Innocence is a value no one can maintain their entire lives. It’s more than not knowing about
death or being exposed to human rights violations. Fundamentally it is the act of being at peace with yourself. For example if a child is attacked by a specific breed of dog and left scarred for life they may very well associate said breed of dog or maybe the entire species with bad memories and never again look at them the way others do. As seen by the quote “ Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - by Albert Camus innocence is something pleasant for the most part because it implies a lack of guilt and sorrow that comes along with it. We all lose our innocence at one point in our lives although those times vary tremendously. It can be a slow adjustment to the real world or abruptly taken due to more extreme events. Loss of innocence is the single most influential thing in shaping the way one sees the world. Many people fear or even hate that which takes their innocence. Stories of children who almost drown in pools and never swim again or those who lose a loved one in an airplane crash and prefer to drive long distances are a prime example of someone's whose life and perception has been warped by innocence and lack thereof. Innocence also contrasts with evil. It is commonly associated with purity since hate is taught and those with innocence do not know how to hate. As Merriam-Webster puts it innocence is “ freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil” and/or “lack of knowledge”. Things as simple as Santa Claus have such a monumental impact on the development of a child's mind that many are simply misinformed because parents believe it is in their best interests. This however has been proved wrong with scientists declaring that the realization that santa isn’t real will have negative effects on a child and will make them think lying is ok. There is a direct correlation between innocence and happiness and inverse relationship between innocence and knowledge. Studies have shown that constant exposure to current world events and tragedies are responsible to the deteriorating mental health including insomnia and even depression. Simply watching tv and hearing about a shooting or natural catastrophe can have massive effects on a person's mood. Think about it, someone tells you the most important person currently in your life has passed away, how would you react? Personally crying is definitely is an appropriate reaction followed by dissent towards the cause of this phenomena. Different people have different ways of reacting to things but loss of innocence typically occurs after a significant event partakes in someone's life. To further put this into perspective let’s say someone lost their mother in an attack by a crazed gunman. The loss of innocence may change the person's view on guns and violence and they may lean their entire lives towards pacifism and anti-gun laws. On the contrary it is possible the person may feel the opposite and blame the death on a lack of protections for their mother forever influencing them to be in favor of gun-laws. How does innocence play a part in our lives? It quite literally defines us and makes us make decisions based on the circumstances. Being exposed to the realities of life is no small matter and makes us who we are. Think about that next time you question someone's perspectives on life and place yourself in their shoes to try and understand why.
death or being exposed to human rights violations. Fundamentally it is the act of being at peace with yourself. For example if a child is attacked by a specific breed of dog and left scarred for life they may very well associate said breed of dog or maybe the entire species with bad memories and never again look at them the way others do. As seen by the quote “ Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - by Albert Camus innocence is something pleasant for the most part because it implies a lack of guilt and sorrow that comes along with it. We all lose our innocence at one point in our lives although those times vary tremendously. It can be a slow adjustment to the real world or abruptly taken due to more extreme events. Loss of innocence is the single most influential thing in shaping the way one sees the world. Many people fear or even hate that which takes their innocence. Stories of children who almost drown in pools and never swim again or those who lose a loved one in an airplane crash and prefer to drive long distances are a prime example of someone's whose life and perception has been warped by innocence and lack thereof. Innocence also contrasts with evil. It is commonly associated with purity since hate is taught and those with innocence do not know how to hate. As Merriam-Webster puts it innocence is “ freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil” and/or “lack of knowledge”. Things as simple as Santa Claus have such a monumental impact on the development of a child's mind that many are simply misinformed because parents believe it is in their best interests. This however has been proved wrong with scientists declaring that the realization that santa isn’t real will have negative effects on a child and will make them think lying is ok. There is a direct correlation between innocence and happiness and inverse relationship between innocence and knowledge. Studies have shown that constant exposure to current world events and tragedies are responsible to the deteriorating mental health including insomnia and even depression. Simply watching tv and hearing about a shooting or natural catastrophe can have massive effects on a person's mood. Think about it, someone tells you the most important person currently in your life has passed away, how would you react? Personally crying is definitely is an appropriate reaction followed by dissent towards the cause of this phenomena. Different people have different ways of reacting to things but loss of innocence typically occurs after a significant event partakes in someone's life. To further put this into perspective let’s say someone lost their mother in an attack by a crazed gunman. The loss of innocence may change the person's view on guns and violence and they may lean their entire lives towards pacifism and anti-gun laws. On the contrary it is possible the person may feel the opposite and blame the death on a lack of protections for their mother forever influencing them to be in favor of gun-laws. How does innocence play a part in our lives? It quite literally defines us and makes us make decisions based on the circumstances. Being exposed to the realities of life is no small matter and makes us who we are. Think about that next time you question someone's perspectives on life and place yourself in their shoes to try and understand why.
Sources
Daniel J. Flannery Professor and Director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention
Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University, and Mark I. Singer Professor of Family and Child Welfare, Case Western Reserve University. “Here's How Witnessing Violence Harms Children's Mental Health.” The Conversation, 28 Sept. 2017, theconversation.com/heres-how-witnessing-violence-harms-childrens-mental-health-53321.
“Is It Okay to Lie About Santa?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2 Dec. 2013, www.pbs.org/parents/holidays/is-it-okay-lie-about-santa/ .
