To be left alone in my home is all that I wish,
With my body wrapped in warmth from the fire.
A cup of tea, for only me, a good book will do,
and in the end this will satisfy my desires.
I wish that I could say that I'd be stress-free,
but I am in no way a fool.
There is so much to do, in so little time,
So I must simply get off of my butt and do it.
The snow is falling, bringing joy to the city,
while all the kiddies open their presents.
There's sledding, snow angels, even
Snowmen that bring forth the true spirit of the season.
Whilst all of the kiddies enjoy their winter, I
Am stuck in the house feeling slightly bitter.
But all is not bad, though I procrastinated like mad,
In the end, I shall still get things done this winter.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Globalization
Globalization can be good in a certain sense, but bad in another sense. I feel that I have a sort of divided thought on the effects and the whole idea of globalization. I feel that globalization can be good in the sense that it brings more jobs into the communities and that these jobs might pay a higher salary to the individuals. I also feel that globalization is good for the businesses that come from the US and globalize in other countries, while it may not be good for the businesses that already exist in the communities though.
When viewing this topic, I feel that it is essential to look at it from all angles. If you were to only look at the topic and say that it isn’t good for the businesses that are already there, or the environment of the community, you would not get a chance to view some of the positive features. The idea would be played down although it might help out those that are not able to get a job because of the limited job sources that are available with the economy that was in place before globalization.
In the business sense, I feel that it is good for businesses to globalize themselves. I am a business person and I feel that although some of these business practices are shady in nature, they are essential and ethical to get the job done. I feel that the potential benefits outweigh the harm that globalization can and would bring. Globalization is bad…but it is simultaneously good.
When viewing this topic, I feel that it is essential to look at it from all angles. If you were to only look at the topic and say that it isn’t good for the businesses that are already there, or the environment of the community, you would not get a chance to view some of the positive features. The idea would be played down although it might help out those that are not able to get a job because of the limited job sources that are available with the economy that was in place before globalization.
In the business sense, I feel that it is good for businesses to globalize themselves. I am a business person and I feel that although some of these business practices are shady in nature, they are essential and ethical to get the job done. I feel that the potential benefits outweigh the harm that globalization can and would bring. Globalization is bad…but it is simultaneously good.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sports In My Life
Sports do not really play a big role in my life. There are many fanatics that will sit in front of a television for hours upon hours watching some game that they more than likely know the outcome to. I find most sports and the whole idea of broadcasting them to be trivial. They have no justification but simply to fulfill our moments of boredom or as a way to distract us from our lives. But it's wrong to simply cast the blame on ONLY sports broadcast, when pretty much everything that is broadcast seems to serve basically the same purpose. I believe that to get a full fulfillment and appreciation of the sport, one has to actively participate in it. But how does one find out about this sport without some sort of television influence now-a-days? Well I'm sure you could simply walk to the nearest park and pick it up somehow. Or read a book about a sport to find out more about it, after all, the television hasn't been around for that many years, so these sports MUST have been passed down in some way or another.
Sports are good. They instill within individuals some sense of knowledge about life. They make people work hard for their goals and things they want to achieve in some cases. There are only a few sports that I really claim. I love to play tennis, and despite my hypocrisy, I LOVE to watch tennis during the summer time when there is nothing better to do other than play the sport myself. The sport has taught me so much and I feel that it has made me a better person. I've become more independent, not that I wasn't pretty independent to begin with. It has taught me when to lead and when to follow. It has taught me how to work with others and team spirit, things that are pretty important later in life.
Sports...can be good if you make them good. If you are just a person that wears a jersey and roots for a team passionately and you get into the whole idea and topic so much that you are willing to fight to back up your idea and prove that YOU and ONLY you are right, then you are exactly the person that increases the ignorance in this world. It makes absolutely no sense to fight over something that is NOT a life or death situation. But for those that have a love and genuine passion of their sport and just love to watch it and play it, but you are not going to physically fight over it, then you are the person I salute for making the sports industry look pretty darn swell.
