Student 33

Object 1: my Carnatic Violin

Credit: Image taken on my phone

This object is a Carnatic (Indian Classical) Violin which I use quite frequently in order to practice and hone my skills. I have had many experiences with it in which not only have I gained knowledge regarding the instrument itself but also the understanding of the practice as a whole.

The experiences which I have had with my violin are mostly positive, as I genuinely enjoy playing the instrument, I am talented, and practicing it is a stress-relieving method that is highly efficient - hence, my knowledge of the instrument gains larger significance as it means more to me, and the information is my own to relate to. Comparatively, a student in my violin class was not as good at the instrument, and as a result, was yelled at on multiple occasions by my teacher; after talking to him regarding the incident, he had grown to dislike the instrument itself over time even though he formerly enjoyed it. Therefore, due to negative personal experiences, the knowledge he had previously regarding violin had been overwritten by constant negative feedback and trauma, reiterating the cause and effect relationship between personal experience and knowledge.

Experiences allow for knowledge to become personal, and at the same time create different interpretations of it which contribute to our identity as knowers. Hence, this object connects to the TOK concept of interpretation, as the interpretation of knowledge in the case of my violin changed based on personal experience with mine being positive and my classmate’s being negative. The example of my violin is therefore included in the exhibition due to the fact that my experience as well as the two different experiences in my violin class serve as a case in point in which personal experience can increase the impact of knowledge, whether positive or negative.

Object 2: my Medicine

Credit: ibdrelief.com

This object is the medicine I have used in order to lessen the harmful symptoms of my Crohn’s disease, a steroid known as prednisone. This object has a large sentimental value to me as a person as it has helped me through many difficult times in my life, as I took them every time I had a flare-up.

The experience I had with my medicine was one which was mostly positive, as it was able to dampen my symptoms in regards to my Crohn’s disease whenever I needed it. This object is an example of how knowledge has impacted my personal experiences rather than the opposite which was shown through my violin due to the fact that the intelligence required to create this drug has allowed me to live a healthier and more normal life. Hence, if knowledge is applied to a certain extent, personal experiences can be impacted as knowledge is the root of all advancements that have happened and continue to happen concerning the human race.

I chose the object of my medicine for this exhibition not only because it holds a large personal value but also because it connects to the optional ToK theme of knowledge and technology, in the sense that knowledge has shaped the technology and advancements we have in this day and age, including the prednisone I take. This in turn connects to the prompt as the relationship between personal experience and knowledge goes both ways as the knowledge utilized to create my medicine has contributed to better personal experiences for me as a whole.

Object 3: Zipline I Rode

Credit: Image taken on my phone

This object is a zip line that I rode in Hawaii, which was extremely significant personally as it was my first time experiencing a thrill such as this one. In consideration of this object, this experience was a one-time activity in contrast to my violin and medicine; hence, I have less overall knowledge concerning these types of activities.

The occurrence I had with this zipline was both positive and negative, as prior to getting attached to it I was extremely nervous and feared for my safety as I had seen scary videos beforehand while during and after the experience I enjoyed it. This object portrays a relationship between personal experience and knowledge in which they are an endless cycle, as my experience of watching the scary zipline YouTube videos solidified my thoughts and therefore my knowledge with respect to how it would go; this then contributed to my experience of intense fear prior to getting on the zipline.

This zipline was included in the exhibition due to the fact that it connects to the ToK’s 12 concepts, specifically perspective as my experience with the zipline changed my perspective as I gained new knowledge. Hence, it shows how personal experience can replace previous knowledge concerning the aforementioned event, as my “knowledge” which told me zip lines were scary and unsafe was overwritten by me enjoying the experience. In addition, it establishes a clear relationship between these two in the sense that it is cyclical and one cannot exist without the other. In a sense, the correlation between personal experience and knowledge can be compared to the popular question: “what came first, the chicken or the egg?”