ExploreTruth

Dr. Cornel West can often be heard saying things that make you want to grab your dictionary, or thesaurus.

I remember hearing him speak in college, almost 7 years ago.  And yes, I did take notes.  Since then I’ve begun to understand the difference between a surface education, and the “deep education” that Dr. West so often speaks of - learning to die to the things that are keeping you from living a more critical, and intense life.

So there have been times where I relate to those who have tried to tackle some of his meatier text, such as Race Matters, Democracy Matters, or The Cornel West Reader.

Besides Dr. West’s recent memoir, I think Hope On A Tight Rope is his most accessible, and easy to read book to date.  It organizes much of the Westian wisdom often heard in his speeches and interviews, into a short, themed book.  The chapters are segmented by subject, and jam packed with eye opening, and thought provoking ideas.  And that is what I enjoy about Dr. Cornel West.  He refuses to relegate his intellect to the service of a narrow, more academic end.  He models public intellectualism well, and seeks to make his philosophical outlook usable.

These are some of the reasons that led me to select this book as the first book in the Explore Truth Readers group.

And it covers a variety of subjects.  There are chapters on philosophy, courage, identity and race, music, social justice, faith, family, freedom, wisdom,  leadership, love and service, and more.

Dr. Cornel West’s clear sense of urgency, often witnessed in his intense and passionate speeches, can be seen right away in the first chapter – State Of Emergency.  Here, he paints a clear picture of where he thinks we are in history, and what is at stake.

Here are also some of the excerpts that make this the ideal book to start our Readers Group:

“It takes courage to interrogate yourself.  It takes courage to look in the mirror and see past your reflection to who you really are when you take off the mask, when you’re not performing the same old routines and social roles.

It takes courage to ask-how did I become so well-adjusted to injustice?  It takes courage to cut against the grain and become nonconformist.  It takes courage to wake up and stay awake instead of engaging in complacent slumber.”

“The courage to love truth is one of the preconditions to thinking critically.”

“Thinking for oneself is based on a particular kind of courage in which you hold truth, wisdom, and honesty in high esteem.  The reason you want to think for yourself is because you understand that people often are not telling you the truth.  When you place a high value on truth, you have to think for yourself.”

“Anyone who has the audacity to embark on a quest for wisdom is really on quite an adventure because it requires a lot of courage, determination, discipline, and most importantly, humility.  You have to be open to the voice, viewpoint, and vision of others.”

February is also a great month to read a book like this.  As many people spend more time considering the state of black people in the United States of America, our attention is drawn to those folks(of all colors) who have historically been the lovers of truth, the courageous freedom fighters, the individuals who chose to think for themselves, and ultimately live a life dedicated to being a light in darkness.

In Hope On A Tight Rope, Dr. West, not only speaks to the existential value of critical thought and emotional health, but also connects this increasingly rare commodity to the continued viability of democratic experiments around the world.

So much is riding on how much we love truth.

• How fulfilled we are at our profession rides on it.
• Whether or not we leave behind a financial legacy, or a portfolio of lives touched by our being here.
• Whether a democratic nation can or will live up to its promises of justice.
• Ahhh..pretty much everything that is real. Our understanding of reality itself.

So go out and grab this book…or borrow it from your local library.   It’s worth it!

Here is Steven Colbert’s interview with Dr. Cornel West as he promotes his recent paperback edition of Hope On A Tight Rope. I look forward to exploring this book, and related topics, with you during the up coming weeks.