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Monday, November 19, 2007
Othello
If we are rational, thinking beings, how can jealousy and other emotions get the best of us?
15 comments:
Anonymous
said...
It depends on wat you mean by jealousy. Jealousy in the dictionary is defined as "mental uneasiness", because you want something, someone, or don't want to loose somthing or someone. I think that the feeling jealousy is not the irrational part of it, it would be the acts you take that would be irrational.
Good point, Chase. It is the actions that matter. However, the movie Minority Report shows people getting busted for their impure thoughts. Fascinating film.
Why can't we stop ourselves from acting on our jealous impulses? Some people are imprisoned due to jealous impulses. I think it might be a learned trait, to allow jealousy to take over. Also, our culture in America creates powerful desires and "needs". Jealousy comes from not possessing the same things as another. Not being able to do what another can. Jealousy is a technique used by advertisers and anyone with an agenda. It is a base emotion that may be impossible to fully erase--though it is best to control it from within. I think people have to learn to control their jealousy. People have to learn self-control and self-discipline; children are taught that and practice that throughout school, their first jobs, extra-curriculars, experiences of all kinds.
True. Some people dont know that they're being jealous or think that they are being jealous. I find myself being jealous often. I definetly would prefer not to be jealous, specificaly with my girlfriend, but i get upset anyhow. Quickly correcting myself, of course. Sometimes over little things. It can get ridiculous. I agree that it can be controled, but with a great amount of effort.
Chase--How have you learned self-control? At what moments in your life did you not have control over yourself? At which point did you start showing control and poise? At what age? Was there a specific event that changed you? I remember almost swearing severely, loudly during a basketball game (mad at my own mistake), but I didn't! I was a sophomore on the basketball court, and afterward I realized that I was maturing before my own eyes. My parents were delighted, of course, when they saw me get mad, but carefully mad this time. All I did was grit my teeth and squeeze the basketball. That was one small step toward maturity.
When you say we are rational it does not mean we always think things though. When we get jealous we tend to over react like Othello did. Also when we get emotional we cannot help it, we just act on how we feel, and do not always think about it, so our actions can sometimes get the better part of it. Like in the movie "O" (which i finally finished) Odan was extremely jealous and dunked the ball so hard he shattered the glass. Everyone what cheering because they thought it was good but then he was so mad he went on to throw the ball at the glass again, and push the ball boy on the ground and to finish his "fit" he picked up the hoop held it above his head, and then dropped it.
I used to have a great problem with controling my anger and what i said. My family would get the blunt of it and i often regret it. In fact i had this problem until i met my girlfriend. No offense to her but sometimes she would makes me very angry and i know to better myself and the relationship sometimes i have to hold my tongue and give in. Of course being human i still make mistakes but because of her tendencies i have become a better person and have more self control.
Kersten--Did you notice the rim, after he ripped it down, was an "O" above his head? (It certainly did not make a halo like angels have, did it?) Also, instead of having epilepsy like Shakespeare's Othello, Odin James is using steroids, which distorts his decision-making drastically. I think the film "O" does a remarkable job making Shakespeare current. Isn't the story largely the same? Josh Hartnett is Hugo (Iago) and is entirely wicked. At the party and during the tragic climax, his deceit destroys the lives of his "friends." A lot of people who watch "O" don't realize it is almost exactly Shakespeare's tale of woe.
Jealousy and other emotions get the best of us because many times we as humans dont get all the facts and act irrationally because we think that everything that we hear is true and dont ask the questions that we should to get the down to the bottom of the subject at hand. And when we do this we see stuff that isnt happening in our mind like when you Mr. C. yelled at your girlfriend because you thought that she was being unfaithful with you when she was in the den with her ex-boyfriend.
well i would have to say it would completely depend on whats happening around you and what has happened to you in past experiences. like if you have have money problems you would most likely resent them and would not think correctly when the rich are complaining about there problems, or if you have friends that use you to there advantage like some do , they might not get enough attention so they do what ever they can to get someone to like them and when someone is nice back to you , you dont know how to take it because you are not used to it.
