Brainwashing Yourself: Assignment 4A

Once again, we turn to changethis.com for another interesting article.  This time, the article is “Brainwashed” by Seth Godin.   In the article, Godin explains seven steps, or “layers” a person can go through in order to re-brainwash themselves to negate the brainwashing effect society has placed on us since childhood.  I will be looking at two of these seven layers.

Here is the link to view the article for yourself:  "Brainwashed"

The first layer I will be looking at is the one titled “Acknowledging the Lizard”.  In this layer, Godin talks about the “lizard brain” or the “prehistoric brainstem that all of us must contend with”.  In layman’s terms, it is the portion of the brain that dislikes being laughed and fears rejection.  Godin says that it is the portion of the brain that tells us to keep our heads down and follow orders.  It is the portion that makes us fear the social punishment that may result from not doing our homework.  Godin says that it is only by acknowledging our fear of rejection that we can ignore it to fulfill our desire to create our art.

Another layer that I think is important is the last layer “Learn”.  In this layer, Godin talks about how learning isn’t defined the same as it was fifty years ago and that true learning happens outside the classroom at expos and on blogs and in other experiences.  He suggests that a person never stops learning and as long as there is something to experience, there is something to learn.  Godin leaves off on this note: “The opportunity of our time is to discard what you think you know and instead learn what you need to learn. Every single day.”

I feel that these two layers are connected to the blogs that we are creating in this quarter in that these are just the kinds of outside experiences Godin speaks of in his “Learn” layer.  Also, by presenting our work on the internet, it has the possibility of being one of the most exposed thing in the world, which may make some of us, like one such as myself who absolutely hates having his work viewed by others, incredibly unnerved.  This falls into the “Acknowledging the Lizard” layer where it is the fear of rejection or the dislike of our work that keeps us from displaying it in such an open manner.  That’s why I believe that by having the class be able to view one another’s work at all times and by having these assignments/blogs in general, may help us to grow as artists.