The next Real Talk: October 11, based on a Ted talk by Maria Bezaitis: The surprising need for strangeness. ted/talks/maria_bezaitis_the_surprising_need_for_strangeness.html In her Ted Talk, Bezaitis argues that we need to actively seek out “strangeness”. We need to interact with people different from us, who can teach us new ways of thinking, and help us expand our own conception of the world. Bezaitis talks about seeking strangeness in the realm of technology. She points out that technology today does not encourage us to reach out to those different from us, but rather keeps us in close contact with those who have similar interests and perspectives: on facebook, you are connected with your friends and family, and even within friends and family, you can filter out those people whose different opinions bother you. Interestingly, Bezaitis does not explain how technology could encourage us to “safely seek strangeness”. However, it is an interesting question to think about. How could a social media platform encourage new relationships? Even if this was possible, would a social media platform have an incentive to encourage people to seek out strangeness? This opens up a more interesting question: do people want to interact with those different from themselves? Is there a balance of familiarity and newness that is best for our personal growth? Where does this balance lie for different people, and how can we find our own balance?
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:45:27 +0000
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