"Man is the only being who knows he is alone..." (Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, 195)

   Hello Blogging world... and fellow Ihum 260 students!  In case you were wondering, this is indeed my first ever blog. . . and I'm not quite sure what i am doing!  I have only taken one other humanties class proir to this one, and at the present moment i'm not the greatest at analyzing pictures, litarature, etc., so this will be an adventure for me!  Buckle up, folks!


Octavio Paz (found on: henrycorbinproject.blogspot.com)

    As i started reading chapter 9, The Dilaectic of Solitude, i was immediately intrigued by the above phrase in the title of this blog; the full text is aas follows, "Man is the only being who knows he is alone, and the only one who seeks out another."  I thought this was very interesting because it went along with Professor Mack's comment about what humanities is; that in his opinion, it has a little to do with the attachment theory.  The definition of solitute, according to dictionary.com, is, "remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity."  In this chapter, Paz writes all about love, from amyn different angles.  The oidea that he writes, along with the look on his face in the picture, makes me wonder if he had any of his own personal struggles with love and solitude.  Later in the chapter he proposes that, ". . . solitude is not only a time of solitude but also of great romances, heroism, and sacrafice." (203)  I am not familiar with the history of Mexico, Mexican culture, or beliefs.  I don't know the ins and outs of Latin American life;  but having had the opportunity to speak to many Mexicans and Latinos living in the United States, some have expressed their lonliness, or state of solitude, here in a country with a different language, norm, and way of life. 
     It is interesting how a piece of writing, a photograph, or a few bars of music, can make you feel certain types of emotions; On page 207, Paz mentions emptiness; as i finished reading this chapter, i wasn't 100% sure i understood everything Paz was saying, but i did feel a little empty myself . . .