endsthegame (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endsthegame) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2015-05-15 12:01 pm
endsthegame) wrote in fandomhigh2015-05-15 12:01 pm
Entry tags:
Practical Philosophy, Friday
It was cloudy, but not cold. Ender saw no reason to move his class location, and so he met everyone out on the lawn again, twin bags of water bottles and sandwiches sitting on the grass in front of him.
"Last week, Alluka and I talked a little about rules," he said. "I think we all make assumptions about what's correct behavior among other people. We learn this from our parents, and we learn this from our friends as we grow up, and we learn this from authority figures when we cross the line. When you're used to a life of rules, then it makes sense to assume that there might be many here, as well."
He stretched his legs out.
"Much of Fandom's culture is rooted in the more progressive side of 21st century protocol," he said. "We might see people here from all walks of life and all eras of time, but we do seem to cluster around the 20th and 21st centuries." A beat. "I say 'we', but I was born in the 22nd. Either way, the 20th century West - the area we are a part of - was rooted in an exploration of our freedoms. The rules of protocol that governed us before were experimented with, often thrown out or changed. Different rules emerged, and different structures."
He took a sip of water.
"And on this island in particular, we've developed a vocabulary of our own that gets passed on from one generation of students and teachers to the next. Be accepting of others' differences. Listen. But also: pursue your passions and your hobbies, as long as they don't endanger your life or the lives of others."
He smiled wryly. "This protocol sounds like a good one," he said, "because it matches the values of this time and place. This is how societies are built, with shared values resulting in shared norms, shared rules that a group of people decides to find normal, natural. But it can also be constrictive, especially for our students from earlier times. How far should they budge? How much time are we willing to give each other before expecting each other to bend to the rules of this time? There is this aura of freedom about this island, but the truth is, there are simply different rules in play. What have you encountered so far that makes you wonder - something that goes up against the values you were taught, and might be restrictive-- or more freeing than you're used to."
"Last week, Alluka and I talked a little about rules," he said. "I think we all make assumptions about what's correct behavior among other people. We learn this from our parents, and we learn this from our friends as we grow up, and we learn this from authority figures when we cross the line. When you're used to a life of rules, then it makes sense to assume that there might be many here, as well."
He stretched his legs out.
"Much of Fandom's culture is rooted in the more progressive side of 21st century protocol," he said. "We might see people here from all walks of life and all eras of time, but we do seem to cluster around the 20th and 21st centuries." A beat. "I say 'we', but I was born in the 22nd. Either way, the 20th century West - the area we are a part of - was rooted in an exploration of our freedoms. The rules of protocol that governed us before were experimented with, often thrown out or changed. Different rules emerged, and different structures."
He took a sip of water.
"And on this island in particular, we've developed a vocabulary of our own that gets passed on from one generation of students and teachers to the next. Be accepting of others' differences. Listen. But also: pursue your passions and your hobbies, as long as they don't endanger your life or the lives of others."
He smiled wryly. "This protocol sounds like a good one," he said, "because it matches the values of this time and place. This is how societies are built, with shared values resulting in shared norms, shared rules that a group of people decides to find normal, natural. But it can also be constrictive, especially for our students from earlier times. How far should they budge? How much time are we willing to give each other before expecting each other to bend to the rules of this time? There is this aura of freedom about this island, but the truth is, there are simply different rules in play. What have you encountered so far that makes you wonder - something that goes up against the values you were taught, and might be restrictive-- or more freeing than you're used to."