Critique d’art
EONS, mémoires sonores et tactiles
Zone Occupée, arts | culture | réflexions | no18
Pages 26 à 31
© Photos : Christine Martel
RIMA
Du 23 au 25 octobre, je serai en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour participer à la 24e Rencontre interuniversitaire des maitrises en arts du Québec. Au programme : conférences et exposition collective. Pour l’occasion, je poursuivrai la série RECLAIM en sérigraphie.
Longue résidence d’été au Lobe : Jean-Jules
Résidence / 1er juillet au 30 août 2019
Exposition / 30 août au 20 septembre 2019
Commissaire en résidence / Emmanuel Galland
Proposition: On se calme le pompon!
« Jean-Jules », quel repère incroyable ! Il faut avoir l’esprit en verve, la langue bien musclée, le sang froid mais le cœur chaud, qui bouillonne, pour oser ton univers. Il s’exprime, à travers ton œuvre, une parlure qui m’inspire, une pensure qui m’aspire, une joyeuse démesure, quelque chose qui dénonce avec bienveillance l’absurdité d’un certain (réel). Pour moi Jean-Jules c’est l’engagement total – pas juste social – une lucidité qui éclaire les enjeux actuels avec les nuances qu’ils supposent, dans une esthétique aussi sobre que savoureuse. Travailler avec ta démarche comme repère; me servir de ton audace comme tremplin, quel défi stimulant; j’existe au monde par le langage, et c’est avec lui dont j’aime me jouer du (réel). Le langage, territoire de luttes / jeu / digressions infinies. Jean-Jules, comme un propulseur d’idées. Embarque, on n’ira pas vite.
Tu as sûrement entendu la rumeur : deux milliardaires capital-risque américains s’en viennent jouer dans le fjord. Ils s’appellent James F. Illitch et Jim Breyer (c’est important de les nommer). Parmi leurs idées farfelues, la construction d’un terminal méthanier au bout d’un gazoduc de 750 km de longueur, quatorze milliards de dollars pour quelques jobs, des bateaux longs comme douze baleines bleues. Ces projets-là s’ajoutent aux mines, Métaux Black Rock qui promet des émissions de GES à faire cracher noir nos enfants, ou encore Arianne Phosphate, qui veut faire exploser la montagne pour installer un (autre) port. Je suis tannée qu’on vende nos paysages pour quelques jobs de fond de cale. Ces projets-là m’inquiètent; ils cultivent l’opposition entre nature et culture, ils divisent l’opinion publique – qui peut reprocher à son voisin de vouloir gagner son pain et son beurre? Ces projets-là, ces petits despotes-là, ils dénaturent tout: le paysage comme le tissus social. Ils vont à l’envers du sens du monde et puis ils flottent au-dessus, intouchables, ignares de nos efforts de cohésion sociale et des générations qui ont bâti avant nous. Notre force de production contre la destruction de la nature. Ça ne fait pas, Jean-Jules. La plupart des scientifiques sont d’accord: l’effondrement est bien entamé.
Je suis allée au bout du quai, pour réfléchir face au fjord. Le brise-glace est passé, c’est le printemps qui s’en vient. J’ai eu une pensée pour les personnes au fond de la cale. J’ai eu un frisson, puis une pensée pour ma mère qui tricote nos bas de laine. Pour toutes nos mères, qui ont tricoté nos familles. J’ai eu envie de me lever et de crier dans le vent : HEILLE (tabarnak), ON SE CALME LE POMPON!
Blog Post 5
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla in gravida tortor, sed dictum felis. Pellentesque pellentesque enim at turpis porttitor ornare. Morbi porta lectus convallis, sollicitudin ex non, commodo erat. Ut commodo elit sed aliquam consequat. Vivamus ultrices id orci a pellentesque. Etiam pellentesque erat vel placerat pulvinar. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin in libero ante. Etiam quis tortor et dui commodo venenatis. Donec odio nisi, fermentum at suscipit eu, finibus sit amet turpis.
Nulla at lectus a tortor euismod venenatis at nec felis. Etiam placerat, purus sit amet lacinia posuere, erat diam ullamcorper orci, at sollicitudin ipsum leo sed urna. Quisque lobortis non erat sit amet vulputate. Nulla ultrices dolor non dapibus tempus. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Etiam dictum urna sit amet tincidunt pulvinar. In venenatis est non ex efficitur, vitae ultrices sapien convallis.
Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor. Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor.
