Monday, September 30, 2019

Intercommunication

If was to buy the list I would sale contact method that I would use would be contacting them in person, although it would be time consuming and expensive, I would want them to see me and know that I am serious about business. I would be able to directly answer any questions that they might have and it is always good to put a face to someone wanting to do business. Cold calling assumes sales people will be successful If they can reach the right person In an organization. I do not think that cold calling should be used but It Is the only way that some can get through.Cold calling focuses on getting past the middle people. A person who calls Like this tries to let the buyer know why they should make a purchase decision right now. They can create a negative experience. I know that I do not Like when people call me and push me to buy something. Many people are so often hit with advertising messages from TV, newspapers, magazines and it is hard to get their attention. Direct mall can help build relationships between you and whomever you are trying to reach.It is more personal because you can say what you want and have time to put your thoughts together and express whatever it is you need to and is also cost efficient. Most consumers are receptive to direct mail. Yes, I consider sending these contacts unsolicited emails spam. Most of us get spam every day, ranging from a little to a lot, but if you have an e-mail account it is always there. It is frustrating when you open your business email and before you can respond to your customers or email your suppliers, you have spam. I feel that it is just a way for people to try to get you to buy into something, Spam is of no importance to me.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Adolescents and Cyberspace Essay

Abstract The Internet has a great deal of benefit in our lives. It is the window that opens onto the world and shows us everything that is happening around us. Although it is meant to help and support our needs, enrich our social lives and expand our civic connections, it has not been going so far in this way. A lot of research is showing that the heavy use of cyberspace is isolating people form the world around them. Knowing that adolescents are spending a great deal of their time in cyberspace, this article will examine the things they miss when they are left to grow up in it. Leaving Adolescents Grow Up in Cyberspace The question on whether leaving adolescents grow up in cyberspace is beneficial or not has long been controversial. When a lot agree that cyberspace has made their life easier, many others believe the opposite. Everything has side effects, which might have great impact on its user if not handled properly. It seems that adolescents, out of all other people, all missing a lot when their parents are letting them grow up in cyberspace. Everything in this advanced world is possible these days, that’s why we find students who study on the Internet in hybrid or online courses. Traditionally, learning has been assumed to take place in a classroom or face-to-face environment where the instructor and students are physically together, but not all students learn the same way and therefore the traditional approach is not ideal for all students (Young, 2007). This is true, but a lot of students are finding it difficult to cope with the new and modern way of learning, where the instructor lectures them online. Some students say: -â€Å"Instructor feedback tend to be slow† -â€Å"I didn’t feel as part of the class† -â€Å"You can’t verbalize your thoughts and let others hear your ideas† -â€Å"Too many technical problems† -â€Å"Unreliable Internet connections from my Internet service provider† -â€Å"You also lose the personal teacher student relationship† -â€Å"No way to read body language† -â€Å"With on-line classes, it is hard to be able to get the whole â€Å"personal† thing† -â€Å"You don’t get to see the professor or class members face-to-face† -â€Å"It takes more time to e-mail or post a question on the discussion board and wait for a response† (â€Å"Students’ Positive and Negative Experience in Hybrid and Online Classes†, 2007, page). Moreover, Irvine(2004) states: â€Å"Assignments are dispersed online. Students are much more likely to do research online than use a library. And even class handouts have gone the way of the Web, posted on electronic bulletin boards for downloading after class†(p.31A). So, if the Internet connection went off, students wouldn’t be able to continue their work. When the computer server in Emory University went down for a few hours one evening, a lot of people were at loose ends, they couldn’t to their homework (Sridharan, 2004). This is how adolescents are missing the more active and efficient way of learning because of cyberspace, thus suffering from a lot of educational and studying problems they are better off without. Looking at the world today would make us realize how much we miss security. And since adolescents are widely using cyberspace, they are the most likely to get affected by what it generates. A lot of teenagers have no problem in making friends, of whom they’ve never seen. In fact, they see that it is one of the purposes of using the Internet. But they never realize how dangerous it could be to meet someone you haven’t actually seen. The Internet allows people to communicate with people who are different from them, people in another country or kids at school they don’t talk to. This access of information is so easy, but of course there is a dark side to having such broad access: it gives identity thieves and sexual predators a new place to look for victims (Stern, 2004). Also, the Internet has shaped the way adolescents work, live, and relax. It has even created new ways for them to express themselves which might be liberating and fun but can also become a forum for of pettiness and criminal exploitation (Irvine, 2004). Furthermore, Ian and Walder (2005) say: As we have become dependent on the Internet, as the network of networks, so we have become vulnerable to criminal and terrorist networks that use cyberspace as a means to undermine and circumvent state control. Protecting against those that wish to attack  the integrity, confidentiality and availability of systems and data they process, is primarily an issue of implementing appropriate security measures. (page) The main purpose for this worry is because adolescents are unaware of what criminals might do to take advantage of people who want to be friendly, allowing them to threaten the country’s and society’s safety. In this way letting them spend too much time in cyberspace is making them loose a lot of security which puts them in dangerous problems later on. We must not forget the most important consequence of growing up in cyberspace: lack of social life and relationships. Sitting in front of the monitor for several continuous hours, without even noticing how time flies by quickly, makes us never want to get off the chair. As many adolescents are living in virtual communities, their only concern is making friends online. Ten years ago, social theorists were suggesting that the Internet would revolutionize social relationships (Carter & Denise M., 2004). Now, the Internet has come a far distance that kids and teens can’t live without it; people can find a job without leaving their desks, shop online without going to the mall and communicate with others without meeting face-to-face by e-mails, online chat rooms and instant messages. So, all the activities that were done with family and friends, are being done alone on the Internet. As a result, such activities have proved to be more isolating than watching television, which friends and family often do in groups, and the time spent with them is decreasing a lot in the presence of the Web. In addition, teens are preferring not to go out for walks or hang out with friends because they are busy in their own larger world. Know it or not, youngsters who are allowing time online to replace face-to-face interaction are being isolated from the real world and are being trapped in the virtual world (Staples, 2004). Seemingly, â€Å"Teenagers who spend much of their lives hunched over computer screens miss the socializing, the real world experience that would allow them to leave adolescence behind and grow into adulthood. These vital experiences, like much else, are simply not available in a virtual form† (Staples, 2004, p.A29). All of this is breaking the social relationships and is bringing up adults that don’t know how to deal with others because they never had the chance to sit and talk face-to-face. A lot of people fear of not being able to go with the flow; who ever doesn’t have access to cyberspace doesn’t have a life. But this isn’t proved to be completely true since it’s not being used in the best and efficient way. Of course it’s the parents job to lead them to the right track; they should always keep them under high supervision. To be more specific, parents should encourage them to have a real life, make real friends, go to real places and spend quality time with family. This doesn’t mean getting rid of this great technology but not letting it control them. Indeed, adolescents are missing a lot of the real world and its content, and aren’t aware of the circumstances and the costs of growing up in cyberspace. References Carter & Denise, M.(2004, December).Living in Virtual Communities: Making Friends Online.Journal of Urban Technology 11(3), 109-125.Retrieved March 19, 2008, from EBSCO Host database. El Mansour, B. & Mupinga, D.M.(2007, March).Students’ Positive and Negative Experiences in Hybrid and Online Classes.College Student Journal 41(1), 242-248.Retrieved March 19, 2008, from EBSCO Host database. Ian & Walder.(2005, April).Crime and Security in Cyberspace.Cambridge Review of International Affairs 11(3), 109-125.Retrieved March 19, 2008, from EBSCO Host database. Irvine, M.(2004, December 5).Youths Adopt, Drive Technology Advances.Fort Worth Star-Telegram, p.31A. Staples, B.(2004, May 29).What Adolescents Miss When We Let Them Grow Up in Cyberspace.New York Times, p.A24.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 6

Strategic Management - Assignment Example The company’s strategic goals should complement one’s objectives, and has to be a benchmark that the individual uses to analyse self-progress. The other important facet includes assessment of ones skills and check if they are sufficient to achieve the organisational aims (Stringham, 2012). Skill and professionalism are congruent aspects that must be used simultaneously to enable a person rise to the echelons of their occupation. Skill can be acquired through continuous practise and learning. Learning cuts across all the forces that ignite critical thinking and judgement, through exposure to different environments, and challenges. In the document, several facets contributing to personal and professional growth have been comprehensively elucidated. The strategic goals may include working for the organisation for a defined period then branch off to their private practise. There is need for proper roadmap and planning, in order, to realize the ultimate goal in the profession (Hill and Jones, 2012). Higher remuneration: One of the targets in career advancement is having a better paycheque. Increased remuneration comes from a steady increase in the performance at work, and through accumulated experience in the given role. The mentioned factors will enable one have a stronger bargaining power, and contributing to a rise in career level. Superior role and title: the most significant career goal is to be able to rise through the career ladder to the apex of the field of specialization. The target includes advancing in the organisation in terms of responsibilities and having a bigger title. The two points will also contribute to personal satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. Higher influence: during the progression through occupational ranks, one expects to develop more influence through the new positions acquired. The higher influence also signifies professional maturity, which further supports

