Up@dawn 2.0

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Nameless Wanderers, Honors 3 Group 3

Today we diverted from the normal track of discussion. We began on Kierkegaard and his tendency toward focusing only on one thing and probably missing the forest for the trees, especially as regarded his fiancee. We agreed that, while he may have been a serious guy obsessed with books, thought, and writing, jilting his fiancee was probably not the optimal solution.

The diversion came when I mentioned that some features in his face reflect the evident pain he felt throughout his life. LH notes that much of his writing had to do with determining whether or not one's decision was the right one. His face reflects his emotional nature, which led into a discussion of face-reading (also known as physiognomy) in general. I read partially the faces of Kierkegaard and the others in my group.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:52 PM CST

    Comment: I love using face-reading; it's an incredibly useful skill for understanding people. Now, I will note that reading a person's facial features can never stand in the place of actually developing a relationship with that person. The face allows one to see the personality, but the relationship allows one to comprehend the personality.

    Factual: Who argued that people suppress certain feelings and desires? (Sigmund Freud.)

    Discussion: What kind of consequences would Nietzsche's abolition of morality have? How much of that would be good?

    Discussion 2: What about James's subjective truth? that what is true is what is expedient for achieving X end?

    Link 1: Sigmund Freud's face: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/03/08/3274654-sigmund-freud-portrait_sq-42685e765ef7d50182c028be900c5fd0ed0390cc.jpg

    Link 2: Nietzsche's: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Nietzsche187a.jpg

    Link 3: William James: http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/J/William-James-9352726-1-402.jpg

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  2. And what do you read in your own visage?

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  3. Anonymous11:17 PM CST

    Writing out a complete reading would take a while. I'll hit the highlights for right now, but feel free to ask me more about it at another time.

    Let's start at the top: the forehead. Mine angles back, which indicates I have a quick mind, I am flexible, and my memory is good. I also have a small brow ridge, indicating I like to work with known formulas and systems, but the relatively insignificant size shows that I am able to work outside of those systems if necessary or expedient.

    The next prominent feature on my face is my nose. As my project-mates can attest to, I have a prominent nose (making it hard to appear flat, per Voldemort's physiognomy). I have a high-wide ridge: my forehead ends, and my nose begins. This indicates a great deal of independence, especially in work. It reflects my dislike of people looking over my shoulder when I am working and/or concentrating. The high, wide ridge also indicates my "iron will," as the writer of the book I used put it.

    Next in prominent features are my eyebrows. I have thick eyebrows, which correspond to a very active mind. I am constantly thinking about something, including when I'm sleeping. My mind NEVER stops working, ever. I, for one, tend to get antsy if I don't have enough to keep my mind busy.

    The last thing I'll mention for now are my ears. I have large ears, reflecting my willingness to listen to what people say. I may disagree with it, and I'll probably say I do and why, but I'll listen to it. They're also high-set, reflecting my desire to get something done quickly but also do it right the first time. Goes along with my forehead and nose: Get it done quickly and correctly.

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    1. Well, large ears (and a thick skin!) are definite assets in the study of philosophy. I'm glad you have both.

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  4. Comment: THIS WAS AN AMAZING DISCUSSION!!!!! I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC!!!!!! .....(as you all already know, but all caps and exclamation marks to reiterate)...
    DQ: Were you able, or did you, read anything in the faces of this class' assigned philosophers?
    FQ: What is Nietzche's well-known piece of literature? (Beyond Good and Evil).
    Link: http://www.amazinggirlsnight.com/test/index.htm

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  5. Comment: I'm sure this was our favorite discussion yet. I think it's cool that Mitchell can look at our faces and describe our personalities pretty accurately (though I have a hard time believing it's true). MITCHELL: BRING THAT BOOK TOMORROW!!! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO READ ALL OF OUR FACES!!!

    FQ: Which philosopher began his career as a neurologist? (Freud)

    DQ: From the link below, it says "To a pragmatist/utilitarian, if a technique or course of action has the desired effect, it is good. If it doesn't seem to work, it must be wrong." Do you agree with this philosophy?

    Link: This link explains pragmatism fairly well.
    http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA209/what-is-pragmatism--why-is-it-bad

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    1. Anonymous8:19 PM CST

      I'll see if I can bring the book. I asked my sister about people borrowing it, and she said no since she uses it regularly herself. But, I'll see if I can bring it as an aid in my own pursuits.

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  6. Factual: Who thought that the best way to the truth is sciences?- Nietzsche

    Discussion: I am taking my discussion question from LH: Can you really know yourself?

    Comment: It was a very interesting conversation. I had no idea that you could read another person's personality by their for face, or that there was a name to it. I hope we continue this discussion on Thursday.

    Link: http://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400

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  7. Comment: That was at the same time the coolest and oddest thing I've ever seen done.

    Fact: Freud began his career as a _____________. (neurologist)

    Discussion: Do you believe that dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious"?

    Link: http://allpsych.com/images/iceberg.gif Here's a Paint-drawn figure of Freud's idea of the human psyche.

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  8. Sounds like an interesting conversation. Mitchell, how long does it take you to read a persons face?

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    1. Anonymous11:33 AM CST

      Kinda depends on what I'm trying to find out. Generally, I focus on the things that stand out and the things related to thinking style. I found out about this through a debater pal of man who learned about it somehow and used it for analyzing debate judges. That's where I first applied it, so the important things to read as a debater are the ones I know better. It helps, too, if I see them frequently and can thus focus on different things at different times.

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  9. Anonymous10:24 AM CST

    Michael Anderson H3

    Comment: The face reading discussion was very interesting.

    FQ: What philosophy did Peirce and James practice? Pragmatism.

    DQ: Do you agree with Peirce that philosophy should become more scientific?

    Link: On Peirce
    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce/

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  10. Olivia (The Highlanders)12:12 PM CST

    I would have to agree that ditching his fiance might not have been the most thought through decision, but I wasn't there and can't talk to him, so I guess I can't make any judgments on his love life right now.

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