Keyword: Tolerance

Dictionary.com defines tolerance as two distinctly different ideas. On one hand the word is meant as one of open-mindedness, as an interest in those different from oneself. However, it continues on to describe tolerance in medical terms: “the act or capacity of enduring; endurance: My tolerance of noise is limited.” And further: “Toleration implies the allowance or sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.” It is interesting to investigate these confused definitions.

Tolerance is used often in discussion of minorities, ethnic groups, or those who are considered different. Tolerance.org’s mission statement is to reduce prejudices and improve inter-group relations. Their website is inundated with links to “fight hate” and “mix it up” (which means to hang out with people outside your bubble and who are different from yourself). The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles has received numerous awards for their “fight against racism.” They boast an impressive description:

Extending the reach of its anti-bias lessons beyond its physical walls, the Museum offers video-conferencing to a wide range of audiences. The Museum also provides innovative resources through its Library and Archives, educational programs and traveling exhibits. Locally the Arts and Lectures series draws thousands of community members every year for award-winning film and book presentations and public forums on human rights issues.

Although these organizations make a lot of social progress and bring an awareness to the problems and bigotry we currently face in our society, are they themselves using a word that we could argue may in itself be unacceptable?

During one’s childhood, we are told to eat our vegetables. “You can tolerate one more bite.” Often it is associated with pain, “If you can tolerate stitches, you are very brave.” If tolerance is experiencing something that includes pain, suffering, or enduring something undesirable and possibly unpleasant then this connection to religious or racial tolerance should be put into question.

Putting up with the pain or "sucking up your complaints" presents a dynamic and eye-opening idea. As children we do not embrace skinned knees or visits to the dentist. We are allowing the right of something we do not approve of.

Encouraging ‘tolerance’ as an idea that embraces qualities different from our own then becomes perplexing and contradictory. It could be argued that the use of this word is symptomatic of a culture that allows difference to exist while continuing to oppress those who are different.

Perhaps the word tolerance should be examined by examining its counterpart: intolerance. If you are intolerant it means that we cannot accept or we reject. If someone is lactose-intolerant or intolerant of violence, it means those products or behaviors are not acceptable. If then the opposite of intolerance is acceptance, then possibly one should view the word tolerance as a step in a process.

Thinking of tolerance, then, as a first step in the process of acceptance, then maybe preaching tolerance for those different from yourself should be treated as such. First something or someone is disliked, and you cannot stand the mere existence of it. Possibly that’s the lowest level on the spectrum of love and discomfort. From there, it becomes tolerant. We can dislike the feeling of taking cough medicine or dislike an ethnicity but it is not enough to act upon that feeling of discomfort. We can “bear it” temporarily. Next may be acceptance. I don’t love wearing headbands, personally, but people that do, don’t bother me at all. Next may be pleasing. And maybe then finally embracing and celebrating and love.

If we view tolerance as the first step in a process, it would seem more fitting to then call tolerance.org something else to express its mission statement. Most people would prefer to be embraced or accepted rather than “tolerated.” The Museum of Tolerance's use is possibly appropriate because its recognition of hate and discrimination in the world is one of the first steps. Awareness may begin to spread our hopes of social change.

Possibly the common usage and definition should be re-thought as ‘tolerance’ in its direct form. Rather than an ideal tolerance is a step we shall attempt to conquer, never a destination to arrive at.

(Final thoughts: I used this word in my race post and felt I was misunderstood when I was using it, because these are my thoughts about its meanings. I dislike the word and the common usage of it very much so I felt it fitting to make an argument for a word I dislike, yet is common and viewed positively.)

Class Reflections

UWP this summer was pretty enjoyable overall. In many ways I was annoyed to stay an extra session after graduation for a requirement, I feel, is not necessary for majors required to write final 15-page papers every quarter. However, it also gave me a chance to simply think without the clouds of extra-curriculars, huge papers, and rehearsals. I was allowed to put more effort into my work, learning, and plans.

