Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Natchwey interview
From: Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 15:27:07 +0000

Martin Howard wrote:
 
> While I agree with a great many things in your message, I don't believe that
> anyone can ever "show how the world really is".  It is all a matter of
> selective perception.  Natchwey is showing us *one* aspect of the world as
> he has perceived it, one which is all too often conveniently forgotten, but
> it is no more or less real than what is shown on ESPN.  Yes, the
> consequences are different;  yes, you can argue about importance (although I
> contend that that is essentially a social construct too), but it is
> impossible to definitively nail down Reality, doubly so where human affairs
> are concerned, and triply so when selected, interpreted, and communicated by
> someone else.

So true, Howard, and so dangerous though to filter so intellectually. 
Granted we need "objectivity" but also we need to suspend our disbelief,
as they say, in order to get to the "reality" of the artist/reporter and
increase our viewpoints.  You cannot be intellectually critical and
fully receptive at the same time.  But it is healthy to learn to shift
between such viewpoints.  To loose one or the other is crippling.  

donal 
__________
Donal Philby
San Diego
www.donalphilby.com