Blog 9

              Strawson writes very differently from Beck, and it was much harder to understand his essay. His writing is a lot more complex, but putting that aside, I didn’t enjoy his work as much as Beck’s. I found his argument partially true, but it also seemed as thou he only looked at it from one side. I found his tone to be negative about life being a story. I understand that some people are very factual, while others try to find meaning in everything that has happened. There are also some people who look at the events in their past as the reason they can’t move forward, while others are way too positive about everything. With that said no matter someone’s outlook on their past, it has played a role in crafting who they are today. Even if someone isn’t the person, they were 10 years ago, there is something along the way that forced them to change. They are on a journey, and this entire journey is part of the person they are now. I disagree with Strawson that some people just don’t tell life as a narrative, and don’t tell stories of their lives. In order to form relationships and make connections with others, usually some background is given. Off the bat, normally only good memories are shared, but they are stories nonetheless. While reading, I stumble upon the question of what makes a story different from the factual restating of events. I think that the difference lies in the purpose behind what was shared. If any meaning can be attached to the events, it was most likely a story. I find it hard to believe that there are people who can share events from their past without telling a story. There was one part of Strawson’s writing that stuck with me the most, is when he talked about a man who did not have any memories. He was fine with having memory loss, because then he only lived in the present. It was an interesting thought of not living in the past, and just focusing on today. It is a nice idea; however, you need the past to learn from your mistakes and become a better person. Just because you shouldn’t dwell on the past, doesn’t mean it is not important, or doesn’t contribute to who you are as an individual.