<p>Prompt: Nowadays nothing is private: our culture has become too confessional and self-expressive. People think that to hide ones thoughts or feelings is to pretend not to have those thoughts or feelings. They assume that honesty requires one to express every inclination and impulse.</p>
<p>Adapted from J. David Velleman, "The Genesis of Shame"</p>
<p>Assignment: Should people make more of an effort to keep some things private? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>Response:
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J. David Velleman is correct in his assessment of the current human condition in that our society has become too confessional and self-expressive. It is incorrect to believe that hiding certain thoughts, feelings, and desires is wrong or dishonest.</p>
<p>First, one must realize that there are two aspects to life: personal life and public life. As such, there are certain values and guidelines that must be adhered in the separation of these aspects. When these two sides of the coin that is life are mixed together beyond a certain level of acceptability, the effects can be detrimental to society.</p>
<p>An everyday example of this can be seen in daily human interactions. If a married employer at a large firm were to have a sudden attraction towards one of his employees, is openness and honesty really the solution in this case? As long as the attraction is not so intense that it negatively effects either party without action, should the employer really express his feelings? Clearly not; for one, the professional environment of said firm would significantly deteriorate in leu of this employer's interest in an employee. Next, the employer's relationship with his spouse would be in total danger of divorce, thus astronomically impacting the employer's wife, and both families. Without a doubt it can be concluded that honesty and a lack of privacy would be detrimental to this situation, and conservatism and a level of privacy would result in a better situation for everyone.</p>
<p>Finally, there are certain emotions, feelings, and desires people may possess which can be hugely dangerous or damaging for society. Among these are pedophilia, a tendency towards violence, or to commit any of the plethora of possible crimes that exist. What would be preferable - for these people to keep such desires to themselves, or to act upon them? Encouraging all people to express any and all desires and emotions they might possess would therefore result in a drastic increase in crimes and actions that are damaging to society, which would have otherwise not occurred, had people kept to themselves and maintained a barrier of privacy. </p>
<p>Given these facts, it is quite evident that the sudden lack of privacy which has consumed our society to an exponential degree in the past century can be and is in many ways detrimental to society. The lack of separation between public and personal life thus creates awkwardness, a lack of professionalism, and damages otherwise stable relationships. Many possible crimes, such as pedophilia and murder, would exponentially increase in occurrence, should people be even further encouraged to act upon such desires. Thus J. David Velleman is correct in his assessment that humans have become too open and no longer maintain a healthy level of privacy.
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<p>What do you think?</p>