Letters to a Young Contrarian: Chapters 12 and 13

              In Chapter 12 of Hitchens' book, he talks a bit about criticism, along with the opinions and judgements of others.  He discusses how people naturally love to impose their opinions on others, although they really have no right to do so.  He talks about the decisions we make when speaking up for or against something, and he states, "Remember that saying nothing is also a decision…"  This made me think about how it is true that we consciously choose to say nothing, whether we are too fed up with the person to give them the satisfaction of our own thoughts, or merely don't want to start an argument, we are making a choice.  Sometimes, choosing not to say anything can be the best argument, because it shows that you can be the bigger person, and that you don't need the approval of others to continue believing what you already do.
              Chapter 13 begins to talk about history.  It talks about great rulers and leaders of the past, and it also discusses human nature.  Although the chapter was difficult to comprehend, I did take something very important out of it.  Towards the end of the chapter, the author writes, "Ask in mixed company if anyone can name the last American to win the Nobel Prize for Peace.  Nobel awards are well-reported here, especially in this category.  You will find that nobody can do it.  (The answer is Jody Williams, on behalf of the international campaign to ban land mines in 1997.)  But see if you ca find anyone who doesn't know that Princess Diana once did a photo-op near a minefield."  Well, perhaps no one in my generation would know about Diana's minefield photo shoot, but this idea certainly applies to society today.  The idea that everyone is more concerned with the latest trends celebrities are wearing or which stars just got divorced than with genuine, truly important events that benefit humanity.  It is truly sad, and although we can all predict that this will never change, this really made me think about the kind of news that I value in my own life.  I will definitely be making some changes.