Nathan Branson
Whatever you read here is a way for me to hash out ideas until I can talk about them in real-time with whoever is willing to join in.
The Materialistic Pathway Prevents Some from Believing the American Dream
How do we imagine the American Dream?
Every semester I ask my students to define the American Dream. In classroom discussion I ask them to name multiple characteristics of the American Dream. Next I push them to come to a consensus about 3-4 core characteristics that define this concept. Some of the most common characteristics named are social mobility, financial security, . . .
Why It is Easy to Be Impersonal to the Grocery Store Cashier
On Thinking of Yourself as a Servant
My interactions with the cashier at the grocery store can be awkward. When I use the word awkward I mean "socially uncomfortable and possibly confusing." When I walk up to the cashier's desk at the grocery store, I am normally excited about whatever food I am buying before hearing a perfunctory greeting by the cashier. At this . . .
5 Quotes for September 18th
David Foster Wallace
I saw David Foster Wallace's famous "This is Water" speech about 3-4 years ago. Ever since I saw that speech I've been watching and listening to the interviews he gave while he was alive. He's is an excellent conversationalist and critical thinker. And when he talks, he does not sound jaded, he sounds sincere. I've . . .
Two Questions: Consumerism/Citizenship and Reading the Gospel of Matthew
Below are two questions that I'd like some input on. If you have any answers to either these questions, please type a response in the comment section. Or feel free to email me at Nathancharlesbranson@gmail.com with your thoughts. I am looking to start a conversation about these things, whether online, via email or in person.
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Posted in: consumerismquestions
Thoreau's 1854 View of America and America's 2015 Anxieties
On The First Two Chapters of Walden
The best thing about a carefully crafted mix CD is that it often contains your friend's favorite songs or a band's best songs. The mix CD cuts out the process of having to work hard to find the good songs and just allows you to hear what is worth your time. If I were to make a mix CD from Henry David Thoreau's "Walden," . . .
Posted in: consumerismcreative nonfictionself-control
