Emotion

To what extent does emotion clarify knowledge in the arts?


Art is almost completely shaped by emotion. Many types of music are intended to move us and stir our emotions. For example think of Adele's (amazing) hit song "Hello". For most people this song stirs intense feelings and leaves them feeling melodramatic and a little overemotional. Now look at songs like "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. These songs fill people with the desire to dance, because they are such upbeat songs. The way we feel about the songs shapes the way we clarify knowledge for arts. In another instance, I was doing homework while listening to the TV, which happened to be on The Voice at the time. I was not really paying attention to the TV, but I was just keeping it for the sake of background noise. Well at the time, there were two singers who were singing a duet together and they sounded so amazing together that I just had goosebumps and I was amazed at the notes that they were hitting. I was legitimately moved by the music. The arts are meant to appeal to emotions and invoke specific feelings in people. Sometimes you may not even know why you feel a certain way when you hear a song, or see a picture, etc, because art influences emotion in such a unique way.

Sense Perception

To what extent does culture influence perception and/or reason?

When people are born and brought up in a certain society, they are inevitably shaped by cultural traditions and norms which in turn influence people's perception of their surroundings. For example, even though I was not born in Sri Lanka, like both my parents were, I was brought up with the same cultural traditions and customs that I would have had in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan culture has definitely influenced my perception, especially regarding respect. In Sri Lankan culture, it is expected that you have a deep respect for your elders. When my parents came to the US, they thought that all the young people they met were disrespectful, when really they were just not brought up with the same cultural traditions and norms that my parents were.

Also, in Shotokan Karate, we are expected to follow the traditions and customs of Japan. So for example, it is considered very rude to sit with the soles of your feet pointing an elder person. I also read an article a while ago about the different manners that cultures around the world had. For example, in Germany and Kenya, you are expected to finish all the food on your plate, otherwise the host will feel insulted because they will think that you did not like their meal. People in different cultures have various perceptions on many things, especially on respect.

Article link: http://www.oh-i-see.com/blog/2013/11/11/20-cultural-dos-and-taboos-manners-around-the-word/