This summer has given me that extra chance to plan what my next step is, explore where I choose to apply my philosophies, and engage in an open discussion with students much more different than those I am used to in my programs. What I most appreciated in the class was the encouragement of discussion. I felt challenged, unsure, and sometimes even wise. It was nice that no matter how frustrating a discussion became (like those of race), in that frustration was inherent learning about those around you and the perspectives that exist.

I believe that more than a writing class, UWP this summer has been one of a thinking class or a meanings class. Possibly that knowledge awareness or listening skill in itself could improve one's writing. Although I wondered what the blog activity would have been like had we not known the writer's identities, I did prefer knowing. It was a way for me to connect and become interested. Those that said something that provoked interest in me during class were the blogs I usually read. The blog format was great as well, because I feel as though I was encouraged to use my own voice more. This was due to the fact that I wanted to keep my peers interested and wasn't simply fighting for a grade and writing what a teacher felt was thought-provoking.

I will, however say (this is just due to my personality and interests) that I found discussions of technology (mostly new ones, like phones, or apple computers) were less interesting to me. It may be because that is a common topic among regular conversations and our lives, that I find it less dynamic or stimulating. I did enjoy however those that could be philosophized: art, movie meanings, identity, etc. I suppose everything could arguably be art or philosophized so maybe I am being contradictory as well.

I did very much enjoy the class and I'd say one of its biggest selling points is the style of open discussion, mainly because I feel I have learned and have been challenged. I also feel it was encouraged to be unsure of your opinion or view so it could be a discussion. I noticed that when someone said "I believe" they were often challenged but when someone said "I wonder," the subject or thought was more explored. And that to me was very cool.

I am fairly certain Chris is an alien or doing a social experiment on his class. There were many examples of things such as facebook, airsoft guns, etc that are strangely fascinating to him that require description. Is Michigan code for Mars?

(Above is The Leviathan. This is my favorite of political philosophy. I thought about it a few times during different discussions. It talks about the idea of social contract, which falls into categories now of what is 'acceptable,' 'appropriate,' lawful,' or 'normal.' It's, in Chris' words, "fascinating.")

"You Want a Piece of Me?"

Above is a photo my friend took when she was visiting The Hamptons a few weeks ago. It is a photo of Penn Badgley and Blake Lively (and others who I have no idea who they are), stars of the teen drama, Gossip Girl. The photo is hard to see (and it's their backs).

Reading Luci’s post about stalking further makes me think of the facebook. We may not have something as tight-knit as the network in Gossip Girl but surely the facebook acts as out own non-celebrity tabloids. Any unaware (or aware) picture taken of us with or without caption tells a story about our lives and is very public.

Often this stalking isn’t limited to just our close friends. No longer are we getting coffee and ‘catching up’ but much of our catching up or hearing about each others’ lives are posted on the internet to read on our own time at our own discretion.

This ties into the idea of celebrity. Luci points out how annoyed celebrities must be with their private unassuming lives being known by all, and there is no time to rest and be normal. However with the rise of reality TV, reality stars, etc. are we involving ourselves too into this public life that is on display for everyone and up for judgment and interpretation by all with the uses of online applications such as facebook tagging, blogs, etc?

For those seeking public careers such as politics or entertainment, many people do find every hint of a camera to be a potential threat. For a normal facebook fan sometimes unflattering pictures are de-tagged to avoid connections but for others the camera is avoided entirely during a situation that could be a professionally-compromising documentation.

So while Gossip Girl is a teen fiction, it’s very much a dramatic reflection/representation of the technological information passing world we share a love-hate relationship with. With the internet and accessibility of online social networks, an unassuming picture can say something about our lives, and experiences (accurate or not) and can be passed and viewed to those known and unknown people. We have now begun to prove that celebrities are no longer the only ones often with their private lives on display.

Image. Reflection. Projection.

