I do not consider myself an art expert yet I really enjoy it. This may be because art, like music, has a universal language and, thus, speak to almost everyone. I had a mistaken belief that the best pieces of art tend to be complex creations until I stumbled upon Henri Matisse’s Dance at New York-based MOMA. It was not really a complex creation yet it taught me that there is a certain beauty in simplicity, especially when simplicity is backed by a powerful idea.
One of the qualities of a beautiful artistic creation is not that it shows the viewers something new, but instead it makes the viewers think about something familiar on a deeper level and Matisse’s Dance is exactly such a creation. Up until then, I had attributed the popularity of dance around the world to it being a longtime tradition but the painting made me realized dance is not a popular activity due to being a tradition but because it speaks to some of our most basic human desires. These desires include the desire to be happy, the desire to spend time with loved ones and the desire to seek refuge from everyday stress of life, even if the relief may be temporary in nature. It is only appropriate that Matisse chose a family as the subject of the painting because nothing makes this life as pleasant as one’s family. Whether one is going through a good phase in life or a bad phase, family is the first support system he seeks. The opportunity to dance with them is merely an added bonus, as Matisse would have claimed.
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"College of Arts and Sciences Essay".
There are few as good teachers as history and even better teachers may be those who help shape history. The founding fathers of any nation provide a foundation that shapes the future of the country for decades and even centuries to come. Given America’s status in the world today, it is an appropriate claim that its founding fathers did a good job of building the country’s foundation. If I have the good fortune to meet George Washington, my first question will be as to why he didn’t choose to be an emperor rather than a President, as was the norm in most other countries. The response to this question would have helped me better understand the shortcomings of the system of monarchy and why it is not beneficial as well as sustainable in the long run.
I would also ask George Washington about the personalities as well as the schools of thought that influenced him as well as other founding fathers. The differing interpretations of U.S. Constitution by different parties in the U.S. also stems from the fact that they have different opinions as to who and what shaped the thinking of the founding fathers. George Washington’s response to this question would definitely help me better understand the soul of the U.S. Constitution. Last but not least, I would ask George Washington about his expectations from the future generations so that current generations could evaluate as to how far or close they are to the founding fathers’ dreams.
One of the personal traits I am most proud of is curiosity. Many elders mistakenly assume they know most of what is there to know or they simply overestimate how much they know. Thanks to my love for reading as well as meeting with people, I have been able to preserve the spark of curiosity I inherited as a child. This curiosity has also helped me develop an open mind because I have come to realize education takes place everywhere and everyone can be a teacher if we only realize it; even a child can be teacher, too. We only live few decades and there is only so much we can personally experience, thus, one of the smartest strategies is to learn from others’ experiences.
I also consider myself an independent thinker who is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. I have learnt from personal observations that many conventional wisdoms do not continue to survive because they are actually true but because many people merely find it convenient to accept them rather than challenge them. But people who bring change in this world are not the ones who blindly accept conventional wisdoms but those who are able to recognize that truths themselves change with time and what might have worked once may be outdated now. This is one of the reasons I believe non-traditional societies around the world tend to be more progressive as compared to traditional societies. I am not implying traditions are always harmful but instead I believe in letting go of traditions when they do not fit in the realities and needs of modern times. Social progress often takes place by challenging traditions and not upholding them at all costs.
I also consider myself a citizen of the world. While I believe in loving one’s country because there is nothing like a home country, I am also weary of nationalism. I believe the future of mankind depends upon realizing the fact that all countries have mutual interests and they are not engaged in zero-sum game. Globalization is a great example in this regard that it has benefitted both developed and developing countries. But at the same time, more needs to be done to ensure globalization benefits accrue to all. Thus, it is one of my future goals to engage in social work, particularly, in areas of education and healthcare.
