Word: properly
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Over the past few months, I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about reading and writing. I have been trying out what the proper attitude towards these things ought to be, though to be fair, I should admit that I was motivated by procrastination as much as curiosity. I had thought about these issues in a general way over the past couple of years, especially as a first-year, when literary theory seemed to be all the rage. It wasn't until beginning to write a thesis that questions of attitude and method became really engaging, however...
Generally, teachers suggest a mixture of humility and enthusiasm as the proper attitude towards learning. John Ruskin, a Victorian critic of society and art, wrote that we ought to be extremely careful when reading not to impose our own opinions on the material. Too many people tend to read their own feelings and beliefs into books. The result is that we end up learning a bit more about ourselves, but we never get to hear from the authors themselves. If we want to get at the real learning in the book, we ought to study each word's meaning precisely...
...also used to justify not drinking on grounds of hypocrisy, given that I believed (and still do believe) that 21 is the proper drinking age--it encourages us to think twice before drinking at a young age and, studies show, it cuts drunk driving deaths. But hypocrisy began to seem like a smokescreen, given my propensity to jay-walk and speed without hesitation...
...inhabitants are partly to blame for its image problem. The average Quadling, when asked how he or she can stand living there, will at best murmur that it's not so bad, really and inevitably conclude with a rueful comment on the distance. That's all wrong. The proper response should be: "What are you talking about? It's great!" Too often the Quad resident is actually brainwashed by this kind of misdirected sympathy into feeling sorry for himself or herself. There's really no reason for it. We ought to be smirking, or even openly boasting, not contributing...
...preparation for my visit, I can't help but notice that disconcerting language keeps creeping into the virtual tour: "Beginning with luncheon, food and drink are served well into the evening with a menu that changes three times daily. Need a pick-me-up? Espresso, cappuccino or a proper pot of tea are served here." Luncheon? A proper...