The Roy McCoy dialogue was the
least enjoyable to read. It was as interesting and thought-provoking as all the
others in Plato at the Googleplex, but McCoy’s personality was frustrating. He
is an accurate (if dramatic) portrayal of a person who doesn’t listen. All the
confusion in the discussion stemmed from him misunderstanding what Plato said.
He would hear a sentences and would only pick out some keywords which could be
twisted to go along with his ranting agenda. People like him have always been
too prevalent and vocal in their societies, venting their aggression in speech.
On of the main points of this
dialogue is that people are easily deceived about themselves, especially about
whether or not they are happy. McCoy considers himself a success, rich, famous,
and powerful. He thinks that that makes him happy. It’s clear, however, that
his mind is a tightly sealed little box. After experiencing his abrasive
personality and know-it-all manner for a short period of time, it’s clear that
a man like him would have a difficult time finding real friends. To have real
friendships and relationships, a person has to be able to listen and admit when
they were mistaken. McCoy flamboyantly displays a complete lack of either
skill. He boasts about his success, but it is quite apparent that his
success is empty and alone.
Plato points out that having a good
soul leads to happiness. It makes sense. If I am constantly experiencing my
thoughts, I want them to be interesting and beneficial, rather than a
repetitive roll-call of my vain conceits. If I'm seeking after the beautiful and the good, I get to focus on better things than myself.
I completely agree. McCoy embodies a way of life that I would dread to live. Sadly, the more I think about it, this seems to be the mindset of many Americans. They don't want others to be free and think and feel for themselves. This seems completely unAmerican to me, yet it seems to be the mindset of far to many of us.
ReplyDelete(H3) One thing I feel like often gets carried to far is the over emphasis of the individual. The individual is important, individual rights and freedoms are important. The individual is still just part of the greater community though which people a lot of times seem to forget.
Delete(H3) I think it was interesting because we also get the televangelist paradox with him. He is a man who makes his convictions in the All Mighty very clear. Yet his life which is compete focused on, power, fame, fortune, and self elevation, is in complete contradiction to actual christian teachings.
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