The first man Todorov describes, i.e. the man who finds his country sweet, is an innocent man, a man who sees his country through the eyes of hope and prosper, and not for what the country really is. He describes a man who will only acknowledge the good and be blinded by this, meaning he is biased. He calls such man a “raw beginner” for he knows enough to get him through the kick-start, but not quite enough to be defined as more than a beginner. Such man has his cons, but also his pros; because he is a raw beginner, he has the opportunity to expand his knowledge and overcome such identification.
The second man Todorov quotes is a distant man, like the one I described in my last reflection post. Such man knows more than a little, so we would classify him under the “lot” category, but we cannot classify him under “identifies” for he is unquestionably distant according to his description. The man has chosen to distance himself, and it could be because of convenience. He acknowledges this and uses it to his advantage, which is why he is described as strong. He is able to learn and soak in more by identifying in such way. The man is described as to having enough malice but will not be blind sighted by biases, like the man before him would. Lastly, the third man is so similar yet so different from the previous ones. “The man for whom the whole world is as a foreign country is perfect.” This man began his journey as a raw beginner, like the first man, and then passed on to be the second man described for he had to learn to be distant and appreciate in order to become the man he is now. Now, he is able to learn without being blind sighted or biased, and will not have the dilemma of cultural appreciation because he has mastered the way to approach it. The man was all of the above and now relates to none; he has become his own by learning to be distantly identified. I would agree that this man is somewhat perfect, for this is the best approach to take on in regards to the situation explained. When you go into a foreign country, you are intrigued by all that is new, yet you are distant in order to be able to soak it all in; you are courteous yet outgoing, and trusting yet with held back because you know enough to have malice. You treat the world as your stage, and it’s the perfect combination, for the entire world is as a foreign country.
3 Comments
Alonso Pliego
12/3/2018 04:33:05 pm
Great reflection. I liked the way you simplified a very complex argument in order to make it easier for us to understand. The only comment I have is with regards to your last point, on the man who considers every nation as foreign. I consider that in order to "treat the world as your stage" you have to be open to different scripts. That's why in my reflection post for week 14 I shared my idea that the perfect man can seem as an outsider, while still being able to understand the culture. This all ties back to my first post, where I discussed the importance of culturally conscious education in order to solve the world's problems.
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Alonso Pliego
12/3/2018 04:34:02 pm
These*
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Anneli T Sánchez
12/4/2018 08:34:07 am
I do agree with your stance, perhaps what I was trying to convey with the phrase "courteous yet outgoing" was not understood correctly. What I meant by that was precisely what you were saying, while being courteous you are open to different scripts without any previous bias or judgment, and by being outgoing, you are open to trying new things and expanding your horizons. How interesting to know that we share the same stance, thank you for your comment!
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