Tea at Trianon: The Decline of Creativity

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Decline of Creativity

In America. (Via Joshua Snyder)

These are new findings, and I am not aware of a research study specifically addressing this topic, so research is needed in the area. Kindergartners and first graders tend to be influenced more by home than school environments, so logically, home environments could be a strong factor. Possible explanations abound, and one may point a finger at the excessive time our children tend to spend in front of televisions and computers, watching programs, and playing videogames, rather than engaging in creative activities such as playing outside or exploring the outside world. Another ready explanation for decreasing creativity among upper-grade elementary school children is the lack of creativity development and the stifling of children’s creative opportunities in classrooms.

Julygirl said...: This is why Creative writing and Art classes are vital. How much creativity is there in arithmatic and irregular verbs...not saying those are not important in their own way, but when municipalities cut funding, guess which are the first things to go.; October 27, 2010 at 12:21:00 PM EDT
Alexandra said...: Yep, we have so much now, so there is less of a need to be creative with simple toys. Fairy tales are not as popular. Children's literature is much more non-fiction orientated these days. On the other hand, I think creativity may have shifted to older children who are developing their creativity in entrepreneurships, business, computers, and inventions - practical creativity rather than fanciful.; October 29, 2010 at 5:55:00 PM EDT