Inquiry #3 Life Examined

This excerpt from the Examined Life involves an in-depth interview by Judith Butler with an individual, Sunaura Taylor, who has lived with a disability her entire life. She argues that many peoples’ perceptions of the handicapped as restricted and overly dependent are flawed because nobody functions in a manner that is entirely independent. This is an innovative idea, and I can see that it would be beneficial for people to seriously consider her case. However, both Butler and Taylor have a very cynical view of the American public that I do not think is warranted. In fact, I believe this cynicism distracts greatly from her argument. At one point Taylor says, “it was the matter of asking for help, which in this society is looked down upon” (196). In my experiences, most Americans pride themselves on lending a hand to people that ask for help. But the question is: how do we make people comfortable enough to ask for help? Perhaps people need to go out of the way to offer help to all others that need it. This will remove the initial awkwardness of someone asking for help and will lead to everyone feeling more at home in our communities.