Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Dreamer Mentality

Please respond to the following questions-make sure to give a thorough response and respond to at least one other person's comment.
Idealism has always been a way for people to escape reality. If you are a dreamer, do you have to be more careful? Nick says to Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past." What do you think? Are there repercussions?

23 comments:

  1. I think that if you are a dreamer you do have to be more careful because what you dream most of the time is much better than what happens in reality. You could easily end up hurting yourself if you do not pay attention to what is really going on. I also think that a lot of people keep dreaming because that way things they can see happen exactly the way the wish them to. In the book when Nick says "You can't repeat the past," to Gatsby and he replies with saying that you can, I think that this shows Gatsby as a dreamer. He knows that the past was good so he dreams of it happening once again with Daisy. However, I don't think that the past can occur again for them. They have led such different lives and gained so many new experiences in the five years that they have been apart. They have changed and changed people don't act they same way they used to. If Gatsby really tries to repeat the past he will be disappointed because I don't think that he will be able to and this will probably upset him. He has been dreaming about this for too long and I don't think he really sees the reality of it.

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    1. I agree; once you lose sight of reality, it's a rude awakening when you take a look back at the real world. No one gets exactly what they want. Sometimes, we don't even know what we want; but then something unexpected and profound happens. That will go unnoticed if you're always focused on what isn't actually there.

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  2. I think that everyone is a dreamer in one way or another; for our futures, wants and desires. This can cause people to be more careful with what they dream up. If you dream up something so elaborate and great, and make yourself believe it will happen, you could let yourself down if it doesn't go as planned in your head. I think that if you're a dreamer once, then your a dreamer your whole life, and with a life experience from when you first started dreaming you learn that life doesn't always go as planned and you're conditioned into being more careful. I believe that the past can repeat itself, but not in the way Gatsby wants it to. Gatsby wants everything to happen the same way it did five years before, but when you repeat the past it's usually because you didn't learn from the first mistake. The way the Gatsby sees it is he thinks that if he makes everything the same, then Daisy will love him again, but since everything has changed, including himself, I think that Gatsby will end up pushing Daisy away. If someone forces something to happen, like the past repeating, it usually ends up the opposite of what they wanted. I agree with what Erin K says about Gatsby and Daisy's future. I don't think Gatsby will end up getting what he wants, and because he has been wanting it for five years, he will be destroyed when he figures out that he is never going to get what he wants. Gatsby has dedicated his last five years to Daisy, someone he doesn't really know now.

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    1. I agree with Chloe when she says that if you dream too much, you can become disappointed if they don't go as well as you had planned. I also agree that once a dreamer, you are always a dreamer because it can be really hard to stop dreaming and trying to reach those goals after doing it for your whole life.

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    2. I agree with Chloe on how she says that if you dream the most outstanding and elaborate dreams, and you do not achieve them and it doesn't always go as planned then you are very disappointed and reality sinks in. Dreaming helps you set goals for yourself and when you do not achieve these you feel more defeated than ever. However i agree with Chloe that once a dreamer you are always dreamer and because of this you will dream new goals and find new ways to pick yourself up again.

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  3. If you are a dreamer then I think you do have to be more carful,becuase you don't want to mess up your dreams or harm your future becuase you want better.So there are reprocusions in a way. You could also be a dreamer without being careful, by just doing what ever you have to do in order to follow your dreams, and you can get there like that but it is a big risk of failing.I agree with Chloe D, becuase everyone is dreamer their dreams are just different than others. Also that the past can repeat itself if you dont change what you do.

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  4. You have to be careful if you are an idealist, because you can get so occupied with your dreams that you forget about what is happening in the moment. I am a dreamer like Gatsby, and I find that I often get overly excited for the "next best thing" in my life and forget about enjoying the present. Gatsby has been dreaming for years now, and he hasn't seemed to find happiness. I think this is because he hasn't tried to find happiness in each day. He tries to find happiness by dreaming about what is next. I agree with Erin that you cannot repeat the past. The past cannot be repeated because people and times change, and you must adapt to what is happening now in your life, not what could have been. Although it is hard to let go of the past, you must, because if you don't, you will neglect the present. The present is all that there is.

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  5. I agree with Chloe in that I think that everyone is a dreamer. I think that we need to be careful with what we dream about because if our dreams are too big and we did not successfully get our dreams then we will make our selves fell bad about our self's. When I wrote about this quote in my dialectical journal I said that it made me think of the quote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I think that in a way the past can be repeated because if you do not learn from mistakes that you have all ready made then you could make them again, but then at the same time you could make that mistake again in a different circumstance so the out come would be different.

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  6. Idealism, in my opinion, is the opposite of reality. If you are always focusing on the ideal, you lose sight of the beautiful things that happen in reality. So, yes, I think we all must be careful not to lose sight of what is right in front of us by only focusing on what we want, or wish we had.
    As to not repeating the past, I understand what he’s saying. Gatsby wants those old feelings he and Daisy used to share. He wants her to be the same; but that’s impossible. She’s married now, and that’s a huge change. It’s not something that can be ignored. You can’t repeat those wonderful times; you have to accept them when they come, but then release them once they’ve passed. If you dwell too much on what once was, you won’t see what’s right in front of you. Daisy won’t just up and leave her husband; she’s smarter than that. Things will never be what they once were for Gatsby and Daisy. He needs to accept that. You can’t replicate feelings like that. They don’t come around too often.

