Literacy in the Workplace and Essay

Total Length: 2017 words ( 7 double-spaced pages)

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A greater literacy lets us act as a guide to others, lets us grow ourselves from knowledge into wisdom -- it can even let us interpret reality without empirical data: for by learning the letter of the laws of nature, we are able to understand the ways in which nature and world conduct their affairs -- without forever being reliant upon the tables and stats of men. Literacy assists in the establishment of something sorely lacking in the world today: common sense. The lack of common sense is directly related to the illiteracy of men and the loss of identity.

If it were not so, why then would we hear of the "several people" who "reported using private writing to purge feelings, primarily anger or grief" ("Remembering Writing, Remembering Reading" 107)? Writing allows us to express the unexpressable -- it allows us to see who and what we are. It allows us not only to create a procedural book for school and work, but also a book of our lives. These exercises are part of the human condition: they allow us, in moments of untold stress, to vent our frustrations, our pains, and our concerns.

Reading and writing are part of what help people to deal with reality: they are not burdens to be shrugged off or skirted or gotten around.
As James Gee notes, "We use language to make things significant (to give them meaning or value) in certain ways, to build significance. As the saying goes, we make 'mountains out of molehills'" (11). Those "mountains," therefore, are not superfluous -- they are rather our introduction to a world of understanding.

It must be observed, however, that as with all things moderation is key. To apply the tool of literacy to all subjects to such an extent that the subject becomes lost or obliterated by the magnifying lens of the academician is certainly not the way one should study. Semanticists never make good teachers. Words are there to help -- not to hinder.

In conclusion, I have observed in both my work experience and my college experience that literacy is a necessary tool to establishing order and gaining knowledge. It helps one go "by the book" and it helps one understand a new field. It helps knowledge pass on from one person to the next, and it opens the door for greater possibilities. Literacy is, essentially, a fundamental aspect of the human condition, and as such it should be utilized to its fullest. The greater one is literate, the more likely he is to be perceived as one who has "common sense."

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