"Our lives are full of fish swimming backwards"
That's what Isaac Lidsky had to say about people's perspective in this Ted-Talk. Lidsky is an author, speaker, and CEO of ODC construction and before losing his sight; played Weasel on Saved By The Bell: The New Class. Now serving as the only blind person as a law clerk for the U.S. supreme court, Lidsky gives an incredible insight on what reality really is. See, his condition gradually reduced his line of vision until he ultimately could not see anymore. Naturally, he panicked and felt very distressed at the fact that his world was shattering and falling apart. The funny thing about this is that his ' disability' gave way to an understanding that reality is not what you see but a universal concept different for everyone who experiences it. Not every disillusionment is a horror story. Lidsky went into all of this thinking that he would never again live a 'normal' life and be able to have a stable job or ever marry and here he is doing just that. He says; "...We are biased, we are right and they are wrong, we strive for unattainable perfection, we tell ourselves what we can and cannot do." Much like what Holden does throughout the story in Catcher In The Rye. This book is very tricky when trying to find out the meaning behind it with it's intricate flow and based on your mindset when you first go in reading (" They way you feel can literally impact what you see."-Lidsky).
On one hand, you can look at it like how most kids view it the most- a personal representation of what goes on in the world around them. For example, the 'phonies' that Holden speaks of throughout the story is prevalent from beginning to end. We interpret it as a mean of fake friends with ill intentions and immediately think about our past experiences on that topic, leading us to believe that we have this sincere connection with Holden's character. Not only that, but the double-sided conundrum of how he really feels about everyone around him is gold, and the main reason why teens feel like they can really relate to him.
On the other hand, you can view it as Holden's perspective on reality due to his own past experiences; the death of his brother Allie. The 'phonies' that he speaks of stems from the time when he missed Allie's funeral and those relatives that just simply came and left didn't have the slightest idea of who Allie really was and didn't have to deal with the torment of losing a close sibling like that. Those are the phonies. The ones he was jealous of because they were able to do what he wishes he could've done; say goodbye to Allie. They were also phonies because Holden found their condolences insincere, and has ever since been intolerant of any insincerity from others, which he profoundly judges without rest. The times when he thinks one thing and says another about others is to highlight his pessimistic behaviors because sometimes he voices those thoughts, and other times he doesn't.
The Catcher in the Rye theme is also prevalent throughout the book, and stems from Holden wanting to be a catcher in the rye who is at the edge of cliff watching over the children who are playing and keeps them safe. For example, when Holden was walking, he saw a family walking in front of him where the mother and father were just walking along and talking to each other and not paying attention to the kid at all, whom Holden calls 'swell' because he was singing, even though the boy was walking on the street-not the sidewalk. Holden then moves up closer to hear what the little boy was singing which was ; "If a body catch a body coming through the rye". This apparently raised Holden's mood to which he comments on saying, "It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore."( Salinger 128) At this point of analysis, it's apparent that the reason this scenario brightens up his mood is because it gives him a bit of a feel in what he wanted to be which was a catcher in the rye. The kid being that close to danger with no parental advisory other than Holden's watch over him is precisely like Holden's tale of being the only guardian preventing any child who goes in close line of danger unknowingly. Not only that but Holden misconstrued the lines and thought it was "If a body catch a body" when it was ' If a body meet a body". This was pointed out to him by his sister Phoebe but in a sense symbolizes him catching any child in harms way, the same way he wishes that he could have done for his deceased brother. In conclusion, experiences will always play a role in perspective which in turn will play a role in everyone's reality which we have to learn to live with our 'minds wide open' as Lidsky says.
That's what Isaac Lidsky had to say about people's perspective in this Ted-Talk. Lidsky is an author, speaker, and CEO of ODC construction and before losing his sight; played Weasel on Saved By The Bell: The New Class. Now serving as the only blind person as a law clerk for the U.S. supreme court, Lidsky gives an incredible insight on what reality really is. See, his condition gradually reduced his line of vision until he ultimately could not see anymore. Naturally, he panicked and felt very distressed at the fact that his world was shattering and falling apart. The funny thing about this is that his ' disability' gave way to an understanding that reality is not what you see but a universal concept different for everyone who experiences it. Not every disillusionment is a horror story. Lidsky went into all of this thinking that he would never again live a 'normal' life and be able to have a stable job or ever marry and here he is doing just that. He says; "...We are biased, we are right and they are wrong, we strive for unattainable perfection, we tell ourselves what we can and cannot do." Much like what Holden does throughout the story in Catcher In The Rye. This book is very tricky when trying to find out the meaning behind it with it's intricate flow and based on your mindset when you first go in reading (" They way you feel can literally impact what you see."-Lidsky).
On one hand, you can look at it like how most kids view it the most- a personal representation of what goes on in the world around them. For example, the 'phonies' that Holden speaks of throughout the story is prevalent from beginning to end. We interpret it as a mean of fake friends with ill intentions and immediately think about our past experiences on that topic, leading us to believe that we have this sincere connection with Holden's character. Not only that, but the double-sided conundrum of how he really feels about everyone around him is gold, and the main reason why teens feel like they can really relate to him.
On the other hand, you can view it as Holden's perspective on reality due to his own past experiences; the death of his brother Allie. The 'phonies' that he speaks of stems from the time when he missed Allie's funeral and those relatives that just simply came and left didn't have the slightest idea of who Allie really was and didn't have to deal with the torment of losing a close sibling like that. Those are the phonies. The ones he was jealous of because they were able to do what he wishes he could've done; say goodbye to Allie. They were also phonies because Holden found their condolences insincere, and has ever since been intolerant of any insincerity from others, which he profoundly judges without rest. The times when he thinks one thing and says another about others is to highlight his pessimistic behaviors because sometimes he voices those thoughts, and other times he doesn't.
The Catcher in the Rye theme is also prevalent throughout the book, and stems from Holden wanting to be a catcher in the rye who is at the edge of cliff watching over the children who are playing and keeps them safe. For example, when Holden was walking, he saw a family walking in front of him where the mother and father were just walking along and talking to each other and not paying attention to the kid at all, whom Holden calls 'swell' because he was singing, even though the boy was walking on the street-not the sidewalk. Holden then moves up closer to hear what the little boy was singing which was ; "If a body catch a body coming through the rye". This apparently raised Holden's mood to which he comments on saying, "It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore."( Salinger 128) At this point of analysis, it's apparent that the reason this scenario brightens up his mood is because it gives him a bit of a feel in what he wanted to be which was a catcher in the rye. The kid being that close to danger with no parental advisory other than Holden's watch over him is precisely like Holden's tale of being the only guardian preventing any child who goes in close line of danger unknowingly. Not only that but Holden misconstrued the lines and thought it was "If a body catch a body" when it was ' If a body meet a body". This was pointed out to him by his sister Phoebe but in a sense symbolizes him catching any child in harms way, the same way he wishes that he could have done for his deceased brother. In conclusion, experiences will always play a role in perspective which in turn will play a role in everyone's reality which we have to learn to live with our 'minds wide open' as Lidsky says.