“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without our thinking.” A. Einstein
1) As far as I am concerned, the words of the scholar reflect the very nature of human mind and its influence on the world around us. We are the only who can change the world but it will never happen if we stay within our old way of thinking. We must go beyond our habitual mind and take a fresh look at the situation – only then will we be able to find the best solution. It’s a universal truth and it becomes even more acute from year to year, when there appear more and more stereotypes, social and cultural conflicts in te world which may become the root of dramatic disasters.
2) I have a friend of mine who is a locomotive-driver. When we first met and I heard about his occupation, I saw him as a simple worker in its stereotyped meaning – a person who just pushes some buttons, pulls some levers, looks ahead and that’s all. But as we continued our communication, I got deeper in the features of his job and saw that it was not so primitive at all – actually, it involved much more intellectual work than a physical one – his brain is always busy from the first minute the enters the depot, he must constantly control the panels, count and double-check many figures, calculate using mathematics and physics. Later I witnessed his work and got convinced that it’s far from being easy. Moreover, I’ve learnt that very few people can succeed in this profession although pretty many enter the college (and even fewer of them graduate from it!). It was big news for me and made me reconsider such jobs as mechanic, waitress, driver, etc. I started examining these people at their work and surprisingly found out that there are a lot of tasks which make them think quickly, make right decision, calculate, and communicate at the same time. I am glad that I met a person who opened my eyes and this essay only proves my point of view.
3) Albert Einstein’s quote perfectly fits the essay by M. Rose. In Western culture body and mind are treated as totally separate things which have nothing in common. According to this viewpoint, there are two kinds of work: the one which involves only brain and the other which requires only physical work. The author criticizes this opinion and provides several examples of people who have a seemingly monotonous and easy job but actually demanding much brainwork and good physical skills, too. He speaks about his mother who worked as a waitress and had excellent memory and was a good psychologist, which enhanced her work. The author also mentions his uncle Joe Meraglio, who worked at a factory and could manage many tasks at a time, solve any problem, optimize the production and constantly enriched his knowledge. Furthermore, it is said that a person needs many skills to do a “simple physical” work – in maths, physics, analysis, psychology, sociology, social interaction, interpretation and so on. But what is more significant – it’s the unity of body and mind which enables a worker to cope with his tasks well. Thus, it may be treated as even more important and challenging than the so-called “intelligent job”. The author underlines this fact because he believes that considering everyday physical work mindless, we give birth to social separation and limited educational opportunities. I think, the author wants us to change our way of thinking: re-estimate physical work and start to appreciate workers more. Tiny steps trigger off big changes, and this simple thought can change the world.
Works Cited
"Blue-Collar Brilliance." The American Scholar:. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
