Maya's Final NFTU Post

        In my opinion, this has been the most worthwhile book I have read in an English class. For the last however many years, it has always been the same things over and over again: this symbolizes x, the protagonist is x, and this metaphor foreshadows this. Yes, you could not really do that at all to begin with while reading Notes from The Underground, but I think we get the point. Not only did NFTU force the reader to be mindful and conscious of the society they live in, but it also forced the reader to be introspective. It’s too easy to say, “Oh, that’s not me. This guy is a lunatic” and put the book down. Like we said in class, Dostoyevsky finds a way to put the abstract thoughts about our own existence and place in this infinite universe into words. Reading Dostoyevsky has definitely made me reflect and I now completely see why Shapiro considers it one of the most important books of all time. 

        The discussions were extremely helpful because they helped me understand all of these things that Dostoyevsky put into words. It was also helpful hearing what other people had to say because each person brought up an interesting point that I hadn’t thought about while reading. However, once all of the basic points were understood, the basic ideas expanded into a web of tangents that only further enhanced the class’ discussions. 

        I guess if I were to pick the one thing I’ll remember most, it would be the fact that he neither refuted nor proved science or religion. In fact, he called them the same thing; a wall meant to separate our realm of what we consider to be true, viable, and possible and infinite space so that we don’t drive ourselves insane. This is one of the things that I thought about the most during our discussion. The origin of the universe, even just the origin of the human race, is such an interesting topic. When you tear them both down, you open a door to thousands upon thousands of possibilities. This, in turn, creates the opportunity to start that whole process of attaining, aka “the journey”, all over again. I, for one, was an adamant believer in evolution; I still think religion is not a viable answer for our origins. However, now I realize that we still don’t even have all the answers to evolution (along with other scientific theories). Yet, those who believe it accept it and continue to do so because they have faith that the answer is bound to turn up at some point. Over the summer, I read a book called The Quantum Universe and Why Everything That Can Happen, Does. Initially, I kind of just brushed off what I had read. Now having read NFTU, I now look back at that book thinking I shouldn’t have brushed it off as pseudo-science written by over-imaginative sci-fi fans with too much time on their hands. 

Kaylee NFTU final post

            Now that we have finished NFTU, I can say that is it one of the best books I have read during my high school career. Dostoyevsky is truly an amazing author. Not only did he manage to reveal our most hidden thoughts, desires and tendencies in a limited amount of space, but the fact that he had this kind of understanding of human behavior when the book was written in the 1860’s. I am happy I read this book and I would definitely recommend it to others. The level of depth and significance is undeniable. I can also say that I took more away from this book than any other that I have read in my other English classes.

            My opinion on the novel would no be the same without the discussions held in class. At first, I did not fully understand what Dostoyevsky was trying to convey in all his contradictions and rants. It was confusing looking at the book at a whole. However, when we sat down and began dissecting the different passages of the book, I noticed things and interpreted the information that he presented more clearly. The discussions helped me appreciate what Dostoyevsky was trying to say because instead of rushing through the pages trying to finish, we focused in on certain topics. Then with the topics we had group discussions. I have always particularly liked group discussions because the conversation flows and you hear insight from your other classmates. The discussions we had really resonated within me, as I would find myself still thinking about what we spoke about even after the bell rang. The depth and meaning behind everything was hard to push out of my mind as I moved onto my other classes. And I didn’t mind it either because I like thinking about these sorts of things.

            A few things I will remember in particular about NFTU. The first is the idea of “The Wall” and the constant reconstruction of these boundaries. Before the discussion I had always thought religion was kind of just a way for us to comfort ourselves about why things happen and the afterlife. But after discussing religion and science, I find myself no longer believing in God and not completely embracing evolution, but sitting in the middle of our existence. I also enjoyed the exercise about space because it truly mind-f*cked me after realizing that space is immeasurable and indeed infinite. I can’t say that the Underground man has completely changed my life and from now on I will always see both sides to everything. However, Dostoyevsky has opened my eyes to a new perspective and wrote down some of the things I have always thought about just never had the opportunity to truly discuss. I can say that I will take details from this experience and try to apply and reference it in the future, which hopefully will help me understand myself more and live a happier life in the moment (trying not to obsess over point B). 