Friday, September 27, 2019

Religion class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religion class - Essay Example The discourse would initially present some comparative highlights on key elements (history and statistics, religious authority, beliefs and doctrine, and rituals and practices) before discussing the comparative evaluation of the differences and similarities in marriage rites between Islam and Christian beliefs. The Christian faith, particularly the Catholic religion is believed to have evolved from Jesus Christ. After Christ’s death, one of his apostles, Peter, was the first to be designated as the head of the Catholic Church. According to Pope Benedict XVI, the mission of the Catholic Church can be summarized â€Å"as a threefold responsibility to proclaim the word of God, celebrate the sacraments, and exercise the ministry of charity† (Benedict XVI 2005). Catholics believe in God, as the Supreme Being and in triumvirate with Jesus Christ, as his Son and the Holy Spirit to form the Blessed Trinity (The Blessed Trinity, 1997). On the other hand, Islam believes in Allah, as the one and only God. The Islam faith was founded by the prophet Mohammed and â€Å"â€Å"unlike Christians, who believe that Jesus was the Son of God and an indivisible part of God, Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (570-632) was a man and that he followed Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus as the last of the great prophets to receive divine revelation. A Muslim believes in the revelation of God through the Quran that was given to Mohammad. For a Muslim, the Quran is God’s Word† (Funk, 2009). As seen from the comparative review, diversity comes in terms of various key elements with similarities only on the following accounts: birth of Jesus and his second coming, salvation sourced from practicing correct beliefs and angels and demons as spiritual beings. All the rest are diversely matchless. The Catholic religion acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. In Islam, Jesus was believed to be the second to the last prophet.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

FMS Optimisation using Discrete Event Simulation and Genetic Algorithm Essay

FMS Optimisation using Discrete Event Simulation and Genetic Algorithm - Essay Example The production planning in the manufacturing systems are forecasted using Enterprise Resource Planning package recently. Since the market demand varies every now and then the process has to be driven based on that. Flexible manufacturing system functions by utilising these advancements and deliver multiple products of sufficient quantity as per the demand. Genetic Algorithms are found to provide solutions for real-time problems in various operations. It has been used conveniently for researchers for various search and optimization problems. Owing to the problems associated with FMS optimization using Genetic algorithm and discrete simulation system this present project is initiated. Kazuhiro Saitou et al. (2002) presented a robust design of FMS using colored Petri nets and genetic algorithm. In their work it was found that the resource allocation and operation schedule were modelled as colored Petri nets. Their robust model designed minimized the production cost under multiple operation plan. It as able to handle large data sets conveniently as well as operates flexibly by using an genetic algorithm merged with shortest imminent operation time dispatching rule and automatically finds the optimal resource. These kinds of simulation can be more applicable in situation where there is varied job specification. Discrete event simulation The discrete event simulation works powerfully in optimization and decision-making process in manufacturing systems. Merchawl and Elmaraghy (1998) developed an analytical approach to customize the discrete event simulation for decision-making in flexible manufacturing systems. Planning horizon, the overall system average interarrival time and the average number of workstation influences the simulation run time. In their approach they reduced the simulation run time by aggregating the number of workstations. They also validated their methods with sample and control measures by running the applications with and without aggregation of the workstation. The results showed a 400% time reduction with fewer errors. Mostly the Genetic Algorithms (GA) is coupled with other techniques or processes to handle complex situation. Studies carried out revealed that increasing the mutation rates above optimum level cannot solve the problems associated. The study was focused on finding methods to improve the performance of GA by improving the average fitness of the initial population, P. Fenton and P. Walsh (2005) Review and Analysis The project will focus on initial aspects of reviewing the present complications and problems associated with the utilities of GA and Discrete event simulation methods. The first phase of review will focus on identifying the present application of these algorithms in various domains and its recent advancements. The next phase of the review analysis will be focused towards identifying all the limitations of these systems at the implementations

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Introduction to cultural and historical studies Essay

Introduction to cultural and historical studies - Essay Example Nowadays, however, haute couture is no longer trickling down in the same dominant flow, as subcultures and gender positions evolve (Barker 2000). The postmodern society reflects globalisation of brands, where heterogeneity exists and persists, and where bubbling up mixes with trickle downs to form social identities (Kratz and Reimer 1998). This paper will talk about fashion and appearance of the haute couture in postmodern context and will explore how fashion and appearance help people create their social identities through cloth rite. This paper argues that clothing rite portrays evolving concepts of masculinity and femininity in the new haute couture of the postmodern society through mixtures of trickle down and bubble up phenomena. This section discusses a short overview of haute couture’s evolution from trickle-down theory to bubbles up and to a mix of both. During the nineteenth century, the French led the rise of haute couture, where the elite classes define fashion tren ds and appearance statements (Veblen 1994: 52). The masses endeavoured to copy the elite, a signification of their desire for social mobility: â€Å"The result is that the members of each stratum accept as their ideal of decency the scheme of life in vogue in the next higher stratum, and bend their energies to live up to that ideal† (Veblen 1994: 52). As a result, the masses tried to replicate the clothing rite of the rich, although they were limited by their own resources. Reproduction of the lower class, however, would be undermined by the upper class’ revision of their dress codes. Social demarcation cannot be maintained if homogeneity was too perceptible â€Å"and thus the game goes merrily on† (Simmel 1973: 175). This game is largely a game owned and manipulated by the elite. They use their fashion and appearance to differentiate themselves from the masses and enforce power over the latter (Miller and Real 1998: 19). They form clothing rites that are expens ive and continuously changing. In a way, they are saying that people beneath them cannot catch up that easily, for the former need the same game of life to preserve the status quo that protects and promotes their upper-class interests (Simmel 1973: 175). The rules and language of the game changed at the postmodern era. Postmodernism has no single definition, but is often described in terms of its principles. First, Lyonard argues that postmodernism emerged when the grand narratives broke down, especially the narrative that exhorts the problem-solving purposes and ends of science (Miller and Real 1998: 19). Second, Baudrillard underscores that global communication technologies allowed for a â€Å"culture of mass production and simulacra† and from henceforth, originality has stopped (Miller and Real 1998: 19). Third, consumption transitioned from the puritan ethic of consumption to â€Å"commercial ethic of conspicuous consumption† (Miller and Real 1998: 19). Baudrillard stresses that reality have turned into hyper-reality, where authenticity and representation has exploded and sign systems have replaced objects as a whole

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Cyber Security and Information Security Assignment

Cyber Security and Information Security - Assignment Example For example, Phneah (2013) suggests that previously, risks from inside the company were previously more about financial shifts, but now corporate espionage is becoming a bigger risk. This may be because the benefits that come from understanding the organizational structure and what the company is working on may be extremely beneficial to some individuals, and there are those that are willing to pay more to understand how the company works. The article does note that the relative risk is changing, because Phneah (2013) suggests that insider risk may actually become more important from the dangers from outside the organization. Another interesting thing to consider is that there may be a risk from collaboration between insiders and outsiders, which could pose a significant risk to information security. The risk is noted to be changing because organized crime groups understand that they can cause a lot of damage (for financial game or types of terrorism) by using insiders to promote the attacks. The change may also be due to the fact that many corporations are aware of the risk from outside the company, and thus information security has been tightened up in the last decade making it very difficult for outsiders to attack without relevant passwords or passkeys. The collaboration therefore combines someone who already has access with someone who wants to commit serious attacks. Phneah, E. (2013, August). Insider threats evolving, still main risk | ZDNet. ZDNet. Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www.zdnet.com/insider-threats-evolving-still-main-risk-7000003491/ 2. Search your institution’s published documents, including its Web pages. Locate its mission statement, vision statement, and strategic goals. Identify any references to information security. Also look for any planning documents related to information security. From the website, UMUC has the mission statement to provide good-quality, affordable and accessible education as part of the state of Mary land. The vision statement suggests that it aims to be a part of the greater movement to allow more people to get a college degree regardless of their circumstances, although this is not stated explicitly on the website. The strategic goals of the institution are to achieve the mission and vision by providing a lot of online courses and having campuses in many locations. This increases accessibility. Additionally, there are several references to financial aid which can be given as a way of helping more people attend UMUC. There are not that many references to information security, but the website does have a secure sign-in area for students and faculty designed to keep important information secure and personal to the individual. Chapter 3 P.114 4. Using the format provided in the text, design an incident response plan for your home computer. Include actions to be taken if each of the following events occur: Virus attack Power failure Fire Burst water pipe ISP failure What other scen arios do you think are important to plan for? Type of Event Virus Attack Potential Damage Files could be corrupted, private and personal information could be taken and used in malicious and criminal ways Precautions Install anti-virus software and keep it updated regularly to prevent against potential attacks Actions to Take Immediately use anti-virus software to identify the type of virus and the damage it could do. Use the software to remove the virus if possible, if not try to

