Response to Letters

[ericflynn]

IDEAL: satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable, existing only in the imagination; desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality

IDEALIZATION: the action of regarding or representing something as perfect or better than in reality

PLURAL: containing several diverse elements; denoting more than one

DEPICTION: the action, instance or result of depicting something, especially in art; representation or characterization in words

INTERPRET: to explain the meaning of; understand an action, mood, or way of behaving as having a particular meaning or significance

[ericflynn]

VIGNETTE: a brief evocative description, account, or episode; small illustration

EPISODE: an event or a group of events occurring as part of a larger sequence; an incident or period considered in isolation; a passage containing distinct material or introducing a new subject

EVENT: a thing that happens, especially one of importance; a planned occasion

VOICE: a particular opinion or attitude expressed; the right to express or represent an opinion

CREATE: to bring something into existence; to cause to happen as a result of one's actions

POSSIBILITY: something that may happen or be the case; the state or fact of being likely or possible; likelihood, potential

[ericflynn]

LITERACY: competence or knowledge in a specified area; the ability to read and write

KNOW-HOW: practical knowledge or skill; expertise

DEPLOY: to bring into effective action; to utilize or make use of

ATTENTION: otice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important; the action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something

PARTICIPATION: the action of taking part in something; involvement, engagement and contribution

COLLABORATION: the action of working with someone to produce or create something; combination; partnership

NETWORK: a group or system of interconnected people or things

[ericflynn]

DECISION: a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration; the action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question

DIFFERENCE: a point or way in which people or things are not the same; the state or condition of being dissimilar or unlike

DEVELOPMENT: a specified state of growth or advancement; an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation; a new and refined product or idea

SOLITUDE: the state or situation of being alone; a lonely or uninhabited place

MEANING: implied or explicit significance; important or worthwhile quality; the purpose

PROCESS: a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end; a natural or involuntary series of changes

[ericflynn]

GENERATIVE: capable of producing or creating, relating to or capable of production/reproduction

FORMATION: the action of forming or process of being formed; structure or arrangement

NASCENT: just coming into existence and beginning display signs of future potential; freshly generative

TRANSMISSION: act or process of transmitting something or the state of being transmitted

CONSTRUCTION: the building of something through style or method; creation or interpretation

REMEMBER: have or be be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of; used to emphasize the importance of what is asserted

FORGET: to fail to remember; inadvertently neglect to do, bring or mention something; cease to think of or consider

KNOW: be aware of through observation, inquire, or information; to be absolutely certain or sure

KNOWLEDGE: awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact, education or a situation

CONTENT: in a state of peaceful happiness; to be satisfies with certain level of achievement or good fortune

CREATE: to bring something into existence, to cause something to happen as a result of actions

[ericflynn]

ABSTRACT: existing in though or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence; dealing with ideas rather than events

THEME: the subject of a talk, piece of writing, etc; an idea that recurs in or pervades a work; prominent or frequently recurring melody or group

ADDRESS: to speak typically in a formal way, to say or write remarks; persons manner of speaking to someone else

THEORETICAL: concerned with or involving the theory of a subject or area of study rather than its practical application; based on or calculated through theory

CONSTRUCT: to build or erect; form by bringing together various conceptual elements; a group of works forming a phrase

METHOD: a practical form of procedure for accomplishing or approaching something; orderliness of thought to behavior; systematic planning or action

OUTCOME: the way a thing turns out; a consequence or end result

EMERGE: move out of or away from something and come into view; become apparent, important, or prominent

TENTATIVE: not certain or fixed; provisional and done without confidence; to be hesitant

[ericflynn]

KNOWLEDGE: facts, information or skills acquired through experiences, education, or situations; awareness or familiarity gained; what is known, true, a justified belief

THEME: the subject of a talk, piece of writing, etc; an idea that recurs in or pervades a work; prominent or frequently recurring melody or group

CONSTRUCTION: the building of something; the style or method used; the creation or formation of an abstract entity; an interpretation or explanation

WORKER:a person who does a specified type of work; works card; someone who produced or achieves a specified thing

ECONOMY: the wealth and resources of a region/country; careful management of available resources; a particular system or stage of an economy

[ericflynn]

LOOK: to think of or regard in a specified way; to examine of investigate or attempt to find; to have the appearance of give the impression of being

ACTION: the fact or process of doing something typically to achieve an aim; something that is done or acted; a gesture of movement

WAY: a method, style or manner of doing something; a particular aspect of something; a respect

FRAME: a basic structure that underlies or supports a system, concept, or text

CREATE: to bring something in to existence, to cause something to happen as a result of one’s actions

[ericflynn]

SOCIAL: relating to society or its organization; relating to rank or status in society; relating to or designed for activities in which people meet each other for pleasure

NETWORK: a group or system of interconnected people or things; to interact with others in order to exchange information and enhance development

INTERTWINE: to twist or twine together; to connect or link two or more things closely

STRUCTURE: the arrangement of and relations between several parts or elements of something complex; to be organized

AFFECT: to impact or make a difference to; to touch the feelings of

CUSP: a point of transition between two things; a point

FORM: the configuration of something; arrangement of part; a particular way in which a things exists or appears; a manifestation and structure or word, phrase, sentence, or discourse

[ericflynn]

"It's about having awareness."

These particular sentences really reminded me of a commencement speech I had heard online many years ago. It's called "This is Water" by David Foster Wallace. I think parts of it really encompass what we are trying to do in this class. At one point, Foster says, "The capital-T Truth is about life before death. It is about the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time..." In this course we are learning how to think and how to learn, and we are trying to have awareness of ourselves and of others around us. The way we view the world can have a world of a difference, and it can alter the meanings we give to each experience.

Recursive - relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results.
Reflexive - (of a relation) always holding between a term and itself.
Ipso Facto - (Latin phrase) by that very fact or act.
Meld - a thing formed by merging or blending.
Mold - a distinctive and typical style, form, or character.
Morph - change smoothly from one image to another by small gradual steps using computer animation techniques.
Sort - a category of things or people having some common feature; a type.
Sift - examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important or useful.
Select - carefully choose as being the best or most suitable.
Space - the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move.
Visual - a picture, piece of film, or display used to illustrate or accompany something.
Mental - relating to the mind.
Imaginary - existing only in ones mind.
Physical - relating to things perceived through the senses as opposed to the mind; tangible or concrete.
Real - actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.

[ericflynn]

This inter-subjective space that we are creating is everywhere in the Fishbowl. We are allowing others to read our work and it can evoke symbols or images in the readers' minds. We're very used to creating these spaces, especially online. For example, I have created such space with my friends in our messaging group chat where we speak to each other through texts.

Inter-subjective - existing between conscious minds; shared by more than one conscious mind.
Furtherance - the advancement of a scheme or interest.
Bedrock - the fundamental principles on which something is based.
Social - an informal social gathering, especially one organized by the members of a particular club or group.
Context - the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

[ericflynn]

t is truly the future that is at stake. Everything that we are learning, we can take with us into the future. The ability to clearly think, to be aware of ourselves and what we are doing, and to navigate social situations without confusion will allow us to go in the right direction.

Trace - find or discover by investigation.
Oblivion - the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening.
Prototype - a first, typical or preliminary model of something, especially a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.