Alex's Final Post

     NFTU is unlike any other book I have read. The novel does not follow a traditional plot line, focusing in on characters or themes. Instead, it delves into the consciousness/unconsciousness of the mind. Rather than tediously discussing symbolism, characters or themes like in previous English classes, we went paragraph by paragraph analyzing and discussing different sides of what we believed the author was trying to get at. When NTFU was initially assigned as an independent reading, I found the book to be tedious and confusing. I did not understand the narrator’s contradictions, nor did I think of relating any of the information to my life. In fact, I thought the underground man was a lunatic until I realized he was expressing truths that we tend to oppress and are afraid to admit to ourselves. Like Mr. Shapiro said in class today, Dostoyevsky is a brilliant writer because he is able to say what we cannot. I found NFTU to be very similar to Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, I feel as though they were somehow influenced by each other, although I enjoyed NTFU more. 

     NFTU was definitely worth reading because it opened me up to a different genre, one that I might consider picking up on in the future. However, I feel like what made the book worth the read were the discussions. The discussions allowed us to relate the narrator’s ideas to our own, something that was difficult, almost impossible to do with Beowulf or The Canterbury Tales last year in English.Without the discussions, I would have probably stuck with my previous assumptions about the book being tedious and confusing. The book provides a fraction of how the human psyche works, however, these ideas (“the wall”, consciousness/impulse vs desire, destination/journey) are ones that I will be consciously aware of in the future and that will stick with me through life. 

Alexa Ferrer Final

Apart from Atlas Shrugged, NFTU is the most valuable book I have read yet. The discussions helped me understand the content and I really appreciate what Dostoyevsky tried to get across. I say tried because it is such a contradicting and complicated topic that I feel it’s impossible to get a solid conclusion because everything is refuted and taken back in the end. If I truly understood everything he is trying to see then everything I have written or am about to write is probably somewhat of a lie or somewhat contradictory (which is awesome)

Unlike some people in class, I find this reading to be the most valuable in terms of applying reading in real life. I think this is more relevant to apply to life than any narrative we’ve read. Everything about NFTU applies to every decision I’m ever going to make in my life. I already see a lot of what Dostoyevsky described in myself and in the decisions I make. If facts happen to offend me, I’ll fight the facts for no reason. I make decisions that don’t benefit me and that I can’t explain. I create walls to justify what I do and to feel safe. I also value the idea of suffering and think it is necessary to truly feel any sort of accomplishment or happiness. I want to learn to embrace to suffering and enjoy it because it’s all part of the “journey” which, when looking back, is always the best part.

I think the most important aspect of the book is the concept of “many sides.” I used to look up to people who believed in something passionately and were able to form a solid opinion about something and defend it. Now after reading this book, I think all those people are ignorant. Even the debate between Bill Nye and the other guy is a perfect example of two very educated people who will never make sense of what they are trying to defend because there are valid aspects in both arguments. If everyone had the ability to accept that most viewpoints have certain aspects of value, that would create an intellectual world. This book has now helped me define what I believe to be what intelligence is. I believe intelligence is being educated enough to see many sides of any argument or idea and accept the fact that there is never one side to anything. Intelligence is knowing as much as you can despite the fact that “the more you know the more you know you don’t know” and accepting it all because life is unexplainable and human behavior is unpredictable and it is what it is that’s it. 

Isa's Tuesday 400 post

In my opinion, Notes from the Underground was worth reading. While I read it alone, I didn't understand his arguments and naturally got frustrated. That frustration led me to label it as way beyond my level of comprehension, and why even bother with it? After our discussions, I can now see just how disturbingly applicable all of Doystoyevsky's arguments are. It's in part scary that such an "underground" man who hates the inferior man and can never belong,  is so accurate about the human psyche. Though I'm assuming pathos was not meant to occur, I did find myself sympathizing for the man. Here he is; a genius, so aware of every decision and the reason behind it. Yet he is unable to act, paralyzed to simply ponder and watch "stupid" men act on every impulse and desire. After reading this novel and discussing it so much, I feel a hint of that isolation.I feel as if I know a secret about the human mind, something that others who haven't read do not know. And yet those who know less will enjoy more, able to make every choice clearly because they do not know better.

