Writing Ours But Not Ours

I am sure that each and every one of us found ourselves in a crossroads, a moment of indecision where we need to determine whether what we do is right while also perceived as wrong. After I read the writing, “Reading and Writing Without Authority,” by Ann M. Penrose and Cheryl Geis I was elucidated to what it means to be a paternalist. A paternalist is essentially someone who goes against the wishes of another, influencing or making decisions for them against their own individual will out of a desire to protect or benefit that individual in question. A good example is in the beginning of the paper where a doctor has to choose between doing the blood transfusion in order to save his patient or respect his religious stance on blood transfusions knowing the risks.

As writers we are influenced by our world and the people as we it. Therefore, we as writers are also subject to being manipulated through the actions of a paternalist. Humans are creatures often drawn to authority as seen in Roger and Janet’s essays. Roger was a knowledgeable person who knew a lot about what he was talking about and could properly condense it for others to comprehend. Janet on the other hand was inexperienced, but you can tell that she does not know what it is she is writing about to the same level of authority as Roger. In fact, it is more along the lines that she is learning at the same time she is writing.

We must be our own authority, the master and learned of all our actions, that is the foundational aspect in writing.