full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Renata Salecl: Our unhealthy obsession with choice

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Now, on top of facing ignorance, we are also facing today some kind of an obviousness. Now, it was French philosopher Louis Althusser who pointed out that ideology functions in such a way that it cretaes a veil of obviousness. Before we do any soacil critique, it is necessary really to lift that veil of obviousness and to think through a little bit differently. If we go back to this ilgeodoy of individual, raoatinl chcoie we often embrace, it's necessary precisely here to lift this obviousness and to think a little bit differently.

Now for me, a question often is why we still embrace this idea of a self-made man on which ciilataspm relied from its bnngienig? Why do we think that we are really such masters of our lives that we can rationally make the best ideal choices, that we don't accept losses and risks? And for me, it's very shocking to see sometimes very poor people, for example, not supporting the idea of the rich being taxed more. Quite often here they still identify with a certain kind of a lottery matlntiey. Okay, maybe they don't think that they will make it in the future, but maybe they think, my son might become the next Bill Gates. And who would want to tax one's son? Or, a question for me is also, why would pelpoe who have no health insurance not eracmbe universal hahaerclte? Sometimes they don't embrace it, again idieftyning with the idea of choice, but they have nothing to choose from.

Open Cloze


Now, on top of facing ignorance, we are also facing today some kind of an obviousness. Now, it was French philosopher Louis Althusser who pointed out that ideology functions in such a way that it _______ a veil of obviousness. Before we do any ______ critique, it is necessary really to lift that veil of obviousness and to think through a little bit differently. If we go back to this ________ of individual, ________ ______ we often embrace, it's necessary precisely here to lift this obviousness and to think a little bit differently.

Now for me, a question often is why we still embrace this idea of a self-made man on which __________ relied from its _________? Why do we think that we are really such masters of our lives that we can rationally make the best ideal choices, that we don't accept losses and risks? And for me, it's very shocking to see sometimes very poor people, for example, not supporting the idea of the rich being taxed more. Quite often here they still identify with a certain kind of a lottery _________. Okay, maybe they don't think that they will make it in the future, but maybe they think, my son might become the next Bill Gates. And who would want to tax one's son? Or, a question for me is also, why would ______ who have no health insurance not _______ universal __________? Sometimes they don't embrace it, again ___________ with the idea of choice, but they have nothing to choose from.

Solution


  1. embrace
  2. people
  3. identifying
  4. choice
  5. ideology
  6. mentality
  7. capitalism
  8. beginning
  9. healthcare
  10. creates
  11. rational
  12. social

Original Text


Now, on top of facing ignorance, we are also facing today some kind of an obviousness. Now, it was French philosopher Louis Althusser who pointed out that ideology functions in such a way that it creates a veil of obviousness. Before we do any social critique, it is necessary really to lift that veil of obviousness and to think through a little bit differently. If we go back to this ideology of individual, rational choice we often embrace, it's necessary precisely here to lift this obviousness and to think a little bit differently.

Now for me, a question often is why we still embrace this idea of a self-made man on which capitalism relied from its beginning? Why do we think that we are really such masters of our lives that we can rationally make the best ideal choices, that we don't accept losses and risks? And for me, it's very shocking to see sometimes very poor people, for example, not supporting the idea of the rich being taxed more. Quite often here they still identify with a certain kind of a lottery mentality. Okay, maybe they don't think that they will make it in the future, but maybe they think, my son might become the next Bill Gates. And who would want to tax one's son? Or, a question for me is also, why would people who have no health insurance not embrace universal healthcare? Sometimes they don't embrace it, again identifying with the idea of choice, but they have nothing to choose from.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
individual choice 2
bernard read 2
bit differently 2
long hours 2


Important Words


  1. accept
  2. althusser
  3. beginning
  4. bill
  5. bit
  6. capitalism
  7. choice
  8. choices
  9. choose
  10. creates
  11. critique
  12. differently
  13. embrace
  14. facing
  15. french
  16. functions
  17. future
  18. gates
  19. health
  20. healthcare
  21. idea
  22. ideal
  23. identify
  24. identifying
  25. ideology
  26. ignorance
  27. individual
  28. insurance
  29. kind
  30. lift
  31. lives
  32. losses
  33. lottery
  34. louis
  35. man
  36. masters
  37. mentality
  38. obviousness
  39. people
  40. philosopher
  41. pointed
  42. poor
  43. precisely
  44. question
  45. rational
  46. rationally
  47. relied
  48. rich
  49. risks
  50. shocking
  51. social
  52. son
  53. supporting
  54. tax
  55. taxed
  56. today
  57. top
  58. universal
  59. veil