The most memorable part of the book for me was the visualization exercise we did in class which related to the idea of infinite space. The idea of the "wall" which I wasn't able to really picture before, became very real in that moment.  I was very much affected by it because I realized just how uncomfortable I am with the concept of endlessness, and how my wall (which I had never acknowledged) was the comfort of knowing a start and a finish. The more infinite and absolute, the more claustrophobic I felt. It was as if infinite space had it's own walls smothering me. It was eye opening, that I was experiencing exactly what the underground man spoke about in the novel.  It was as if the wall, which I assume is to protect one's own self, hindered progress;infinite space should be exciting and unpredictable, but I held myself back.  My own limitations, my own perceptions of where I should begin and end caused a subconscious block. I felt myself putting up a stopper to the infinite space. "Oh, that's where it ends. Don't worry, it will end soon." It's my own fears, not what others have told me,  that causes such a wall.

Keri's final post

The discussions of "Notes from the Underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky were insightful. They, ultimately, changed my perspective on people and life in general. Although some of the points were a bit depressing, I believe that many of them were on point. I think that many of the topics brought up were so depressing that I did not believe them at first because I did not want to accept them as the truth. I did not want to view people in such a negative way because I like staying positive.
Unfortunately, I thought about the topics and realized that Mr. Shapiro was right. His points were correct but I cannot say I agree with how negative his points were. This may just be me trying to have a more positive outlook on life since the other perspective is frightening. I guess I will discover which side I agree with as I mature and have more life experiences.
However, I do think that these discussions helped me understand the book. As I was reading it for the first time, I was completely at a loss for what was going on. I understood the language he was writing in but that was about all. There were times when I thought I understood the gist but then he would latch onto a completely different point and then I was just lost. Being in class and hearing what it all meant made it so much clearer to me. I loved how Mr. Shapiro would use real life examples to explain what Dostoyevsky was saying because it all really opened my eyes to how people behave and interact.
For the same reason, I do think that this book was worth reading. The book in itself and the discussions that came along with it made me a little less naive and more in tune with what is really going on. I have never read a book like this. I have also never come out of reading a book so enlightened.
Speaking of these topics, I think the one that resonated with me most was the one about people never being fully able to be selfless. Everyone thinks that in a room full of people, or anywhere for that matter,  they are the most important. All other needs come second to theirs. I never fully realized that I think this way on a daily basis. It was so relevant. It was points like these that made me really get the most out of the discussions.

Raoul's Final NFTU post

        Now that we have finished the discussion of Notes From the Underground, I can say that I enjoyed the novel. I honestly hate books because I believe that in the modern day they are an inefficient way of attaining information. However, I must admit that Notes From the Underground is shockingly efficient in the amount of ideas expressed within 28 pages. Unlike Atlas Shrugged, which took 1069 pages to get one idea across, Notes From the Underground does not baby its audience. Given that the book is so dense it is inevitable that the book is difficult. The fact is that in my first read I probably got only half of the ideas that Dostoyevsky brought up (but that's because I already kind of understood where he was coming from). So the discussions definitely helped. But, I do believe that the discussions took a little too long. I think we started digressing way too much on simple ideas. I think the nightly blog post system was also really cool. I liked reading everyone else's ideas. neither the less, I found it kind of annoying that the blog posts were every night (even on a Saturday). Thankfully the posts were only 200 words; ergo, It was not filled with fluff (I could just state the facts and be done with it), so it did not take long at all.
        There were many good ideas that were brought up by Dostoyevsky in Notes From the Underground. Truthfully, I think about the ideas Dostoyevsky brought up frequently (like every other hour). When I observer people, is when I notice the truth behind what Dostoyevsky brought up. But the idea that I liked the most was mans desire to get slapped in the face. I know that the idea is unappealing especially the name (which Dostoyevsky chose), but is so true that it is sad. This was definitely not a theory that I had before Notes From the Underground; however, it is the theory that I see the most from Notes From the Underground. In the end, I believe that If had to read a book, Notes From the Underground is on my top three next to A Brief History of Time and Outliers. So yes if someone was looking for a book to read I would strongly recommend Notes From the underground!
      

Ciara's Final reaction

Yes, I do believe reading this book was worth it.  I would completely understand if someone disagreed and thought that, overall, it was not worth it, because I can quite clearly see both sides of the picture.  However, I liked this book because it made me feel less alone in a sense.  I have a lot of the same thoughts that Dostoyevsky had, but I push them into the recesses of my mind because they are so foreign and abstract, and I don’t have the time or patience, or even courage, to untangle them.    It is not easy to look at oneself from the outside, to really delve into oneself, because often, some of the most important aspects of ourselves are what we try so hard to suppress.

