Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

There weren't just sandwiches out on the lawn today - there were sausage rolls too, and doughnuts, and bagels, and cake; Ender had put out a picnic blanket for the occasion, as well as a large standing umbrella that could be moved in if the rain kicked in.

And then there was the red kitten constantly trying to leap out of Ender's lap.

"I'm not particularly interested in having finals," Ender said. "They've always seemed fairly arbitrary to me. Instead, I'd like to keep fostering debate. But I'll throw the initiative to all of you this time. No topics, no pithy wise phrases to kick this off. Come up with an issue you feel is worthy of this class and throw it into the group. You're peers, whether you're aware of it or not: you can learn from each other as well as you can from me."

Comments

Group Discussion

[endsthegame]

Everyone throws an idea, a question or a statement into the group. The others should then respond and begin a dialogue.

Ender will engage as well, of course.

Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

Where talking goes.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[genesishero]

Evan kind of sat on it for a little while, afraid that if he were to speak up and say it, people were going to think he was sucking up to the teacher or something. And then, after a minute of that, he gave in. Who cared what other people were going to think? People... people were going to think whatever they wanted, anyhow, and there wasn't anything he could do to change that.

"I just want to say thank you for this class," he said, and then bit his lip for a second before continuing. "I mean... It wasn't some big academic thing, no, but it was good to be able to sit down in a group and talk about things, and feel like all of our opinions and ideas and worries were listened to and respected."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"I'm glad to hear it," Ender said, his tone sincere. "If I had shown any of your thoughts disrespect, I'd hope you'd have called me on it."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[genesishero]

"I probably would have tried," Evan replied, smiling faintly. "But it wasn't just you, either. Everyone I talked to in this class was pretty great for that. I mean, we didn't all share everything, and not everyone participated in every conversation and that's fine. But even if there were things that people disagreed with, everyone was really good about making thoughtful arguments about things. Nobody just flat-out disregarded anyone's opinion out of hand. Or, if they did, they at least kept it to themselves."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

Ender cast the entire group a quick smile at that one - even if it was interrupted by the quick lean forward he had to make to grab Ben before he leaped away.

"I think you've all earned the food today," he agreed. "You've been a very open and thoughtful group. You included, Evan."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[genesishero]

Evan gave his shoulders a little shrug, giving a smile at the kitten who was trying to make a bid for freedom.

"I just had questions I hoped somebody could answer," he replied. "And I didn't get all of the answers I wanted here, but I did get a lot of really useful advice. And sometimes... things just get easier to take, if you talk about them."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"Is there anything you wish we would've talked about more?" Ender asked.

He smoothed his fingers over the kitten's head, scratching him behind the ears - partly a bid to get him to stay put.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[genesishero]

"I don't know," Evan admitted. "A lot of it is stuff that I'm still not going to shout off the rooftops or anything. And the other weekend left me with more questions than answers, too. But I think I'm starting to figure out the differences between some of what I was told my whole life, and the way things actually are. I kind of... feel like maybe the world has the potential to actually make sense. I just have to keep digging for it."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad you never graded us on what we thought--or even how we thought," Sholeh confessed. "It made it easier to talk, because there was never an answer that you wanted to hear."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

Ender's mouth quirked briefly. "If you ask for an answer you already want to hear, you're not really asking anything," he said.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't stop most people," Sholeh pointed out.

For her, this was Greatly Daring.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"You do it too," Ender said. "Hell, I do it sometimes." He leaned forward. "It's an incentive to challenge it. And yourself. That way, you might learn."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"I didn't say I didn't," Sholeh said, withdrawing back into herself a bit and blushing again. "I'm like most people. I wasn't trying to say I was special or anything."

So much for being daring.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"I'm not trying to say you're just like everyone else, Sholeh," Ender said, offering her a slight smile. "All I'm saying is that recognizing the flaws we share with others helps us understand them and help us avoid making the same mistakes. So it's a good thing, that you already see this-- that you think about it at all."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Sholeh was tentative. Before, he'd sounded as if he'd been chastising her for pointing out a flaw that she shared. Now, he sounded approving, leaving Sholeh unsure what to think.

"Did you get anything out of this class?" she asked, half-expecting a facile answer.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"I got to meet all of you," Ender said. "Which is a great deal better than sitting in my hotel room staring at the walls."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"That's not really a high bar," Sholeh retorted, feeling oddly...let down by that answer.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"Maybe not, but it's an honest answer," Ender said. "And an honest truth. If I wasn't here I would be doing just that - and driving myself mad with my own thoughts."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"So your desire to teach has nothing to do with us and everything to do with you," Sholeh said slowly, as if she were trying some new food and expected it to be unpalatable.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"My desire to teach has everything to do with you, and everything to do with me," Ender said. "There aren't any easy answers here. Still."

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"But you just said that you decided to teach because it was a better option than staring at a hotel wall all day!" Sholeh protested. "What does that have to do with us?"

She wasn't looking for an easy answer, exactly. Just an explicable one.

Re: Group Discussion - Talk

[endsthegame]

"That I'd rather do something constructive like trying to help you through your difficulties here, some of which I'm aware of due to having been a student myself," Ender said. "There are other things I could think to do with my life, but none of them are an option while I'm here."

Group Discussion - Don't Talk

[endsthegame]

Listen. Eat.

Re: Group Discussion - Don't Talk

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

Emily was listening. Well kinda. With the way things were going back home she was more interested on leaving again, but she hadn't spent all the time she had with Takeda without receiving one too many lectures about patience.

It didn't mean she had to share a thing.