Julia Mendoza, Week 9 - Facing the Truth: What Really is Power?
I apologize to all of you new blog cohorts in advance.
Reading these next 8 blogs that consistently reach the 500 word-limit may seem like such a chore and could create a new inconvenience for you for the next couple of months. But while I may have the ability to make my disarrayed ideas come to life in the form of a mini essay, you actually have more power over my writing than you think.
You have the power to interpret my words into an entirely different meaning.
Or the power to critique my writing.
Or even the power to add new ideas and perspectives, further developing my writing.
This relationship we will form as fellow cohorts represents quite a common use of power in the real world.
Unfortunately, so many people are under the belief that they have so much control over others. They take advantage of this raw power and will do everything they can to make sure that you know who is in charge. That you feel helpless. The victim of their power. They choose to ignore the truth and turn a blind eye to the real way power is distributed among all of us.
Everyone and anyone can have power.
Power merely gives us nothing but a plethora of choices in which we get the opportunity to make every day for as long as we live. Power does nothing to harm or help anyone. It exists to play out the consequences of the ways in which we choose to use it. There is no such thing as having more power than another individual. We are simply given the choice to transform it into either our strength or our weakness. To use it, or hide it. We place our own ideas into this concept of power to the point where no one truly understands the actual simplicity of it, as how we may interpret the idea of purity, or the blankness of a canvas.
We all have the power, the decision, to incorporate it within us in order to become the best, truest version of ourselves.
So while I do have the choice to ignore your feedback and have complete control over my writing for these blogs, I have come to the decision of allowing everyone to use their power by means of expressing their own thoughts with me as we continue to write until the end of May.
After all, you, like every other person we casually meet on the way to school, or on social media, or who we learn about in history lessons, not only have obtained power itself, but the power to use it for your own good…
Hi Julia! I enjoyed reading your, arguably very philosophical, but refreshing and different response to this quarter’s blog response than the others I have read. I enjoyed your humorous tone, which I admit does turn this assignment which begins as a chore into an interesting and dare I say enjoyable task. I also found the format of your blog post extremely different and it does not follow a strict section format which I feel creates a flowing style which effectively engages the reader in your writing. Your tone contributes to this specific flow as it is very distinct and authentic which is enhanced by your usage of varying fonts as you switch between italics and bold words on multiple occasions. Switching to the content of your blog, I initially did not understand the position you were taking, but after reading your commentary a few more times I immediately connected to your perspective which created an interesting and contrasting dynamic between the previous blogs I read. Many other of our classmates in our blog cohort took the position that power is an object that only the best, the top 1% of society can hold; however, you point out many valid points on how power is an abstract idea which can be obtained by anyone in a multitude of simple manners: one being words. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
ReplyDeleteHi Julia! The biggest thing that stood out to me about your blog was the syntax and format that you employed. I have never seen this in a blog before, so I appreciate the unique style in which you wrote. Bolding certain sentences was an excellent way to emphasize the main point that you were making. In my mind, I was immediately able to recognize that I had to pay special attention to those phrases, which made it easy for me to follow your discussion. I am excited to see what other exceptional ideas you come up with for your blogs in the coming months. Nevertheless, I loved how you tied the new blog cohort to an analysis of power. The three-line introduction toward the top of your blog elucidates your point. You opened my mind to a different perspective on blog comments—one that I never would have thought of. Now that I think about it, I do have the power to give meaning to your words and to critique your writing in any way I want (to a certain extent). However, as you mentioned, this applies to everyday decisions. There is some form of power in every decision that one makes, and thus, it determines what version of ourselves we are. I liked the way you concluded your blog with a phrase in italics that conveys an important message. I think that is the ultimate meaning of your discussion—since power coincides with the choices that we make, we should strive to use it for our benefit because, at the end of the day, the main goal of life is to live well.
ReplyDeleteI was immediately taken aback reading your first words. I thought it may have been a mistake. But as I read on, I realized that you were in fact trying to address us—your fellow blog cohort members. I was surprised, because I had never read a blog with such a direct and engaging style before. I have to admit, I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteYou began your blog a powerful note, directly confronting your audience about how to interpret the text in front of them. Personally, I felt empowered after reading these three lines, which demonstrates your skill as a writer. But it also brings up an important point, that we actually hold so much power through our words. And I agree that everyone should have freedom to express themselves through writing. Your formatting was also eye-catching. The two bold sentences caught my attention, but also organized the text. The plethora of literary devices helped me understand a pivotal point in your blog—that power is actually a simple concept, something often for interpretation like a “[blank] canvas.” Then you return back to where you started, applying everything you talked about to a topic very much relevant to all of us. Your text was simply fascinating from start to finish.
Hi Julia! I was immediately drawn into your blog by the unique and engaging beginning. The way you framed the relationship between you as the writer and us as the reader, highlighting our power to interpret, critique, and add perspectives, was incredibly interesting as I have never seen anyone do it before in a blog. It made me reflect on the dynamics of power in various aspects of life. Your analogy of power in the real world, where some misuse it to assert control, resonated with me deeply as I have witnessed and learned about it multiple times. I appreciate your perspective on the simplicity of power, emphasizing that everyone possesses it and has the choice to transform it into strength or weakness. The notion that power is neither inherently harmful nor helpful but depends on how it is wielded is a powerful concept in itself. Overall, your blog sparked contemplation on the nature of power and the choices we make daily. I look forward to reading more of your blogs and seeing you grow as a writer!
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