Class 9/10/2013

One realization that I had in class today was Dr. Sexon's recognition of the lack of universal references in today's society. References, quotes, and sayings that were once common knowledge are no longer used, at least not commonly. Can this really be a crisis? Perhaps simply the greater population size, along with an increased acceptance of different languages, cultures, and ideas has made for less universal references. This is most likely true, but I also think that universal references still exist. They are still around, but have dramatically diminished in intellectualism. For example, very few people could probably tell you what Pascal sewed into his coat, but the majority of the population could state the advertizing slogans of popular companies like Mcdonalds or Subway. A shift has been seen from references to historical events and famous texts to pop culture phenomena and internet sensations. People are a product of their generation and I don't think it's the fault of the individual that these references have died out. We are simply born into different societal norms. However, this supports the notion that literature is not as highly regarded as it has been in previous generations.