Humane Arts: Letter Writing

[@algernondammassa8675]

I've come back to this again and enjoyed it even more on the second listen. Thank you for posting this. What a good use of KZbin.

[@jasminejeanine2239]

My boyfriend and I have learned that sometimes it's better to stop talking or really arguing and write letters to each other. While they do normally they start out accusatory you'll find they soon turn into a outpouring of what you really wanted to say. Furthermore it's much easier to deal with sensitive issues since you can read letters when, where, how fast, and how many times you want before sending your letter back. Of course we've not actually left the house albeit we're in different rooms, but we are in quiet and are taking the time to deal honestly with each other since believe me emotions always come through even when we think we're hiding them and being "reasonable" since often we both harbor the conceit that we're the one who is being reasonable while THEY are being totally unreasonable. But since you can't interrupt a letter unless you choose not to read it at all, you're forced to shut up and listen to their entire argument before constructing your argument back. Thus it's amazing how reasonable you take some time to realize that YOU'RE the one being unreasonable not the other person which is great as 99 times out of 100 the other person is coming to the same conclusions. I agree with Wes we are more careful what we write then say as we have to craft the message and think about how to say it and we want to be sure that our point is coming across in such a way that doesn't make us ashamed of ourselves. When we're speaking we don't feel ashamed because in the moment we are expressing mostly our feelings thus are being reactive. However it's hard to hold onto those feelings hence while we start out harboring those feelings which color everything we see and hear but soon if the letter is long enough our emotions cool and we feel ashamed and don't want to give that letter to them. Thus half the letter written aren't even given to the other person they are just a good way to work it out for ourselves and let ourselves cool down.

[@coralmonty2330]

I really love this

[@trayvon4484]

Very beautiful! I'll take this relationship advice, as it sounds really helpful and can be apart of my education in Letter Writing. Have a nice day!

[@zackerywalker880]

INVALUABLE. How does this not have more views? Please make this a book!!!

[@arspoetica9908]

There are plenty of books out there on the history of letter writing. I highly recommend you search some of them out. You might enjoy beginning with Simon Garfield‘s work on the subject, To The Letter, I think it’s called.

[@robertburnett5561]

I am also impressed by the letter writing skills of the average civil war soldier.

[@robertburnett5561]

He has opened up so many subjects of interests. I am 70. So should start on one.

[@joshuawheatley2055]

Sir Cecil, thank you for the banquet you have, again, so generously provided. You've been great company on my daily commute to school this morning. Please do not disclose this to my school, but I think I'm acquiring a better education from your lectures than I am receiving from business school. Until the next lecture, inshallah, may God reward you for so generously sharing your lectures with us. Salaam.

[@LiamPorterFilms]

I was also bowled over by the thought provoking-ness of this lecture... yet still so funny and accessible! Thanks so much, Mr. Cecil!

[@vogelofficial]

I’ve been trying to quantify what I see is wrong with hyper-specialization and micro division of labor and this hits the nail on the head.

[@kiyoaki1985]

At the end he says that letter writing is good for your personal development because it forces you to think about another person's needs and how to express what you want to say to them, but I think that's actually one of the main barriers to writing letters today. Most of my friends would find it incredibly strange to receive a letter from me, exactly because it's too intimate and personal, and they don't want that. In the west, in the 21st century people usually wish to distance themselves from others and interact purely on an impersonal basis. A hand-written, customized letter feels like "too much".

[@kiyoaki1985]

In the early days of the internet, the mode of communication was more letter-like. You would have topic-specific messageboards, chatrooms and email contacts you'd write long messages to. With the arrival of twitter (and KZbin comment character limits), we got even more impersonal and thoughtless forms of writing, and it wouldn't surprise me if that trend will continue to get worse and worse over time, until our messages are completely reduced to likes, emojis and little signals like that.

[@katbuzz5495]

Friends and family are often not the best choice to explore the letter writing experience. The parties involved must be equally enthusiastic. I have found a circle of pen pals from the Fountain Pen Network interested in improving their communication skills and enjoying the tactile writing experience of pen and ink on paper. The sense of achievement of making and receiving physical and often artistic letters is unique. Handwriting is a reflection of one's personality, so practicing and correcting flaws can have a positive effect on one's character.