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    1. Lauren, I agree completely. The past is a thing to remember but not to live in. For Gatsby idealism is living in his past fantasy of him and Daisy being together. So much has changed in those five years. Gatsby doesn't realize how different everything is because he is wrapped so tightly in his love for Daisy. He overlooks the major obstacles that now separate him from his love.

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  7. I think that if you are a dreamer, you do have to be more careful. I agree with Erin. Being a dreamer can often cloud and block out reality and things that you dream up can be far from reality. It can lead to disappointment and maybe even some failures. If people constantly dream, things can seem impossibly to reach because they are so far fetched. Dreaming heightens so many expectations and as those expectations are not reached, disappointment is almost unavoidable. Like Chloe and Kathleen said, I think that everyone is a dreamer. Without dreaming I don't think people would push themselves to achieve their goals that would otherwise seem impossible to reach. There is a limit between too much dreaming which distorts reality but without dreaming people wouldn't push themselves to achieve what they want. I do not think the past can be repeated very easily and if people try to repeat the past, that will only to disappointment. Nothing is ever the same, things vary in some way. It would be better for Gatsby if he didn't try to repeat the past and just took things as they come without such high expectations.

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    1. I disagree. I think that If you are a dreamer, you do not have to be more careful. If your dreams lead you to disappointment and failure, it'll be okay because you can always dream for things to be better. Dreaming is healthy and good because it can help people to change themselves and even the world. I think people that are dreamers know their own flaws and know when too much dreaming is too much. How do people become dreamers? i think it's because they have experienced so much disappointment. You say, "disappointment is almost unavoidable," but how do dreamers overcome disappointment? They dream.

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  8. Being a dreamer can definitely get you into some difficult situations. You need to be cautious about how much you are depending on these dreams. I think Will makes a very good point when he says that you can get so occupied in your dreams you forget about reality. I’ve let this happen to myself before. You can’t allow yourself to get to so caught up in these dreams because if they don’t come true then you are forced to face the reality that you have been avoiding. I don’t think there is anything wrong with having dreams as long as you don’t depend on these dreams and neglect reality. I agree with Chloe that the past can repeat itself but like she said when the past repeats itself it is often because you haven’t learned from your mistakes. I think Gatsby is so concerned with the past repeating itself exactly that he is destined to end up heart broken. They could be in love again but it would be different than before which I don’t think is what Gatsby wants. Things from the past can reoccur but in different ways then before and I think Gatsby needs to accept this.

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  9. I think dreaming is good because it helps humans escape reality and live in their own world for a while. I do believe that there can be repercussions if you have dreams that are unrealistic and you still believe you can reach them. I think that everyone should chase their dreams because it motivates us to do something for ourselves, and helps us realize what is truly important in life. I also think that if these dreams become too big, it can destroy your life. When you build your hopes up and dedicate everything in your life to that one dream and it doesn't come true, your life can be crushed. Gatsby says that you can repeat the past. I agree with Gatsby, but I don't think it will be exactly the same. He can only repeat the past if Daisy feels the same way about him. I think if he tries to repeat the past, it could cause a lot of chaos between Tom and the other people in the society. I believe that if you have a dream you should shoot for it, but Gatsby has lived his whole life for this one miracle that may not work out. He has moved in and created a false identity for Daisy, and I believe he has made a big mistake.

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  10. I do agree with Idealism and the fact that its an escape from reality. It allows people to get away from the real world and just ponder in their own thoughts. But if you're a dreamer, I think you need to be real cautious. It is a good thing to think the best things will and can happen and that anything is possible but you can't only depend on that. People need to remember that the worst things can always happen as well. So therefor if you catch yourself only in the idealist world, then when reality soaks through you are let down even more. And this can really destroy a person. I agree with Chloe, she makes a good point about how if you start off as a dreamer its easier to dream because you can prepare yourself for a let down if your dream doesn't come true. I think thats an excellent way to look at it. It may sound weird but being a dreamer is hard. It all depends on how you accept the outcome of your dreams. I think Nick was half wrong and half right with his statement to Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past." I think you can go back and repeat the past in any shape way or form. For example, not learning a lesson. By repeating something you have done that isn't acceptable. Isn't that repeating the past? Because you're going to get the same outcome. The outcome could possibly come out different each time but I think you can repeat the past. In a Positive way, I also do think you can, as if you were trying to "recreate" a night you had or something like that, I think you can repeat it, but I don't think it would be as glorious or as great as it was the first time. And again there could be a different outcome then the last. In Gatsby's case, he could recreate his past with Daisy, but then again, the outcome can be positive or negative, or just different in general then the first time. Who knows, maybe they will be even more in love then they ever were, or they could both realize it wasn't meant to be.