Monday, September 23, 2019

Visitor management (Heritage sites) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Visitor management (Heritage sites) - Essay Example tions are majorly designed with strategic tools and approaches to improve visitors’ experience within a particular heritage tourism site (Shackley, 2009). The primary objective of this study is to develop a critical understanding about the different types of strategic processes of managing visitors in global cultural heritage sites. In this regard, the essay tends to identify the strategic directions as well as different managing and controlling tools or approaches used by the organisations or managing committees to offer exceptional visiting experience to each group or individual customers in the heritage sites. In relation to the modern competitive scenario in the tourism business industry, the process of managing visitors especially in the heritage sites ranges from cultural to urban destinations. According to the recent visitation and conservation strategies of the global destinations, there are numerous objectives to why the process of visitor management has been recognising as an increasingly important area to be undertaken by the groups responsible to manage visitors in the heritage sites. World Heritage Sites (WHS) conserve an Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) with adequate authenticity and integrity that grasp the attention of the visitors irrespective of their geographical locations. Therefore, the WHS can be widely accepted as a core and the most valuable drivers in the tourism industry to generate major financial contribution in the global economy. In this regard, the key purpose of the management departments in the WHS is to ensure that the nominated properties are effectively p rotected for bringing major economic and socio-cultural development on the present and the future generation (Leask & Fyall, 2006). In relation to the recent changes in the pace of globalisation, an effective management of the WHS includes a strong cyclic process with long-term and day-to-day activities with the aim of protecting and conserving wellness of the nominated

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Marlows lie Essay

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Marlows lie - Essay Example Marlow’s lie is in the focus of further discussion on the example of his interpretations of Kurtz’s phenomenon. He claims that he does not lie, though he confirms that there were three cases when he lied: the station manager, Kurtz and the Intended heard wrong things from Marlow (Stape, 2004). Marlow lies throughout the novel though contextual background of the novel differs greatly. He is thrown back and forth from savage customs identification and civilized behavior distinction. His further ideas and behavior are developed under conditions of blurred borders between noise of savage and civilization: â€Å"Yet despite Marlow’s insistence, all binary oppositions collapse in the course of his narrative: colonists prove to be conquerors, the gang of virtue is indistinguishable from the gang of greed, the illusions of women merely echo the illusions of men, and there is no clear distinction between lies and truth† (Kaplan 1997, p. 323). This way, Marlowâ€⠄¢s attitude to lie can be interpreted in these frames. Moreover, his acts of lying can be considered on three main backgrounds: his desire to preserve his own ideas about Kurtz, lie as an act of humanity and lie as a means of reality hindrance. Marlow’s lie: lie for what? Generally speaking, Marlow is a complicated and interesting character depicted in the novel. The author intentionally contrasts a human nature to black background. Maybe, Conrad’s intention was to show the darkness of human inner world and not the darkness of African continent: â€Å"The monstrous prevails and the human and artistic potential miscarries. There is a downward tug in Kurtz's involvement with the wilderness and he descends into a brute existence† (Billy 1997, p. 26). Madness dominates in the inner world of Kurtz. Kurtz reflects a dualistic human nature. Lights and darkness exist one by one. When darkness starts prevailing, then anarchy exists everywhere. A strange and dualistic na ture of human darkness can be defined as â€Å"something strange that derives its existence from the hinterland of man's mind, as if it had emerged from the abyss of prehuman ages, or from a superhuman world of contrasting light and darkness. It is a primordial experience which surpasses man's understanding and to which in his weakness he may easily succumb" (Boyle 1964, p. 160). Marlow should not be considered as a liar. He talked about darkness of London in Roman epoch. Romans conquered Britons and Conrad talked about the Belgians conquering Africans. Generally, Conrad intended to show an inner struggle of the self within his inner world. A personified symbolism (Bloom 1987, p. 34) of the ways human soul fights against duality and lie is shown by Conrad throughout the paper. Marlow’s lie is interpreted by Brown (2004) as follows: "Despite his [Marlow's] earlier avowal of a profound aversion to lying, Marlow has already admitted to sacrificing truth to expediency on three p revious occasions" (Brown 2000, p. 14). Still, Brown’s arguments are often criticized. It is necessary to discuss what is lying for Marlow in more details. A breakdown of Marlow's character could be seen when he lied to the Intended. Marlow wanted to give a wrong impression about what happened. Marlow’s intention to give a different representation of real facts to public about himself was seen from the very beginning of the novel, when he sat like Buddha. In that case he wanted to show that he takes nothing with him, but peace. Further wanderings and adventures of Marlow revealed real intentions of this character. Therefore, lying accompanies Marlow throughout the novel. In case when he needed more rivets for his boat, he asked the brickmaker about them but did it through lying.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Plato - Socrates Essay Example for Free