Sports are good. They instill within individuals some sense of knowledge about life. They make people work hard for their goals and things they want to achieve in some cases. There are only a few sports that I really claim. I love to play tennis, and despite my hypocrisy, I LOVE to watch tennis during the summer time when there is nothing better to do other than play the sport myself. The sport has taught me so much and I feel that it has made me a better person. I've become more independent, not that I wasn't pretty independent to begin with. It has taught me when to lead and when to follow. It has taught me how to work with others and team spirit, things that are pretty important later in life.
Sports...can be good if you make them good. If you are just a person that wears a jersey and roots for a team passionately and you get into the whole idea and topic so much that you are willing to fight to back up your idea and prove that YOU and ONLY you are right, then you are exactly the person that increases the ignorance in this world. It makes absolutely no sense to fight over something that is NOT a life or death situation. But for those that have a love and genuine passion of their sport and just love to watch it and play it, but you are not going to physically fight over it, then you are the person I salute for making the sports industry look pretty darn swell.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
ThankFul
Although people don’t act like it now-a-days, there are many things to be thankful for. People take some of the simple things of their every day life for granted. Things such as making it to work safely or waking up in the morning. Things such as having such a good parent or even having amazingly supportive friends. I am thankful for all of these things, and I try to remember that I’m thankful for them on a regular basis. In philosophy class, I am thankful for everyone in the class. Everyone seems to have their own opinion that makes the class very enlightening.
I am especially thankful for my little group of people that constantly make me laugh. I am thankful for my division buddies, whom I’ve known since freshman year, Vanessa and Alex. Vanessa is a very lovely person. Vanessa is a very level headed and intelligent individual. I enjoy sitting in front of her and working in groups with her because she is always a wonderful addition to our group. Alex is also a pretty smart individual. He just simply lacks the skill of being able to sit and look pretty. (Insider)
The other two individuals that I am close to that I am thankful for is Jessica and Jacky. I’ve known who these people were for a few years but, through this class I’ve really gotten to know more about them. They are pretty interesting people. Jacky is a pretty funny person and he is also a pretty intelligent person. Jessica is a pretty hard working person that I’ve grown to enjoy, despite her constant tardiness :P. Over the past few weeks, I’ve also gotten a chance to work with Harlan and Chelsea. I’ve found that they are also pretty cool individuals to work with. They both present very interesting ideas for projects. I am thankful for everyone in my class, without them, I wouldn’t enjoy Philosophy class and I’d probably be failing. The End.
I am especially thankful for my little group of people that constantly make me laugh. I am thankful for my division buddies, whom I’ve known since freshman year, Vanessa and Alex. Vanessa is a very lovely person. Vanessa is a very level headed and intelligent individual. I enjoy sitting in front of her and working in groups with her because she is always a wonderful addition to our group. Alex is also a pretty smart individual. He just simply lacks the skill of being able to sit and look pretty. (Insider)
The other two individuals that I am close to that I am thankful for is Jessica and Jacky. I’ve known who these people were for a few years but, through this class I’ve really gotten to know more about them. They are pretty interesting people. Jacky is a pretty funny person and he is also a pretty intelligent person. Jessica is a pretty hard working person that I’ve grown to enjoy, despite her constant tardiness :P. Over the past few weeks, I’ve also gotten a chance to work with Harlan and Chelsea. I’ve found that they are also pretty cool individuals to work with. They both present very interesting ideas for projects. I am thankful for everyone in my class, without them, I wouldn’t enjoy Philosophy class and I’d probably be failing. The End.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Dear Mr. McCarthy, ...
Dear Cormac McCarthy,
I really enjoyed your book. It evoked a sense of mystery and a sense of fear from within me. I enjoyed the dark and loneliness of the story. I believe that it has a pretty good message to the world as well, just like Charles Murkowski’s “Dinosauria, We.” The book told of what could possibly we our future if we do not change our ways. It also basically said that this was an inevitable end to things. For instance, the old man on the road said that he knew it was coming, but he just didn’t know when and he didn’t know how to prepare for it because it was impossible to prepare for. I agree with the old man in a sense. More than likely, the way things are in our world currently will cease to be the same. No one knows when things will change or why they will change, but one day, hopefully in the distant future, things will change, for the better or for the worse.
