The narratives we tell (ourselves) create and define the worlds in which we hold our beliefs. Our narratives are the evidence we have of ourselves and of our convictions. Argument, then, is not something we make outside ourselves; argument is what we are. Each of us is an argument. (18)
Consider Corder’s point in relation to your sense of identity. What narrative(s) do you tell yourself (or others) about yourself? What does this narrative say about your values or your beliefs? What argument does your narrative, or do you, represent in the world?
Corder makes a very key insight in the excerpt from his article "Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love". Corder keys in on something that is held true through every aspect of our lives, which is that our past experiences will be the things that determine our reactions to events. The experiences and memories that any one individual has are what they use to create their "narrative" and what is used as the evidence for their future analytical thought process. When approached with a new situation, question, or "argument" we look back on our past experiences to guide us. This is what makes every person's rhetorical constraints unique to their own life. The narratives that we hold come from the events we have gone through, which lead to the values and beliefs that we uphold. Our experiences are what make us individuals, and help us evaluate and analyze the world in to fit in with our own convictions. It is these differences between people that create the different rhetorical constraints in our society. We cannot change how someone's life has been lived in order to change their view on something, but we can appeal to their narrative with our argument to create effective rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteI was raised in a relatively small, conservative area in the country. Tulsa, Oklahoma is most definitely in the “Bible Belt.” Therefore, my values and beliefs were formed in a very narrow-minded and religiously influenced environment. In a state where not one county went liberal during the Obama election, I was lucky enough to have a dad who was more open-minded. He helped me shape and tell my own narrative. He wasn’t quick to judge others like most people in my area. Although my narrative is influenced by my Presbyterian background, I tell a narrative that is more liberal than most of my congregation and acquaintances for that matter. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own identity because everyone has different beliefs. We all have experiences from our past that shape who we are today. I really like the question that Corder poses. How can we expect to change someone’s narrative when our own narrative is their contending narrative? This however goes beyond the motto from “The Laramie Project,” live and let live. I try not to just tolerate others that are different from me, but also to accept and try to gain an understanding from their narratives. Therefore, my argument is to preserve the differences in the narratives in the world, but to try to have respect and gain understanding for those differences.
ReplyDeleteIf we each have a narrative that acts as an argument we are making about ourselves, this means that we are constantly arguing according to Corder. Does this mean that what we wear and how we talk is supposed to argue a point about ourselves? According to the Corder article, we cannot remain to open, we cannot love, while we are making an argument. If our narratives are an argument, and we are therefore constantly arguing, how can we ever keep an open mind? No, I don't think that our narratives necessarily have to argue a point. But, I do think that we each have our own narrative that can either be read or ignored by other individuals. An interesting point to consider is that our narratives are often times formed through the opinions of others. In other words, our narratives aren't necessarily all our own creation. They are a thousand different perspectives rolled into one person. We are just one of those perspectives. Another perspective belongs to the people that judge us, our friends, family etc... When they see us, they aren't seeing just our perspective, they are seeing what they want to see, what they think our narrative is, not what we think our own is.
ReplyDeleteMy narrative is entirely formed of my personal experiences to this point, and will continue to form as my life continues. This is shown through my everyday interactions in life. This includes everything from moral character to opinions on things as trivial as food to the aspects of life I take joy in. In every area, I have a tendency to have strong opinions and live them to the fullest extent that I can. I also fully believe in doing my best to brighten the day of any that I come across. My narrative entails many aspects which if they were to fit an overarching argument would have to be that I advocate for blind kindness. There is no need for cruelty especially based upon preconceptions and unknowns.
ReplyDeleteThe narrative that I communicate to people I meet contains my generally politically and socially liberal view of the world and if there is time the more creative activities I have participated in through out my life. I basically tell my self the same thing, I don’t tell other people what I would not tell myself. I think or I hope this shares the qualities that I like about myself, that I am open minded and that I am not afraid to try new things, (but at the same time I do have boundaries that I will not cross). My narrative in the context of the world says that we need to be understanding of all people in order to be able to communicate and share our differences in an effective way.
ReplyDeleteAs Cordor believes each of us is an argument because we are taking are accumulated experiences, and convictions and presenting them to the world as our own. If everyone of us is thought to be an argument such as Cordor describes then when we interact with others we look at their arguments and decide how we want to share ours or accept theirs. For myself my narrative is shorter and less detailed than that of my father, or someone who is younger than me but just more worldly experienced. As my values and beliefs are still developing and ever changing, my narrative accurately displays my uncertainties. For example, the uncertainties I feel in where my life will go in the next couple of years. Whether or not I will maintain my current path, or if I will venture into something completely different. The great part about having my beliefs be unsolidified is that I can be far more receptive to the influence of someone else’s argument. This allows for greater understanding on my part to respond to someone else’s beliefs. However, I am not saying I have no beliefs, just simply that mine are not stuck in stone, and if I have my way it will stay that way. As for the argument my narrative represents, I believe that it is similar to that of a great amount of youth. A search for answers to the ever expanding amount questions that our lives have not been long enough to answer, and a hope to share what experiences we have had with others. I hope that my narrative is more influential than naught. I believe that even though I am young, I know that my narrative has become more rigid with age, and that my beliefs, while still developing, will help me to better represent myself and my “argument” in Cordor’s sense.