This summer has been one of understanding and slow focused self growth. I have had the opportunity to work on things for myself and prepare for the coming year of Los Angeles, auditions, agencies, and preparing (something I found little time to do outside of class, extracurriculars, and rehearsals during the normal year).

What has struck me in all of this preparation is the idea that it is quite literally all about image, both about physical and emotional. As I have been practicing and reading every night new technique from my Sanford Meisner book (a really well-known acting teacher, offshoot of the Stanislavsky Method), I find myself attempting to read as slowly as possible and trying to process the simplicity. Acting is all about sharing a message, a moment, or a piece of life.

I have recently taken to taping lessons I read next to my mirror. Some sort of self-affirmation reminder. So after class and spinning when getting ready for the day, I am reminded of my thoughts: getting out of my head. The mirror makes me aware of myself, my image, my reflection, while these words remind me that my being and tool are not simply about my outside but what I can give to others.

The quotes that frame my mirror are the following:

“Everything in acting is a sort of heightened, intensified reality – but it’s based on justified reality” – Sanford Meisner

“There is no such thing as nothing” –Sanford Meisner

“Public Solitude” –Constantin Stanislavski

Each share important and different messages. The first reminds me that every act has an objective. And every character although very real, is not real. As Meisner would say, its about finding what is genuine and sharing it.

The second is about silence. A silence on stage should be full. The stage should not be silent because it is written but because something is happening underneath. A tension, anticipation, something.

The last is the core. Public Solitude refers to when you do your everyday actions. Brushing one’s teeth, biting one’s nails, walking up the stairs. All are things we simply do, and don't think of how we 'look' when we do them. That’s how you find at and honesty in acting. The beauty in acting is when something is done, not ‘acted.’ Being in a public forum such as theatre and not ‘performing.’

These 3 are by my mirror. They remind me that while I sometimes get caught up in going to spinning to be fit, put on my day makeup, or stress about headshots and agencies I ask myself to consider what drives me to do these things. It's not the business. It's not the Disney-image or Jessica Simpson glamor, but to share a fleck of life, and to keep searching for something possibly simple but always human.

Where Do We Get Our Information?

Is Adam and Eve's sin is misunderstood? Maybe just a taste from the tree of knowledge isn't enough. Is it possible that they just didn't eat enough fruit?

Jenny's post about the popularity of a political candidate brings up some very interesting thoughts. The voting public places such an emphasis on a president's charisma, looks, and social skills.

We are look for someone who we feel will represent the country well, who will make good decisions, and who will improve our conditions in both the domestic and international realm.

We must then ask: how do we form our opinion? Jenny sparks if the idea of a wave of opinion spreading. Maybe we like someone or some product because it’s popular and our friend gave us a good reason. Some are "well-educated" by the news stations.

Does the media portray the candidates in a certain light, emphasizing misconceptions? Are our views of people skewed because we follow popular consensus? -JennyAskari

This brings one to the idea of how we label information received by certain mediums as truth. For those that are interested in what's happening in the world around us and in current events we turn to news stations, the radio, and newspapers.

We are aware that the news channels cut and censor information to tell a story. I wonder: if the news is skewed and we will never get a complete story then who can we turn to for some truth. The newspaper? Journalists are the same. What then?

Is there any ‘truth’ anymore?

As long as there is a story to tell or a product to sell (and often those go hand in hand) there will be a bias. That doesn't mean watching the news or reading the paper should be set aside necessarily due to the idea that we will never get pure information. Thus, why Michael Moore and other documentarists are often called ‘info-tainment.’ It is a product being sold and a business and therefore the angle and story will be molded to ‘sell’ an idea, an image, or an opinion. Maybe, however, we should try to hear the same story from other sources. If they all take parts of a story, shouldn't we then be able to at least put together a more complete story than we would have with one biased source?

