is. With TV shows these days emphasizing lifestyles of celebrities and society-interpreted standards of acceptance and beauty, viewers are exposed to the ideal. This becomes imprinted in our brains, and from then on we only see beauty in what is familiar to the ideal. Faces become regular prototypes for the mind’s basis of familiarity. For example, from some of my observations there is a weird coincidence with people being in relationships with a person that looks oddly similar to one of their siblings. This creepy coincidence probably has something to do with this idea of cognitive fluency. As we grow up, we see more of our family than anyone else in our life, and it may just be nature to become familiar with these faces and look for someone else to spend such comparable time with that has a relatable face, proving your life may stay consistent and fluent if you’re surrounded by similar, familiar faces continually. Though this is just a strange theory, I think it is easily applicable to this idea of cognitive fluency.

One Kick

The soccer ball sliced through the air, dipping and diving as the crowd watched silently, all their hopes and dreams resting on this one free kick that would determine the whole season; incidentally the player had taken this exact kick thousands of times in practice but this time the ball curved like never before as it grazed the goalies outstretched fingers, knocked off the post and eventually rested in the back of the net as thousands of fans flooded the field in celebration of the United States’ first World Cup victory.

I will never defecate you.

As I looked into the toilet with a long brown lumpy swirl, the pungent scent burned my nostril and my eyes couldn’t help but water in disgust, knowing and realizing, that is a part of me, a part that may never return, graciously giving away what I have worked so hard to produce, once again, like always, I have left behind a dear friend; a friend that I know will never forsake me, sometimes making me grunt at how painful the memories of the times we’ve had, sometimes the pleasure I was given, I shall never forget you, but your memory will live on the next time I squat.

Sentence

As I crawl into bed, curl up with a collection of pillows, and click between several lifetime movies, teen dramas, reality shows, and news stations, one channel catches my eye as I immediately see the pasty white face, voluminous red hair, and fancy shmancy business suit of my future husband, Conan O'Brien; however, my unguarded heart suddenly notices that short stocky man behind the trumpet because even Coco could never compare to the brilliance of "La Bamba".

Periodic Sentence

Admittedly, having changed dramatically since the time that I first saw her, she was older, more weathered, more worn; and yet, somehow -- by some miracle, some higher power – as majestic as she had ever been, reigning with a beauty so profound that it made those like me ache with pride and gratitude –it seemed almost impossible that she be more powerful and stunning after age and wear – even now, a most commanding presence, never alone but always above those that surround her – my beacon of hope and freedom – with her torch held high, Lady Liberty still stands.

"If you are going through hell, keep going" - Churchill

This particular aphorism, given to us by Winston Churchill, sends a universal message that everyone, everywhere, can relate to at one point or another.  I imagine when he first said it the tone he used was slightly harsh and meant to pack a punch.  Propositions abound in this saying.  I feel it has multiple meanings and the ability to be applied to various different situations and circumstances.  One of the truths I believe this aphorism is trying to tell us is that the only way to get past the troubled times in our lives is to experience and, ultimately, work through them.  This isn’t to say it is telling us to just accept pain or defeat, but rather the exact opposite.  When we are going through a rough patch, feeling sorry for ourselves or experiencing pain the answer is not to hold up the white flag and stay in the thick of our misery.  Wallowing in it will not miraculously make the “hell” go away and although we may feel better for a short while, ultimately we will be in the same place tomorrow as we are today.  Circumstances do not change on their own, only we can make things better for ourselves.  Therefore, if it is a ‘hell” we have encountered, the only way out is to find a way to get through it.  This implores the audience to be pro-active, but that is just one of the lessons this aphorism shares.  Another proposition that I think is made very clear in these 8 words is that we should, we must, believe that there is in fact a light at the end of the tunnel.   No matter how hard things may get, or seem, suffering doesn’t last forever, and good things always follow.  It is an exceptionally difficult truth to accept and have hope in, especially when the distress is great.  If we are consumed by agony, stress, or hurt it can be almost impossible to see beyond the storm and it takes a strong and faithful person to see ahead to brighter days instead of dreary ones.    This teaches us a lesson about finding strength within ourselves.  To go along with discovering our own strengths, perhaps Churchill is saying to us that perseverance will pay off, that we will be rewarded for our time in misery if we can merely stick it out, see it through.  This aphorism clearly says “don’t lose hope, don’t give up – keep living, you will survive”.