ReplyDeleteMy narrative is everything that has affected my life that shapes me as a person. It has been and continues to be hugely influenced by my family and friends. I still consider myself a young adult, not knowing everything about myself, and therefore my narrative says a lot about the beliefs and values my family has inflicted upon me. My family’s biggest value is honesty, so I consider that part of my narrative; my family isn’t very religious, so neither am I. My sense of identity isn’t complete so I consider myself still affected by the people close to me.
ReplyDeleteCorder asserts that “each of us is an argument” formed by narratives that we create and tell ourselves. If we look at the definitions of argument and narrative, we can easily see how they correlate in our everyday live and how they constitute each of us. A narrative is a “story or account of events.” This can be seen as the way that we perceive events in our life and the way our minds process their meanings. For instance, in this class we are being taught about rhetoric and how it applies to social justice by making real world connections. Each of us may take a different approach to understanding this concept, which is essentially our narrative of the course. If we want to relate this to argument, we can define argument as “a process of reasoning” or “persuasive discourse.” Corder says that, “our narratives are the evidence we have of our convictions,” which means that our narratives create our arguments. Therefore, based on our narratives that we “write” about the course, our personal arguments can certainly be affected and can develop in different ways from others. Whether we know it or not, this course and our discussions on social justice will affect our personal narratives and therefore arguments in some way. It is interesting because the course both challenges and strengthens my own arguments because it causes me to think about a case of social justice in Matthew Shepard that tests morality and eventually strengthens my own stance on certain social justice topics.
ReplyDeleteWhen you consider Jim Corder’s quote that each person is an argument, we can understand why the saying “that just who I am” sometimes can ring so true. Our argument, our personalities and character, are built upon the experiences we have had in life. We are made stronger through both our successes and failures. We are shaped through what we have done and what we have failed to do. In the simplest form of a person, in his/herself being an argument, we can understand how interactions with other people have the ability to impact each other. I find that my narrative through myself as an argument holds very true to my beliefs. I interact with people based on who I am and what I believe and I allow myself to be shaped by these interactions. My beliefs are strong and driven, but at the same time, they are still open to interpretation and open to change. Likewise I, as an argument, am strong willed and driven to reach my goals at almost any cost, I remain rooted in my beliefs, but I also remain open to new opportunities, new paths, and new way to shape myself for happiness and success in the world. For the people that take time to get to know me, I am an argument to always be positive, upbeat, and happy in life. I take on a carefree stance in dealing with situations that do not need to weigh down seriously on life in general. Those who look closely enough to understand my argument know that I also react deeply in situations that matter to me and I will stand up for my values and beliefs, even if I am standing alone. On a lighter note, I conclude that since I love to interact with many people, and I love to argue in general, I must be a somewhat strong argument.
ReplyDeleteI would have to surmise that the narrative that I most often present to others and hold as a conviction of my own being would be one created by specific experiences and also by my interactions and relationships with my close friends and family members. I like to live my life with confidence, and this mostly stems from the environment and people I was raised by and around but also by applying my past knowledge of my ability to thrive or fail in certain situations. And to this end I am someone who really enjoys new things and change. An example of this in my life has been my employment history. I have had work experience in a ton of different areas and similarly knowledge in skills that many people couldn't attain if they were to play it safe with holding down only one job at a time or not experimenting with trying to learn different life skills in and outside of the classroom. By having these varied experiences and knowledge I think it makes it a lot easier for me to talk to largely diverse groups of people and still have something in common with them to strike up a conversation with. This reflects another part of my identity that I put a lot of emphasis on, and that is having strong personal relationships. I grew up my whole life before college with a group of about five friends that I would've taken a bullet for. Coming to college it was really important to have those skills so that I could try and find those kind of friends here, and to that end I think I have been successful in creating bonds and friendships so far with a tight knit group of people here that I think will last a lifetime. So I guess if I had to sum myself up I would say I stand for variety, always trying to learn new things, a good work ethic, and loyalty to those who matter in your life.
ReplyDeleteAs humans it is in our nature to adamantly follow and blatantly ignore certain experiences that happen to us in order to define who we are as people. Following the ideas of John Locke with tabula rasa the experiences of our lives are what define us as people. In my life I have come across several different experiences that have really helped me to define who I am. The first of these is the close relationship that I have had with my family. Compared to many of my peers I seem to have a better working relationship with my family than others. In telling myself and others this story I show that I’m a balanced person who not only like to have fun but also someone that cares about their family and friends and is always willing to help people overcome any problems that they may be having. Something that I like to tell myself and others often is the story of my experience as a student of IB. This was a critical moment in my life as it set me on the path to follow an academic course in my life as opposed to one of sports or a strong focus on partying. I often remind myself of all that I have accomplished in the past in order to remind myself of all the places that I still have left to travel and experience. The largest way that I relate to the article by Corder is through my experience growing up in Utah. While some people I know have used experiences like mine to turn them into spiteful jaded people who close their mind to others my experiences remind me to always have an open mind. I grew up being different from those around me, because of this I know how it feels to be left out and as a result I actively try to think with a more open mind in order to prevent my experiences from happening to others. My experiences have defined me and made me into an ‘argument’ for my way of thinking and feeling. As someone who loves to share their thoughts and feelings my stance as an argument is to contribute my experiences into the collective environment around me in order to find a better functioning path in life by giving and learning from the experiences of others. I believe that this marketplace of arguments and their associated ideas is exactly what Corder is trying to saw when he talks about how the positions we take can define us and those around us.