White-ness and Tolerance

I'm really glad Colleen left her post. To be completely honest, I left class that day feeling a bit ill and unsettled. I, too, am sorry if anyone felt attacked. I believe challenging the core of the way one sees the world is one of the best ways to learn.

The discussion of race, ethnicity, and culture can be a challenging one. To be "blamed" for something you personally have not done in the past is an uncomfortable and inappropriate position to be placed in.

However, I strongly sympathize with the formation of a cultural group that celebrates a heritage, values, and a community.

To me, it is weird to form a white club or celebrate being white or having white interests. However, specifying (for example) having an Eastern European club, or a Canadian club, or and Irish club is not really that offensive. That celebrates your background, and a culture, not a skin color. African Americans have a history and cultural traditions from their times of being brought over as slaves. Its not really about being "black," its about what that meant on a deeper level and how those labels and a way of life was forced upon them. How these things affect people and their successes should be celebrated. Does that make sense? It's deeper than skin color.

I suppose I might be a strong advocate for celebrating people's differences because although I am Caucasian, I have experienced discrimination comparable to many other minorities. I am Jewish. It is shocking to me that many people I know do not recognize that antisemitism is still very prevalent (it has been a memorable aspect of my life). I experienced horrible comments and treatment in mainly Junior High and the beginning of High School. Sure, its not something like skin color that I can't hide, but that's the problem. You shouldn't have to hide.

Being labeled someone who is different and "lower" is something that many people unfairly deal with and not just in the days of highlighted history like Japanese internment camps or the Civil War. Issues of discrimination and hatred are apart of most minorities' present. In my case, I don't hate Germans or have a secret resentment. Germany is known to be one of the more accepting and embracing countries today. That doesn't mean it doesn't make me sick and scared when the a discussion arises of a Nazi Party demonstration in the U.S. is protected by freedom of speech and assembly. Our rights are our rights, however the existence and the act, to me threaten my safety and shake me to a frightening place.

Being Jewish is a part of my identity and a community of people that share my culture, ideals (usually), and struggles of my past and my present.

I suppose my point is that a celebration of "white-ness" is frightening because it is exclusive in a skin color way. It lumps every European into one big mass all of which have very different traditions, identities, values, and histories and does feel like a pride for color with little depth.

I grew up in a house with a Catholic father and Jewish mother. I was raised, however, in the Jewish faith. In my house I was always taught that people who are different from yourself are interesting. Everyone is different.

Those differences should be embraced, not erased.

I understand that acceptance or the validity of a struggle was not what Colleen or others were arguing against, I'm in no way attacking that. Rather I would challenge the idea of a simply white identity, and would like to bring an awareness of the adversity people face who have a meaning of their skin or history forced onto them.

If there were no more races in the world 100 years from now, we'd find something else. Like people with bigger ears are worth less than those with the "norm." I don't think the solution should ever be erasing our races, our skin color, or what makes us cool. I think our focus should be on learning the hardships and celebrations, what has shaped us to be who we are. It's not about tolerance or forgiveness it's about understanding. And mainly gaining an understanding of the world around you.

Movement

"kaliente tufao de amor"
artist: Edward Kaliente

On the outside: The painting is a man and a woman facing one another. The woman's hair breezes behind to suggest she is turned inward.
The figures are defined mainly in black.

The most fascinating and captivating part of this image is precisely its movement. The two figures seem to be in the middle of a whirlwind or tornado. The brush strokes are very fast and look quickly composed. The figures, however, are carefully planned, well outlined, and sure. Their lower bodies disappear in the red warmth.

The rest of the canvas is seemly and intentionally left blank. A place where a light shade of another color may have highlighted the image in the center. However, this absence of color and paint suggest that the central image is all that can exist. The mixture of red paints suggest passion, fire, or love. It is the movement of the red that allows the figures to stand still.

The inside: It is perhaps the moment we forget about the world, forget about the other colors, and are just swept away in the whirlwind of us and the color that envelopes it. A rare moment, but possibly one that can be only be well represented in art.