This phrase touches me for several reasons.  It takes a common, habitual phrase that is generally used metaphorically, “going through hell” and turns it into the literal.  In this phrase, hell is indeed a place through which one is going.  Because the audience presumably recognizes that being there – in hell – is a dreadful dilemma, the best thing for them to do is continue through it until they are in a new place, outside of hell.  The aphorism, to my mind, uses humor because it changes the way we feel about a relatively ordinary statement and forces us to see it in a whole new light.  It takes what is normally a serious saying and almost brushes the seriousness away.  It tells the audience that it doesn’t particularly feel bad for them and it has better things to do than sit around and listen to someone whine about their problems.  The turn of phrase is brilliant as it touches on numerous issues, such as how futile it actually is to complain about our circumstances, and forces us to focus on what we can do to change them.  We can’t talk our way out of “hell”.  We can’t whine, grumble or wish our way out of our problems and the daily challenges we will face.  Our suffering will not ease just because we want it to.

                In a complete rearrangement of emphasis, the repetition of the word “going” brings our focus away from the traditional viewpoint that the noun – or, hell – is what’s important and instead focuses our attention on the verb, going.  The specifics, the metaphorical “hells” that we face, become less central while the process of overcoming them is all of a sudden crucial.  I think the diction that Churchill chose for this phrase - “going through hell” - is much more effective than prolonging the sentence to say something like “if you are having difficult times, push through them”.  The root of the sentence is a common colloquialism, used by everyone at some point in their lives and easily registered with. “Going through hell” gets the message across clearer than any other phrasing could because the audience knows what it is like to feel this despair.  The diction also allows for the repetition and play on words that was aforementioned and makes the phrase lyrical.  “If you’re going through hell, keep going” is a witty, direct way of reminding us that only we can make changes for ourselves and that hell isn’t our destiny…brighter, better things await us.

Live Everyday Like It’s Your Last

These are six words that I try to live my life by. The thing about this saying that really interests me is the different degrees of how literal to take this advice. If I were to take this completely seriously I would be on my way to the airport with a bag full of clothes and a head full of thousands of places I’ve always wanted to see. I think if someone actually just packed up and left that they would be taking this advice in the wrong way. It isn’t supposed to leave you broke and homeless. Just like every piece of advice, this saying should be taken with a grain of salt. My interpretation is that I shouldn’t live my life planning on having a future guaranteed. Too many people work around the clock so that they can be rich when they are older. My problem with that thinking is that tomorrow is not promised today.

Although short and concise, this phrase can trigger very complicated thoughts. This phrase is basically asking you if you died tomorrow, would you be content with your life. It is asking if you lived the best life you could. It is not asking how well you planned out your life but how do you feel about yourself today. This phrase makes you judge your whole life. It puts you in a place where you can truly look at your life.

When I think of this phrase I ask myself if I’m happy. Basically I try to be happy everyday just incase its my last. I don’t want to go out sad. This does not mean that I live everyday in fear of death; instead it means that I try not to let opportunities pass because who knows if I’ll get another chance. This phrase encourages me to take chances in my life. It steers me away from the dreary future of a cubicle. It keeps my life exciting. It keeps my life dreams fresh in my mind. Personally I want to travel the world. Many people share this dream with me, but many people also bury this dream behind years of college and adulthood and marriage because that is what is expected of them. In our society it is not accepted to drop everything and act on an impulse. We as a people feel very comfortable with plans. We are expected to have our whole lives planned out by now. I don’t agree with that. I have no idea what I will want to do with my life in twenty years and I don’t think I should be expected to know. It is sad to me how many people put their hopes and dreams to the back of their mind when they’re still young and by the time they remember them they are gone. When I’m old I want to be able to look back and remember all the great things I did. I don’t want to look back and realize all the things I never accomplished because I was afraid to act on impulse.

At first glance this phrase gives off a sense of fear. Almost like it is trying to scare you into changing your life, but that would be the wrong way of interpreting it. It is trying to instill a sense of fearlessness in the reader. It is urging the reader to drop everything and follow their deepest desires and dreams. To do what would seem crazy to everyone else, but in reality make you the happiest person alive. Because in the end all that matters to me is that I lived my life to the fullest and I always made the best out of it. Since I don’t know when the end will be I will have to make everyday the best I can. I will have to strive hard to be happy as much as possible. Any day could be my last, but I don’t think of it as a punishment or a curse. I think of it as an excuse to always have a smile on my face.