Plato Socrates Essay Apology, in greek, means ‘to give defense’ (###). In Plato’s Apology, Socrates is blamed for numerous acts and elegantly defends himself in front of the court. To start off, he was first accused of studying astrology and demonology and passing his knowledge and beliefs to other people. His first response to this was blatantly asking who has heard him speaking of such acts: â€Å"†¦should tell each other if anyone of you has ever heard me discussing such subjects to any extent at all† (19d). He also claims that if anyone has heard of him charging fees for his teachings, that that is a lie as well. Socrates continues by saying that god at Delphi claims that he is the wisest man in Athens, and he challenges anyone who believes they are wiser. Even though Meletus refuses to believe the words that Socrates speaks, he continues to listen as Socrates further explains his viewpoint. Socrates continues by saying that the reason behind his unpopularity lies behind his ability to analyze others. He criticizes the politicians, the poets, and the craftsmen for their apparent wisdom. Socrates first examines the Politicians, saying that â€Å"†¦I found that those who had the highest reputation were nearly the most deficient†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (22a) meaning that they possessed little to no wisdom. Next, Socrates examined the Poets. He simply stated that the poets had no clue what they were writing about. He believes that their poems come from sheer inspiration and natural talents, and their wisdom has nothing to do with it. Finally, Socrates speaks about the craftsmen. He shares his belief that the craftsmen are very wise, but they only possess knowledge of their crafts. Secondly, Socrates was accused of corrupting the minds of the young. Meletus originally claimed that only Socrates is guilty of corrupting the minds of the youth. Socrates asks Meletus a few questions such as: Who improves the young? In which Meletus responds by telling Socrates that the law is held responsible for improving the law. Socrates then follows up by asking who contains the knowledge of the law? : Where Meletus answers with the jurymen, audience, members of council, etc. Socrates then summarizes all of the premises for Meletus by concluded that everyone in Athens besides Socrates improves the young. Socrates continues his argument with an analogy. He uses an anaglogy involving a horse trainer. He states that there are very few horse trainers who are experts in their field, and their job is to improve them to the best of their abilities. If an ordinary person, one whom isn’t trained on horses, were attempt to train a horse, they would simply only make matters worse. What Socrates is trying to say here is that ther are very few ‘trainers’ that train people, and contrary to Meletus’s beleifs, Socrates is one of those trainers. Socrates quickly turns the boat around towards Meletus and claims that he has never given any thought towards the youth. He then continues to upgrade his argument by saying that most people, if not all, would rather live in a town full of good people rather than bad: â€Å"Do not the wicked do some harm to those who are ever closest to them, whereas good people benefit them? † (25c). This quote shows how he agrees with the previous statement that most people would rather live with good people. He states here that bad people will harm the ones that are closest to them, whereas good people will only bring them goodness. Socrates then follows up on his argument by repeating Meletus’s thoughts that he, Socrates, intentionally corrupted the minds of the young. He concludes by saying that, usually, when people harm another person, a harmful return should be expected. Therefore, if he intentionally harmed the youth, then he would be expected to be harmed as a result. He asks Meletus â€Å"†¦namely that if I make one of my associates wicked I run the risk of being harmed by him so that I do such a great evil deliberately, as you say? † (25e). Here, Socrates explains that if he were to harm another person, then he would be subjected to harm himself, and what person would subject themselves to harm in the first place? Socrates finalizes his attack on the second charge by saying that he’s either innocent of corrupting the youth, or he did so unintentionally. If he was found guilty, however, then he should rather be taught than to be subjected to the court. `In my eyes, Socrates argument was relatively strong here. During his speech, Socrates quickly turns to focus of his argument to the inconsistency of the charge and his belief in new spiritual things. He addresses Meletus’s belief in spiritual things by saying that it is a contradiction to atheism. Socrates justifies his beliefs by saying that you can’t believe in human activities but not believe in humans, or believe in flute-playing but not believe in the existence of flutes. Therefore, Socrates concludes by saying that you can’t believe in spiritual activity but not believe in spirits. He also makes his argument stronger by mocking the court in a sense with strong irony. In the beginning of The Apology, Socrates was being charged of impiety, using rhetoric to potentially acknowledge the truth behind the lies of the law. Reading about Socrates, it is clearly shown that he is quite fond of exposing the truth, making him a prime example of a rhetorician. In order to turn his case around in the court, Socrates uses rhetoric to defend himself. Since he saw no way out of the situation, he decided to complement his character and keep to his traditional ways. However, towards the end of the argument, Socrates seems to lose focus and his argument becomes less and less stable. In Crito, Socrates was given the death sentenced, and when the opportunity arised for an escape, he refused. Crito gave him numerous reasons as to why Socrates should escape. First, Socrates would be abandoning his wife and children. Secondly, people are willing to pay his way out of jail, that way he wouldn’t be in debt. Also, if he didn’t escape, Crito worries what people would think of Socrates’ companions. He is worried that the situation would reflect badly on them, that they did nothing to help Socrates escape. As well as deserting his wife and children, Crito believes that Socrates will also be deserting himself. After all he has believed in and persevered through, Crito doesn’t want Socrates to give up now. Finally, People are willing to risk themselves to help him escape from prison. Crito thinks that since Socrates has so many reasons to escape, that he should quickly act upon the situation. After Crito delivers his five reasons as to why Socrates should escape, Socrates states two different premises as to why he should stay in jail and accept his punishment. First, he defends himself against Crito’s speech. He first questions whether or not he should remain in prison and accept all punishments against him, or agree with Crito and escape. He states that if he were to escape from prison, then he would be saying that it is acceptable to perform injustice acts. He then corrects the statement by saying that no matter what the issue is, it’s unacceptable to wrong against any man. Following up, Socrates states that if one were to agree over something, then under no circumstances should that agreement be broken or cheated on. While Socrates is living in Athens, he is agreeing to all of the rules and regulations that the law presents. If he doesn’t agree with the laws, then he has the choice of leaving in pursuit of a new city or challenge the law itself. If he doesn’t perform either of these acts, then he is subjective to the laws of the city. Socrates then combines all of these premises to come to the conclusion that he should accept his punishments and refrain from escaping. Socrates then lays out his second premise by first stating that if he were to escape, he will then destroy the Law of Athens and the City, something that he promised not to break upon living in the City. At the age of consent, Socrates turned into a man, thus agreeing to the rues and regulations of the city. The law originally allowed his parents to wed and deliver Socrates, and then in turn allowed Socrates to wed and have children. So far, the Law of Athens have done nothing but help the upbringing of Socrates and his children. However, he then states that if the Law and the City’s ruling was unjust, then if Socrates were to escape, he wouldn’t be breaking the Law of Athens. The problem here is that the only way Socrates would be able to prove his ruling unjust is if he was on an equal footing with the Law of Athens or if he did not promise to abide by the Law of Athens and all of its rulings. If he was on an equal footing with the City, then whatever the city would do to Socrates, Socrates could do the city, which is inaccurate. After all, the city is responsible for the upbringing of Socrates and his family. Since he isn’t on an equal footing, and he did promise to follow all of the rules and regulations of the City, Socrates concludes by saying that the ruling of the jury was accurate. Socrates addresses the first three arguments of Crito by saying that they are irrelevant to whether or not his escaping is right or wrong. Secondly, Socrates says that although that remaining arguments are valid, the do not give good enough reasons. In Crito, the city is wronging Socrates by order of execution. Therefore, by complying to the wrong accusation, is Socrates committing an unjust act as well? With all of the arguments Socrates has made so far (one has to keep his promise, one should follow the rules of the Law, one should never commit wrongdoing), he cannot admit it. Another validation issue in Socrates’ argument is the potential contradiction with The Apology. In The Apology, Socrates states that under no circumstances will he obey any order to stop philosophizing: â€Å"Gentlemen of the jury, I am grateful and I am your friend, but I will obey the god rather than you, and as long as I draw breath and am able, I shall not cease to practice philosophy.. † (29d). Another example that seems to be contradictory in his beleifs in Crito is the story of Leon form Salamis. Socrates was ordered to bring in Leon for a possible execution, but instead headed home. â€Å"Then I showed again, not in words bu in action, that, it if were not rather vulgar to say so, death is something I couldn’t care less about, but that my whole concern is not to do anything unjust or impious† (32c-e). Here, Socrates shows how he refused to do something that he believes to be unjust. Relating this back to his situation in Crito, Socrates was being punished for being unjust, thus putting him in the same position as Leon. In Crito, he shows his obligation to obey the Law of Athens, even if that meant he was going to stop philosophizing as well as being wrongfully executed. In Phaedo, Cebes and Socrates have a long a thorough conversation of the existence of the soul. Cebes’s argument is that the soul is recycled through different bodies. However, the more times the soul is reused, then more it is damaged. Cebes believes that when the soul eventually runs out, it will result in the death of a birth. He finishes his argument by telling Socrates that unless you can prove that the soul is immortal, every man must be fearful of his soul and what will happen to it if it is reensouled. Thus, if anyone was to face death with confidence would be considered unwise. Socrates follows up with his New Method of Hypothesis. Here, he states that everyone is participating in a certain form, whether it’s the form of tallness, the form of beautiful, etc. : â€Å"I assume the existence of a Beautiful, itself, of a good and a Great and all the rest† (100b). He believes that the form of Beautiful is made up of participates, and that they all come together to create the form. Socrates also comes up with the Exclusion of Opposites. Here, he states that everything that is condisered a ‘universal fact’, will never have both itself and it’s opposite simultaneously. Socrates uses the example of the Form of Tallness, saying that one can’t possess both the Form of Tallness and the Form of Shortness. What he means here is that you can’t be both tall and short at the same time. He continues on by saying that certain states of affairs have opposites, but their character is made up of the opposite that they possess. As his argument goes on, Socrates states that the soul brings to body life as well as anything that it possesses. If this is true, then that would mean that the soul is immortal, always reensouling another body. This is unlike what Cebes said, since he was convinced that the more times the soul possessed a new body, then the sould would become weaker and eventually cease to exist. Following up on Socrates’s argument, if the soul never dies, then that you mean that it is imperishable. In conclusion, Socrates can say that the soul is abiding.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Analysis of Pepsicos Vision Statement