I also enjoyed the characters that you presented. The little boy and the man were a great inspiration in the book simply because they kept going, no matter how difficult life was. The boy in the end seemed to be a beacon of light to all of the other lost people and the lost and lonely world. He held the fire. As long as he continued on, there was some type of hope for the world. It is amazing that someone can continue on their path although it seems so hard and pointless to do so. I felt that this aspect of your book was a great inspiration despite all of the sadness and darkness within your book.
I really enjoyed your book. It evoked a sense of mystery and a sense of fear from within me. I enjoyed the dark and loneliness of the story. I believe that it has a pretty good message to the world as well, just like Charles Murkowski’s “Dinosauria, We.” The book told of what could possibly we our future if we do not change our ways. It also basically said that this was an inevitable end to things. For instance, the old man on the road said that he knew it was coming, but he just didn’t know when and he didn’t know how to prepare for it because it was impossible to prepare for. I agree with the old man in a sense. More than likely, the way things are in our world currently will cease to be the same. No one knows when things will change or why they will change, but one day, hopefully in the distant future, things will change, for the better or for the worse.
I also enjoyed the characters that you presented. The little boy and the man were a great inspiration in the book simply because they kept going, no matter how difficult life was. The boy in the end seemed to be a beacon of light to all of the other lost people and the lost and lonely world. He held the fire. As long as he continued on, there was some type of hope for the world. It is amazing that someone can continue on their path although it seems so hard and pointless to do so. I felt that this aspect of your book was a great inspiration despite all of the sadness and darkness within your book.
Charles Bukowski (Dinosauria, We)
In my opinion, it seems that Charles Bukowski has quite a horrific outlook on our future. I totally agree with him because people in this world don’t seem to care enough about how they treat others, other peoples belongings, or the world around them. In the end, these non-caring people are passing down this behavior to their children. The children do not really have a choice on how things are around: their parents, the decaying earth, and the pollution.
The good things is that the new world can try to make a difference if they know how. While my parents have contributed to this dying world’s death, I can help to change things since it isn’t too late currently. In a few years, it will be too late and the world will be similar to how Mr. Bukowski explains it. The idea is to shape and mold today’s generation to teach them better than what their parents where taught. All of these natural things that we take granted for are more than likely not permanent, just like we are not permanent. But with proper care, these things can last a long time.
Basically, the end result for the world if we do not make these changes to became better individuals and live healthier lives, lives that are good for us and our environment, is worldwide death and an uninhabitable earth. An earth that is dark, lonely, and almost lifeless. And the only people that will be able to escape is those people that may not deserve to escape, the rich and lucky ones.
The good things is that the new world can try to make a difference if they know how. While my parents have contributed to this dying world’s death, I can help to change things since it isn’t too late currently. In a few years, it will be too late and the world will be similar to how Mr. Bukowski explains it. The idea is to shape and mold today’s generation to teach them better than what their parents where taught. All of these natural things that we take granted for are more than likely not permanent, just like we are not permanent. But with proper care, these things can last a long time.
Basically, the end result for the world if we do not make these changes to became better individuals and live healthier lives, lives that are good for us and our environment, is worldwide death and an uninhabitable earth. An earth that is dark, lonely, and almost lifeless. And the only people that will be able to escape is those people that may not deserve to escape, the rich and lucky ones.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
classroom direction (north, south, SOUTH EAST, east, west)
The room that my philosophy class is in looks over the west side of the campus. To be more specific, it looks over the street that it is named Laflin. I have spent almost three years in that same classroom, 207. I find it to be a better class this year, not having to do with the teachers that I have had, but totally on the principle of the classes that I've had in the room.
This year, my class in 207 is HONORS Philosophy in Literature (yes, we are indeed fancy). I enjoy this class simply because it isn't cut and paste (in other words, dry); it isn't like most classes where there is a set rubric and you have to follow the textbook. In many literature classes the teacher says, "Well, the author had an intent for this book. They wanted you to think of something specific that it relates to." Well, I am not a history teacher, mind reader, or the author, so I can only guess and I don't tend to get that SPECIFIC answer correct. It seems that I think out of the box at times. This class gives the students an opportunity to read some very intriguing books and discuss them (in philosophical terms) with the teachers and their peers. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer in this class and we can all accept that.