"Lost Time is Never Found Again"

“Lost time is never found again.” This aphorism by Benjamin Franklin is one that justifies many of my impatient complaints that I have experienced throughout most of my adult life. Its message is clear, and its delivery is subtly full of guilt. Moreover, my patience is set aside as this quote sends a message to never do such thing as set things aside. Ironic as that may sound; this anti-procrastinating statement is sending a message of fulfilling your life now, for you may not have time to fulfill it in your future. Furthermore, it is calling upon the world to live out only the greatest aspects of our lives at the present moment, and not put it off until tomorrow. Because of this uncertainty of a tomorrow, all we have right now is a chance—a chance to be fulfilled. It tells to not dawdle over the little details that squander the small time we have on this earth. All we have is the here and now. In the future, whatever today brings should not be looked at with regret for time was wasted. It is time to enjoy your life now, because time is only running out, and it can never be found again.
This quote achieves this meaning by calling upon the reader to take action. It provokes a feeling of guilt, as though the audience is not living up to its expectations as a human being. This guilt comes from the fact that we are so fortunate to have this time right now, and you may not be doing everything in your power to make the best of it. As part of the audience, I feel this guilt so strongly because it makes you regret past decisions and think about the future. It creates a sense of hope as well. This is known by the fact that we can still find time in our future, though the past may be lost. We still have a chance.
This aphorism uses inductive reasoning to express its message. This is known because the message is constructed off of certainty. You cannot go back in time—this is certain. Its foundation is laid with known facts, and a theory is created. With this theory, one can build a better future while knowing this information. This logical argument could be considered deductive as well, because it relies on truth to bring about a logical conclusion. Therefore, though the truth may be harsh, time is being lost so we must spend it wisely. Contrarily, I feel this quote focuses more on pathos and ethos. It evokes emotion from the audience through its sense of regret for the past and anticipation for the future. The reader is called upon to think about what they are not doing right or what they could be doing better. This is tied to ethos, because there are some ethics behind wasting time that could be cherished by someone else. For example, those dying of cancer would do anything in their power to have the confidence that they will find their time tomorrow. Your time wasted, could be another person’s time cherished.
In addition, this quote has a unique approach of conveying its message through its ironic word choice. Even with as little as six words, Benjamin Franklin was able to impact the audience. He plays on the term “Lost and Found;” like how an object that goes missing can be easily found, returned and reused. It can even be lost again, and this cycle may continue because it is just a possession or a tangible item. However, an intangible object such as time can never be found again. Once it flies past you, it’s not coming back—it won’t be found and returned, and you definitely will not get the chance to reuse it again. Similarly, time can be juxtaposed to other important intangible aspects of life, like love. Much like our limited opportunities with time, one can either embrace love or waste it. The feeling of being loved should be valued, like time. If it is wasted, it will follow the same path as the time that went with it, and the opportunities that were once offered to you will have been squandered.
Though there are many aphorisms that focus on living in the moment, I feel this quote is unique in its diction. It provokes several emotions that call the reader to action, and it uses a tinge of irony to put these words into thoughts. Though its message may be clichéd, its delivery is short and original. Because it is of few words, it leaves more thought and interpretation to the reader than other quotes that are hackneyed and overused. The message is clear, but the afterthoughts are more abstract and personal to the reader and can be interpreted to fit their own life. To me this quote stood out because of how I interpreted it and what I thought it meant. I am impatient and want to make my life worthwhile now while I still can because it is not certain that I will have the opportunity to tomorrow. I believe that there are positive effects of being impatient when it comes to dealing with difficulties. Some hardships are weakening, and I feel impatient when it comes to creating my own happiness and strength. Because I will never find lost time, I believe it is under my own empowerment to improve the situation at hand or in the moment.
In conclusion, my impatience for fulfillment is based off of the idea of this aphorism. Benjamin Franklin phrases it creatively and evokes emotion from the reader through logos, pathos, and ethos. He proclaims, “Lost time is never found again”, and this is a thought that should be evoked in each individual to ensure a better lifestyle for all. As interpreted, one should not dwell in the past, for it is lost. The only time you have for certain is the time you have found now, and it should be embraced and enjoyed—not wasted and regretted.