You’d Be Surprised How Closed-Minded You Are | Jacques Derrida

In this video, we explore the life and philosophy of one of the most controversial postmodern philosophers, Jacques Derrida. Examining his concepts of deconstruction, logocentrism, and aporia, we uncover the unique way that Derrida analyzed and dealt with the world, which meaningfully opposed most traditional western modes of thinking. 

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[johnex]

"Being open minded is being open to the possibility that you're close minded"

[RobG]

Reminds of a quote by Gerry Spence; "I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief."

[autumnkeys]

I like how he started the video with a binary "whether we realize it or not"

[honeytubs]

Levels of thought:
1) binary (black/white)
2) along a scale (shades of gray)
3) as a graph in two dimensions (we need some water but there is a point when less water is better; a bell curve)
4) as a graph in 3 dimensions (balance of right amount of food, exercise and sleep)
5) feeling of the right amount of multiple variables. Feels like intuition because it is too difficult to verbalize.

[snehil]

Wow guys this is amazing. I was feeling depressed today. But somehow this video gave me hope. Especially, the uncertainty part "being uncertain is not a sign of intellectual weakness but this can make you open up to new things" This blew me away. Thanks Pursuit of Wonder!!! ❤

[shellisonfagundes]

05:41

Now it makes sense how my critical thinking incresead a lot after I started readind English and French philosophical books. My mother tongue is portuguese, and I was feeling claustrophobic having only one language to understand the reality.
The advantage: watching amazing videos like yours.
The disadvantage: losing the sense of a self based on simple and shallow narratives.

[enlightenedanalysis]

Thanks for making this video. It’s amazing to me how many people today completely misunderstand the meaning of “deconstruction” - which has little or nothing to do with what Derrida meant by it. All over YouTube there are videos about “deconstructing” this and that - but they are not really deconstructing at all.

By the way, someone once said that deconstruction is NOT something you do to a work, it’s something that HAPPENS (usually organically) within any given discourse. Once again, many thanks for your great videos.

[skramzy]

`My understanding of this reminds me a great deal of my understanding of Buddhism. Nothing has a self or essence, a "Form" or true nature, but everything is just a relationship with everything else, and all those "things" and relationships are constantly changing. Words are like buckets full of water taken from a river, claiming to be the river. Language can never adequately express reality, but always misleads, as it always assumes "things" have "natures" and is always static whereas reality is always in motion.

[PursuitofWonder]

As always, thank you for watching. I hope you enjoyed.

[roflstomplolmao]

I can’t describe how much I love this video. We need more Aporia in this world, there are too many divides when basically every human being is a vast constellation on an indivisible spectrum.

Thank you so much 🫂

[jeffffro]

One night while speaking with a best friend of mine, I said something that set him off and he disappeared for a moment into the next room…..
Upon his return he was covering half of his face with one of Derrida’s books. He gives it to me happily exclaiming, “IT IS TIME!!! IT IS
The book was written so well I blazed through it! Derrida opened my eyes and mind both to just how simply the entire universe is strung together! He helped me to understand that anything that exists has an equal and similar opposite. One gives meaning to the other and both cannot exist without the other.
Everyone is so quick to say ‘right and wrong’ but I don’t think that right is an opposite to wrong, left is the opposite of right. We have correct and incorrect if you want to describe something as ‘right’ and to me it is more than just semantics! There is good and bad but no right and wrong. Ever since I have been challenging people to give me a legitimate opposite to wrong and no one has been able to do so. This is because there is no such thing as
Every choice we make is the correct choice simply because you made that choice. It can be a good choice or a bad one, but it will never be the wrong choice. It is the correct choice for one to choose, whether it’s good or bad doesn’t come into play as much as it’s the correct choice because of the circumstances of your life at the time and something leading up to this choice has compelled you to go in that direction.
It’s a tough concept for so many to comprehend, but it’s really quite simple if you are able to break down enough of the CRAP that has been shoved into our heads to think clearly and from an unbiased point of view.

