Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Learning from Extinctions . . . and Life ›

Reply to comment

RClark's picture

People should learn to celebrate breaks rather than fear them:

Submitted by RClark on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 9:34pm.
  1. People should celebrate the breaks in their lives. Some breaks are exceptionally painful to deal with, such as the death of a loved one. While death is a tragic break, there are many other breaks we face that are not as trying. Many people develop fear or anxiety towards these breaks.  For example, diving into a pool from the high dive terrifies many people; they have to physically part ways with something that is stable beneath their feet. Once they take the leap, they crash into the water. At once, they feel the exhilaration, and fear bursts like a balloon. Abruptly, jumping from the high dive becomes easier and a source of amusement. People should celebrate breaking because of moments like this when something that we fear surprisingly becomes something that we love. Breaking changes our preconceptions, which may actually be misconceptions. People should celebrate breaking to promote discovery about themselves and the world around them. If we celebrate breaking, perhaps we could make it easier to do. Breaking is a freeing experience that seems to lead us to happier lives in the long run. Breaks are challenging, but if we are always of afraid of them, we end up with a list of regrets for never taking the breaks we should have.

  2. People shouldn’t learn to celebrate breaks. People are meant to be anxious of breaks so they can be warned of them and try to avoid them. Breaks will inevitably happen, but they need to be overcome with time and a difficult journey, not passed by like a tourist attraction. There are more lessons to be learned and more appreciation to be developed for something that causes fear or pain. Death, for example, should not be happily celebrated. That would encourage us to be shallow and quickly forget those we have lost. Individuals and communities need to feel anxious of breaks as a rite of passage; they need to feel the disruption caused by them so they can comprehend the new change as a result of the break.  People should resist them.  Living more conservatively keeps people safer and more confident in life. Death is one break that cannot be ignored, but maybe people can avoid some unnecessary tragedies along the way.

     

     

     

     

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
4 + 4 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio