observing the surface - face
point - mind body separate
going deeper - mind is matter
flesh
prejudice against flesh - obesity
shame - clothes
shame against insides of body
sqeamishness of bodies - fear of death
but matter lords over mind
but matter is not stupid - does a better job with body than a conscious effort woudl have
beneath all this - is unintelligence
The essay titled "I Am Not This Body" by Brian Jay Stanley was published in May 2013 on the NY Times online opinion pages. Here, he talks about the apparent separation of the mind and body, and the anxiety and stress that goes along with it.
He begins by observing the surface of the body - his face - and compares it with an alien planet. He sees his mind and body as two separate entities, and the relationship between the two is awkward. Going under the surface, he explains how his mind is nothing but matter, and talks about a past experience when he was dissecting a pigs brain.
According to Stanley, there seems to exist a prejudice against "flesh", stating his case by taking the example of how obesity is judged. He also mentions the feeling of shame associated with exposed flesh, and the insides like mucus or gas. X-rays reveal even more seemingly chaotic assembly of the different parts inside.
This nervousness about the physicality, he says, has a direct influence on how we see death - the decay exposes the insides, causing one to fear, or prefer being cremated so as to not be seen. But despite all this, matter seems to rule over mind - minute organisms can make complete changes to plans, brightest of minds are easily killed by hard surfaces, and the body seems to do a better job of taking care of itself compared to a conscious effort.
The author's style is very descriptive, and appears to paint dreary pictures using long and detailed sentences. He makes efficient use of symbolism, like in the final paragraph where he compares the complex structures of a computer to the human body - its alienating he says, how beneath all the intelligence is only the unintelligent "stupid" matter.
The narration is simple and organised, with each paragraph making a single point, before moving on to the next one. While the conclusion is apt and more personal than a general viewpoint, the style and the way points are put across are creative, and gives me content and ideas to use for my own purposes.
point - mind body separate
going deeper - mind is matter
flesh
prejudice against flesh - obesity
shame - clothes
shame against insides of body
sqeamishness of bodies - fear of death
but matter lords over mind
but matter is not stupid - does a better job with body than a conscious effort woudl have
beneath all this - is unintelligence
The essay titled "I Am Not This Body" by Brian Jay Stanley was published in May 2013 on the NY Times online opinion pages. Here, he talks about the apparent separation of the mind and body, and the anxiety and stress that goes along with it.
He begins by observing the surface of the body - his face - and compares it with an alien planet. He sees his mind and body as two separate entities, and the relationship between the two is awkward. Going under the surface, he explains how his mind is nothing but matter, and talks about a past experience when he was dissecting a pigs brain.
According to Stanley, there seems to exist a prejudice against "flesh", stating his case by taking the example of how obesity is judged. He also mentions the feeling of shame associated with exposed flesh, and the insides like mucus or gas. X-rays reveal even more seemingly chaotic assembly of the different parts inside.
This nervousness about the physicality, he says, has a direct influence on how we see death - the decay exposes the insides, causing one to fear, or prefer being cremated so as to not be seen. But despite all this, matter seems to rule over mind - minute organisms can make complete changes to plans, brightest of minds are easily killed by hard surfaces, and the body seems to do a better job of taking care of itself compared to a conscious effort.
The author's style is very descriptive, and appears to paint dreary pictures using long and detailed sentences. He makes efficient use of symbolism, like in the final paragraph where he compares the complex structures of a computer to the human body - its alienating he says, how beneath all the intelligence is only the unintelligent "stupid" matter.
The narration is simple and organised, with each paragraph making a single point, before moving on to the next one. While the conclusion is apt and more personal than a general viewpoint, the style and the way points are put across are creative, and gives me content and ideas to use for my own purposes.
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