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  11. If you are a dreamer, you do not have to be more careful. Being a dreamer means you are hopeful and you aspire to be greater. Being a dreamer means that you can be creative with your heartaches and turn them into something beneficial. Dreamers do not have to be more careful than regular people because if something goes wrong in their lives, they can always dream and hope for a greater future. I disagree with Nick when he says, “you can’t repeat the past.” I think you can repeat it. No, it won’t be exactly like the first time because situations change; however, you can create similar situations or feelings or even mistakes. When you repeat the past I don’t think it’s a mistake. I think people do it on purpose. People who repeat the past are afraid of change. They like to be comfortable in their lives; they like to know what’s coming next. So they repeat their own history hoping to rediscover something they have lost. I do Gatsby will run into some repercussions. I don’t really think he’s in love with Daisy, I think he’s in love with the idea of Daisy. She’s the golden girl, the girl whose heart will never truly belong to anyone. Gatsby will repeat his own past in order to be with Daisy again; however, I think he will rediscover something of himself along the way.

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    1. I like the idea that Laura brought up of, if something goes wrong a dreamer will find the positives or create hope for a better future; but hope isn't enough. A successful dreamer still has to take actions to create a positive outcome from a sucky situation.
      I agree with the point that Laura made how the past can repeat itself but it won't return in the same form. Life isn't all that simple and to really learn lessons, the journey is going to continue to get harder. But the harder the situation the greater the possible outcome.

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  12. I’m kind of confused by the first question. If you are a dreamer, I think it opens you up to so many possibilities. If you want to succeed and you do everything in your power to get there and you are happy and completely yourself the whole journey that is a life well lived. If all you do is dream but let fear get in the way of achieving you goals then I don’t see how you’ll be able to look back on your life satisfied. I was told many years ago in a history class and have pretty much believed it since; history will continue to repeat itself until we learn from our mistakes. For years throughout my first dating relationships I was changing myself to be who I thought the guy really wanted and needed and of course I was no longer the girl they first liked and it wouldn’t work out. Eventually I just lost myself and at my lowest point I had given up on looking for someone to make me happy. I decided I was going to define my own happiness and when I was finally happy with myself is when I met Dante. I can easily and honestly say I have never happier and more myself then I can be with Dante.

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  13. I think everyone is a dreamer. Dreams help move you forward and strive for new goals. Plus it lets you open the door to many more possibilities. I do think that being a dreamer you have to be a little more careful but not that much. Some dreams can cloud your judgment, like Haley said, but people who don’t dream may also have a clouded judgment. I do think that dreams can get you in trouble if you depend on your dreams and just live in your dreams and not in reality. You need to have a happy medium of dreams and reality. I do think that you can repeat the past in a way. I think you can make the same decisions about something that can replicate something you did in the past but not the something as before.

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    1. I 100% agree with Erika. Dreams help you in everything you do. They let you achive more than you can if you're not a dreamer. I do think they can cloud judgement in some cases but in most they are GREAT! Keep dreaming!:)

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  14. If you are dreamer you definitely have to be more careful than those who live in reality. I agree with Hayley that being a dreamer clouds your judgment and can cause you to make careless mistakes. Although being a dreamer can make you strive for something higher and greater than one who sees only the reality of things. Sometimes your dreams can come true and it is one of the greatest feelings in the world however if your dreaming gets out of control you can have to opposite effect. You could get caught up in all your dreams and forget your limits. I do not agree with Nick when he says to Gatsby that you can't repeat the past. Some things that happen in this world are miracles and can not be repeated but he may have a similar experience and feel the same emotions he did before. Which to me would be pretty close to repeating your past. However there are repercussions to this because Gatsby has been in love with Daisy for the past five years and he knows barely anything about her. People change and I dont think he realizes this.

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  15. I think that dreaming is a way of putting yourself out into the world; making yourself vulnerable. You don't necessarily have to be more careful, you just have to be prepared to accept disappointment or pain that comes with failure. I don't think that you can repeat your past. The same opportunity might prevent itself to you more than once but it is rare and the circumstances and timing are all different. The past is over and done with. There is nothing anyone can do to alter what has happened. They can, however, attempt to recreate the past in their own way. This is unlikely and foolish. Why would anyone want to live their life stuck looking back on what happened, and what they can't change. The past should not be dwelt in. The past should be remembered but not rearranged. The present is the best place to live, making every moment count. Living in the past causes you to miss everything that is happening right here, right now.

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  16. I think dreamers are great! There is nothing wrong with dreaming and it’s good to set goals and try to achieve your dreams. I think it makes life better, funner, and more successful. I don’t necessarily think that dreamers have to be more careful. . When Nick tells Gatsby "You cannot repeat the past", I agree with him. I think that as much as a person wants to repeat the past they simply can't. I think there are bigger and better things to look forward to in the future and you with society changing as much as it does, one can’t keep living in the past. Keep dreaming!:)

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