help!

[LYR]

Ok, i have this assignment due tomorrow (not a big one, just a small homework assignment) but I need some help with it. I basically need someone to explain this quote to me preferably within the next 15 mins lol.

"Men and Women must be educated, in a great degree, by the opinion and manners of the society they live in. In every age there has been a stream of popular opinion that has carried all before it, and given a family character, as it were, to the century. It may then fairly be inferred, that, till society be differently constituted, much cannot be expected from education." - Mary Wollstonecraft.

Bold is what I don't understand (bear in mind I'm in ninth grade).

[Creep Talk]

"If you beat your wife in the morning and then don't know why...then she does..."

-Rendition (movie)

[jonesthecurl]

If it's not too late: I think this is saying that there are certain opinions and attitudes that are common to all people at any one point - so common that they are not questioned, are taken as axiomatic (obvious, not to be questioned). Anything that flies in the face of these groundswell attitudes will fail.

Education cannot change these attitudes - the attitudes must change before education can progress.

I think that's what she's saying.

In other words, each age has a mindset which colours their every thought and opinion.

I have no idea what creep is talking about.

[LYR]

Yes, that actually would explain much, because the question on it is "How would you describe the 'family characteristics' of the time you live in?"

Seriously jones, thank you very much. Seriously.

(For some reason this entire post looks sarcastic but it is not really jones i thank you)>

[jonesthecurl]

's OK.

You should have asked me "share your views"...

The family characteristics will depend to some extent on where you live: any nation or area has "family characteristics" too, sometimes transcending time: Early 21st-century USA attitudes are closer to mid-20th century USA attitudes than either are to the family characteristics of the same time in say China.

[jonesthecurl]

...but in order to get a handle on what your local and current "family characteristics" might be, consider how some attitudes have changed in say the last 50-60 years. Here's some topics on which attitudes have changed amazingly...

Smoking
Homosexuality
Abortion
Feminism
the relative worth of different races
black people dating white
seat belts in cars
permissible language in the movies
conservation

[LYR]

Very true, but my answers are always unique usually a good amount of my teachers dislike me, but I try and make up for it with good work. Anyways that you again. True, but I'm going for a different angle, something about the difference of behaviour of children or communication i.e. cellphones, facebook, etc. etc. I am going for a negative angle though.

[jonesthecurl]

good stuff. I often pissed off my teachers/professors too.

I managed to work both Lucky luke and the Teen Titans into a discussion of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Actually, the prof quite liked that.

[LYR]

lets save that for another time, im live in NJ and i got school in like 7 hours. this is my last (of four) questions though. so thats good. bad part is i have to think about this one for a while so i can give a good response, cause this teacher dislikes me (i think) and she actually reads the assignments

[jonesthecurl]

Good luck then .
I'm in NJ too.

[LYR]

actually i just realized that would make no sense cause that would be an observation of how times have changed. I'm really gonna have to brainstorm really fast lmao. maybe ill put up my answer tomorrow when i get back from school... (btw, dont help me, lol)

[TheProwler]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

BTW, anyone what to meet in Live Chat?

Quick edit: I typed this in response to a post 4 or 5 posts ago. I'm slow.

[LYR]

I also just realized she's asking for the general mindset not specifics... yay? I have an idea... how about:

I would describe family characteristics of my time as a sense of impending doom. (I had something here about industrial revolution or some crap like that but it makes no sense). This leaves grudges, and, eventually, we come back to enact our revenge upon those who wronged us. This is not limited to political arenas, it occurs in every life, such as school and work. The general mindset of the of people today is that we deserve better than everyone else (this is of course not true, and i cannot possibly write this, i will fix it somehow) blah blah blah blah.

thoughts?

[LYR]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

BTW, anyone what to meet in Live Chat?

Quick edit: I typed this in response to a post 4 or 5 posts ago. I'm slow.

Agreed, and if I had time I would totally respond this in a very long post , but now that I realize I would need a good hour of sitting under a tree and thinking to get a good response, I am asking for help (not full-blown, just an idea I can use, preferably the one I used last post).

[TheProwler]

Send a PM to jonesthecurl....it sounds like he actually passed Grade 9.

Good luck.

[heavycola]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

I don't think you're imagining it. In fact you could say that there is an inverse relationship between the breadth and amount of communication available to us and the depth of that communication. What does having 300 facebook friends mean, anyway?

[Iliad]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

BTW, anyone what to meet in Live Chat?

Quick edit: I typed this in response to a post 4 or 5 posts ago. I'm slow.

You're not the only one. One of my teacher's for value educations talks about this. Every lesson. At least several times

[TheProwler]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

I don't think you're imagining it. In fact you could say that there is an inverse relationship between the breadth and amount of communication available to us and the depth of that communication. What does having 300 facebook friends mean, anyway?

Hahaha...err...ummm...I don't get it...

Where's the sarcastic flame?


The inverse relationship is precisely what is happening.