After finding your channel and realizing just how important the work you are doing is, I’ve been hoping to see Derrida make it into the picture!! Here we are!!!!
THANK I believe this post can help a great many toward finding the WONDER we are all in pursuit of!!!!
I hope all are doing well on this night!

[darfoz]

such a great feeling when you discover a philosopher and recall having thoughts that align with his before reading/listening to his writing! I have noticed certain people in my day to day life who have "aporia". they just seem to be open minded, not attached to any idea, always gracefully and tactfully playing devil's advocate. and it's clear they have a high level of self actualization and an understanding of how things are not binary. great video

important to note also that aporia, at least in my understanding of it, is not the same as indifference. it's more like an innate acknowledgement of the foolishness of dogmatism

[humourlessjester]

I've just graduated from this and I still can't escape Derrida no matter how far I run from him.

[jon]

One of the best short introductions to Derrida I have come across and so much better than many philosophical introductions dealing with his work. You get to much of the heart of his thinking very eloquently and with exceptional clarity without reducing it. Thank you.

[flamencoprof]

A man after my own heart. In 2016 I wrote a blog entry titled "What Is a Blues? The Perils of Binary Thinking". I considered how many Blues songs are not 12-bar, and how many 12-bar songs are not Blues, and considered conceptual failures such as "the source" of a river being a point and not an area. I discovered the concept of the False Dilemma, which this video opens with. Regarding these insights, I observed that "a large part of humanity seems determined to ignore them, and persists in futile arguments like Nature vs Nurture, and in asking futile questions like "Is she a real Jew?", "Is it a planet or not?", "Is he normal?", "Is it a tree or a shrub?", and so on.".I can't remember exactly when I first concluded that Binary Thinking was deeply flawed, but it was a few decades before that. This insight has guided my thinking for much of my life.

[not_daijobu_]

In this highly opinionated world, people have become so clouded by their bigotry that they tend to build a sort of hate towards people who might not quite think as similar as them. Opinions are great but only when they are not forced upon.
Though I have my own passionate opinions, I recognize the importance of seeking to understand and appreciate different perspectives. By actively listening to others and empathetically considering their viewpoints, I can expand my own understanding and build more meaningful connections with those around me.
My father, although a very strongly opinionated person, has instilled in me the importance of being attentive to different perspectives and ideas. He emphasized the significance of reading books, even those that I may not agree with, as it helps me understand and appreciate diverse viewpoints. This practice has enabled me to broaden my perspective and gain a greater awareness of how others think and perceive the world around us. It's quite fascinating to view the same world or situations without limiting yourself to certain choices.
I absolutely love your videos, cause they are a source to widen my perspective even more. 💙💙

[rivenraven]

"Being confused and uncertain is not a sign of intellectual weakness, but it is an inevitable recurring destination on a honest open-minded intellectual journey. "

[upthumbs]

Something that I like to say-further that I've not thought of a reason for this-is that the ambiguity of how we perceive ideas, how we view the world where no such one-sided way of life is 100% correct; it brings me comfort. Maybe I just don't like to adhere to one idea because I believe there is novelty in knowing what others have to say.
I think of this like there is some masterful piece of art on display. I look at it and think "huh, neat." But other people likewise have their own reactions to that art; some passionate on how the art is made in it's smallest details, others moved and grieved on how this art represented the very object and pain of what they've been through. I think it's just all interesting. And thus, I wonder about other's comments in a video essay like this, seeing what story, additions, rebuttals or simply comedic things they have to say. I wonder about how people are gonna feel about this little comment some other guy with thoughts yapped on.
Thank you for your curiosity if you read this far, and I hope to see your own opinions as well!
(edited to fix grammar and add more to my comment)

[michaelfried]

"You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice, if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears or kindness that could kill, I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill." Rush "Permanent Waves" 1980.

[prakaashmishra]

"The word is not the thing. The word love is not love. Definitions may give us ideas but they are at the end just ideas not the reality" J. Krishnamurti.
It really took years for me to completely grasp this simple fact. Now when i struggle to express how i feel to my friends, only in that predicament I realised the truth.