Week 5
Reading Reflection
Sherry Turkle, Evocative Objects - OBJECTS OF DESIGN AND PLAY
The main idea of this article reminds me of a psychology theory I learned before: Carl Jung’s personality types. Based on that theory, people who prefer to use extroverted sensing and introverted intuition tend to absorb outside information from a more sensory and abstract perspective - in other words, focusing on more graphic and objects and less on texts and words. This highly aligns with this article’s idea that people think through objects and objects can change how people think and feel. In my understanding, thinking and feeling through objects, or things that are hard to express through words, is a more gradual but also more profound change to people’s minds. To me, when this kind of thinking or feeling happens in my mind, it feels much deeper than any text or words.
Harness Your Memory (Chapter 4) from The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharpk
Interestingly, this article reminds me of the other part of Carl Jung’s personality types theory. Other than those who prefer to use extroverted sensing and introverted intuition, there is another type of people who are better at using introverted sensing and extroverted intuition, and they tend to absorb information better through precise things like text and words, which makes them have better memories, especially on details. However, this article does not only talk about the traditional kind of memories - factual memory, but it also talks about all other kinds of memories that are actually more associated with extroverted sensing and introverted intuition. Therefore, to me, the idea of this article and that of “Objects of Design and Play” echo with and complete each other. The kind of memories like muscle memory and sensual memory are mostly built from “thinking through objects”, and institutional memory and ancient memory are often the result of that thinking.
Elizabeth Chin, My Life With Things (Pgs 37-41)
This article feels very different from the other two, so I put it at the end. There are too many “things” around people - in a bad way. This is what the author is trying to express at the beginning of the article. I fully understand why she sees things in this way, especially as someone living in NYC, which is probably one of the most sensory-overwhelming cities in the world. While I was reading this article, I first thought that I did not hate all these existences of objects, and instead, they made me feel fulfilled, but I soon realized that the kind of fulfillment does not go deep down into my heart. Like the author said, this fulfillment comes from “fetishization.”
However, as I read to the latter part of the article, I realized that even if the fulfillment of objects does not go deep enough into my heart, it still gave me a lot of feelings and somewhat shaped me into who I am. Like how the author talked about her favorite cubby, “I never really thought about it as having a soul or a being, didn’t feel that it loved me back, but that wasn’t the point. I loved my Banky, loved it true, and it never let me down”, the point of objects is never to give people the kind of feeling like deep, emotional or philosopical communication and connection, so - perhaps - there is no surprise that they do not give people deep fulfillment, but the kind of connection between humans and objects is still a crucial relationship for people, and the love for objects is a crucial part of human’s complicated emotions.
Time Capsule: Object Prosthetic
Love Letter for my Ring
You stay with me almost all the time, only except for when I forget to bring you with me when I go out, at which times I often feel like something is missing. I once almost lost you when I was taking an Uber with my friend, and when we tried so hard and still could not find you, I said to her - and also to myself - “It’s okay, I can buy another one on Amazon”, but after that, you appeared in the back of the car. My friend said, if something got lost and is found again, that means now it truly belongs to you, and you will never lose it again. I chose to believe in her, and unlike before, when I only treated you as one of the decorative jewelry, now you are an actual part of my life. I will never say something like “I will buy another one” because now, you are the one.
Love Letter for my Cellphone
As a phone, you are relatively young. I bought you last winter, and since you were too new back then, I did not want to use you too soon, so I kept using the old phone for three more months. Therefore, you are technically only half a year old. However, after I started using you, I got used to you very soon. The excitement of having a new phone has already gone, and using it has become such an ordinary part of my life. However, it should not be like this. I need to appreciate you more, as you are probably one of the things that I interact with the most every day, and as I live halfway in reality and halfway digital, you are the companion that connects me with the digital half of my life. Thank you for being there for me every day, and in the future, I will be using you as if it were your first day.
Love Letter for my Ikea BLÅHAJ Shark
You have been with me for many years. How many years? The answer can either be six or two. I first got you when I was a senior in high school, and I named you Rocket. As you got too old, I brought the same BLÅHAJ shark from Ikea when I was a senior in college. I was going to name it Rocket II, but it didn’t feel right. I realized that it was still you, Rocket. Even if you got a new body, your old soul is still there. When I went back home for the summer and left you behind, I brought another shark again to stay with me at home, and of course, I have no doubt that it was still you. No matter where I go, I know you will always be with me, and no matter how many times you reincarnate and start a new life in a new body, we will never forget each other.