But in reality, while there doesn't seem to be a lot of direction, there is inevitably a great deal of direction. Besides, can you think of anything in life that is fun, enjoyable, and natural that doesn't have some sort of direction? I didn't think so. We are guided to think outside of the box, to look at and face questions that we wouldn't normally dwell upon. For instance "If the world was dry and barren and there were few people left, would you kill and eat a human being?" Who would normally think of this type of question? I would not. In the end, who likes direction when it is blatant and forced upon them? I SURE DON'T!
This year, my class in 207 is HONORS Philosophy in Literature (yes, we are indeed fancy). I enjoy this class simply because it isn't cut and paste (in other words, dry); it isn't like most classes where there is a set rubric and you have to follow the textbook. In many literature classes the teacher says, "Well, the author had an intent for this book. They wanted you to think of something specific that it relates to." Well, I am not a history teacher, mind reader, or the author, so I can only guess and I don't tend to get that SPECIFIC answer correct. It seems that I think out of the box at times. This class gives the students an opportunity to read some very intriguing books and discuss them (in philosophical terms) with the teachers and their peers. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer in this class and we can all accept that.
But in reality, while there doesn't seem to be a lot of direction, there is inevitably a great deal of direction. Besides, can you think of anything in life that is fun, enjoyable, and natural that doesn't have some sort of direction? I didn't think so. We are guided to think outside of the box, to look at and face questions that we wouldn't normally dwell upon. For instance "If the world was dry and barren and there were few people left, would you kill and eat a human being?" Who would normally think of this type of question? I would not. In the end, who likes direction when it is blatant and forced upon them? I SURE DON'T!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
PARENTS
All around the world there seems to be this competition between the parents. You can't wait to see what word comes out of the child's mouth first. Is it da-da or is it ma-ma? It doesn't really matter the sex of the child, the parent just wants that glory. HA! They recognized ME first.
Throughout life it is seen that the father is usually closest to the male child and the mother is usually closest to the female child. I've always been closer to my mother personally. I feel as if her personality is closer to mine and she is younger so she can understand me and the things I do a bit better. My father on the other hand is still a pretty cool person. I used to participate in some of those classic father-son activities such as going fishing and playing video games. For some reason, sports just never really agreed with me. With my mother I've always talked and went shopping.
My sister and father also have had a pretty decent relationship. They were inseparable when my sister was younger, but as most people know, as time goes on, young people grow more and more distant. I feel that a relationship is a relationship no matter what is consists of. The typical relationship one has with their mother is more warm and kind hearted. The relationship with their father is usually more distant and or filled with less emotional situations. This is only the typical stuff, because the roles can always be reversed. I believe I would be able to handle some of the emotional part of a relationship as well as some of the hard, physical things that fathers deal with. If only I planned on having children...
Throughout life it is seen that the father is usually closest to the male child and the mother is usually closest to the female child. I've always been closer to my mother personally. I feel as if her personality is closer to mine and she is younger so she can understand me and the things I do a bit better. My father on the other hand is still a pretty cool person. I used to participate in some of those classic father-son activities such as going fishing and playing video games. For some reason, sports just never really agreed with me. With my mother I've always talked and went shopping.
My sister and father also have had a pretty decent relationship. They were inseparable when my sister was younger, but as most people know, as time goes on, young people grow more and more distant. I feel that a relationship is a relationship no matter what is consists of. The typical relationship one has with their mother is more warm and kind hearted. The relationship with their father is usually more distant and or filled with less emotional situations. This is only the typical stuff, because the roles can always be reversed. I believe I would be able to handle some of the emotional part of a relationship as well as some of the hard, physical things that fathers deal with. If only I planned on having children...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
How do I Know What I Know that I Know I Know…..
