The Promise” written by C. Wright Mills was an interesting piece on how people live their lives and how society affects who they are. In the beginning of the piece, Mills discusses that some people feel trapped in their private lives and how the more we focus on it, the more we realize things are out of our control. I felt like this idea was extremely relatable because many times people get overwhelmed and feel as if they have no control. Mills also discussed the idea of “orbits”. I found the idea of orbits interesting in the sense that he was describing that people are in their own orbits experiencing the world in their own views.
Mills said that ordinary men cannot see beyond their orbit and can’t truly see the impact one is making. Mills made a connection with today’s industrial society by saying that positions didn’t go away. When he related a peasant to workers and feudal lords to business men I began to understand the point he was making and completely agreed with it. The sociological imagination was a fascinating concept that I believe relates to how people function in society. It lets a person understand where they fit in and also see other people’s perspective. I thought it was really important to be able to see other people’s perspectives to better understand oneself and the world they live in.
I thought it was also important to take notice that the sociological imagination doesn’t only affect the person but it also is how people affect history positively and negatively. Mills mentioned that as history progresses its harder for people to adjust to what they aren’t used to. “The Promise” was an important piece that helps better understand individuals, society, and the creation of history.
