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Latest update: October 31, 2000
We want particularly to look at two uses of "because."
- "Because" as the word which most often introduces causal analysis.
- "Because" as alerting us to linear thinking.
Jaitee Speed, Michael Planck, Donna Maria Woods, and Tina Juen have begun a dialog on this topic:
On Wednesday, October 25, 2000. Jaitee Speed wrote:
"Jeanne, Michael Planck sent me his thought on the lecture you gave Tuesday night. I agreed with what he was saying about the word "because." It does prompt one to believe that a person is compromising his own standards. I wonder what would have happened if Beatty's father had simply ignored the jokes altogether. I find it very fake and dishonoring for anyone to entertain criticism that is directed towards the self. I am also concerned with the issue of whether or not Beatty's father explained to him later why he slapped him on the shoulder. Because if there was no explanation for his action, the child grows up to be unaware of why he is using deference behavior."On Tuesday, October 31, 2000, jeanne responded:
This is exciting! An A to the group for such dialog!In response to Michael Planck's earlier comment on "because":
" When asked to consider the most appropriate answer to the question describing deference behavior (accepting negative input about one's self) From White Boy Shuffle the content of answer "b" and, in particular, one word in this answer came into question. The word "because" alerts the possibility of compromising one's own integrity so as not to rattle the cage of those whose "voice" embraces the dominate discourse. To support this assertion, the word linear (narrow and uniform in width) came under discussion. As I understand it, linear characterizes the excuse for permitting the process of denying the innate right to see, hear, touch and feel the input of people, places and things. In other words, rather than challenging the behavior of absolute deference and not to go too far to the left or too far to the right and stay on a narrow perspective, one slowly can defer what your heart, your soul, your being is needing to express. Damn it, it's OK to be human!