Integer vitae dui ut purus iaculis viverra. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Nam non purus sit amet mi vestibulum ultricies vel in est. Aliquam condimentum metus tempor lorem laoreet, in finibus arcu commodo. Integer sed nisi ultricies, aliquam sem vitae, molestie mi. Donec magna augue, sagittis sed neque non, ullamcorper lobortis quam. Donec sit amet urna a metus aliquam pretium. Suspendisse aliquet bibendum neque non egestas. Suspendisse potenti. Nunc scelerisque accumsan quam, et ullamcorper ante laoreet convallis. Phasellus convallis justo nunc, eu pellentesque justo tempus nec.
Donec lacus lacus, molestie nec hendrerit non, placerat nec turpis. Aenean enim purus, convallis a ornare a, rutrum sed magna. Cras purus metus, iaculis at consequat nec, convallis vel risus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Fusce volutpat nibh eu elit tincidunt, in pellentesque ligula bibendum. Donec mauris lacus, sollicitudin non lacinia a, ultricies sit amet lacus. Nam ac ligula ultricies, mattis libero non, tempus enim.
Blog Post 4
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla in gravida tortor, sed dictum felis. Pellentesque pellentesque enim at turpis porttitor ornare. Morbi porta lectus convallis, sollicitudin ex non, commodo erat. Ut commodo elit sed aliquam consequat. Vivamus ultrices id orci a pellentesque. Etiam pellentesque erat vel placerat pulvinar. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin in libero ante. Etiam quis tortor et dui commodo venenatis. Donec odio nisi, fermentum at suscipit eu, finibus sit amet turpis.
Nulla at lectus a tortor euismod venenatis at nec felis. Etiam placerat, purus sit amet lacinia posuere, erat diam ullamcorper orci, at sollicitudin ipsum leo sed urna. Quisque lobortis non erat sit amet vulputate. Nulla ultrices dolor non dapibus tempus. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Etiam dictum urna sit amet tincidunt pulvinar. In venenatis est non ex efficitur, vitae ultrices sapien convallis.
Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor. Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor.
Integer vitae dui ut purus iaculis viverra. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Nam non purus sit amet mi vestibulum ultricies vel in est. Aliquam condimentum metus tempor lorem laoreet, in finibus arcu commodo. Integer sed nisi ultricies, aliquam sem vitae, molestie mi. Donec magna augue, sagittis sed neque non, ullamcorper lobortis quam. Donec sit amet urna a metus aliquam pretium. Suspendisse aliquet bibendum neque non egestas. Suspendisse potenti. Nunc scelerisque accumsan quam, et ullamcorper ante laoreet convallis. Phasellus convallis justo nunc, eu pellentesque justo tempus nec.
Donec lacus lacus, molestie nec hendrerit non, placerat nec turpis. Aenean enim purus, convallis a ornare a, rutrum sed magna. Cras purus metus, iaculis at consequat nec, convallis vel risus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Fusce volutpat nibh eu elit tincidunt, in pellentesque ligula bibendum. Donec mauris lacus, sollicitudin non lacinia a, ultricies sit amet lacus. Nam ac ligula ultricies, mattis libero non, tempus enim.
Blog Post 3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla in gravida tortor, sed dictum felis. Pellentesque pellentesque enim at turpis porttitor ornare. Morbi porta lectus convallis, sollicitudin ex non, commodo erat. Ut commodo elit sed aliquam consequat. Vivamus ultrices id orci a pellentesque. Etiam pellentesque erat vel placerat pulvinar. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin in libero ante. Etiam quis tortor et dui commodo venenatis. Donec odio nisi, fermentum at suscipit eu, finibus sit amet turpis.
Nulla at lectus a tortor euismod venenatis at nec felis. Etiam placerat, purus sit amet lacinia posuere, erat diam ullamcorper orci, at sollicitudin ipsum leo sed urna. Quisque lobortis non erat sit amet vulputate. Nulla ultrices dolor non dapibus tempus. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Etiam dictum urna sit amet tincidunt pulvinar. In venenatis est non ex efficitur, vitae ultrices sapien convallis.
Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor. Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor.
Integer vitae dui ut purus iaculis viverra. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Nam non purus sit amet mi vestibulum ultricies vel in est. Aliquam condimentum metus tempor lorem laoreet, in finibus arcu commodo. Integer sed nisi ultricies, aliquam sem vitae, molestie mi. Donec magna augue, sagittis sed neque non, ullamcorper lobortis quam. Donec sit amet urna a metus aliquam pretium. Suspendisse aliquet bibendum neque non egestas. Suspendisse potenti. Nunc scelerisque accumsan quam, et ullamcorper ante laoreet convallis. Phasellus convallis justo nunc, eu pellentesque justo tempus nec.
