Notes

Can I see by a show of hands, how many of your thought of getting a job, or have one already? I personally got a job because I wanted to earn my own money and because I wanted to be more responsible. Many people chase after money and materialistic things such as power and status, especially in our society. Our society is extremely materialistic; everybody is trying to get the latest phone model, the bigger house, better cars, etc. but this mindset is highly destructive. Morrie tells us that chasing after materialistic things and power is wrong; that these things can't bring true happiness. In the beginning of the book, Mitch depended on his job greatly. When the strike hit, Mitch said "I felt confused and depressed. Although the TV and radio work were nice supplements, the newspaper had been my lifeline, my oxygen; when I saw my stories in print each morning, I knew that, in at least some way, I was alive." (Albom 44). Mitch became so obsessed with his work that he considered it his lifeline. He tried to find happiness in his work, and when the strike hit, he felt empty, alone even. Chasing money and the greater title became this unhealthy obsession to a point where he nearly identified as his job. Mitch also said " I jotted some of the things Morrie was saying on a yellow pad. I did this mostly because I didn't want him to see my eyes, to know what I was thinking. that I had been, for much of my life since graduation, pursuing these very things he was railing against-bigger toys, nicer house. Because I worked among rich and famous athletes, I convinced myself that my needs were realistic, my greed inconsequential compared to theirs" (Albom 127). This quote shows us how materialistic we all can be, and this is what we need to steer away from. Morrie tells us that materialism can distract us from what's really important to us. Morrie once explained, "'Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I can recite is: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. You notice,' he added, grinning, 'there is nothing in there about a salary." (Albom 127). Morrie explains to us that the most important things in life don't come from money. Obviously, money is important, after all, it is how we survive, but we can't obsess over it. We can't chase after it because that will only bring you misery. Everybody loves nice things, but it's crucial to realize that life's greatest treasures don't come from money, that long term happiness is beyond money. Many people also think that status is extremely important; that you should always claim the greater title. Even Ted Turner said, " I don't want my tombstone to read 'I never owned a network'". People love to chase after the higher position, the higher title. That's how some people identify. That really successful woman from the law firm. That guy who interns at that place. The higher the position, the more you tend to show off, which is unhealthy. Morrie said "Mitch, if you're trying to show odd for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at your anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone." (Albom 128). Here, Morrie explains that status isn't as important as we all think, that it really won't get you anywhere. If we all worry too much about our statuses, that can separate us, and we will be blocking each other out. Us worrying about status can prevent us from forming meaningful relationships. People with the higher status wouldn't want to be seen with someone who has a lower status, which can stop us from loving each other.

What do you consider to be love? Because love is so complex, there have been many theories throughout time regarding love. For example, greeks thought of gods like Aphrodite, who is the goddess of love and sexuality, Eros, god of sexual desire, Hymeros, god of sexual desire and unrequited love, Anteros, god of requited love, etc. But the type of love I'm here to discuss is closer to what Christians call "agape love". agape love is the ultimate type of love, the love christ has for us. That's the type of love Morrie is trying to teach us. Morrie teaches us that it's important to love one another. he once said "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. His voice dropped to a whisper. Let us come in. We think we don't deserve love, we think that if we let it is we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said 'love is the only rational act'l" Here, morrie addresses one of our bigger fears... it is the fear of becoming "too soft". We're scared that being "too soft" will only hurt us in the end. We're scared that being "too kind" or perceived as "innocent"and "naive" will only end us devastating us, but there's no such thing as becoming "too soft". Becoming "too soft" is what society considers caring and showing love to people around you. Our society adds onto that fear, by telling us that being heartless and not caring is a good thing; that it's okay to hurt people if it doesn't effect us. Our society teaches us to block out love and to not show it either. It tells us that showing unconditional love will only backfire and hurt us. Our society and people's fear of being too soft stops us from being kind and showing love to those around us. That's why it's crucial to not let it keep us for giving and receiving love and kindness. Morrie also once said
"'Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.
'A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle.' Sounds like a wrestling match, i say. 'a wrestling match.' He laughs. 'Yes you could describe like that way.' So which side wins, I ask?
'Which side wins?' He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth. ' Love wins. Love always wins'"
(What do you think Morrie meant by this quote?)
In this quote, Morrie explains to us that life is a series of moves going back and forth; you want to do one thing, but you must do another. You have to say one thing, but want to say something completely different. Although these choices can be extremely difficult to make, in the end, love always wins. Take bullying for example. Somebody's knocking you down, dehumanizing you, but you must rise above it all, and let love win. In this particular case, let the love for yourself win. Now, I will show you a video explaining exactly what Morrie meant, in the form of poetry. *play video*. In this video, Sarah Key explains to us that life will hit you, hard. That it will wait until you're up on your feel to kick you down even more, but you can't let that stop you from showing love. You can't let the negative part of life knock you down. Yes, sometimes it will hurt, greatly, and you might feel as if you can't love anything anymore, but as Morrie said, love will always win. Showing love to your community is how you move on from these terrible events.