As I continue to drown in my thesis work (spatiality/architecture/human behavoir), like any other grad student, my mind wanders around. Taking some theory with it to throw at other weird and unrelated life concepts. This week I played around with the concept of non-physical/abstract phenomena becoming Objects depending on their context.

An example of this is Peace or Contentment. We often say that we're looking for it, finding it or approaching it. We emphasize the journey we experience in order to reach Peace or Contentment in a way that physicalizes the properties of which we seek. Peace or Contentment are a location we must reach, and if we fail to reach it, we may be left feeling shame or guilt. Adversely, when we do "find it", the gratification is likely highlighted because you, now have or own the thing. The phrase "happy place", although useful in so many facets of therapy and self affirmation, can be inherently dangerous to the healing process occurring if that place is never quite reached - or is quickly “left" like a vacation spot.

However, rather than ascribing to the notion that Peace can be lost, or happiness is in a person - how can we leverage language to build a framework that encourages graciously accepting the spectrum of experience?

Love is another non-physical / abstract phenomena that typically becomes an object through our perceptions of it. We are always seeking or trying to find it, as if the *it* (Love) is an object one could simply pick up at the store, or stumble upon at the park. We sometimes say "it (Love) hit me like a rock!" or "I didn't expect to find love there".

It's a super strange reality we've inadvertently created for ourselves through our language. It both seems more like a trap than a framework that frees us. If we were to consider framing this emotional phenomena differently - I wonder how language adjustments could make these concepts less objectifiable? 

If we were to consider Love, Peace, or Happiness as resources that we “generate” rather than “find” - would that instill a sense of agency instead of desperate searching?

I further wonder how this phenomena affects our perceptions of all human emotions and relations. They are all abstract, yet we configure them to be more manageable? Emotions are unwieldy as hell, and this is far from a complete thought. But certainly a thoughtful ledger to consider.

Oxford dictionary's word of the year for 2016 was "Post-truth". This year, "Fake News" became a culturally viral phrase. In class, my students fretted about the legitimacy of their sources. It seems the trust in scholarship has declined, but I don't like comparing history to present because the context can be misleading. Misleading juxtapositions, phrasings and presentations can lead to convoluted opinions that can have very real consequences in life. 

Through my work I've come to recognize that through dialogue, we can craft or at least manipulate our reality. Through attempting improved perception, we tend to act differently, perhaps better in many situations. Misleading material can impede this process and make it so easy for our audiences to maintain paranoia, extreme distrust and conspiracy rhetoric on their own corners of the internet. 

Prior to 2004 and the launch of Facebook, I would argue that we were mainly consumers of content. Only few of us created and even fewer created material to be consumed by the masses. Today, where there are endless platform options for creation, we have all become media makers. But very few makers create with their audience and after effects in mind. It feels irresponsible to know we can endlessly push content, but take little pride in its audience impact. It has gotten so bad, the culture surrounding content creation is distrustful. There is an entire website dedicated to locating and archiving shitty headlines from all over daily. It's scary to me how misleading we allow our content lure's to become all in hopes of a news rating that's profitable. It makes sense, but it breeds all these other fringe issues that largely affect the whole. 

This is clearly a super large can of worms, one I'll likely visit in a more professional manner. What I'm attempting to guide you towards (my dear few readers), is the idea that as we move forward in our own careers, whether directly involved in profitable or for-fun content creation, we must maintain a responsibility for the things we create. 

I don't mean giving up on being recklessly artistic (go for it, go crazy, get all the bio-degradable glitter out) I just mean, if you're out there as an English or communications major, any journalists or young writers or musicians or artists, whatever it may be: Be Responsible. Think of the impact you have on your audiences. Remind yourself, if you're vegan, vegetarian, a millennial, LGBTQ+ identified, there is something in your heart that burns for something better in this life. You all have an idea of what this ideal society is. Language, our content, all of it, matters to that outcome. Although you may feel small, responsibly creating things that better our lives is a commendable, honorable choice. Make articles that challenge misleading headline culture! Make art that forces people to address themselves! Make music that screams about these issues! Throw shade! And throw it well! 

Here is an unofficial, official mission statement: 

I am a slacker academic. I love school, but I have not been so eager to apply myself beyond the minimum. I challenge myself this year to write something (loosely) related to rhetorical scholarship each week. This link is a live reading list. If you happen upon this project and have any readings you'd like to share, feel free to add to it.