Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here

• He was—and is—a perpetual challenge and goad. Freud has something challenging and provoking to say about virtually every human aspiration (desire or ideal). Therefore his writing is always a challenge and goad
Question (In para.30)
• What is the purpose of reading? • What can you get from reading?
• (Para. 31)From Emerson I learned to trust my own thoughts, to trust them even when every voice seems to be on the other side.
Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?
Pபைடு நூலகம்ras.30~41
Part VII (Paras. 30-34)
• The speaker tells students how to find out who they really are and what they really want to do with their lives. • He believes that the place to do that is at university and the best method is to read great authors. • Then he describes his own experience to show how he has benefited from reading.
• society • The most important virtue in this society is conformity. • Emerson regards self-reliance as the force opposing conformity( names and customs).
(Para. 30) You may find your own suppressed and rejected thoughts flowing back to you with an “alienated majesty.” （note 19） 你在阅读中,你可能会发现自己曾遭到压制和排斥 的思想现在有点像“遭贬的国王”那样庄严回朝。
• If one loves the truth, he should not be afraid to be alone. • Emerson once said that to be great is to be misunderstood.
• • • •
(Para. 31)“Society is a… The virtue in most request is conformity . Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators,but names and customs.”
• (Para. 36)Right now, if you’re going to get a real education, you may have to be aggressive and assertive. • The speaker tells the students that they may have to be aggressive and assertive instead of being shy, bashful, submissive. • aggressive: 积极地；有进取精神的 ；有冲劲的 assertive: 自信的
Part VIII (Paras. 35-38)
• In this part, the speaker sums up his suggestions as how students can get a real education.
Detailed Analysis of the Text
• (Para. 35)In reading, I continue to look for one thing—to be influenced, to learn something new, to be thrown off my course and onto another, better way.
• (Para. 34)I learned that if I wanted to affirm any consequential ideal, I had to talk my way past Freud. declare my firm belief in any important ideal deal with Freud’s views and successfully argue with/refute him (before I can declare my belief in that ideal)
Further Thinking
• Do you agree with this idea? • How do you understand “education”?/ • What is the purpose of a university education?
Part IX (Paras. 39-40)
• The speakers ends with the idea that education is about each student's finding out what form of work is close to being play— work he does so easily that it restores him as he goes. • It will bring out his best qualities, his imagination, devotion, passion, and determination.
• Education is about finding out what form of work for you is close to being play—work you do so easily that it restores you as you go. • 教育就是要发现你们最乐在其中的工作形式— —无须太费力就能完成，并且可以让你们恢复 自我的工作。 Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it. (Eileen Caddy)
Detailed Analysis of the Text
(Para. 30)The reason to read Blake and Dickinson and Freud and Dickens is… embarrassed (or who can embarrass others). • People often do not know the true value of reading. They just want to be considered cultured and articulate, and be able to show off, to impress others, to carry on intelligent conversations on social occasions. But these are not good reasons. • According to the speaker, the best reason is to see if these writers may know you better than you know yourself.
• 使我摆脱老路。 • find new ideas and new perspectives that will make me change the course of my life and put me on a new and better way. Question:What can we learn from reading?