Yes, we are rational thinking beings, for the most part. Yet we are not perfect. We can be thinking beings but not always be rational and we can be rational but not always think, in certain situations of course. Jealousy seems to coincide with trust. Like in the myth of Cupid and Psyche, there can be no love without trust. Although it doesn't have to be a situation of love to create jealousy. It could be making new friends and leaving old ones behind, wanting an object that belongs to someone else, wanting to look like someone else (celebrities for example), etc. Jealousy can get the best of anyone no matter who they are. In the fury of jealousy our thinking isn't normal and neither are our predictions. Othello is a perfect example. That fortune cookie your wife found is genius. It explains jealousy perfectly. Although is doesn't explain why jealousy gets the best of us. We have many emotions and are subject to follow them instead of the rational thinking our brain tells us. Jealousy could also show how much we care about the thing we are fussing over. Othello was jealous of Cassio because he thought Desdemona was in love with Cassio. Othello cared for Desdemona beyond all measure. Therefore he was jealous when he thought she might not be faithful to him.
if we think about something to long our minds will eventually get the best of us. then at that point out emotions will control our actions, and then we are just jealous. And really you cant stop being jealous. and i am sur that we have all green with envy b4 and thats not something you can deny.
To be in love is to realize neither of you are perfect, but you're happy anyways. Being in love is continuous, not quite defined, like a construction site or wet paint. So, to be jealous is to believe that you are incapable of satisfying your other...believing your boyfriend/girlfriend need to talk with another girl/boy because you're not as interesting or beautiful. But, that's not love that's insecurity...love is equal, not above or below. Jealousy is not of love, jealousy is of evil.
I agree that jealousy is irrational, and almost an unconscious act. Last summer my family and I were invited to a Forth of July party at the country club. I asked my boyfriend to join us, but he wouldn't be able to come until later in the evening. When he came, it was difficult to find him through all the people...and sketchy teenage girls in bikinis. I was nervous, and wondered where he was. When I saw him, two other girls (in swimsuits) were trying to flirt. For the moment, I was hurt and furious ... but then I realized he was paying no attention to them...and walking away!! I was jealous because I was ignorant and prejudice...ignorance is not bliss!
15 comments:
It depends on wat you mean by jealousy. Jealousy in the dictionary is defined as "mental uneasiness", because you want something, someone, or don't want to loose somthing or someone. I think that the feeling jealousy is not the irrational part of it, it would be the acts you take that would be irrational.
Good point, Chase. It is the actions that matter. However, the movie Minority Report shows people getting busted for their impure thoughts. Fascinating film.
Why can't we stop ourselves from acting on our jealous impulses? Some people are imprisoned due to jealous impulses. I think it might be a learned trait, to allow jealousy to take over. Also, our culture in America creates powerful desires and "needs". Jealousy comes from not possessing the same things as another. Not being able to do what another can. Jealousy is a technique used by advertisers and anyone with an agenda. It is a base emotion that may be impossible to fully erase--though it is best to control it from within. I think people have to learn to control their jealousy. People have to learn self-control and self-discipline; children are taught that and practice that throughout school, their first jobs, extra-curriculars, experiences of all kinds.
True. Some people dont know that they're being jealous or think that they are being jealous. I find myself being jealous often. I definetly would prefer not to be jealous, specificaly with my girlfriend, but i get upset anyhow. Quickly correcting myself, of course. Sometimes over little things. It can get ridiculous. I agree that it can be controled, but with a great amount of effort.
Chase--How have you learned self-control? At what moments in your life did you not have control over yourself? At which point did you start showing control and poise? At what age? Was there a specific event that changed you? I remember almost swearing severely, loudly during a basketball game (mad at my own mistake), but I didn't! I was a sophomore on the basketball court, and afterward I realized that I was maturing before my own eyes. My parents were delighted, of course, when they saw me get mad, but carefully mad this time. All I did was grit my teeth and squeeze the basketball. That was one small step toward maturity.
When you say we are rational it does not mean we always think things though. When we get jealous we tend to over react like Othello did. Also when we get emotional we cannot help it, we just act on how we feel, and do not always think about it, so our actions can sometimes get the better part of it. Like in the movie "O" (which i finally finished) Odan was extremely jealous and dunked the ball so hard he shattered the glass. Everyone what cheering because they thought it was good but then he was so mad he went on to throw the ball at the glass again, and push the ball boy on the ground and to finish his "fit" he picked up the hoop held it above his head, and then dropped it.