Is there any possible way to be one hundred percent sure that you know what you know? You can know what you know…but what you know could be wrong. But if it is wrong, do you still know something? In my opinion, you still know, but what you know is just wrong. Many people feel that if you can’t explain what you know, then you just don’t know it. I disagree seeing as there are many things that I know personally but just can’t seem to put into words.
I know some of the things that I know because I’ve experienced them and the other things just seem like they make sense even without an explanation. On earth we have experienced gravity since birth so we know if we throw something in the air, it will fall back down. So some things are pretty obvious, although we may not know at a young age that it is called gravity, we know that it will fall.
On the other hand, some things we really don’t know that we know. I’ve been in experiences where someone has brought something up or showed me something that is a bit unfamiliar, and I might say “Hey…I knew that.” So I knew it, but I didn’t know that I knew it. Sometimes in these cases we actually did know it before hand, but I learned in psychology that many times we THOUGHT we knew it before hand, but we actually didn’t and it just seems so common, which makes us think we actually did know it.
I know some of the things that I know because I’ve experienced them and the other things just seem like they make sense even without an explanation. On earth we have experienced gravity since birth so we know if we throw something in the air, it will fall back down. So some things are pretty obvious, although we may not know at a young age that it is called gravity, we know that it will fall.
On the other hand, some things we really don’t know that we know. I’ve been in experiences where someone has brought something up or showed me something that is a bit unfamiliar, and I might say “Hey…I knew that.” So I knew it, but I didn’t know that I knew it. Sometimes in these cases we actually did know it before hand, but I learned in psychology that many times we THOUGHT we knew it before hand, but we actually didn’t and it just seems so common, which makes us think we actually did know it.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Our Meaning
Everyone has one of these, whether they realize it or not. It takes a bit of searching and thinking to realize what YOUR specific meaning in life, but once you’ve discovered it, you can go far and reach some type of potential. Some people may never actually find their meaning, and I believe there are many cases of individuals who haven’t in this world, or at LEAST in my view. While I may view someone such as a crack addict as one of those individuals that have no meaning, they might have possibly discovered their meaning already and just discarded it, or they might be serving their meaning in some sense being in their current state.
Everyone has one main meaning, which is to procreate. But fornication isn’t all that we’ve built our society on. Different people have different meanings in life, so while mine might be to become a doctor and help those across the world that need medical attention, yours might be to serve my order at McDonalds. No, I’m just kidding. That is a very simplistic way to look at it, because the person that is working at McDonalds could potentially be doing a lot more than just serving individuals fast food, they could also be the leader of several different outside organizations.
Basically, I feel that our meaning in life shouldn’t only be to find or have only one meaning. We should try to find other ways to give back to the community that helped nurture and raise us to whatever level that we ascend to. Individuals can have multiple meanings and some I believe may seem to have none, but only we can FULLY judge ourselves on what our meaning or meanings are in life.
Everyone has one main meaning, which is to procreate. But fornication isn’t all that we’ve built our society on. Different people have different meanings in life, so while mine might be to become a doctor and help those across the world that need medical attention, yours might be to serve my order at McDonalds. No, I’m just kidding. That is a very simplistic way to look at it, because the person that is working at McDonalds could potentially be doing a lot more than just serving individuals fast food, they could also be the leader of several different outside organizations.
Basically, I feel that our meaning in life shouldn’t only be to find or have only one meaning. We should try to find other ways to give back to the community that helped nurture and raise us to whatever level that we ascend to. Individuals can have multiple meanings and some I believe may seem to have none, but only we can FULLY judge ourselves on what our meaning or meanings are in life.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
God In 2010
It seems to me that God has just become a figure of speech or just a word in a phrase. Religion doesn't really seem to take up a major role in many people's lives. This might only be the case from a Chicagoan's point of view since this city is extremely diverse and so is Whitney Young. I feel if I went somewhere other than Chicago, as long as it isn't as busy as Chicago, I might find more religious individuals although it really depends on the people themselves whether they follow a religion, not the state they're in or the city.