Analysis of Pepsicos Vision Statement In the report, I had analyzed the vision and mission statements of PepsiCo. I had used vision statement matrix, shortcomings of vision statement and mission statement evaluation matrix to conduct the analysis. In the vision statement matrix, there are few characteristics such as directional, graphic, focused and so on. There are also some common shortcomings in company vision statements that I used to analyze the vision statement of PepsiCo. Then I recommend a new vision statement to improve the weaknesses of the current vision statement of PepsiCo. For the mission statement part, I also evaluated and I had enhanced the missing components in PepsiCo mission statement by recommend the new mission to PepsiCo. Introduction PepsiCo is an American multinational company for food and beverage industry which operate globally. The product portfolio of PepsiCo is wide and it is defined in the 10k as a leading global beverage, snack and food company. Other than that, PepsiCo also produces variety of convenient, salty grain-based and sweet snacks, non alcoholic drinks and foods in around 200 countries. Analysis of PepsiCo Vision Statement PepsiCos responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate-environment, social, economic-creating a better tomorrow than today. Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company. PepsiCo is using this vision in their company. I had analyzed PepsiCo vision statement by using directional, graphic, focused, feasible, desirable and easy to understand to analyze the company vision statement. Based on my analysis, the directional of the company is to make PepsiCo a truly sustainable company in the market. PepsiCo improve the environmental stewardship and activities that benefit the society continually to enable them to be a truly sustainable company. PepsiCo think for environment and society before they make every decision. They care about the environment and society because it is their aspiration what company they want to be. Be a truly sustainable company, PepsiCo brand can be known globally around the world. PepsiCo can expand their product portfolio and introduce more products into the market. PepsiCo can enter into new segment to serve more market. Becoming a truly sustainable company, PepsiCo might face intense competition from other brands. (refer to appendix 1and 3) For the graphic characteristic, it does not apply in the vision of PepsiCo. It is because PepsiCo do not mention what product portfolio they are making. People might not get the picture of the kind of company and management they trying to create. So, for the graphic characteristic, it is absent in PepsiCo vision statement. Besides, focused characteristic is found in the vision statement of PepsiCo. This can be proven in the vision statement as PepsiCo is trying to focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society and commitment to build a shareholder value. It is clear that PepsiCo want to do more for the society and environment and not to forget about their company shareholder. These are what PepsiCo want to achieve in their future. They want to serve society and their shareholder better. PepsiCo has working with numerous projects around the world to provide safe and clean materials for the packaging. It is important in to provide fresh and clean water as it is the main ingredient for the product. By serving the society and create value for shareholders, PepsiCo can enhance their brand name and create positive image for the brand while gaining trust from the shareholders. Thus, PepsiCo can expand their company size in the future if they get support from the society. The weakness is tha t PepsiCo may spend too much of the money for charity and it will affect shareholders profit. Next, from the vision statement, there is feasible characteristic found in the vision statement. PepsiCo want to continually improve all aspects of the world which they operate including environment, social and economic to create a better tomorrow than today. PepsiCo can reach achieve their vision because of the size of the company and the financial of the company. PepsiCo is the one of the main brand in non-alcoholic drink in global. From the case, we can know that PepsiCo have the resources to achieve their vision because in the past 3 years, the net income of PepsiCo was over 5000millions. By serving to the society, PepsiCo can understand about the society needs and thus PepsiCo can serve the society better by doing the right thing that the society want. There is desirable characteristic in the vision statement of PepsiCo. In the vision statement of PepsiCo, the goal of the vision is to be a truly sustainable company. It is desirable to the stakeholders of PepsiCo. It is because PepsiCo is committed to build shareholder value. It is good for the shareholders in the long term interest because PepsiCo care about their shareholders benefit. For example, PepsiCo held a foundation called as PepsiCo Foundation to help the society and they also increase the use of recycled materials and reduce materials used in packaging. PepsiCo can gain support from the shareholders for long term because PepsiCo could bring benefit for shareholders in long term. Thus, shareholders might invest more money into the company and it is good for PepsiCo to be a truly sustainable company. The weakness is that some of the shareholders may disagree with PepsiCo and thus conflict may occur between shareholders of PepsiCo. In the vision statement of PepsiCo, the language that they used is easy to understand. Easy to understand characteristic also applied in the vision statement of PepsiCo. They use simple and clear language which can guide the people to achieve the goal of the vision statement. People can easily remember the vision statement of the PepsiCo because it is not too long and it is easy to understand by people. People can easily understand the vision thus the tasks can be done more efficiently for PepsiCo. Analysis of Vision Statements-shortcomings While I analyze PepsiCo vision statement, I found a few shortcomings in the vision statement of PepsiCo. First, the vision statement of PepsiCo is vague and incomplete. It is because in the vision statement, PepsiCo mention about to improve all aspects of the world in which they operate for their environment, social and economic but their do not mention about the product portfolio that they serve and how they treat their employees. (refer to appendix 2) Besides, in my analysis of PepsiCo vision statement, they are not forward looking. The reason why I say so is because as a one of the main brands in non alcoholic drink industry, PepsiCo got the potential to become the leader of the market share. But in the vision statement of PepsiCo, they do not mention about to be the leader in the industry. Other than that, I also analyzed that PepsiCo have another shortcoming in the vision statement. PepsiCo vision statement is too broad and not distinctive. In the vision statement, they had mentioned that they want to focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society and commitment to build shareholder value. It might have conflict because by doing charity that benefit society and working together with several groups such as Earth Institute, UNICEF, Keep America Beautiful and so on. PepsiCo might need to invest a lot to do the research to come out with recycled materials. This will have conflict with build shareholder value because shareholders want to get their bonus rather than invest in so many areas. In the vision statement of PepsiCo, I do not use rely on superlatives shortcoming because PepsiCo does not claim themselves as NO.1 in the world or best in the world. So, rely on superlatives does not apply to PepsiCo vision statement. PepsiCo also do not combine vision and mission statement characteristics in their vision statement. As we all know, vision statement is about the future business path of the company while mission statement is focuses on the current business activities. There is no conflict between the mission and vision statement of PepsiCo because in the mission statement of PepsiCo, which is short term objective, they want to be the worlds premier consumer products company that focused on convenient foods and beverages while the vision statement of PepsiCo is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which they operate for long term. PepsiCo want to continually improve to become a truly sustainable company in the future. Recommendation Since there are few shortcomings in the vision statement of PepsiCo, I would like to do some recommendation to improve the current vision statement of PepsiCo. First, I found that PepsiCo vision statement is incomplete. PepsiCo should have mention about their product portfolio and benefit for their employees because employees are their main asset to operate the company. For the long term business, benefit of employees should be included in the vision statement. Besides, PepsiCo should be more forward looking ahead of their competitors. Since they are main brands in the industry, they should aim to be the best in the industry and gain the largest market share in the industry. PepsiCo should include the vision statement to motivate the people in the company to work hard together to achieve the goal of the vision statement which is to be the leader of the non alcoholic drink industry. From the case, we can see that the main competitor of PepsiCo is Coca-Cola who is the leader in the market which occupied 41 percent while PepsiCo only hold about 36.7 percent of the market share in the industry. Other than that, PepsiCo should prevent the conflict between shareholders benefit and society benefit. It is because PepsiCo need to spend money to benefit the society while shareholder would like to remain most of the money. So I would suggest that in the vision statement of PepsiCo, they should prioritize which aspects they want to serve the best. The current vision statement of PepsiCo is good but I would like to improve the shortcomings in PepsiCo vision statement. The new vision statement will be as below: To treat the employees as a family and maximize all of stakeholders benefit that PepsiCo concern. Always be innovation and enhance current product portfolio for society. Show dedication by committing to PepsiCo and be the leader in the industry. Mission Statement Evaluation I had used a few components to analyze the mission statement of PepsiCo. So, to enhance it to be a better mission statement, I will suggest new description for PepsiCo. First component is the customers. There is no description about the customers in current mission statement. I would want to recommend PepsiCo to include a new description into their current mission statement which is to serve globally. There are some less developed countries which stay in unhygienic places. PepsiCo should serve them by providing clean and fresh drinks for them so that people in there can enjoy the benefit together. (refer to appendix 4) For the products and services component, although there is description in the current mission statement, but I would like to enhance it to become better by keep on innovate to come out with new products that benefit the society. It is because some of the current foods of PepsiCo are unhealthy for society if they take it for long term, so it is important to be innovative to come out with more healthy foods and beverages. For the markets that PepsiCo serve, they want to become worlds premier consumer products company. But PepsiCo are more concentrating on developed countries such as United States, Europe and Australia. I would like to suggest PepsiCo to serve globally and enter less developed market such as Africa region. It will show that PepsiCo is concern about the poor society and thus enhance the brand. The next component is concern for survival, growth and profitability. The current mission is to seek to produce financial rewards to the investors. For a better mission, it is important to train and retain talented employees as they are the main asset for the company. There is no technology component in the current mission statement. I would like to suggest PepsiCo to develop an advanced technology ahead of their competitors to increase the efficiency of the production. It can be an advantage for PepsiCo in their industry. The current philosophy of PepsiCo is to strive for honesty, fairness and integrity. For my suggestion, I would like to come out with new description which is to be responsible to society. It is better because PepsiCo should act ethically to serve the society so that it can help the society. There is no self-concept component in the current mission statement. I suggest that PepsiCo should have prioritized their customers all the time. So that they can serve the customers better based on what they want. The concern for public image component in the current mission is only about the business partners and communities. They should treat the environment better because it is important now and it can build positive brand image in global market. PepsiCo also show their concern for employees. They provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to employees. But it will be better if they can empower their employees to make decision and reward them to create loyalty because they will feel that they are important in the company and thus will more committed to the company. I would like to make a few enhancements for the current mission statement. The enhancements will as shown in below: Our mission is to serve fairly without bias and create a positive image in global market. We also want to develop advanced technology and be responsible to the society. Customers satisfaction is our top priority. We also want to empower employees to be innovative that benefit society. Conclusion As a business analyst for PepsiCo, I had made few suggestions for the vision and mission statements and I hope that with the new enhancements of my vision and mission statements for PepsiCo current vision and mission statements, PepsiCo can improve company and be a better one to serve the society and be a truly sustainable company.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

First of all I want to take this opportunity to thank some people. I wish to extend my gratitude and gratefulness to all of you who are present today. The people who care and have made a difference are right here ... right now. The greatest gift any of us could have received is having the people who influenced all of our lives here to witness this milestone. Whether you are parents, teachers, family members, or friends, you have all contributed for us to reach this goal of acquiring our diplomas. All that any of us have accomplished can be credited to you and your undying support. You have been our advocates in our ongoing journey seeking education. I also want to thank God. Because of His unceasing love and grace, He has made all of this possible. Thank you for all you have done for us. As I gaze at the graduating class of 2006, I see one made of many. A great contraption created by the individual minds coming together as a whole. What else do I see? A flock of geese. A flock of geese immensely resembles a class. They are awe-inspiring as they advance together to form a V, which makes flight easier for all. They use the lifting power to enable to sustain enough energy for their prolonged expedition to warmer territory. A class uses this same technique to survive high school. We are each other's source of strength. The only ones who truly understand what the other has went through these past few years. We have tolerated and nurtured our peers and finally it has all paid off. We have made it. When geese travel, they stay with those who are on the same path. For us, that path led to this day ... Graduation. Walking this path solitaire is a task I am pleased to know none of us had to perform. We can take pride in the fact tha... ...ather she organized a teddy bear donation for homeless children and a penny drive for children who are victims of cancer. She unknowingly became part of my small list of roll models. I know that in my own life and my classmate's lives, there are innumerable accounts of suffering and yet all of us are present today. That says endless statements about ourselves. For that I am proud to be one us. As we close this memorable chapter in our lives, I pray that we have collected all the knowledge provided and let it grow. Not only that acquired from books, but also that from each other. I hope that all of us have left our legacies and will be remembered by the good we left behind. There is a quote by W.B. Yeats; "Education is not the fill of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Well, the flame has been ignited. Now it is up to us how high we will let those flames soar.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

