To prepare you to read Ray Bradbury's
Fahrenheit 451, I've asked you to spend a week amending your lifestyle, giving up some "progressive" facet of our society to consider how that technology or adaptation affects your life for better and for worse.
Summarize and respond to that experience. What did you do? Please be specific.
What reflections did it lead you to? Particularly consider the questions at the bottom of your sacrifice handout. If you have misplaced that handout, you can also see it
here.
I will post an example response shortly before the due date so I can be authentic in my reflections. Please do the same so your thinking reflects the entirety of your experience.
Keep in mind the intent of posting your work on this public forum: so your classmates can read about your experiences and be challenged by your thinking.
With that goal in mind, be sure you're cognizant of your audience, addressing the assignment's purpose & employing effective writing skills, but keeping your ideas to a length that your classmates will read your work. Please use my example to guide you.
Over the last week, I chose to focus on kindness, which led me to reflect that perhaps people don't practice kindness as often because of the time and selflessness it requires. Specifically, I would wait for co-workers in the parking lot to greet them in the morning; would hold doors for others; was a generous thought, compliment, and gift-giver, and greeted people I didn't know. Though I must say these actions didn't feel like much of a sacrifice on my behalf as I felt I personally benefited from giving, I realize why, potentially, deliberate kindness isn't a habit for may: I sacrificed much of my time and, in some cases, money in giving to others. I realized, too, that sometimes kindness is a risk of vulnerability: in opening ourselves to others, we risk rejection and awkward interactions. Overall, however, the benefits far outweigh the cost. I believe in the kindness of others, but think we would need to be a braver, less time-focused society that acts with more deliberation than instinct if the world were to be a kinder place.
