Rutledge1

DonRutledge
ProfessorTimJanky
EnglishIII
31stAugust2014

SocietyTower
Emotion.Suchabroadterm,yetisitnotjustamazingthatpeoplecanjustchurnoutthe
mostamazing,finetunedinstrumentsofcontrolovermasses?Orindividuals?Orwhynotjust
thecryofabettersocietyiswhatcontinuallydrivesourclawingforthispeakofperfection?
Whenyoulookbackonthepast,itwasthisgentleconceptthatwasdevelopedintousthatmade
whowearetoday,andisthemaindivinereasonastowhywearesuchaconvolutedcivilization.
Emotionallbroughtustoamoreconnectedwellbeing,butforthemindsofmanypeople,the
logicastowhywearehereisduetothiscontradictorythingwecallrationalism.Icansee
why,butletstakeitandfliptoanotherside.Rationalismhasgreatlypiercedourmoundof
intellectandsohasfeelingforothers(goodorbad).Ifyouweretodemonstratehowhumanity
wasshapedwiththelatter,thenitshouldbedisplayedinavisualaspectthatshowsthatemotions
godeeperthemoreyouletthem.Abuildingisasuperbwaytoshowthisthought.Athreestory
buildinginacityactingasameltingcoreofsocialinteractionisagreatmodelforexhibitingthis
view.Startingiseasy,justwalkinside.
Sothefirstthingwethinkofwhenweareonthefirstfloorofemotionisthebasicsof
humaninteraction.Thesearethemostsimplistichumaninteractionsthatcomeintouseveryday.
Happiness,sadness,elation,boredom,hatred,andangerarejustsomeofthese.Ifyoulook
aroundonthecrowd,youllseeeveryoneconversingandchattingupastorm,makingitfeelasif

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thereisawaveoftemporaryemotionsthatsetinanout.Itsdiverseandeverysinglepersonon
thefirstfloorofthebuildingareexpressingmainlygestures,ahubforbodymovement.Speech
ispresent,andtheabundancebelievethatthatisourprimeconnectiontoothers.Bodymovement
andtonalityinourvoicegetourmessageacrossfluidly,butthematerialofthespeechstringsit
alltogether.Thereseemstobenorelationtotheclothingorhowyoulook,itjustlooksasif
everyoneiscomfortableintheirownshoes,givingwaytothewaveofinteractionandhowitis
allconnected.Thedecorationsandfurnitureofthefloorwerewellkeptandseemedtoreflect
howthepeoplewere:simplistic,basic,andtothepoint.
Floor2showsamorecomplexemotionalstateinwhichweallhavedeepinsideus.There
arepeopleshowingwhotheyareintherealworld,fromanextrovertedmanmakingpeople
laughtotheintrovertedpersonsittingallaloneonthecouch.Alongwiththepersonalityofeach
person,thewaytheyinteractonthisfloorseemstobenatural.Whenyoulookontheexpressions
ofpeoplesfacesandhoweveryonereacts,itshowspeoplebeingthemselves.Thatiswhatraw
personalityisnothidingonesself.Itisalsolesscrowdedthoughonthisfloor,sincemostofus
aretooscaredtoshowwhowereallyare.Peopleareintouchwiththeroomliketheir
personalities,implyingthereasonfortheoverusedfurniturelikethechairsandtables.There
maybeacouplecracksinthewalls,buttheatmosphericsurfaceofthesefloorsisrelaxing.
Whenwalkingtowardthenextfloor,youfeelatugfightingbacktostayhere.Thepeopletalking
andtheloungingfurniturecreateanotioninsideyouwhereyoudonthavetowearamask.
Floor3isdesolatedwithafewpeopleleft,buttheemotionalstateisdeeperthanthelast
floor.Theroomsaregreyandtablesarerustedprobablyfromthefewpeoplethatcomein.There
isarelievedfeelinggrindingwhenpeopletalkherewithoneanotherandthatfeelingisempathy.

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Individualssharinginformationandhelptoothersiswhatislaidonthefloor.Peopleareinvery
smallgroupsandmostofthetimebetweentwopeople,showingthatempathytowardothersisa
personalmatter.Thetonalityofpeoplesvoicesonthisfloorgivesoffaboldspirit,anambiance
thatfeelsdenseandthick.
Ifyou'renotmakingsomeoneelse'slifebetter,thenyouarewasting
yourtime
seemstobethecommonphrasepermeatedinthefabricofthisspirit.Silenceistaken
intoconsiderationastheourreactionsusuallyendsintearsastowhatwebeenthrough.Empathy
isabeautifulconceptandamongthesefloorsyoufeelitinthetonesofvoicesandhandsliterally
heldouttoothers.Theroomsarenotoverlaidwithprettydecorations,buteverythingis
focusedonwhatleadsbacktowhatmakesthesefloors.Thehumanspirit.
You'reonthetopfloorandthereisastaircasetotheroof.Holdyoubreath,theairisgone
andisthemainreasonwhyahandfulcanonlyholdtheirbreathforsolong.Youopenthedoor
totheroofoftheskyscraperandallyouseeislight.Abeautifullifelikelightcoursesthrough
youasyoutakenoteoftheemotionthatiscastingonyouafeelingofgreatness.Thewindon
theroofperceiveslikeahurricane,butgreatnessalwaysstandsfirmlyandletswindflowaround
yourbody.Greatpeopleontheedgeoftheroofarelookingacrosstheterrawithfacesofnot
judgement,butfacesthatsayhowcanIhelpthisworld.Theseherosofourhumanitysmile
acrossthelandscapebecausetheycareaboutwholivesonthislandscape.Somearealivetoday,
somearelonggoneanddead.Intheend,theyhavehelpedoursocietytogreaterheightsbythem
standingtallandiswhythesepeoplewillberesonatedforalongtimetocome.Theiremotional
givingandstrongholdsupporttosocietywillbeforeverinstilledinandaroundusandahandful
willberemembered.Remembranceoneofthegreatestfeelingspeoplewillfeelaftertheydie.

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Thisbuildingismorethanjustcommunity.Itdemonstrateshowweconnect,bring
everyonetogether,orseparate.Asyouleavethebuilding,youwillfindthatthisskyscraper
showsmorethanjusthowweinteract.Theconcretewallsandglassthatencasethepopulation
showthatweareinasmallworld,andtheonlywaywegodeeperintoouremotionsandour
interactionsisifwepushourselvestogoclimbhigher.