Monday, August 14, 2006

the new what's what

Vanity doesn't get to me these days. Besides getting used to the usual worked-up face I see in the mirror every morning, the dark area that seems to encroach on both of my cheeks, and the persistent pimples I get everyday, I even don't bother with opinions too much.

I think I'm on my way to complete sociopath-y, if there's even such a word. I only want to get better now, not because of a certain "me" I want to appropriate my identity to, but because I want to do things better; to better my faculties for some purposes other than "being better". The difference gets a bit blurred because identity and action overlap; that by "doing better" necessitates "being better". But if you get to understand this in terms of motivation, there's a big diference.

There's a sense that it's not about some "me" I want to form, it's what I want to do that really matters. It's beyond peculiarity, I know, but it's very real to me.

...

Yes, something as basic as that requires enormous effort on my part to articulate. Why can't I reduce those three paragraphs in one sentence? I've been trying hard this thinking-in-chunks method but I can't seem to manufacture words smarties I know effortlessly write or say.

Once again- and yeah, I need to emphasize this- this frustration comes from the problem of mastery not a problem of identity. To the Foucauldians out there, I'm saying that I love the panopticon because it produces efficiency, not because of its production of categories.

My point: I was dismayed (note: not "hurt") when my essay was edited almost completely because it meant that my skills are not at par to what is good, or that I don't have an extensive range of writing styles.

Or that I procrastinated(!), thereby unleashing the gamut of rationalization strategies I have?

3 comments:

chrissie said...

Oh my Eric...I'm sorry. I did not mean to dismay you by editing your part of the paper. I hope you saw that the argument was there..it's just that I had to make the flow and writing style consistent throughout the entire thing. Gosh I'm really so sorry. You do not have a bad style of writing. Not at all!!! Please stop thinking that okay? SORRY!!! :(

Eric said...

The editing was good! And, there's nothing apologize about! We, the Foucauldians aren- anyway, I just have to do better. It has nothing to do with me! And, you were great!

chrissie said...

Foigne, if you say so. But I still feel kinda bad. :( Hehe. :p Okay lang yan..babawi nalang ako sa payment ko to you when you make my layout!!! :)