God seems to only be important when people are in need now days. People call on him during the hard times in their lives such as: they lost their job, or someone close to them has passed. People don't seem to acknowledge in the way he should be on a regular basis: thank you for waking me up this morning, thanks for guiding me through my day, thanks for bringing individuals that care about me and my future/well being into my life, etc. Also, God seems to be called upon for people's selfish reasons as well: Dear god...Please let me get that new XBox with W.O.W and Call of Duty for my birthday, or God, I just want to grow up and be rich...you think you can make that happen? Okay...cool!
Personally, I don't care what people confront God with since it isn't any of my business, but I just feel that their confrontation should be well rounded. I also feel that people should understand that God isn't Santa Claus, handing out free gifts, he only helps those that help themselves. So basically, GOD isn't an insignificant leaning post on the corner of 63rd and Lake Park Ave., and you may say "OH MY GOD!!!" but do you really treat him like (he) is yours, acknowledging (him) as you should?
God seems to only be important when people are in need now days. People call on him during the hard times in their lives such as: they lost their job, or someone close to them has passed. People don't seem to acknowledge in the way he should be on a regular basis: thank you for waking me up this morning, thanks for guiding me through my day, thanks for bringing individuals that care about me and my future/well being into my life, etc. Also, God seems to be called upon for people's selfish reasons as well: Dear god...Please let me get that new XBox with W.O.W and Call of Duty for my birthday, or God, I just want to grow up and be rich...you think you can make that happen? Okay...cool!
Personally, I don't care what people confront God with since it isn't any of my business, but I just feel that their confrontation should be well rounded. I also feel that people should understand that God isn't Santa Claus, handing out free gifts, he only helps those that help themselves. So basically, GOD isn't an insignificant leaning post on the corner of 63rd and Lake Park Ave., and you may say "OH MY GOD!!!" but do you really treat him like (he) is yours, acknowledging (him) as you should?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
UHM…a LITTLE over the TOP maybe…
In the very beginning of the book Candide, Candide gets kicked off of the grounds where Cunegonde and her family lives. He was kicked off of the grounds because he was seen kissing Cunegonde from behind the curtains and I believe other minor sexual explorations may have occurred.
In today’s standards, I believe that the harsh measurements that the family of Cunegonde went to in order to punish Candide would be very much so over the top. Nowadays kids only get a talking to. They get away with a very small tap on the hand in some cases. It seems that this leads to many of the issues that society has today with behavior issues among children and teens which did not seem as present in the old days. In this case, in today’s society, more than just a tap on the hand is required, although it is not so serious as to kick someone off of your grounds. I believe that a stern talking to, for BOTH of the participants, would be in order letting them understand that kissing is aloud and all, but the sexual behaviors should be saved until they are older and married.
In the standards of those days, I believe they went about the issue just as any household, or important household, would have. In those day and ages, some minor things were taken to be very important and in many cases, one could have lost their life over such an issue or been banished from some Kingdom.
All in all, I feel that the punishments that Candide received did NOT suit his crime. But, in the end, he was pretty lucky for being kicked off of their grounds seeing as he would have more than likely been killed in the attacks on their family.
In today’s standards, I believe that the harsh measurements that the family of Cunegonde went to in order to punish Candide would be very much so over the top. Nowadays kids only get a talking to. They get away with a very small tap on the hand in some cases. It seems that this leads to many of the issues that society has today with behavior issues among children and teens which did not seem as present in the old days. In this case, in today’s society, more than just a tap on the hand is required, although it is not so serious as to kick someone off of your grounds. I believe that a stern talking to, for BOTH of the participants, would be in order letting them understand that kissing is aloud and all, but the sexual behaviors should be saved until they are older and married.
In the standards of those days, I believe they went about the issue just as any household, or important household, would have. In those day and ages, some minor things were taken to be very important and in many cases, one could have lost their life over such an issue or been banished from some Kingdom.
