1.) Who is Zadie Smith, and why should we pay attention to her essay? Zadie Smith is a successful American novelist from Cambridge University who studied English literature. We should take note of her essay, considering that she is widely respected for her writing and has received multiple award nominations. 2.) In what ways does Smith “distinguish between joy and pleasure” and how do these distinctions match up with your own interpretations of the two experiences? Smith distinguishes between joy and pleasure by relating joy to the feeling she has when she is fulfilled by memories, whereas she relates pleasure to the observational feelings that make her content. For instance,…

Another individual that reflects both DFW and I’s beliefs is Maria Konnikova, a distinguished writer and Harvard graduate, who argues that empathy is not overrated, because it can be improve one’s emotional intelligence and decision making, similarly to how Megan Phelps-Roper’s emotional intelligence was strengthened through an empathetic individual she met on Twitter. In Konnikova’s view, “But one of the things that keeps face-to-face friendships strong is the nature of shared experience” (7). What Konnikova means here is that it is crucial to utilize empathy in our day-to-day lives, no matter the circumstances we are enduring. It must have been difficult for Phelps-Roper to switch her mindset to value her…

***Changes in bold text in the revised paragraph Before planting a Naysayer: On the other hand, Adrian Chen may disagree with Konnikova’s point of view, considering that his essay supports being on social media to form connections with people who have differing perspectives than us. Chen and Konnikova would disagree about if the media is beneficial for forming relationships considering that Chen’s primary example incorporates a relationship being formed between two people with varying beliefs. For instance, Chen’s essay Unfollow proves and delves into the details that social media ultimately improved former Westboro Church spokesperson, Megan Phelps-Roper’s well-being. In Chen’s essay, American political activist Phelps-Roper is involved in a terrorist-like…