Donec lacus lacus, molestie nec hendrerit non, placerat nec turpis. Aenean enim purus, convallis a ornare a, rutrum sed magna. Cras purus metus, iaculis at consequat nec, convallis vel risus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Fusce volutpat nibh eu elit tincidunt, in pellentesque ligula bibendum. Donec mauris lacus, sollicitudin non lacinia a, ultricies sit amet lacus. Nam ac ligula ultricies, mattis libero non, tempus enim.
Blog Post 2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla in gravida tortor, sed dictum felis. Pellentesque pellentesque enim at turpis porttitor ornare. Morbi porta lectus convallis, sollicitudin ex non, commodo erat. Ut commodo elit sed aliquam consequat. Vivamus ultrices id orci a pellentesque. Etiam pellentesque erat vel placerat pulvinar. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin in libero ante. Etiam quis tortor et dui commodo venenatis. Donec odio nisi, fermentum at suscipit eu, finibus sit amet turpis.
Nulla at lectus a tortor euismod venenatis at nec felis. Etiam placerat, purus sit amet lacinia posuere, erat diam ullamcorper orci, at sollicitudin ipsum leo sed urna. Quisque lobortis non erat sit amet vulputate. Nulla ultrices dolor non dapibus tempus. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Etiam dictum urna sit amet tincidunt pulvinar. In venenatis est non ex efficitur, vitae ultrices sapien convallis.
Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor. Integer quis ligula erat. Curabitur mollis erat nec bibendum sodales. Ut sed lorem in eros porta auctor.
Integer vitae dui ut purus iaculis viverra. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Nam non purus sit amet mi vestibulum ultricies vel in est. Aliquam condimentum metus tempor lorem laoreet, in finibus arcu commodo. Integer sed nisi ultricies, aliquam sem vitae, molestie mi. Donec magna augue, sagittis sed neque non, ullamcorper lobortis quam. Donec sit amet urna a metus aliquam pretium. Suspendisse aliquet bibendum neque non egestas. Suspendisse potenti. Nunc scelerisque accumsan quam, et ullamcorper ante laoreet convallis. Phasellus convallis justo nunc, eu pellentesque justo tempus nec.
Donec lacus lacus, molestie nec hendrerit non, placerat nec turpis. Aenean enim purus, convallis a ornare a, rutrum sed magna. Cras purus metus, iaculis at consequat nec, convallis vel risus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Fusce volutpat nibh eu elit tincidunt, in pellentesque ligula bibendum. Donec mauris lacus, sollicitudin non lacinia a, ultricies sit amet lacus. Nam ac ligula ultricies, mattis libero non, tempus enim.
Henri Barande’s Saatchi Gallery exhibition monograph
To mark the first UK show of artist Henri Barande, graphic designer Christoph Stolberg and German studio Schultzschultz have created Henri Barande.
Most times, ideacide happens without us even realizing it. A possible off-the-wall idea or solution appears like a blip and disappears without us even realizing. As a result, some of our best stuff is suppressed before even getting out into the world. Whether it’s because we’re too critical or because we recoil at the impending pain of change, the disruption of normalcy, self-censoring arises out of fear. Welsh novelist Sarah Waters sums it up eloquently: “Midway through writing a novel, I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror, as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it, in quick succession, the derisive reviews, the friends’ embarrassment, the failing career, the dwindling income, the repossessed house, the divorce…”
We know self-censoring by many names. Carl Jung called it our “inner critic.” Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers called it the “voice of judgment” in their classic book, Creativity in Business, based on a popular course they co-taught at Stanford University Graduate Business School. Novelist and screenwriter Steven Pressfield called it “Resistance,” writing that it is “the most toxic force on the planet” and that it is “a monster.”
One touch of a red-hot stove is usually all we need to avoid that kind of discomfort in the future. The same is true as we experience the emotional sensation of stress from our first instances of social rejection or ridicule. We quickly learn to fear and thus automatically avoid potentially stressful situations of all kinds, including the most common of all: making mistakes. Researchers Robert Reinhart and Geoffrey Woodman of Vanderbilt University refer to this phenomenon as the “Oops! Response,” which is the product of the adrenaline-fueled, threat-protection system in our brain that not only governs our fight-flight-surrender response, but that also enables us to learn from our mistakes. This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
That immediately brought to mind one of my fondest memories, involving my daughter when she was just a toddler of one: taking her with me on the short walk to check the mail. I live in a small enclave of homes in which all the mailboxes are together in a central location, less than a minute’s walk from my front door…when I walk alone, that is. When I would take my daughter with me it was easily 20 minutes. Everything along the way, to and from, fascinated her: every pebble, ant, stick, leaf, blade of grass, and crack in the sidewalk was something to be picked up, looked at, tasted, smelled, and shaken. Everything was interesting to her. She knew nothing. I knew everything…been there, done that. She was in the moment, I was in the past. She was mindful. I was mindless.
