endsthegame: (20 years later: broody ender)
endsthegame ([personal profile] endsthegame) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2024-07-09 03:34 pm

Practical Philosophy, Tuesday

They were back out on the lawn again, albeit this time in the shade. Alongside the usual drinks offerings sat several pitchers of water, pieces of cucumber and lemon peacefully drifting within.

"I think I'll spare us all the extended introduction this time," Ender said, as soon as everyone was seated. "I thought I'd focus our topics somewhat, this half-semester. We, as sentient beings, struggle always to comprehend others, for our thoughts are both alike enough to inspire curiosity, and yet different enough to inspire confusion. And when the confusion outweighs the curiosity, it can result in horror."

He took a sip from his small glass of water.

"I'll be dragging along a few old, dead philosophers for the ride later on," he said. "For now, I'm simply interested in one question: when was the first time you actively remember yourself being confused by the actions of another being? And, with the benefit of hindsight, do you now understand why they did what they did?"
atreideslioness: (take my hand)

Re: Talk.

[personal profile] atreideslioness 2024-07-10 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"In a way," Ghani said thoughtfully. "It made me even more thankful for my nursemaid, Harah. She had also been Alia's, and was quite possibly the sole person who wasn't even the least bit afraid of any of us. To her, we were simply children who needed to be loved and raised. She was a practical woman who held no religious reverence for us, she was not scared of us, and did not view us as abominations. She was a steady rock in turbulent sands, and she loved us."

"But my aunt was so caught-up in the mythos my father had created and the weight that was crushing her, that she could no longer see Harah for who she was and what she offered. It has made me very aware of how no one person can stand alone, and how carefully I must choose who I surround myself with."

She smiled slightly. "Friendship does not always save the world. But sometimes it can save a person, and that is enough."