My favorite part of this book that I will remember is the idea that there is never a right answer; there are always 2 or more different ways to look at a situation, all holding equal weight.  I am naturally an indecisive person.  When my mom sends me to the store to buy a dessert for a dinner we’re going to, I spend an eternity with two items in my hand, weighing the costs and benefits of each. After a while, I just end up choosing one randomly because I honestly cannot justify one over the other; just when I think one is better, I realize an equalizing aspect about the other.  This trait of indecisiveness bothers my parents sometimes, because I find it very difficult to make decisions.  If I find it agonizingly difficult to decide between two desserts at the grocery store, imagine the dilemma I suffer when I have make life-changing choices. 

It is nice to know that I am not alone in my dilemma, because at times I wondered if this trait was more of a flaw than a gift.  I think this book was worth reading because it taught me more about my self, and made me more understanding of my most defining characteristics.

final post

I think reading Notes from the Underground was worth it.  The book poses many ideas that I find interesting because I have never read them before in a book.  Taking all of the scary and dark inner thoughts and putting them into a book helps people to realize that these thoughts and feelings, although scary, occur in everyone.  Every page of this novel introduces a deep discussion topic, and really breaks down the human mind and all of its emotions.  Though at times the book was difficult to understand, our discussions in class definitely helped me to get a better grasp of what Dostoyevsky was writing about.  Without them, I would have skipped over a few of his important arguments that were central to the second part of the book.  Through the discussions, I felt that we were able to put Dostoyevsky's ideas into understandable analogies, and it’s crazy to think that a guy from the 1800’s was able to come up with all of these theories, whether it is the wall to being afraid of our deep inner conscious.  

To compare this book with another, I found it to be extremely different.  Most stories are written for entertainment purposes, so they are generally straightforward and relatively easy to understand, so that even the simplest minds can find something to laugh at.  This book was not tailored as a one size fits all, and leaves even smart people confused at times.  This book was written in two halves.  One half presenting ideas, and in the second, applying those ideas into a deep narrative.  I haven’t read a book quite like this one.  Atlas Shrugged was the closest, due to the fact it was presenting ideas (about capitalism and its importance for a well balanced society) through the narrative, not first stating her beliefs in capitalism and then diving into a fictionalized scenario.  

The main idea that I took away from this book was the belief in being open-minded.  It seems that he hammers the idea into your head that stupid people only accept one thing, because it is more comforting to do so.  The smarter people aren’t so quick to deny and refute others claims, but suffer because they realize the fact they are living in world with an infinite amount of questions, and only so few answers.  Being open minded may be painful, but it will put you on a much higher level intellectually because you can see past the walls that society has put in place to centralize everyone.      

Tuesday Post

        Class discussion today revolved around the idea that all humans’ greatest fears are the inherent secrets they keep from friends, from family or most importantly, from themselves. These hidden thoughts normally refrain from surfacing in our daily lives, but occasionally escape, begging the question of what happens when they do. I found the argument compelling, and am in agreement –even if this side is not extreme, I do believe that everyone has a part of themselves that they don’t always show to others. Like Raoul mentioned in class, this idea reminds me of Freudian thought; it’s all about how the unconscious elaborates on an individual’s hidden tendencies aside from external portrayal. 

        After this conclusion about Part I, I can safely say that NFTU was unlike any other book I’ve read in school before; it dealt with the analysis of human nature in a pretty straightforward, unlayered way, unlike many of the other stories that do so to a smaller extent and through conduits of other characters, complicated plotlines and drama. At the same time, however, I feel that Part I was complex just because of the depth of ideas approached and the way the narrator phrased them, for example with the ‘underground’ aspect. But that is also why I felt that discussion helped greatly in my understanding of his arguments. 

        In the end, I found NFTU to be worth reading. I feel that even if I don’t necessarily end up applying this directly or professionally, it is something to expand your perspective with. Reading all the quirks in human behavior that I’ve thought little about before and have never particularly seen explicitly written in paper made me think about the basis for what we do. The one idea we described that was most memorable is definitely the ‘walls’ idea. I’ve always known that people have strong opinions about everything, but it never struck me to think of them in the sense that they are walls we strike up to provide comfort and an excuse; even when that wall has been knocked them, we quickly establish new ones because we can’t stand the idea of not having anything to lean against –infinity is too much to comprehend.