Defaulting to Mindfulness: The Third Person Effect
Part of the answer is something psychologists refer to it as self-distancing, a term coined by researchers Ethan Kross and Ozlem Ayduk. What spurred Ethan Kross to investigate the concept in the first place was an act of mindlessness: He accidentally ran a red light. He scolded himself by saying out loud, “Ethan, you idiot!” Referring to himself in the third person made him wonder if there might be something more to this quirk of speech, and if it might represent a method for changing one’s perspective.
The short answer is yes. According to Kross, when you think of yourself as another person, it allows you give yourself more objective, helpful feedback.
Both of these assumptions, of course, could be entirely false. Self-censoring is firmly rooted in our experiences with mistakes in the past and not the present. The brain messages arising from those experiences can be deceptive. And if what our censoring self thinks it “knows” may in fact not be true, then automatically accepting it as some sort of inert truth is indeed mindless and self-defeating. Langer agrees: “When you think ‘I know’ and ‘it is,’ you have the illusion of knowing, the illusion of certainty, and then you’re mindless.” Langer argues that we must learn to look at the world in a more conditional way, versus an absolute way. Understanding that the way we are looking at things is merely one among many different ways of looking at them requires us to embrace uncertainty.
Martin Müller designs covers for Specious Books
The project was inspired by the dilemma graphic designers and illustrators are so often faced with in commissioned projects – all your efforts won’t heighten the quality of a poorly written book.
Most times, ideacide happens without us even realizing it. A possible off-the-wall idea or solution appears like a blip and disappears without us even realizing. As a result, some of our best stuff is suppressed before even getting out into the world. Whether it’s because we’re too critical or because we recoil at the impending pain of change, the disruption of normalcy, self-censoring arises out of fear. Welsh novelist Sarah Waters sums it up eloquently: “Midway through writing a novel, I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror, as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it, in quick succession, the derisive reviews, the friends’ embarrassment, the failing career, the dwindling income, the repossessed house, the divorce…”
We know self-censoring by many names. Carl Jung called it our “inner critic.” Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers called it the “voice of judgment” in their classic book, Creativity in Business, based on a popular course they co-taught at Stanford University Graduate Business School. Novelist and screenwriter Steven Pressfield called it “Resistance,” writing that it is “the most toxic force on the planet” and that it is “a monster.”
One touch of a red-hot stove is usually all we need to avoid that kind of discomfort in the future. The same is true as we experience the emotional sensation of stress from our first instances of social rejection or ridicule. We quickly learn to fear and thus automatically avoid potentially stressful situations of all kinds, including the most common of all: making mistakes. Researchers Robert Reinhart and Geoffrey Woodman of Vanderbilt University refer to this phenomenon as the “Oops! Response,” which is the product of the adrenaline-fueled, threat-protection system in our brain that not only governs our fight-flight-surrender response, but that also enables us to learn from our mistakes. This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
That immediately brought to mind one of my fondest memories, involving my daughter when she was just a toddler of one: taking her with me on the short walk to check the mail. I live in a small enclave of homes in which all the mailboxes are together in a central location, less than a minute’s walk from my front door…when I walk alone, that is. When I would take my daughter with me it was easily 20 minutes. Everything along the way, to and from, fascinated her: every pebble, ant, stick, leaf, blade of grass, and crack in the sidewalk was something to be picked up, looked at, tasted, smelled, and shaken. Everything was interesting to her. She knew nothing. I knew everything…been there, done that. She was in the moment, I was in the past. She was mindful. I was mindless.
Defaulting to Mindfulness: The Third Person Effect
Part of the answer is something psychologists refer to it as self-distancing, a term coined by researchers Ethan Kross and Ozlem Ayduk. What spurred Ethan Kross to investigate the concept in the first place was an act of mindlessness: He accidentally ran a red light. He scolded himself by saying out loud, “Ethan, you idiot!” Referring to himself in the third person made him wonder if there might be something more to this quirk of speech, and if it might represent a method for changing one’s perspective.
