Kerry Flores Levi Negley Humanities 2A January 7, 2014 Final Project Charles Olsens explanation of the thing its

self in The Human Universe is the fundamental ground of our lesson because his main idea is that people are no longer living in reality. Olsen says, These are false faces, too much seen, which hide and keep from use the active intellectual states. (Olsen 1) what he is trying to explain is that the entirety of human race is putting their focus on icons and symbols, and those things are preventing us from access the truest and most real part in our lives, reality. This idea connects to the sole purpose of the unit because it is trying to open the mind of reader, so they start to see things as they are and living in reality. According to Olsen the only way to do that is by experiencing the thing its self as it is. The main idea of the unit was to be aware of everything; allow yourself to be aware of the moment that you are drifting away, so that you can adjust it and reconnect to the moment. In other words, live in reality so that you can be connected to the moment. These two ideas are aiming for one goal, living in reality. I think this idea shows up in the world quiet often; with the way that people are using social media sites. One way this shows up is when people are communicating threw the social media site. When people are engaged in social media then they are experiencing the symbol of communication rather than the reality of it. When people are focusing on twitter they are disengaged from the rest of the world; they no longer become aware of their surroundings. You can tell when people are in such a when they are walking and right before they walk into a

wall or pole they break the engagement with social media and enter the reality of what was happening. After which the re-engage with social media and continue on their way, but this time with a little more awareness of their surroundings. If you watch closely you can see the precise moment when the engagement with the social media is broken, and when they re-engage. It is at these moments, when in the real world, that people are dealing with the problem of failing to live in reality. This concept of living in reality shows up in my life at school. An example of this is when the teacher is giving a lecture and I no longer become engaged in the lecture. For whatever reason I become disengaged, and I am no longer aware of what is happening out side of my own bubble. The way this connects with not living in reality is because when this happens, I am no longer in the reality of school. As Olsen was explaining in the Human Universe people are so commonly distracted and unaware of what is real. With me being in my own mind rather than what is going on in class I am experiencing exactly what Olsen was trying to explain. I am no longer aware of what is real I am only aware of what is in my mind, of what I want to be aware of.