James Forman :: essays research papers

James Forman Last Wednesday the civil rights movement lost one of its most influential members to colon cancer. James Forman died January 10th he is survived by his son Chaka Esmond Fanon Forman. James was born on Oct. 5, 1928, he spent the early years on a farm in Marshall County, Mississippi, with his grandmother. The at the age of six his parents moved him to Chicago. In 1957 James graduated from Englewood High School, after high school he entered the Air Force and fought in the Korean War. After the war Forman transferred to Roosevelt University in Chicago after his second college semester at the University of California. He also became very active in student politics on campus before his graduation in 1957. Forman went on to graduate studies at Boston University, then returned to Chicago. After college James went on to work at the Chicago Defender were he reported the injustices done to black people in the deep south. In 1960 he learned of black farmers being evicted off their land by white landowners because they registered to vote. James left Chicago to join a program sponsored by the Congress for Racial Equality that provided help to the displaced farmers. In 1961 he joined The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC. One week after joining SNCC James was elected to its executive secretary after just one week with the organization. James did a great job at SNCC he was an excellent critical thinker as well as strategist that is why Julian Bond, chairman of the board of directors of the NAACP, said "that Forman the catalyst that turned SNCC into a fighting, militant organization." (Pride) Forman was just influential as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. In 1963 Forman was the principal for the 1963 March on Washington and the Freedom Rides in which Blacks rode across the South to make sure buses were integrated as ordered by the courts. James also became one of the first ma jor blacks leaders to demand reparations for slavery. He demanded 500 million dollars from white churches all across America for their involvement in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Even later in his life James was still active in the civil rights community. In 1982 and lobbying against the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork and the presidential campaign of former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke. He also traveled to Europe and Africa on behalf of the Black Panther Party and also planned a new march on Washington in 1982.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Letter Of Intent :: essays research papers

Letter of Intent Dear Ms. Sweet, We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with you on this project. We are certain that this will be an enjoyable and enrichening experience for everyone involved. In order to raise money for the Parent Infant Center, we will combine all of our efforts to produce the best benefit concert that the center has ever seen. The target audience for the concert will be area high school and college students and all of the profits will go towards your scholarship fund. We have begun contacting amateur bands from the area that are willing to compete in a â€Å"Battle of the Bands†. Since the bands are made up of University students, we predict that they will attract a large audience comprised of their friends and classmates. This event will be held on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania making it easiest for students to attend. It is quite possible that we will encounter some difficulties while trying to organize this event. One difficulty could be that if we do not get enough bands to participate, we may not be able to draw a large enough crowd. If this occurs, we will broaden our spectrum and promote the event at other colleges and high schools around the area. It may also be hard to obtain an appropriate place to house the concert. We will try our best to find the most ideal venue for the concert and while we may not get our first choice, the University has many concert halls from which to choose. Ticket sales could also be a potential problem since hiring a professional ticket agency may be too much of a financial burden for our project. We will investigate the most cost efficient ticketing options and we will find innovative ways for our team to sell the tickets. We will divide into three committees: a coordinating committee, a marketing committee, and a fundraising committee. The coordinating committee will find a venue and the bands that will compete. The marketing committee will be in charge of advertising and promoting the event.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Immune to Reality Essay

â€Å"Upon my back, to defend my belly; upon my wit, to defend my wiles; upon my secrecy, to defend mine honesty; my mask, to defend my beauty. † (William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida) (Gilbert 133)This quote pertains to the mind protecting and or lying to you to not be harmed, which has been proved in test today. Immune To Reality written by Daniel Gilbert is a piece about how the mind can play tricks on us by covering up the truth with a believable lie, how we â€Å"cook facts† (134), and how our mind’s choices can affect our feelings. Throughout this essay I will be discussing a real life situation of my own, and the studies and the outcomes and whether they make sense or not. They say the mind protects us from ourselves, but we also â€Å"cook facts† (134) which happen to go hand in hand. Cooking facts are â€Å"†¦deliberate attempts to generate positive views†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (134) a few examples are failing miserably on the test but tell yourself there is always next time and you’ll study harder for the next one and example from the book being is that your fiance left you at the altar but saying â€Å"She was never really right for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (134). The mind tries to protect us from remembering bad things or bad experiences. I’ve seen some of my friends try and deny the fact that his father had died of cancer, he just didn’t believe it until the day of his funeral. But in the end they made it in their mind that he was in a better place and no longer suffering. In my own case, my family and I were coming back from a trip to Florida on a coach bus which ended up being hit by another car and flipped on its side on a four lane highway which ended up being hit by two more cars. I am thankful to say that I was buckled so I only came out of the crash with a concussion, but it still affects me every day. My vision has never been the same, yeah sure I can read really fast when I’m reading to myself but when it comes to reading out loud. It’s a completely different story. There’s no medical term for it but the best way they could put it is that I have an acute form of dyslexia. I just thank to this day that it actually isn’t worse than it could be and this being my cooked facts. To this day I cannot remember anything about the crash, this being the way my mind protects me from pain. Our minds and feelings are always going to have some sort of connection since it is our brain that tells our body us what we are feeling. Studies show that what we choose can really affect our moods for the time being or even throughout a week. On pages 135-136 a study shows a group of volunteers went through a job interview. â€Å"Some of the volunteers were told that their interview would be seen by a judge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (135) â€Å"Other volunteers were told that their interview would be seen by a jury†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (315) the volunteers not knowing that everyone would be rejected the job. The Pre Rejection Prediction shows that the volunteers wouldn’t have really cared if they were rejected by the solo judge or the jury group, but what the results showed is that the group of volunteers that were rejected by the jury was much more upset than the ones rejected by the solo judge. I mean I’d be upset if 12 people told me I wasn’t capable to do a job, you automatically think that something is wrong with you. But with the judge your mind just makes up excuses to make you feel better, examples being he doesn’t know the real me or I don’t really need that job anyway. The mind is very deceiving, but it is sometimes for the best. When you need protection from yourself or whether it’s to give you a boost. We just need to be able to tell when and when not our mind is doing these things. References: * Gilbert, Daniel. â€Å"Immune to Reality. † The New Humanities Reader. By Richard E. Miller and Kurt Spellmeyer. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, n. d. 133-50. Print.