The short answer is yes. According to Kross, when you think of yourself as another person, it allows you give yourself more objective, helpful feedback.
Both of these assumptions, of course, could be entirely false. Self-censoring is firmly rooted in our experiences with mistakes in the past and not the present. The brain messages arising from those experiences can be deceptive. And if what our censoring self thinks it “knows” may in fact not be true, then automatically accepting it as some sort of inert truth is indeed mindless and self-defeating. Langer agrees: “When you think ‘I know’ and ‘it is,’ you have the illusion of knowing, the illusion of certainty, and then you’re mindless.” Langer argues that we must learn to look at the world in a more conditional way, versus an absolute way. Understanding that the way we are looking at things is merely one among many different ways of looking at them requires us to embrace uncertainty.
Ran Park explores the chaos of « Konglish » in a new zine
Konglish is the use of English words, or words derived from English words, in a Korean context. This simple premise was the concept behind Berlin-based designer Ran Park’s zine, Lost In Konglish.
Most times, ideacide happens without us even realizing it. A possible off-the-wall idea or solution appears like a blip and disappears without us even realizing. As a result, some of our best stuff is suppressed before even getting out into the world. Whether it’s because we’re too critical or because we recoil at the impending pain of change, the disruption of normalcy, self-censoring arises out of fear. Welsh novelist Sarah Waters sums it up eloquently: “Midway through writing a novel, I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror, as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it, in quick succession, the derisive reviews, the friends’ embarrassment, the failing career, the dwindling income, the repossessed house, the divorce…”
We know self-censoring by many names. Carl Jung called it our “inner critic.” Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers called it the “voice of judgment” in their classic book, Creativity in Business, based on a popular course they co-taught at Stanford University Graduate Business School. Novelist and screenwriter Steven Pressfield called it “Resistance,” writing that it is “the most toxic force on the planet” and that it is “a monster.”
One touch of a red-hot stove is usually all we need to avoid that kind of discomfort in the future. The same is true as we experience the emotional sensation of stress from our first instances of social rejection or ridicule. We quickly learn to fear and thus automatically avoid potentially stressful situations of all kinds, including the most common of all: making mistakes. Researchers Robert Reinhart and Geoffrey Woodman of Vanderbilt University refer to this phenomenon as the “Oops! Response,” which is the product of the adrenaline-fueled, threat-protection system in our brain that not only governs our fight-flight-surrender response, but that also enables us to learn from our mistakes. This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
This response is important for our ability to learn from mistakes, but it also gives rise to self-criticism, because it is part of the threat-protection system. In other words, what keeps us safe can go too far, and keep us too safe. In fact, it can trigger self-censoring.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
That immediately brought to mind one of my fondest memories, involving my daughter when she was just a toddler of one: taking her with me on the short walk to check the mail. I live in a small enclave of homes in which all the mailboxes are together in a central location, less than a minute’s walk from my front door…when I walk alone, that is. When I would take my daughter with me it was easily 20 minutes. Everything along the way, to and from, fascinated her: every pebble, ant, stick, leaf, blade of grass, and crack in the sidewalk was something to be picked up, looked at, tasted, smelled, and shaken. Everything was interesting to her. She knew nothing. I knew everything…been there, done that. She was in the moment, I was in the past. She was mindful. I was mindless.
Defaulting to Mindfulness: The Third Person Effect
Part of the answer is something psychologists refer to it as self-distancing, a term coined by researchers Ethan Kross and Ozlem Ayduk. What spurred Ethan Kross to investigate the concept in the first place was an act of mindlessness: He accidentally ran a red light. He scolded himself by saying out loud, “Ethan, you idiot!” Referring to himself in the third person made him wonder if there might be something more to this quirk of speech, and if it might represent a method for changing one’s perspective.
The short answer is yes. According to Kross, when you think of yourself as another person, it allows you give yourself more objective, helpful feedback.
Both of these assumptions, of course, could be entirely false. Self-censoring is firmly rooted in our experiences with mistakes in the past and not the present. The brain messages arising from those experiences can be deceptive. And if what our censoring self thinks it “knows” may in fact not be true, then automatically accepting it as some sort of inert truth is indeed mindless and self-defeating. Langer agrees: “When you think ‘I know’ and ‘it is,’ you have the illusion of knowing, the illusion of certainty, and then you’re mindless.” Langer argues that we must learn to look at the world in a more conditional way, versus an absolute way. Understanding that the way we are looking at things is merely one among many different ways of looking at them requires us to embrace uncertainty.