“But if thought corrupts language, language
can also corrupt thought.” George Orwell 1946
As we approach the end of the semester, I am
reflecting on how much I have learned from this class. In the beginning, I didn’t feel this class
would pertain to my “real” life.
However, as I made a pitch for an idea I had to improve my work environment
to my boss, I realized how the skills learned in this class actually do apply
to real life. I have also gained a
greater appreciation for how language and thought are connected. Working with people for whom English is not
their first language, it is interesting to see how thinking in English changes
how and what we think. I have also
learned in this class how to better frame my arguments to win people over to my
side. Case in point, my boss saw my
point and changed the process in question.
So in conclusion, this math major is converted a bit. Maybe rhetoric isn’t such a bad class for
everyone to take, since we all have to defend a point of view at some point in
our lives. Being able to intelligently
argue for your stand is a skill that is very lacking in our society, and we
should encourage more and more people to learn it.