All in all, I feel that the punishments that Candide received did NOT suit his crime. But, in the end, he was pretty lucky for being kicked off of their grounds seeing as he would have more than likely been killed in the attacks on their family.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Modern SocraPHILL
In my opinion, Dr. Phil would be considered a modern day Socrates. I like Dr. Phil, not only because he has the same first name as me, but also because on his show, although he does it in a sort of mean way at times, he helps individuals better their lives through better decision making. There is no person that I believe is as good as Socrates himself, but people can still influence others in a similar way. Socrates was a master at his craft, that would also explain why he has a method named after himself. He would use this method to question people and basically cause them to trip over their own thoughts and beliefs when they could no longer sufficiently support them.
Dr. Phil does things in a similar way, but it seems to be more frank. He doesn’t exactly question people as much or let them find out for themselves that they’re wrong. He personally tells them that they are wrong and he tells them why they are wrong. I feel that his approach is a lot harsher than Socrates’. In the end, both have about the same effects, with the person (victim) being interrogated and now having a more open mind.
Both of these characters help others to realize their flaws and gives them the opportunity to change themselves. The difference in my opinion is that Socrates is even wiser than Dr. Phil is. I believe that Dr. Phil also is a bit mean at times when he talks to people using his method, while Socrates is just, calm and collective while he waits to pounce and catch his prey. In the end, the biggest thing is that they both get fair results that help people to change there minds in a positive way.
Dr. Phil does things in a similar way, but it seems to be more frank. He doesn’t exactly question people as much or let them find out for themselves that they’re wrong. He personally tells them that they are wrong and he tells them why they are wrong. I feel that his approach is a lot harsher than Socrates’. In the end, both have about the same effects, with the person (victim) being interrogated and now having a more open mind.
Both of these characters help others to realize their flaws and gives them the opportunity to change themselves. The difference in my opinion is that Socrates is even wiser than Dr. Phil is. I believe that Dr. Phil also is a bit mean at times when he talks to people using his method, while Socrates is just, calm and collective while he waits to pounce and catch his prey. In the end, the biggest thing is that they both get fair results that help people to change there minds in a positive way.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The UNexamined life...is not worth LIVING...?
So the great philosopher, Socrates, made a statement that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” As we have found out, this a very debatable topic. The arguments are vast, but I’m going to try to put things in the view that I see them, in hopes that everyone will understand.
Unexamined life…not worth living. What does all of this mean? Basically he felt that those that did not question life and things in their lives, might as well not be living that life because they are not getting all that they can from it. If one doesn’t examine their life, then they are not fully aware of their own life in my opinion. They aren’t aware of the things that life has to offer for them, they aren’t aware of the things that life has already given them, and basically can’t fully appreciate life for what it is.
I totally agree with Socrates, I mean…everyone should since the guy is like…famous. I feel that it is important to question those important things in life that need to be questioned. How does one know what is important enough to question? Well, I believe that is mainly up to that person. Everyone has to decide, on their own, what is worth questioning and what is a waste of time to question and examine. It makes just as much sense to examine useless things as it does to not examine things in one’s life, for both are a complete waste of life.
So basically, if one doesn’t examine things in their life, they have no reason to live. By examining ones life, they can gain loads of knowledge and insights into others and there selves mainly. By examining one’s self, one can acquire a “double consciousness.” This double consciousness is simply the ability to understand one’s life from their own view, and to understand it from other’s view, which is often a stereotypical view. By gaining this double consciousness, one can get a second sight of life. Now having this second life, they have successfully examined that part of their life, but once this is gained, there is still more to examine.
How much more does one have to examine afterwards? I for one, am not sure if anyone knows.
Unexamined life…not worth living. What does all of this mean? Basically he felt that those that did not question life and things in their lives, might as well not be living that life because they are not getting all that they can from it. If one doesn’t examine their life, then they are not fully aware of their own life in my opinion. They aren’t aware of the things that life has to offer for them, they aren’t aware of the things that life has already given them, and basically can’t fully appreciate life for what it is.
I totally agree with Socrates, I mean…everyone should since the guy is like…famous. I feel that it is important to question those important things in life that need to be questioned. How does one know what is important enough to question? Well, I believe that is mainly up to that person. Everyone has to decide, on their own, what is worth questioning and what is a waste of time to question and examine. It makes just as much sense to examine useless things as it does to not examine things in one’s life, for both are a complete waste of life.
