Strategies to Stay Present: A Discussion. Literature & Language Essay

Running head: STRATEGIES TO STAY PRESENT1
Strategies to Stay Present: A Discussion
Student Name
College/University Affiliation
STRATEGIES TO STAY PRESENT

2

Strategies to Stay Present: A Discussion
Guilt is, according to Taranath (2019), a wrenching, often internalized, feeling experienced by “well-meaning” Westerners visiting a foreign country, usually poor or less affluent in comparison to home of origin. The scenes of abject poverty, crowds surrounding Western visitors, signals sent by possessions carried by Western visitors during a city slum tour and, of course, attempts to escape to some expat place – all are manifestations of a wrenching feeling of guilt many Westerners experience as questions of wealth inequalities, access, opportunity and more become more pressing. Typically, visiting Westerners perform what Taranath considers soliloquies where feelings of guilt are not shared yet internalized – at a considerable expense of listening to different stories, perspectives, and voices. The feelings of guilt well-meaning Westerners experience in international visits are, in short, a barrier barring more privileged people from listening – and, for that matter, engaging more with – fellow humans who are less fortunate in many countries. This excerpt captures a gap Taranath so eloquently identifies as Westerners grapple with mounting feelings of guilt:
Everyone knows you come from – and will ultimately return back to somewhere else. Race, today, seems secondary to class and wealth and opportunity and passports. The
fact that you r shoes are this sturdy, and the fact that your eyes flit and fall as you glance at the children playing in the puddles, makes what you have – or have access to – matter differently than the color of your skin, at least right now. ...