ReplyDeleteMy narrative is a collaboration of what I have learned over the past 6825 days here on Earth. (Yes, that is my age in days). Everyday comes with new adventures and not one day goes by without a mistake. My narrative not only includes each of those mistakes, but the even larger amount of growth and knowledge that resulted from them. My narrative so far has been more like a sponge. I am taking and soaking up everything life has to offer: knowledge, experience, relationships, etc. One of the greatest sources I often refer to is my father. His narrative is one of hardship, coming from a family stricken with trouble. His youth was spent not enjoying the luxuries I have, but working. I frequently talk to him and value his opinion above all others. talking to him has shaped my mind-set, my drive, my outlook on many aspect of life; albeit, I will not venture to say that I am an exact image of him. My time and my own upbringing in a small town on the outskirts of Denver has given me my own ideas and thoughts that often counter those of my father.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has a certain world view that is specific to them. World views are a culmination of a person’s beliefs, values, and experiences, and therefore directly impacted by their own narrative. Political and social views are part of what make up your own world view, and therefore also affected by your narrative. I was born into a very conservative religious family who happened to live in a very liberal city, Portland, Oregon. Because of where I lived I was introduced to many opinions I wouldn’t have otherwise considered and I learned how to keep an open mind and have friendly conversations with those who had different views than me. I also learned how to respectfully disagree with people, whether it be friends or my parents, about controversial topics and to accept the fact that we don’t all have to agree about everything to get along. Because I’ve differed in opinion from both my close friends and family, I’ve learned how to stick to my beliefs but not to be obnoxious about them or in your face with them. I’ve learned that even if I don’t agree with a person’s lifestyle, it doesn’t mean that I can’t be friendly with them or that I need to hate them. It’s these beliefs that people can overcome their differences to respect one another that have shaped me. I feel like if I had to make an argument about my life, it would be that even if I can’t change the world by curing cancer or ending the famine in Africa I can still impact this world by showing everyone love, whether or not I agree with their political, social, or religious views. It’s our differences that define us, but our relationships don’t need to be defined by our differences.
ReplyDeleteLeading up to this moment, in which I am sitting in a classroom at 18 years of age and attempting in someway to describe “my narrative,” I suppose that have been creating and defining a world for myself in which I attempt to live presently. Growing up, my love for the natural world has largely shaped who I am and what I reflect to others. Nature is open, through its balance; perhaps it can be seen as the definition of openness. I strive to be understanding in my narration, but at the same time I understand that there are many things I do not understand. Nature is also dynamic. The mountains we see everyday from our windows and walking to class—despite their appearance of steadfastness, they are constantly changing. I think it is for us to be this way, and in my narrative, I try to be. However it is good to be dynamic only to an extent. You need to be able to hold onto to those beliefs and values which make you, you. No matter how much we tame the Earth, it retains its identity, its unpredictable wildness.
ReplyDeleteIt is not difficult to break myself down into aspects of an argument. Ethos is in everything that I do trying to persuade those around me that I am qualified for and important to the space I am occupying and the time that I am spending. This is event in large aspects such as job interviews or College applications, but also in the subtler intricacies of making friends or finding a partner. Logos is also prevalent in how we define ourselves as people. Do we make sense to the people in our lives? Do our choices follow a common logic that is understood and accepted by most of society? It is questions such as these that strengthen our presence in our community.
ReplyDeleteIn my lifetime I have witnessed two divorces. The divorce between my biological father and my mother, at age 3, along with the divorce between my stepfather and my mother. When I was around five years old and my biological Dad use to fly all the way from Dallas and come visit me. I remember being so excited. When he came we would go to the mountains, Colorado Springs, the movies etc. We would do as much as possible in those few days in order to recapture that whole year without seeing one another. When it was time for him to leave I would grab on to him and cry until he’d board the plane. When he would board the plane I would still continue to cry and stair out the window while looking at the plane he was on. Unlike many people who grew up with divorced parents no matter how far he was he would always make a point to call me and connect. There was never a time where I did not feel my dad’s presence in my life. I strongly argue against the notion that children without a parent in the home will struggle or will not succeed in life. A child could have both parents in the house but if they work long shifts and do not invest time with their child, the child will struggle with emotional issues. With my narrative I believe that its in fact presence that can determine how successful a child will orchestrate through life.
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