I used to have a great problem with controling my anger and what i said. My family would get the blunt of it and i often regret it. In fact i had this problem until i met my girlfriend. No offense to her but sometimes she would makes me very angry and i know to better myself and the relationship sometimes i have to hold my tongue and give in. Of course being human i still make mistakes but because of her tendencies i have become a better person and have more self control.
Kersten--Did you notice the rim, after he ripped it down, was an "O" above his head? (It certainly did not make a halo like angels have, did it?) Also, instead of having epilepsy like Shakespeare's Othello, Odin James is using steroids, which distorts his decision-making drastically. I think the film "O" does a remarkable job making Shakespeare current. Isn't the story largely the same? Josh Hartnett is Hugo (Iago) and is entirely wicked. At the party and during the tragic climax, his deceit destroys the lives of his "friends." A lot of people who watch "O" don't realize it is almost exactly Shakespeare's tale of woe.
I missed the parts were he used steroids, but i think the stories were almost the same. I wanted Hugo to die though.
Jealousy and other emotions get the best of us because many times we as humans dont get all the facts and act irrationally because we think that everything that we hear is true and dont ask the questions that we should to get the down to the bottom of the subject at hand. And when we do this we see stuff that isnt happening in our mind like when you Mr. C. yelled at your girlfriend because you thought that she was being unfaithful with you when she was in the den with her ex-boyfriend.
well i would have to say it would completely depend on whats happening around you and what has happened to you in past experiences. like if you have have money problems you would most likely resent them and would not think correctly when the rich are complaining about there problems, or if you have friends that use you to there advantage like some do , they might not get enough attention so they do what ever they can to get someone to like them and when someone is nice back to you , you dont know how to take it because you are not used to it.
chris mathis
If someone has something we really like and we think about it too much we will become irrational
Yes, we are rational thinking beings, for the most part. Yet we are not perfect. We can be thinking beings but not always be rational and we can be rational but not always think, in certain situations of course. Jealousy seems to coincide with trust. Like in the myth of Cupid and Psyche, there can be no love without trust. Although it doesn't have to be a situation of love to create jealousy. It could be making new friends and leaving old ones behind, wanting an object that belongs to someone else, wanting to look like someone else (celebrities for example), etc. Jealousy can get the best of anyone no matter who they are. In the fury of jealousy our thinking isn't normal and neither are our predictions. Othello is a perfect example. That fortune cookie your wife found is genius. It explains jealousy perfectly. Although is doesn't explain why jealousy gets the best of us. We have many emotions and are subject to follow them instead of the rational thinking our brain tells us. Jealousy could also show how much we care about the thing we are fussing over. Othello was jealous of Cassio because he thought Desdemona was in love with Cassio. Othello cared for Desdemona beyond all measure. Therefore he was jealous when he thought she might not be faithful to him.
if we think about something to long our minds will eventually get the best of us. then at that point out emotions will control our actions, and then we are just jealous. And really you cant stop being jealous. and i am sur that we have all green with envy b4 and thats not something you can deny.
To be in love is to realize neither of you are perfect, but you're happy anyways. Being in love is continuous, not quite defined, like a construction site or wet paint. So, to be jealous is to believe that you are incapable of satisfying your other...believing your boyfriend/girlfriend need to talk with another girl/boy because you're not as interesting or beautiful. But, that's not love that's insecurity...love is equal, not above or below. Jealousy is not of love, jealousy is of evil.
I agree that jealousy is irrational, and almost an unconscious act. Last summer my family and I were invited to a Forth of July party at the country club. I asked my boyfriend to join us, but he wouldn't be able to come until later in the evening. When he came, it was difficult to find him through all the people...and sketchy teenage girls in bikinis. I was nervous, and wondered where he was. When I saw him, two other girls (in swimsuits) were trying to flirt. For the moment, I was hurt and furious ... but then I realized he was paying no attention to them...and walking away!! I was jealous because I was ignorant and prejudice...ignorance is not bliss!
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