Culture – Page 3 – Davood Gozli

Efficiency, Contact, & Meaning

By Davood Gozli | 24/09/202101/10/2021 by Davood Gozli

Several recent incidents have made me think about efficiency and the desire for efficiency that appears so widespread and unconditional. You must have witnessed this desire in different forms. Students have repeatedly asked me how they could read or learn faster. Businesses want increased efficiency, automating or outsourcing steps that could be automated or outsourced, reducing the number of steps, streamlining, shortening the amount of time allocated to tasks, and increasing the outcome for the…

Reading Groups, Like-Mindedness, & Participation

By Davood Gozli | 03/09/202103/09/2021 by Davood Gozli

Intellect finds itself, not only in solitary activity, but also–perhaps primarily–in group settings. Even in adulthood, there are aspects of our intellect that remain invisible to us until we engage in the right conversation, or in the right playful mood, when we share the present moment with someone. If you have intellectual inclinations, you probably know the pleasure of conversation, including the simple pleasure of discussing a book in a group. This pleasure and the…

book review Criticism Culture Interpretation

First Person Singular (Haruki Murakami) 1: “Creme”

By Davood Gozli | 20/06/2021 by Davood Gozli

The short story “Creme” is the first in the recently published Haruki Murakami collection, First Personal Singular (Ichininshō Tansū), translated to English by Philip Gabriel. The story’s title hints at the French expression crème de la crème, which refers to the very best part or the very best instance of something. We could, therefore, regard the story as an attempt at describing what is best in life. But this strategy only amplifies the strangeness of this story. Let’s begin…

Culture

The Atheist Neighbor

By Davood Gozli | 03/04/202103/04/2021 by Davood Gozli

A big part of the motive behind reading, thinking, and talking is the wish to be a good neighbor. Who is a good neighbor? A good neighbor is someone who doesn’t antagonize you, someone who doesn’t scare you (at least not intentionally), someone who doesn’t stigmatize or pigeon-hole you. I imagine a good neighbor wouldn’t irritate you with their loud (untimely) music, and in general he or she doesn’t force their taste into your awareness.…

Culture Discourse

On Atheism

By Davood Gozli | 19/03/202102/04/2021 by Davood Gozli

Most discourse about atheism that I have heard comes from within a theistic paradigm. And a theistic paradigm that hasn’t yet engaged with atheism is incapable of understanding it. Think of the typical, impulsive set of questions that are raised when someone encounters atheism for the first time: So, what is the point of living [without God]? What is the meaning of life [without God]? Why be moral [without God]? These impulsive and defensive questions…