I think an ingredient to all of this is people's enjoyment of playing with gadgets - sending text messages to someone's cell phone is kinda cool...live chatting over the Internet is kinda cool...cell phones themselves are kinda cool...and it is all so accessible to almost everyone now. But the thrill of the gadget doesn't wear off a lot of people. So they use it when it is unnecessary. Then it becomes like a gauge to how popular they are. They get done their job or out of class or whatever and the first thing they do is check to see how many messages they have. It seem really disappointing if someone has asked the "'Sup?" so they can reply "Zilch".

I personally have avoided Facebook like the plague. Just like I avoided CC until that one day I said "Fine, I'll sign-up and take a look." Addictive personality.

Typical conversation I have with a friend who's on Facebook:

PF: Wow, I just got a message in Facebook from a guy I haven't seen since Grade 3!!
TP: Oh yeah.
PF: Yeah! I haven't thought of that guy since, like, grade 3!
TP: Oh yeah.
PF: Yeah!!! He's older now and is married and has 2 kids and a dog!!!!
TP: That's really exciting. Who would have predicted that?
PF: I know!!!!! You should join!!
TP: I think I'll pass.

[THORNHEART]

it means that education isnt really education anymore it just teaches popular opinion like evolution. and that until we start teaching and not informing of popular opinion in our schools education will suffer as we see it already is suffering

[jonesthecurl]

it means that education isnt really education anymore it just teaches popular opinion like evolution. and that until we start teaching and not informing of popular opinion in our schools education will suffer as we see it already is suffering

No. It doesn't.

[The1exile]

What does having 300 facebook friends mean, anyway?

You're a whore when it comes to clicking accept with people you barely/don't know?

[Frigidus]

it means that education isnt really education anymore it just teaches popular opinion like evolution. and that until we start teaching and not informing of popular opinion in our schools education will suffer as we see it already is suffering

Yes, evolution is popular opinion whereas "God did it" is the correct way to teach. Hell, we can roll physics, biology, and chemistry into one two second class. "God did it. Class dismissed."

[PLAYER57832]

If it's not too late: I think this is saying that there are certain opinions and attitudes that are common to all people at any one point - so common that they are not questioned, are taken as axiomatic (obvious, not to be questioned). Anything that flies in the face of these groundswell attitudes will fail.

Education cannot change these attitudes - the attitudes must change before education can progress.

I think that's what she's saying.

In other words, each age has a mindset which colours their every thought and opinion.

I have no idea what creep is talking about.

I would agree with this interpretation.

But, I question the validity of this point, because education CAN challange and often is the only point of challenge to a society.


HOwever, that applies more to adults ... aka more true in College than in elementary school.

The REAL goal of education should be to teach kids how to think and find the answers they need, not to just teach one particular point of view. However, historically, it is used to keep folks "in line" with societies' controlling norms -- or what the elite, those in charge want society to know.

[LYR]

here was my answer:

4. I would describe a family characteristic of my time as pop culture having too much influence over young children. Children become too immersed in television or computers or cell phones or video games or drugs or violence etc. etc. It wastes their time, money and gets children nowhere. Go back 150 years in England and a boy my age would be under and apprenticeship. Go back 50 years a boy my age would be going outside to play sports instead of staying inside and wasting time.


I went to the teacher after school to ask her what "family characteristics" were. It turns out it meant (i dont remember exactly) but what an "average" family was, how it runs, etc. etc.

Btw i know the answer could have been written much better (not to mention the actual answer itself could have been correct) but note it was very late at night

[Snorri1234]

Sounds good...you know what I notice? People don't seem to be able to just chill out alone...relax by themselves...

People get in a car and feel the need to call someone on their cell phone for no good reason. They just have to talk to someone else....

And the constant texting...

And the Facebook stuff...

So many people seem to be averse to being with their own thoughts...I find it interesting. A constant need for socialization....but very "shallow" socialization...much like you see here in the CC Forums....

Not that I am criticizing any of these activities on their own...but it is the sum total of all these activities, along with the lack of being alone with one's own thoughts...

Maybe I am imagining some of this, but it really seems that more people would rather have constant superficial relationships than a few closer relationships coupled with time spent alone.

I don't think you're imagining it. In fact you could say that there is an inverse relationship between the breadth and amount of communication available to us and the depth of that communication. What does having 300 facebook friends mean, anyway?

Hahaha...err...ummm...I don't get it...

Where's the sarcastic flame?

Sarcastic flames are for flamewars. Here it is all serious bussines.


Also, that post of yours sums up exactly what I think about this stuff. I have grown up with the fast rise in communication and I notice how stuff has changed in communication. Real-life interaction has become less important because of the increasing amount of ways you can communicate with others through other means. I talk on MSN to people I haven't seen in weeks, which on one hand helps keeping up relationships but on the other hand also makes them a little more meaningless. The increasing amount of unreal communication makes people less happy, and they counter that with futhering those unreal relationships via internet or cellphone when the actual happiness would better increase by doing more with that actual real life meeting.


I read an interresting comedy-article on it, I'm gonna search for it.