[@viking3744344]

That's right.

[@ocamtille9114]

This lecture is incredibly important and I'm glad you didn't include graphics. Cecil must be on of the most educated youtuber.

[@arthurmarinella]

Writing letters is a form of art, a beautiful art. You create, when you write letters, you feel happy and exhausted at the same time, just like when you do any creative activity. And maybe a little scared, to express you uttermost thoughts and feelings.

[@paulholzherr2993]

If I were to write a letter by hand which I wanted to be correct in every way, I would do it in rough first and then copy it. I do write letters occasionally and I use a computer and a printer. This results in a very legible letter and I can edit and check for errors as I proceed. This might be missing the point a bit but it seems to me to be a good modern approach to letter writing, especially as the recipient of my letters no longer has good eye sight with which to read handwriting. But - as always - Fantastic lecture! Well - about a week later - I just wrote a letter to my dad by hand - straight off! That was great!

[@austinjohnbaker9521]

This is probably my favorite lecture of his. Can anyone, or Wes, if you’re reading this, recommend a few books to learn more about the history of the trivium education, please?

[@angelnevarez1773]

Probably any good book on history of education will include the history of the trivium

[@iammraat3059]

Marshall Mcluhan's thesis

[@Existentialist-earthling52]

I always wanted to have a pen pal on each continent. This has inspired me to pursue that dream!

[@tiborkovacs5317]

Been obsessed with the 6w1h because i think it under pins all thinking although i know it is a basic simplistic way at looking at things but when you said " if you can think well you should be able to think about anything" The Who What Where When Which Why How seems to me to fit thinking about anything very well....great vid thanks.

[@ayeq6104]

im going to follow wes Cecil. plz upload more a lot more. NB listen to his lecture on Wittgenstein it's a must listen! first time i really grasp Wittgenstein that way

[@elementsofdoubt2844]

Emerson wrote an essay called Chance that is not available now. It is not even in the Library of congress. It convinces the reader to not take chances with bad odds like insurance or becoming a drug addict. Do you have a copy? Could you do an essay like Chance by emerson..... ?

[@DERrockigeSUPPY]

Thank you so much for shedding some light on the cracks of our brittle education system!

[@publicme]

These lectures on leisure have helped me to see that at least internally I have tried to educate myself in this classical style, to develop these skills, yet I never knew exactly that this is what I was doing. Now I understand this, though I'm likely still not adequately skilled with it. (Any grammar mistakes there?)

[@kashiwamizu]

I think the comma between 'I have tried to educate myself in this classcial style' and 'to develop these skills' better be substituted with a suitable conjunction, such as 'and'. Just a suggestion :)

[@kashiwamizu]

James Chatting That's a correct one too, but if we use dash to separate the phrase 'to develop these skills', shouldn't there be two dashes, each at the end of the phrase? Of if we're using just one dash before the phrase, the comma after the word 'skills' should be replaced by a semicolon? It will highlight the contrast of the two phrases because of the 'yet' in the second phrase. Yeah, it is not necessarily grammar :) my bad :D

[@chaosdwarf406]

You're not alone.

[@exuma666]

How are these lectures free?

[@kabbalisticteddy]

I could never see as far as I saw without the BACKSPACE key on my keyboard ;;;;)

[@133547john]

the part about the education system makes me reflect on all the education i have received. it makes me feel that I havent's actually learned anything. the only solution i can think of is: go to school and focus on the maths, physics, chemistry, etc. These subject cannot be taught subjectively, math is math physics is physics. On your spare time read and research as much as possible. I was raised on a time without internet but in a house full of books, now is even easier, read the fuck out of everything!

[@romuloromero2268]

Good subject but the sound quality makes it impossible to listen to, sorry

[@romuloromero2268]

Jon he needs a proper microphone

[@jameslabs1]

Earthlings and their myopic assumptions. Good luck