Ryan Cordero Final Post

            After finishing the class discussion on Notes From the Underground I admit that I find myself thinking and reflecting a bit more than before. It’s hard to say whether or not the book was worth reading and discussing. On one hand, I have acquired new insights and perspectives on the human conditions, and how and why people act in certain situations and do certain things, such as destroying something beautiful. However, it is hard to apply all of Dostoyevsky’s ideas and theories in everyday life, if one were to think and act like the underground man they themselves would be separated from society. So how much value does this book really have and was it worth reading? I think the book was worth reading because after discussing the novel, if I went back in time and had the option to read the book or not, I would choose to read the book, which I think makes the experience worthwhile, after all it’s the journey, not the destination. I appreciate my newfound knowledge on how people behave in society. I definitely think the in class discussion helped my understanding of the ideas presented. Before we started, Mr. Shapiro warned us that the book is complex despite its length and he was absolutely correct. Although I did grasp a large portion of the ideas Dostoyevsky was expanding on, I did not understand all of the ideas fully. However, after we discussed individual passages in class, I understood both the idea on the surface and the greater application to human behavior with clarity. If we were to simply read, annotate, then turn the book in, it would not have been worth our time to read the book. I think I will remember several of Dostoyevsky’s ideas and they will affect my own views and beliefs. One particular idea I found rather interesting was the idea of the wall, which puts a boundary on the infinite. I thought it was interesting that Dostoyevsky described religion as a wall, I knew religion and the idea of God comforted people, but only because they believed a being was watching over them, protecting them. I did not identify the religion and God stops people’s minds from thinking of the infinite possibilities to the unanswerable questions. Another idea I found relatable is the struggle to act because of seeing all sides of an argument, I frequently find myself unable to make decisions because I try to see all possibilities.

final post

            We have finally finished discussing Notes From The Underground. Our last discussion (which took place today) quite frankly scared me. Everyone knows that they have secrets hidden deep within, but truth be told, it is in fact terrifying to even acknowledge these secrets. Furthermore, the idea that any one of these thoughts that we keep locked in the recesses of our minds could blossom into insanity is frightening. While I did know these dark thoughts existed, I believe it takes strength to truly face these thoughts; strength that quite frankly I don’t believe I posses at the moment, and being the idea that I am weak frightens me even more.

Subsequently, in all honesty, this is one of the densest books I have ever read. As I was reading it, due to the fact that Shapiro emphasized note taking and analysis, I really did try quite hard to understand everything that Dostoyevski was saying. Despite this, after having the discussions, I must say I missed and misinterpreted quite a bit of information. The discussions certainly cleared up numerous points that Dostoyevski was making and it was interesting to see others take on the subject. Moreover, when examples were presented by Shapiro to explain Dostoyevski’s ideas further it definitely clarified some things. Nonetheless, had I read it on my own I still would have learned a thing or two about the human psyche and found value in the book. I believe that no matter who you are the contents of this book are valuable (if you can understand them). People may argue that it does not hold any monetary value, but then again, you’re kind of a douche if you only value things by how much wealth they can bring you.

Finally, what I will most remember from this book cannot be simplified down to one thing. It really has provided a different perspective on many things, whether it is religion and society or the human psyche. When it comes to religion, I never would have thought of it as a bi-product of society meant to regulate us. Of course I am still religious, but I don’t disagree with Dostoyevski. In fact, I see what he is saying and I find it interesting. With respect to the human psyche, it has honestly scared me. Dostoyevski has made me doubt humans, doubt myself, though ultimately I still believe that we as humans are inherently good creatures, perhaps because I don’t like to entertain the idea that even I am evil, or perhaps because I don’t want to give up hope for our race. In the end, though the book was a b*tch to analyze and understand, I enjoyed it.

