Ratatouille

I just watched Ratatouille with Gina on Friday. Heard so many good reviews about it I decided that I just had to watch it to see how good it really is for myself. And you know what? It really is an exceptionally heart-warming movie of encouragement, friendship and individualism. I told Nicholas that if he should watch it, he'll be inspired to be a chef again. Life can sometimes be disappointing in the way it tells you that the aspirations you had as a small kid will probably never be fulfilled in the future, and that you should start thinking about a more stable, NORMAL career. That thought however, I would really like to get back to it soon.

However, this post is about my take-away from the movie. Of all the characters, I find that I'm inclined to picture myself, of all the vibrant characters involved, like the food critic Anton Ego. Below is his exact words as follows:

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.

“But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.”

Now isn't that a beautiful speech? The moment I heard it, I was stunned. So stunned that I decided I just had to blog about it, despite this blog being quite domain for quite a while as a result of my laziness. That's how much it affected me. As a sociology major, this is quite a blow to the self-righteous ego of any student or professional in the field. Sociology is a study of society, and in most things we do, we comment and criticize the written perspectives of people. However, little is done, almost nothing is accomplished. The grand aim of the subject, in my opinion, as well as in many other famous sociologists, historians and philosophers in the past, is to find a way to change the world for the better.

I got to admit that I took Sociology for the mere interest of doing something really interesting and relevant to my own life. However, the more I study it, the more I find that there is so much potential for positive change! Like Durkheim and Hegel who were positivists in mindset, society can be worked out for the better when the numerous causes for misery and poverty are rooted out. Despite the multiple obstacles to overcome, sometimes it is worth a try. It is better than sitting back and commenting, criticizing and lamenting without having a solution in mind. With that said, I would like to proceed to how this can be done. And you know something? I have no idea where to start.

But that is not going to stop me from searching for a way to do so. Sociology is a study of society, and therefore intrinsically linked with the betterment of it. And I do have a few ideas cooking up in that horrendously inclined-to-daydream imagination of mine. Too bad Max Weber beat me to handing in a thesis at a younger age. Darn, now I can't be considered a prodigy. LoL!