The Hunchback in the Park

The Hunchback in the Park My life makes me want to run away. I’ve got no place to go. No family, no house, no anything. All wiped out by a fire in 2001. I did not get any money paid out by the insurance company because they said the fire was an â€Å"act of God† caused by a lightning strike, which my insurance did not cover. Since then, I’ve been walking this park, alone and joked about by everyone who walks past me. Now I guess you’re wondering, why don’t I get a job? Why does everyone joke about me? Why do I not ask my family for help?Well, I have been applying for jobs, it’s just that no-one accepts me. I studied hard at school and I got decent grades, but no jobs are available to me. The answer to the second question is something that I just have to live with. During the fire, My face was horribly burned. This, added to the fact that I am short and have a hunchback, makes people fear me and run away or just shout abuse at me. Finally, the answer to the third question is that I simply do not have any. My parents died when I was two years old. I have no aunties, no uncles, nobody.There is one person in my life though. If there is anyone who could be â€Å"that special someone†, it’s her. She’s beautiful. Despite never talking to her, our eyes have met many times and it’s love at first sight. I just wish I could gather up the courage to finally talk to her. It has been a while since I’ve approached a woman without being slapped or ran away from. In fact, it has been a while since I have approached anyone. Any social interaction with the world feels awkward and scary because it has been so long.The only interaction I have with the outside world is through the local children who torment me each day. Each day, I sit on this bench starving. The only meals I eat are leftovers I manage to find in the bin. It is a miracle how I survive. How I have not died from dehydration, starvation or hyp othermia is a miracle. I have not had a shower in months. I just wish someone would take me home. Look – there's the woman! The woman which takes my breath away every time I see her. Maybe she could be the one to take me off the streets.Only if I could gather up the courage to approach her my life would not be as much of a mess and I could get my life moving in the right direction. OK, I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to talk to her! As I get off the bench, I spot the local children! Quick, hide! Those pesky local children are coming. Look at them, with their hoods up; with their phones playing out their angry music; with their hands in the shape of a gun. They make my life hell – even though I don’t provoke them.I can't run very fast due to my disability (which is my hunchback) so when the children chase me I can not get away. They circle me and torment me. One day, they pushed me over. It hurt and many people seen this, but no-one came to help me. I was shocked that no-one asked me if I was OK, this is one of the reasons I give up on the world. People are selfish and do not care about anyone else. Eventually, the children grew tiresome of mocking me and left – either that or they left because it was getting dark. So, here I am once again.Another lonely night, propped up against a tree, with no-one to hold. No family to wish goodnight. Oh, what I would give to feel loved again. Each day is a recurring nightmare, except I can't wake up. I'm going to make a promise to myself now, and it is that tomorrow I'm going to try turn my life around. I'm going to apply for a job and I'm going to ask the girl of my dreams to dinner. Oh, how wonderful life could become with those two simple things. â€Å"You! †, the park keeper says, as he pokes me with his pointed stick used for picking up leaves, â€Å"Time to move along. †.So my day begins, and I'm feeling slightly optimistic for once – knowing that today I will be once again attempting to sort out my life. You may be thinking, â€Å"Why do you think this attempt will be any different to your others? †, well I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that today I'm going to come across as a confident individual. I think this is what I have been lacking, but it is hard for me to be confident when I have the likes of those pesky children always tormenting me, insulting me and abusing me. Anyway, the first step in getting back on my feet is to get a job. The Hunchback in the Park The Hunchback in the Park My life makes me want to run away. I’ve got no place to go. No family, no house, no anything. All wiped out by a fire in 2001. I did not get any money paid out by the insurance company because they said the fire was an â€Å"act of God† caused by a lightning strike, which my insurance did not cover. Since then, I’ve been walking this park, alone and joked about by everyone who walks past me. Now I guess you’re wondering, why don’t I get a job? Why does everyone joke about me? Why do I not ask my family for help?Well, I have been applying for jobs, it’s just that no-one accepts me. I studied hard at school and I got decent grades, but no jobs are available to me. The answer to the second question is something that I just have to live with. During the fire, My face was horribly burned. This, added to the fact that I am short and have a hunchback, makes people fear me and run away or just shout abuse at me. Finally, the answer to the third question is that I simply do not have any. My parents died when I was two years old. I have no aunties, no uncles, nobody.There is one person in my life though. If there is anyone who could be â€Å"that special someone†, it’s her. She’s beautiful. Despite never talking to her, our eyes have met many times and it’s love at first sight. I just wish I could gather up the courage to finally talk to her. It has been a while since I’ve approached a woman without being slapped or ran away from. In fact, it has been a while since I have approached anyone. Any social interaction with the world feels awkward and scary because it has been so long.The only interaction I have with the outside world is through the local children who torment me each day. Each day, I sit on this bench starving. The only meals I eat are leftovers I manage to find in the bin. It is a miracle how I survive. How I have not died from dehydration, starvation or hyp othermia is a miracle. I have not had a shower in months. I just wish someone would take me home. Look – there's the woman! The woman which takes my breath away every time I see her. Maybe she could be the one to take me off the streets.Only if I could gather up the courage to approach her my life would not be as much of a mess and I could get my life moving in the right direction. OK, I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to talk to her! As I get off the bench, I spot the local children! Quick, hide! Those pesky local children are coming. Look at them, with their hoods up; with their phones playing out their angry music; with their hands in the shape of a gun. They make my life hell – even though I don’t provoke them.I can't run very fast due to my disability (which is my hunchback) so when the children chase me I can not get away. They circle me and torment me. One day, they pushed me over. It hurt and many people seen this, but no-one came to help me. I was shocked that no-one asked me if I was OK, this is one of the reasons I give up on the world. People are selfish and do not care about anyone else. Eventually, the children grew tiresome of mocking me and left – either that or they left because it was getting dark. So, here I am once again.Another lonely night, propped up against a tree, with no-one to hold. No family to wish goodnight. Oh, what I would give to feel loved again. Each day is a recurring nightmare, except I can't wake up. I'm going to make a promise to myself now, and it is that tomorrow I'm going to try turn my life around. I'm going to apply for a job and I'm going to ask the girl of my dreams to dinner. Oh, how wonderful life could become with those two simple things. â€Å"You! †, the park keeper says, as he pokes me with his pointed stick used for picking up leaves, â€Å"Time to move along. †.So my day begins, and I'm feeling slightly optimistic for once – knowing that today I will be once again attempting to sort out my life. You may be thinking, â€Å"Why do you think this attempt will be any different to your others? †, well I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that today I'm going to come across as a confident individual. I think this is what I have been lacking, but it is hard for me to be confident when I have the likes of those pesky children always tormenting me, insulting me and abusing me. Anyway, the first step in getting back on my feet is to get a job.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Patience and Courage

