Cercado, Tresia Michelle Jan M.
2010-33269
Reaction Paper: A Beautiful Mind
I have always heard that a film called “A Beautiful Mind” is a
classic one, something that is a must-see. A friend of mine gave me a copy last semester
and he regarded it as an excellent one but I haven’t had the chance to see it
not until our STS class watched it.
A Beautiful Mind (2001) is a biographical drama film based on the
life of John Nash, a mathematical genius and a Nobel Prize awardee in the field
of Economics. The film showed how John Nash lived his life as a mathematician
in which he developed schizophrenia and how he continued to become one of the
greatest modern mathematicians despite his condition. Alicia, his wife, and her never ending
support to John was also a dominant part of the film.
Focusing on the film itself, I think that it was a good avenue of
portraying how the ability counts over the disability. Coming personally from
the field of special education, I have a soft spot for people with special
needs especially the children. It is very important for everyone to understand
the condition of the person with disability. People shouldn’t make judgments
just because a person is not able to do things which are out of the “norms”. Going back to the case of John Nash, he
experienced delusions which are common symptoms of Schizophrenia. His delusions include characters named
William Parcher, Charles and his daughter, Marcee. These non-existent
characters were present in John’s mind all throughout his adult life but he was
able to overcome them with his own strategy and believing in his self.
Schizophrenia, and any other similar conditions, is something that
everyone should understand and be aware of. Just like what was shown in the
film, continuous support of family and friends is very important in order to
overcome and deal with the difficulties that any disorder brings about. It all
boils down to the message that it’s the ability that counts, not the
disability. John Nash did not give up and did not let his condition take over
him but he was determined to continue what he’s good at. It’s all about believing
in what you can do and the support from the people that surround you.
Reaction Paper: Social Climbers and Food For Thought
The BBC Documentary called “The
Life of Mammals” shows the basic survival of mammals specifically the primates
and how they’re closely related to human beings. The said documentary is divided into two
parts: The Social Climbers and Food For Thought. The former one showed and
explained the class system or social hierarchy among monkeys while the other
one gave a picture on how apes are almost like humans.
Social groups among monkeys are
vital necessities in survival for different species of primates. Survival
activities such as hunting for food, grooming, protection, and mating among
others are done in groups. For example, various types of monkeys prefer various
ways of looking for food. Some prefer nuts or fruits on top of trees while
others prefer looking for food during the night. This shows how diverse monkeys
are. Each species have their own set of behaviors which are all under their own
customs and cultures. The social hierarchy among apes are also highlighted in
the documentary. This class system is usually visible in mating and in
relationships of primates. It was seen that the alpha male has a wider
selection of mates than “regular” apes. This hierarchy among apes are important
since it has great implications in their survival.
Still in relation to primates,
Food for Thought, shows the similarities of primates and human beings and how apes
along with humans develop and adapt to the changing environment throughout
time. It ended with a brief discussion on Mayan Civilization, of how it was
once the most successful civilizations in the world and how it eventually fell
out of its dominance.
In general, both documentaries
gave me a clearer perception of survival and how it is related to our resources
in the environment. Just like monkeys, involvement of human beings in social
groups and activities is something that we cannot draw out from the equation.
Humans also depend on the environment, exhausting all the resources that they
need in order to survive. In the end, it is all up to us on how we could survive
despite the challenges that life offers and have sustainable development
throughout time with the help of science and technology.
No comments:
Post a Comment