Gabe's Final post

I definitely think that Notes from the Underground was worth reading. Although the fact that I read it probably won’t ever benefit me monetarily, the concepts presented by Dostoevsky impacted me greatly and I will probably be applying them for the rest of my life. Although reading it initially was not as enjoyable as I expected since it left me feeling gloomy and somewhat introspective, after the discussions in class I was glad I took the time to read it in its entirety. What really set Notes from the Underground apart from other novels I read in English classes was that it really made me think about myself as an individual. Discussing the walls that most men seek comfort from made me wonder what my wall was and asking questions I would have never thought to ask. Although the novel did not follow a traditional format, I felt like the two parts worked very well as the reader got a more abstract part where the ideas are presented and an entertaining narrative where the ideas are applied. For its length, Notes from the Underground was surprisingly deep. With every turn of the page in the first part another groundbreaking idea was being presented to you to think about and I found that remarkable. To compare it with another book we read, I feel like Notes from the Underground was able to prove more meaningful in the first 10 pages then Atlas Shrugged was able to prove meaningful in its entirety.

            I think that the discussions proved to be very helpful as I definitely would not have been able to catch all of Dostoevsky’s points if we hadn’t discussed them. Even without the discussions, I think the book proved to be very meaningful.  However, the discussions allowed for different opinions and point of views that let me see the book in different ways. They also helped me process my own thoughts as I was forced to give my opinion on certain ideas several times. The part that I most remembered from Notes from the Underground was discussing the walls many people put in front of them for their own comfort.  I also remember when we put our heads down to picture infinite space as it really put the idea of the wall in perspective.

Ryan Pearson NFTU Last Post

            Today in class we rounded out our in depth discussion regarding NFTU. To be honest, I am actually quite sad to see it go. After all of this crazy analysis, I have to say I have come really respect the book and everything it has to offer. When asked whether the book was worth reading, my answer is yes and no. While I see immense value in the knowledge provided after our discussions, I cannot say that on my own the book would have proven worthwhile to read. Like my fellow Ryan said, having all of this newfound knowledge does make me feel slightly more isolated, knowing that I cannot really express these new thoughts with many people. That being said, I am grateful for the information and plan on implementing it into all aspects of my life. I recognize that I do prefer to have the information and allow myself to make my own decisions and opinions about the truth, yet something about the idea of it not making sense to others around me is more than frustrating. So to answer your question, do I think it was worth reading: yes. What I will take away from it extends from the concept of infinite space versus a confined universe to my frustration with the acceptance of the theory of religion or the big bang theory.

            About today in particular, I felt that the last few pages presented a new and interesting argument, however it was one that I have actually heard of, or thought of, before. I, myself, am a very introspective person. I have spent a long time thinking about and watching human interactions. I have gone through personal struggles where I have had no one but myself to lean on. Although in no way would I ever say I am an expert, overcoming these struggles have helped open my eyes to many different human behavioral patterns. I fully and wholeheartedly agree that every person in our classroom had someone that they would not mind having pain inflicted upon. Something about the human mind likes to get back at others/ seek gratification for past events and situations. I am sad that we are not going into further detail on this topic tomorrow. After reflecting on the book as a whole, I am happy I have read it.

            Ryan Pearson

Natalie's Tuesday Post

I think that Notes From the Underground was my favorite book we have read this year. Despite being short (which was really great, especially compared to Atlas Shrugged) it was very dense. Dostoyevsky manages to bring up many interesting points about human nature. I enjoyed this book mostly because I thought it was easy to relate to. I think that he points out many things that people feel and think about on the inside, but that not many people sit down to write about. Unlike many other books, Dostoyevsky gives the reader this information in a very straight forward way (especially in Part 1) which is why it was also a difficult read. Dostoyevsky points out specifics of human nature, and basically shows how bizarre humans are. His constant contradiction also shows the strange ways in which people work. I really liked at the end when he basically says that he does not even believe the stuff he has written, and that it’s all just a lie. It reminded me of when someone is asked to describe themselves. They will start listing their characteristics and the way that they act, and how they feel about certain things and about their emotions. But then when you finish you look back and you realize that half of it is not true, even though it feels true. (I have no idea how to describe this feeling) In the end I think it’s that it is hard to label any aspect of who you are because as soon as you label them you are confined. I think it was worth reading, because it was very different from other stuff I have read and even if you don’t believe in what Dostoyevsky says I think the exposure to NFTU is valuable. I definitely believe that the discussion helped, because at times I either did not see the same things as other people or I simply missed the idea. I also liked discussing it because I liked hearing everyone’s feedback.