Through the Prism free essay sample

Words are a medium that reduces reality to abstraction for transmission to our reason, and in their power to corrode reality inevitably lurks the danger that the words will be corroded too. Yukio Mishima in Sun and Steel This sentence, this random assembly of arbitrary symbols, is critical in understanding the prism through which I view the world, and by extension me. When I entered adolescence, I became more intellectually daring. This was probably triggered by a book called Sophies World. A philosophy novel, it offered my first real insight into the way I thought, which I determined wasnt very deeply. I began to view the world as a machine, and my goal was to break it into gears and cranks so that I could understand it all. There was an urge to explore past the surface and truly understand whatever I encountered. Instead of avoiding complex ideas I sought them out, wanting to extract and dissect their meanings. We will write a custom essay sample on Through the Prism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was also around this time that I became a ferocious reader. I thought books could provide the answer to any question if I just looked hard enough. In my mind, words were enough to replace experience. For a while, I was completely satisfied with this way of living. However, as time wore on, I became doubtful of my ability to engage in life through words. I was given the chance to challenge my philosophy during junior year. It was then that I studied in Brittany, France. While its cliched to say travel changes ones life, that was absolutely the case in my experience. A critical part of my time overseas has to be my time with M. M. A passionate socialist, he taught a politics course at the school I attended. With him, it was as though the words of our text lifted off the page. Of course, it helped that I lived in France during one of the most turbulent years the country has faced in recent history. For example, one of the biggest riots Rennes had ever seen happened on my birthday. Indeed, having the public transport system shut down and helicopters swarming in the air added a certain dimension that pages cannot capture. I was also there during the infamous attacks on Charlie Hebdo. Seeing my host mother burst through the door sobbing and hearing the chants of Charlie outside my classroom window moved me to action. Never in my life could I have imagined joining a protest, yet one day I found myself in the streets, holding up signs along with fellow demonstrators. It was then that I realized how I used words as a means of distraction. Instead of completely engaging with reality, I preferred the sanctuary of a book. While they can provide knowledge, books and by extension words cannot perfectly replicate experience. In this way they can be corrosive, limiting how much we truly interact with and understand our world. This realization has stayed with me. Whatever subject I encounter, I want to utterly learn it, not just staying in abstractions. I yearn to see these thoughts in action. As I enter adulthood, I wish to continue to live with such fervor, words and actions coming together to illuminate lifes terra incognita.