“Albert Camus Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/albertcamu394815.html?src=t_innocence .
Diamond, Stephen. “Evil and the Death of Innocence.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 21 Nov. 2008, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200811/evil-and-the-death-innocence.
Daniel J. Flannery Professor and Director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention
Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University, and Mark I. Singer Professor of Family and Child Welfare, Case Western Reserve University. “Here's How Witnessing Violence Harms Children's Mental Health.” The Conversation, 28 Sept. 2017, theconversation.com/heres-how-witnessing-violence-harms-childrens-mental-health-53321.
“Is It Okay to Lie About Santa?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2 Dec. 2013, www.pbs.org/parents/holidays/is-it-okay-lie-about-santa/ .
“Albert Camus Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/albertcamu394815.html?src=t_innocence .
Diamond, Stephen. “Evil and the Death of Innocence.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 21 Nov. 2008, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200811/evil-and-the-death-innocence.
I love hearing people's perspectives on different topics, and this truly made me ponder the idea of innocence and the value it holds. You definitely hold a good point in the fact that no one can maintain innocence for the entirety of their lives. It's also important to realize other people have different ideals and definitions of "innocence" but yours was definitely worth a read!
ReplyDeleteOh wow ! I love the examples you used to show different ways of losing innocence. You’re writing is very well organize and captivates you’re thoughts relatively well, I loved how you managed to describe your topic!
ReplyDeleteThis piece is something that is not read because you want it read, it’s read because it needs to be read. The ideas you cover are more than ever imparative to our society’s success and i’m glad that it was chosen as your topic.
ReplyDeleteYour writing is so well organized, the way you use details throughout it, it does a very good job of backing up the whole topic, also the use of the quote threw it over the top.
ReplyDeleteLoss of innocence is, obviously, common in our neck of the woods. What amazed me was your elaboration and perspective on the topic rather than stating what the loss of innocence is. Also, I enjoyed how you referred innocence to value. Your piece was extremely interesting and left me wondering. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this piece. The way you dissected innocence and the issues surrounded by it was superb! Like you said, innocence is something we all have but loose in our life. What really matters, however, are the actions you take.
ReplyDelete-Joseph Madere
Period 1
The topic you chose to write about is really good. I like the different examples you used to show how innocence can be lost. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThe way that you use different examples for the lose of innocence just makes the whole story more powerful, also the use of the quote just threw the whole thing over the top. Very well written story!
ReplyDeleteThe huge variety of examples you used really bolstered the impact your piece has with its message. Also, I really admire how you tackled such a broad concept as innocence and nailed it down to these specific examples to make it understandable to the reader.
ReplyDeleteGreat job in writing this very thought-provoking piece. I appreciated your wide range of vocabulary. I also like your use of quotes and examples in order to explain your view on innocence.
ReplyDeleteYour stance on the loss of innocence was very well detailed. I like how you depicted examples to allow readers to fully understand this topic. This piece was also well structured. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI loved the topic you chose for your piece, loss of innocence is an extremely relatable topic. I liked how your examples were varied so they broadened the meaning of losing innocence. I also thought adding the dictionary definition of innocence added a nice touch to the piece.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you provided multiple examples on the loss of innocence. Your thoughts on the matter and the effects were very insightful and informative. Your challenge at approaching such a hard topic was accomplished through the elaboration throughout the piece.
ReplyDelete- Eric Kim (Period 4)
This was a very well written piece and I like how you chose the loss of innocence as your topic because it is relatable to your audience and they will be able to deeply connect with your piece. I like the different situations you addressed that pertains to the loss of one's innocence and how you also asked the audience questions to have them think about the loss of their own innocence. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed reading this piece of literature,all the different scenario used help display a visual image on how you personally define innocence and how it can greatly affect the way of how one can view a certain thing,great job with making this such a powerful piece !
ReplyDeleteValeria Perez
Period :1
I loved reading your perspective on innocence and how the loss of this sacred and pure quality can shape our lives no matter how old or young we may be. The examples you included further explained your claims in an effective way.
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderful piece Alexis! The loss of innocence is truly inevitable and there is no escape as you stated. I could not have agreed with you more when you explained that loss of innocence shapes the way someone perceives the world. I loved how you had so many specific examples to support the vague topic of innocence. Finally, your use a quote from Alfred Camus was fantastic. Great job once again.
ReplyDeleteThe different perceptions and descriptions of innocence definitely made this piece worth reading. My favorite part were the varying examples of how a person could potentially lose their innocence, and how easy it is to do so. The rhetorical question at the end definitely ties up the entire piece about different perspectives of individuals and their level of innocence.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea and how you can compare experiences or age to innocence. Your piece really makes me think of how we value common morals and ideas. The examples used were great and likely connected to most people.
ReplyDeletewow, you very well were able to execute and capture what innocence is and its impact on our lives and who we become as people. great supportive sources also very smoothly helped proved the message you were trying to get across. excellent job!!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your piece I agree fully with the idea of how losing your innocence is inevitable. This was a great piece and I enjoyed the examples even though they were scary things to think of they more importantly also put things into perspective.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this story was very relatable to every day life. I loved how you created a story connecting you experiences to innocence.
ReplyDeleteI felt the connection of your story to our everyday life and you did a really great job developing the different perspectives of 'innocence'. The example of the Santa Claus was really clever.
ReplyDelete