Toy Story clip and Grand Paradigms

1. I think that the clip of Buzz realising that he is not a real space ranger may be a reflection of a transition from a modern to post-modern paradigm. Before, he believed he was unique. He believed he was a legitimate space ranger whose sole purpose in life was to protect the planet, carrying out his duty as a space ranger. Essentially, he believed he was a human being. He arguably used a modern paradigm; as humans are rationally superior to other species,  his purpose in life was to fight evil and protect those around him (It can even be argued that there is an element of the classical paradigm as he believed that he was the only Buzz in the entire world, the centre of the universe, destined to save the planet). However, he experiences an initial cognitive dissonance after watching the advertisement and realising that he is not in fact unique and that there are many other Buzzes like him (it took him a broken arm to finally acknowledge this, showcasing the tenacity of the paradigms we hold). Importantly, he realises that he is simply a toy – an intimate object who does not harness the ability to shoot lazer beams or fly. He now perhaps acknowledges the post-modern paradigm. As he has lost his purpose/meaning in life and his identity as a whole, he realises that he is one in a billion other toys and there is no path to truth.

2/3. If I’m not wrong, later in the movie Buzz returns to his belief that he is a real space ranger. I think this a reflection of faith as a driving factor for human motivation. Despite being aware of this new post-modern paradigm, aware that he is not a real space ranger – he reverts back to his falsified paradigm because it is comforting. By believing that he is a real space ranger, he restores his purpose in life which intrinsically motivates him carry out his personal ambition of protecting the planet. This perception is comforting to him, giving him a ‘reason to live’, forming his identity. After watching the clip I couldn’t help but think about the Santa Claus example we discussed last lesson. A child will believe in his existence until they are older and told he in fact, isn’t real. Similarly, toys come out of their boxes unaware that they are inanimate objects in a human world, believing that they are an important part of something larger (interesting as this suggests that they aspire to be humans, ‘the superior species’?).  Of course, this is until they realise they are not the centre of the universe, and they are just toys.

This connects to the classical paradigm because faith and religion are at the centre and does not give a need to question truth. Answers to what our purpose in life is, what it means, what is right or wrong can be simply rationalised through faith, God. I think that following the classical paradigm relieves one with the uncertainty of truth and can make one feel validated. In contrast, I feel that the post-modern paradigm can be perceived as being rather pessimistic – or realist. By believing that there is no purpose or meaning in life, where does human motivation come from? If there is no purpose to life, rewards do not have value, personal goals are not set or achieved. Quite frankly, though I am a realist to a large extent, I tend to avoid the post-modern paradigm because it does not benefit my well being and that of my close ones.

I’ve read multiple books about finding purpose in life, such as the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which uses both the modern and post-modern paradigms. It suggests that purpose in life, intrinsic motivation and sense of direction helps one achieve true satisfaction within oneself – while acknowledging that humankind is one of a billion biological species. I prefer this blend because it gives me control over the expectations and limits I set for myself, while detaching my self-worth from the tasks I do, my successes and my failures by not giving too much meaning to them. Consequently, I have found a place where I do not need to find truth to ensure satisfaction within myself and my interpersonal relationships. This sort of middle ground is interesting to me, perhaps stemming from my mother who is very deterministic (classical paradigm), and my father who is not (post-modern). From experiencing this in my family, I have realised that the implications of holding such contrasting paradigms does not always create conflict but they can co-exist. It depends on which best drives an individual to live, like Buzz Lightyear and his belief that he is a true space ranger.