Chapters O, P, and Q deal with contradictory
statements that generate doubt and reflection in the reader. Shields tries to
transmit the message that not every idea we have is as clear as it appears to
be. Even the idea we have of reality is paradoxical. What is reality for me is
not necessarily the absolute truth; it is only my version of the story.
However, there needs to be a reality; therefore, everyone tries to create
reality. One of the most important antithetical statements in these chapters is
the one that states, “Something can be true and untrue at the same time”
(p. 135). At first, I compared this to
saying that something can be black and white at the same time since both are
opposites. Nevertheless, as I reflected further upon this matter, I realized
that what Shields was trying to say was that reality is not absolute and that
it is only real for the person who created it.
Also, I found it interesting to
interpret the idea that is pointed out when Shields states, “We’re only certain
(“certain only”?) about what we don’t understand” (p. 138). I completely agree
with this antithetical statement because the only thing that people can assure
is what they do not know. In other words, people can be sure they do not know
something, but they cannot be certain that they understand another thing.
Finally, another statement that captured my attention was the following: “Great
art is clear thinking about mixed feelings” (p. 136). A great artist is not the
one that simply restates what has already been said, it is the one that gathers
mixed feelings or ideas and is able to organize them in a way that becomes
clear for the audience. According to this statement, not everyone can be an
artist, at least not a good one.
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