Thursday, January 26, 2012

Music's Negative Influence on Behavior

 Throughout the ages, music has affected mankind. From the rising crescendo of a symphony, to a thumping beat at a dance club, this form of expression drives us and moves us in a way that will never fully be understood. It is just a part of that mystery that we all call life.
But one thing we can determine from it, is how it drives our behavior. Influencing so many different aspects of our everyday life, that some we may never even have considered before. Whether its calming us down in traffic, or amping us up for the big game, no day is complete without even just the tiniest bit of a beat.
Even from an early age in human history, people new its negative effect. Take some of the great philosophers of old. Plato is quoted with saying "Any musical innovation is full of danger to the whole state, and ought to be prohibited." [1] And Aristotle said, 
"Music directly imitates the passions or states of the soul...when one listens to music that imitates a certain passion, he becomes imbued with the same passion; and if over a long time he habitually listens to music that rouses ignoble passions, his whole character will be shaped to an ignoble form"[2]
Now, what are these two quotes saying? Essentially, they are implying that music's influence upon man's behavior is a negative one. What is a really interesting thought to ponder about, how would these great men have reacted to the music of say...Eminem. An artist who has been repeatedly connected with acts of violence, suicide, rape, murder, and any crime they can on him.  His lyrics themselves, are just chock full of inappropriate.  





The link above is one example of his songs, that young kids listen to all of the time. If you can even make it through the first verse, it continues on in the same fashion, promoting immoral and often violent sexual encounters with women.
However, some people chose to make light of this behavior, such as with an article from the humor website Cracked.com. In it, the article states several humorous facts.


http://www.cracked.com/article_15745_30-reasons-eminem-bad-music.html


However, I would like to make this statement before I appear to be something that I am not. I believe that music has a very positive influence on everyone, and this will be something that I shall be exploring next week. But as to not end on such a negative note, I would like to leave with a link to a much happier song.




Cites:
1. http://amazingdiscoveries.org/S-deception-music_philosophers_culture_plato.html (Philosopher Quotes)
2. Donald Grout, A History of Western Music (Norton, 1988): 7-8 






































1 comment:

  1. Excellent start, Andrew. I've never heard anything by Eminem--not very interesting. Weird Al, on the other hand--very nice.

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