Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

It was downright balmy out today, which frankly was a first for Ender's class - he was more used to having to watch the skies for sudden attacks of rainstorms or the like. Not that that ever stopped him, but still: it was nice not to have to worry about.

He walked in and sat down when everyone had settled, putting the bag of sandwiches down in the middle of the group. "So," he said. "Last Friday, most of us encountered an old Fandom classic - bursting into song whether we like it or not. Usually not."

He stretched out his legs. "Now there's a lot of discussion about art, expression, of which music is a part. Many have argued that a well-developed civilization needs art, to get people to better themselves - the paternalistic approach - or because expression is a fundamental part of human nature. It is, I suppose: we all express ourselves in our own ways, whether it be through song or painting or macaroni sculptures."

Ender paused, looking wry. "Of course," he said, "You could argue that what happened last Friday was more a 'spewing forth', an unpleasant regurgitation of your or someone else's expression that you didn't intend and didn't ask for. Is it still self-expression when it's done at metaphorical gunpoint? And something that I wondered about - is there a point to doing it, voluntarily or not, in front of someone you've already shared yourself with? Or is it freeing to just... sing out what's on your mind, without social filters, but with an easy excuse to blame it on?"

Comments

Talk.

[endsthegame]

About the subject matter at hand, or pose some other topic to the class. Ender's fine with either.

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"I hid stayed in my room so no one would hear me," Cassidy admitted.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled a little. "Embarrassed about the singing?" he said. "Or about the content?"

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"A little of both," she readily admitted.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"That must have been a rough day, then," Ender said.

Re: Talk.

[arsenicmauls]

"The only person I hung out with all day was a friend I knew wouldn't be a jerk about it if I started singing something uncomfortable," Gert offered. "It was kind of good that I did, because I think I managed to make her feel better about stuff by singing... really sappy crap." She wrinkled her nose.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Was it worth having to sing sappy crap?" Ender asked, looking a little amused.

Re: Talk.

[arsenicmauls]

Gert looked thoughtful. "Maybe, I guess," she said. "For me personally, anyway. I wasn't traumatized or anything, but I can think of situations where someone else might have been." She fiddled with a loose lock of hair for a minute, then amended, "I guess the better question would be whether I made the best of the singing, and I think I did."

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

"I have a karking wonderful singing voice," Cade said. "I didn't know that."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Really," Ender said. "Can we expect an appearance from you at the next musical?"

He didn't think so.

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

Cade snorted. "No."

No one needed him revisiting his version of "All By Myself."

Re: Talk.

[flickofthewrist]

"I didn't sing." He'd missed that particular bit of whimsy, thankfully. "So, I can't really participate in this discussion."

Or maybe he just didn't want to think about what would have happened had he ended up singing about the crap inside his head. He really didn't want to think about that.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"I'm not sure about that," Ender said easily. "You can still view it as a theoretical exercise. Or just express your relief that you missed out on it."

Re: Talk.

[flickofthewrist]

"I'm relieved." There. Expression. "I don't want to sing. Ever."

Re: Talk.

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't here," Karina said, thanking god for that. "And singing is great, if we're not being forced to share secrets."

What was with the island and violating privacy? Honestly.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

It was a Thing that happened, usually leaving behind a lot of debris to clean up. You either got used to it or you pushed through it until you could get out of here.

"Sadly, the two seem to go hand in hand when the island pulls this," Ender said. "It's not one of my favorite annual events."

Re: Talk.

[sciencesalarian.livejournal.com]

"Found phenomenon scientifically interesting and ultimately inexplicable, at least without proper equipment, and time, of course, time needed to gather cultures and do brain scans and--getting off point." Mordin hardly even paused before launching into his next thought. "Annoying, as well. Personally dealing with communication through translator program. Do not need lyrical poetics further muddying communication. Personal annoyance negligible, though. More curious to discuss statement 'expression is part of human nature.' Don't necessarily disagree just...curious how humans view their own cultural development."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"What, specifically, are you curious about?" Ender asked, sitting up. "We'll see if we can find some answers between the lot of us."

Re: Talk.

[sciencesalarian.livejournal.com]

"Idea of expression and culture as inherent to nature of species. Self-awareness born from in-born desire to express? Or other way around, self-awareness leading to reflection leading to expression?"

Mordin had a habit of getting off-topic, but at least this time he was aware of it.

"Not asking for definitive answers, just...perspectives. How people view human expression."

Re: Talk.

[myownface]

"... Wait, that was an island thing? I thought I was just... you know... singing."

A day spent singing show-tunes in his room while keeping his roommate from eating his cat really wasn't all that out-of-the-ordinary for this place. Sparkle hadn't even suspected.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Island thing," Ender confirmed. He didn't look terribly surprised that Sparkle hadn't noticed. "We sing our hearts out and then we huddle up to feel terrible about it."

Re: Talk.

[myownface]

"Because we can't have an island thing without people feeling terrible about it," Sparkle replied, nodding a little. He didn't seem terribly surprised, either. "At least singing is usually pretty harmless. Unless it involves opening up and singing things that give shit away, like those times when people lose the ability to lie, around here."

Sparkle needed his ability to lie. He needed it to live.

Re: Talk.

[spin_kick_snap]

"It was...weird," Kathy said, looking dubious about the entire thing. "I guess it wasn't really embarrassing or whatever for me because I like to sing and everyone else was, too, but I didn't have any control over it. I didn't know what was happening, but suddenly I was singing when I didn't expect to and singing songs I didn't even know. This kind of thing happens all the time?"

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"This particular thing happens once a year," Ender said. "But... similar events, yes. Usually they pass in a day; if they happen on a weekend, they'll last through to Monday."

Re: Talk.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Are people just so used to this stuff they don't care?" she asked. "I mean, wasn't that some form of mind-control? I certainly didn't intend to sing, but there I was anyway. That's weird, right? Everyone thinks this is weird?"

She looked around at her fellow students, hoping someone would back her up on how not normal that was.