So basically, if one doesn’t examine things in their life, they have no reason to live. By examining ones life, they can gain loads of knowledge and insights into others and there selves mainly. By examining one’s self, one can acquire a “double consciousness.” This double consciousness is simply the ability to understand one’s life from their own view, and to understand it from other’s view, which is often a stereotypical view. By gaining this double consciousness, one can get a second sight of life. Now having this second life, they have successfully examined that part of their life, but once this is gained, there is still more to examine.
How much more does one have to examine afterwards? I for one, am not sure if anyone knows.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Eulogy
Phil Banks Jr. was named after his father of course. He tried to be as unique as he could without offending anyone or feeling too awkward. He didn't like to do things the same way as everyone else, he'd prefer to do it his own way, but he compromised at times. One of his best qualities was how much he cared about people. He tried as best as he could to take the time to listen to his friends and others that weren't quite friends and help them out in any way possible.
In his younger years, he attended two different grade schools. The first school he attended was named Paul Revere, and once in second grade, he attended Isabelle O’Keeffe, where he was put into the gifted class in third grade. His teacher felt he displayed a load of knowledge, but that he was a bit bored with the class and that he was a bit lazy more than likely. Most teachers end up feeling the same way about him to this day.
He tried to do his best although when he did, it was in an untimely matter. He hoped to be able to help others do their best as well through encouragement. Over his high school years, his character grew and he went through some very significant changes. He went from a younger, more immature teen to a more professional, well rounded, mature young man. All of the opportunities that he was given and took advantage of over the past few years helped shape him into that being.
Each summer he was given an opportunity to travel to some very amazing places. The summer after his freshman year he traveled to Colorado for a national youth gathering with his church that really opened his eyes to things outside of Chicago (aka…places where people are much nicer). The next summer he was able to visit Costa Rica on a mission trip with his church. Their mission was to fellowship and create a bond between their home church and the home church of Limon, Costa Rica and to help a few surrounding churches start Vacation Bible School classes. He really enjoyed the experience and it was very eye opening as well to see how another culture, that was a bit more poor than ours, lived. This year he was blessed to be able to go on a college tour and see some very historic places. This opened his eyes to the importance and beauty of history.
He loved community service if it dealt with actually helping someone in need of help. He hoped to work for a company (PwC or any similar company) in the future that have wonderful leadership and community service opportunities. His ultimate goal on earth was to be as helpful as he possibly could be in his remaining years. He has was a true inspiration to all teens.
In his younger years, he attended two different grade schools. The first school he attended was named Paul Revere, and once in second grade, he attended Isabelle O’Keeffe, where he was put into the gifted class in third grade. His teacher felt he displayed a load of knowledge, but that he was a bit bored with the class and that he was a bit lazy more than likely. Most teachers end up feeling the same way about him to this day.
He tried to do his best although when he did, it was in an untimely matter. He hoped to be able to help others do their best as well through encouragement. Over his high school years, his character grew and he went through some very significant changes. He went from a younger, more immature teen to a more professional, well rounded, mature young man. All of the opportunities that he was given and took advantage of over the past few years helped shape him into that being.
Each summer he was given an opportunity to travel to some very amazing places. The summer after his freshman year he traveled to Colorado for a national youth gathering with his church that really opened his eyes to things outside of Chicago (aka…places where people are much nicer). The next summer he was able to visit Costa Rica on a mission trip with his church. Their mission was to fellowship and create a bond between their home church and the home church of Limon, Costa Rica and to help a few surrounding churches start Vacation Bible School classes. He really enjoyed the experience and it was very eye opening as well to see how another culture, that was a bit more poor than ours, lived. This year he was blessed to be able to go on a college tour and see some very historic places. This opened his eyes to the importance and beauty of history.
He loved community service if it dealt with actually helping someone in need of help. He hoped to work for a company (PwC or any similar company) in the future that have wonderful leadership and community service opportunities. His ultimate goal on earth was to be as helpful as he possibly could be in his remaining years. He has was a true inspiration to all teens.
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