Class Discussion

Conversation should take place as a scholarly debate. It should focus on both sides of the issues and not focus on just our opinion, but also on why the other side of the argument can be justified or not justified. The value of a conversation like this is to see the opposing view and further prove our point or possibly disprove it as we learn and understand the other side more. The debate also gives us a chance to tie the readings together, which, in turn, helps us to gain a better idea of why things are how they are.

Thursday's discussion went well. However, I think it focused too much on a single side of the issues. Because of the presentation of more personal situations, no one went against anyone else and did not question the value and justifications of the "wrong" side. By adding in more debate today, the ideal conversation appeared more. It still lacks the "devil's advocate" somewhat. By presenting the definition of "success" as a question instead of a simple answer, the class contributed multiple opinions each and showed that there is no one right answer to the question. Also, the tie-in of Eric Scholosser's "Success" to Benjamin Cheever's Nobody Beats the Wiz: "What Do People Fear More Than Death" illustrated a crucial tie between the job market's effect on today's society. We are not living this way by choice, but more because we are stuck in this modernized world that could not survive in the past trading civilizations.