Twain on Opinions
In "Corn-pone Opinions," Twain discusses his philosophy on the way human beings form their opinions and beliefs. He states that any independent thought on religion, fashion or whatever other things have opinions on is rare if it even exists at all. Humans will follow the crowd so they will fit in to have the social reputation they long for. Also, they will not have a certain opinion if it interferes with their source of food.
He uses examples like fashion trends to explain how people conform to popular styles and opinions. He also uses the fact that no one wants to be seen as an outsider in his favor, as it shows that everyone conforms. Even you comform. Yes, you.
There is one part of this story that I find contradictory, and that is where he writes, "A new thing in costume appears- the flaring hoopskirt, for example- and the passers-by are shocked, and the irreverent laugh. Six months later everyone is reconciled; the fashion has established itself; it is admired, now, and no one laughs." So the point of this story is that no one forms their own opinions. But if no one can start anything new, no one can think for themselves, then where does this hoopskirt wearing trendstarter get her ideas? Obviously no one has been exposed to the hoopskirt or no one would laugh. This woman had to have formed her own opinion about how she looked in the skirt and decided on her own to wear it. I know you could argue that maybe the trend started outside the country and she picked it up from there. However, she would be again deciding on her own to bring it to America and try to make it popular. This woman is an absolute contradiction to the entire point of this essay. And yes, I did disagree with something Mark Twain said. I am so bold.
Question- Now armed with the knowledge that you are completely "uncapable" of forming opinions with out some outside influence, where do you think you get your opinions from, such as religion, political affiliation, etc?
He uses examples like fashion trends to explain how people conform to popular styles and opinions. He also uses the fact that no one wants to be seen as an outsider in his favor, as it shows that everyone conforms. Even you comform. Yes, you.
There is one part of this story that I find contradictory, and that is where he writes, "A new thing in costume appears- the flaring hoopskirt, for example- and the passers-by are shocked, and the irreverent laugh. Six months later everyone is reconciled; the fashion has established itself; it is admired, now, and no one laughs." So the point of this story is that no one forms their own opinions. But if no one can start anything new, no one can think for themselves, then where does this hoopskirt wearing trendstarter get her ideas? Obviously no one has been exposed to the hoopskirt or no one would laugh. This woman had to have formed her own opinion about how she looked in the skirt and decided on her own to wear it. I know you could argue that maybe the trend started outside the country and she picked it up from there. However, she would be again deciding on her own to bring it to America and try to make it popular. This woman is an absolute contradiction to the entire point of this essay. And yes, I did disagree with something Mark Twain said. I am so bold.
Question- Now armed with the knowledge that you are completely "uncapable" of forming opinions with out some outside influence, where do you think you get your opinions from, such as religion, political affiliation, etc?
posted by Lesley at 7:00 AM
2 Comments:
You make a good point about the originator of the hoopskirt. How does change ever occur if noone is thinking for him/herself? Yet, ideas and trends don't just pop up out of nowhere - they come out of a context. A trendsetter is a person who takes something already in existence and shows it in a new way, boldly enough that others tend to follow. Does that really make a trendsetter a total nonconformist? I'm not sure.
Good blog.
And now that I've thought about it - trendsetting usually springs from a desire to win public approval. I wonder how long someone would hold out with a new fashion or idea if noone conformed to it? If that person were excluded or shut out because of their trend? Or worse.
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