At first glance, it might seem that patience and courage are dispositions that tend in different directions, reflecting different strengths. If we are asked to imagine exemplars of each of these virtues, we probably call two very different individuals to mind—the courageous person imposing, heroic, probably male, and the patient person quiet, reserved, quite likely female. (After all, Ancient Greek courage simply was the virtue of manliness (andreia), and the Victorians used to name their daughters Patience.)Some of our images of courage may even positively conflict with some of our images of patience, with the courageous person insisting upon action while the patient person implores him to wait. In his wonderful paper, â€Å"Patience and Courage† (Philosophy 68(266), 1993), Eamonn Callan begins with a sort of thought experiment intended to capture our intuitive–though he thinks mistaken–sense of the relative significance of patience and courage: Suppose y our friends had to ascribe a single vice to you in large measure, along with any virtues that could be coherently combined with that salient vice.Suppose further that the vice had to be either cowardice or impatience. Which would you choose? (p. 523) Callan suspects that â€Å"almost everyone would choose impatience without hesitation,† because a coward strikes us as an unreliable kind of person, and impatience itself might in some cases be a good thing, e. g. impatience with tyranny and injustice. Callan goes on to argue against this intuitive response, in that it underestimates the need for patience (an idea I have explored in previous posts), and also suggests that a more nuanced thinking about courage and patience shows that these virtues do not essentially conflict.This should not be so surprising if we think, as Aquinas does, of patience as a part of fortitude, and recognize fortitude itself as the core of courage (or, as synonymous with courage). Of course, when we spe ak of fortitude, we speak of endurance, and talk of courage (or bravery) may seem instead to call to mind the â€Å"courage of the charge. † But charging, as Tim O'Brien notes in his memoir on Vietnam, is only a tiny slice of bravery–once one has charged into danger, there is much to be endured. Or consider this perhaps surprising remark from Kierkegaard's Purity ofHeart: â€Å"Is patience not precisely that courage which voluntarily accepts unavoidable suffering? The unavoidable is just the thing which will shatter courage† (p. 173). Interestingly (as the translator notes), the Danish for patience taalmod contains the term for courage (mod). (Literally, taalmod is â€Å"enduring courage. â€Å") Kierkegaard connects patience to â€Å"unavoidable suffering† and thus implies that courage differs in that in courage we choose to put ourselves in the way of danger and adversity for a noble cause.And he discusses how it may seem then that there can be no vir tue in enduring adversity that is unavoidable and which, it seems, cannot be chosen. (If it's unavoidable, then there seems to be no real choice. ) Here, he imagines the mocking voice of someone who says that this â€Å"patience† is merely â€Å"making a virtue out of necessity,† and Kierkegaard replies, yes, that's exactly it! His point is that merely being saddled with unavoidable suffering or adversity does not imply that we will, as it were, shoulder that adversity in such a way that we remain committed to the Good.We may despair, or become bitter and resentful, angry at the world. Of course, it may be that since Kierkegaard is a theist, he can assume that there is some way in which any suffering thrown at us can possibly be endured well. Non-theists may not have grounds for the same hope. But let me put that, for now, to the side. (I hope to write a chapter about this issue in the future. ) Callan discusses a case that goes to Kierkegaard's point: a man loses his sight, and vacillates between despair and rage, who thinks that the possibility of a good life has vanished.It is not that he fails to learn how to get around in the world in spite of his blindness, but his life is devoid of all hope and joy because of the deep resentment he has about having become blind. He refuses to accept this unavoidable part of his life. Callan says, â€Å"The blind man in my story has no patience for the moral task his blindness has set him, and no amount of courage or fortitude can compensate for the absence of that virtue† (p. 526). Now here, there are interpretive difficulties, since I suggested above that we might see courage and patience as linked by fortitude. Here we might takeCallan to be treating fortitude as a kind of thickness of skin, the stoniness we might ascribe to the Stoic sage: he is in despair, but doesn't show it. I have argued in my essay â€Å"In Defense of Patience† (newly revised as of yesterday), that perhaps we should q uestion the idea that fortitude and patience can be pulled apart very far, that we should not reduce fortitude to the external appearance. (Otherwise, we can't distinguish genuine fortitude and endurance from mere psychic deadness. ) Callan's point–at any rate–is that the possibility of this man's seeing and seeking Good in his life depends upon his coming to accept his blindness.Why call that patience? Perhaps what I said about love and patience in a previous post provides part of an answer, especially if we can translate some of what I said about learning to love another person into talk of learning to love one's situation. (This is what Chris Cowley's â€Å"Learning to Love† is all about, in Philosophical Topics 38(1), 2010. ) Here, we come to accept the distance between our new condition and our previous one, and re-commit to living well (and not merely, as Cowley discusses, â€Å"making the best of it†).We can call this patience, but at the same time , I think we can see, pace Callan to some extent, that such a process may in any number of cases also involve the kind of strength we describe as courage. People who are seriously injured and require extensive physical rehabilitation are sometimes praised for their courage in their efforts to endure the problems caused by their injuries, and to re-learn what they can, and to learn how to compensate for the abilities they have lost. Why call this courageous? First, there is the great endurance involved.Second, in such circumstances, we may be tempted to despair, to feel sorry for ourselves, and even be afraid to face our condition, afraid of failing, afraid to learn what our new physical limitations are, and afraid to think about living our lives, or returning to our everyday lives, beset with the problems incurred through our injuries. If we think of courage primarily as the (voluntary) facing of fears and dangers, then courage is involved in facing the fears above, but the need for patience is not very far behind. This isn't peculiar to this example, since many courageous acts are extended in time.Indeed, focusing on courageous acts that happen in an instant may obscure that many of our actions are in fact chains of action, stretches of activity, oriented toward some goal. Within such a stretch of time, the difference between a courageous and a rash action may come down to one's ability to wait and endure the anticipation of setting out into â€Å"positive† action. (And so, in many sports, great athletes are praised for their ability to â€Å"wait for the game to come to them†Ã¢â‚¬â€œnot to take bad swings or shots or to throw bad punches.Consider how Kobe Bryant will sometimes bide his time for three quarters only to dominate the final twelve minutes, or Ali's notorious â€Å"rope-a-dope† strategy for fatiguing his opponents. [Not that we should exactly recommend Ali's strategy to young boxers, for unfortunately obvious reasons of long-t erm health. ]) So, courage and patience turn out not to be foes, or to show that there is disharmony amongst the virtues. And again, we see how in its quiet, unassuming way, patience reveals itself to be something of a â€Å"silent partner† as we seek to develop other virtues and strengths.Courage Every human being on this planet is given the gift of courage. However, there are very few that ever take advantage of this gift, and actually put it to good use. Courage is the ability to work one’s way through a tough situation. Be it mental, or physical. We have all faced tough challenges before. The difference, however, is that some people tend to give up when the going gets rough, while others keep on. Courage is a necessity to the evolution of our people. Without courage, African-Americans would still be stuck in slavery.There would have been no one there to fight for the rights of the people we now consider our equals. Courage can be found in various forms. An amazing example of courage can be found in a soldier. They risk their lives every day simply to protect ours. We can even see courage in a fellow classmate; one who is coping with the loss of a parent, fighting depression or even dealing with an eating disorder. As said earlier, it can be mental or physical. Courage is the only thing that gets us through the hard times, and the tempting opportunities.Without it, every one of us may have given into that cigarette in the 6th grade. Courage is vital to the evolution of the human population. It is also an essential quality to becoming a successful person. Courage is of two kinds: physical and moral. The farmer is common to both man and beast; but the latter belongs to man alone. Courage comes from the strength of mind or will. Physical courage depends on one's physical strength. A weak; and sickly person is hardly seen to be physically courageous. Because his ill health does not permit him to take an aggressive view in life, although he may be mentally bold.But a person, who is bold and strong, both in body and mind, is normally found to be courageous. The question of physical courage arises in the event of any danger or difficulty that suddenly appears, when immediate protection or security from that fear of massacre or destruction demands physical courage. If a sudden fire breaks out in a house, or a dacoit is going to take place, physical courage becomes absolutely necessary in such critical moments. Without physical resistance with indomitable courage, it becomes impossible to save the situation.But moral courage is in no way inferior to the physical courage. It is, on the contrary, more important and glorious to possess moral courage. Moral courage is very rare. It is f0undl in one in a million. There are numerous instances where people have bravely used their physical courage and saved the life of a drowning man, or a house from burning in fire, by jumping courageously into the scene of danger. But there are few cas es, where the common people are found to open their mouth against an unfair or unjust deed that they witness, because they lack moral courage. They are cowards without a backbone.Noble may be the cause in which physical courage is shown; but nobler is the cause in which moral courage is displayed. Moral courage comes from a firm conviction that the possessor has in him. Let us take the case of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who is known for his noble character and moral courage. The man was highly educated, but hardly with any extraordinary physical strength; yet he was endowed with tremendous moral courage. He did not hesitate to raise his voice of protest or even insult the wicked Europeans who used to rule the country then with enormous  power.He had also ignored all sorts of humiliation in the hands of his own countrymen, when he was determined to get the Bill for ‘Hindu Widow Re-marriage' passed by the Government. That goes to show his wonderful determination, moral c ourage and noble character. Galileo, the great scientist, had also to suffer imprisonment in his old age for the sake of his conviction. Men of moral courage never barter away their conscience, but put it before liberty, before reputation, even before life. They think of no danger, nor of death, when the alternative is a disgrace.They hate more to live as cowards than to face prosecution, imprisonment or death. It is these men who are the true makers of history. It is they who live in honour, die in glory, and have the privileges of being adored by all Courage is summoning strength in the face of life's difficulties or, sometimes, life's horrors. It means proceeding in spite of pain, cost, or risk. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the deliberate decision that action is necessary regardless. Courage acknowledges uncertainty, but perseveres because of conviction and resolve.It offers us focus and self-possession so we can call up our competencies to meet our challenges. Courage is not necessarily an outward act of heroism; it can be purely internal, such as making the decision to be cheerful in grief, to adhere to values different from those around us, or to give something another try. hrough my own experiences in life I have been able to define the true meaning of courage. Courage is to have the ability to know wright from wrong and stand up for what you believe in even in the face of great adversity.In my lifetime I have rarely been called upon to display courage, but I clearly remember one specific situation. I was fourteen years old and at one of my friends birthday parties. There were around seventy-five teenagers at the party, along with loud music and dancing. What I thought was going to be a great night, turned out to be the night my courage would be tested. As I was talking to some of my friends I noticed something was wrong with them. Shortly after, I noticed that their behavior was different, I realized that I was smelling the scent of marijuan a.Before I knew it I was being offered some of their drugs. I thought about the consequences that were to come if I had said yes to their offer. I felt that if I had said yes, I would have let down so many people, but most importantly myself. Having courage gave me the will to say no to the drugs and walk away from the peer pressure. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, both Atticus Finch and Mrs. Dubose exemplify moral courage. Throughout the novel Atticus was portrayed as a man of great courage and integrity. Atticus had to discuss concepts with his daughter Scout when they were at Finch Landing.Scout wanted to know why Atticus was going to defend Tom Robinson if he already knew he was going to be defeated. Atticus then explained to Scout that, † simply because [Atticus and Scout] were licked a hundred years before [Atticus and Scout] started is no reason for [Atticus and Scout] not to try to win† (76). Atticus was demonstrating his courage by proving that no matter how hard things get, you should never give up, and that you should always fight for what you believe in. Atticus is shown as being courageous by demonstrating perseverance and standing up for what is right.Another example of how Atticus is courageous is when at Finch Landing, he explains to Scout that this time he knew that he was † Fighting [his] friends, and no matter how bitter things get, they are still [his] friends and this is still [his] home†(76). Atticus' explanation to Scout was important because he had to reassure her that no matter the outcome of the trial they would still have their friends and there home. Even with all the pressure to quit the case, Atticus was determined to go up against all odds to ensure that justice would prevail. Atticus was a courageous, determined, and compassionate man.Along with Atticus, Mrs. Dubose is another prime example of a courageous person. Mrs. Dubose demonstrated courage when she decided to give up her morphine addiction. Mrs. Dubose died a slow painful death and when she was on her death bed, Mrs. Dubose reminded Atticus carefully, † [Mrs. Dubose] was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody† (111). In this situation most people would not have been able to tolerate the pain and would have given in to the morphine. Mrs. Dubose could have easily chosen to take the morphine and die with out so much agonizing pain, but she was too contrary.Her moral courage helped her to overcome her addiction. Mrs. Dubose was not only a courageous but also a selfless person. Jem had to learn this about her the hard way. Atticus questioned Jem, â€Å"Son didn't you know what her fits were†(111)? Mrs. Dubose chose not to tell anyone that she had been trying to give up the morphine. The withdraw made her have anger fits. She did not want to burden anyone with her problems. Mrs. Dubose let everyone believe that she was an angry, old, mean, terrible person. Still need to finish conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. patienceHave you ever wondered why certain people succeed and do well in certain situations while others don’t? The reason is that those successful people have and have always had a certain characteristics that help them to do so. These characteristics are called virtues. A virtue is a characteristic of a person which supports individual moral excellence and collective well being. One of the most important virtues that helps individuals progress and succeed is patience. This is because patience helps one make good decisions, prevents one from giving up, and helps develop empathy and compassion.First and foremost patience helps us make good decisions. The reason for this is by being patient you have a clear mind to think through the possible results of your actions. Everyone has stress and has been in stressful situations but the way we respond to the stress is what defines our future success. In order to become successful people have had to ma ke tough decisions regarding their futures and without patience they would not have been able to do so. For example Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, made the decision to drop out of college in order to pursue his dreams of creating a software company.In its early stages he faced much adversity for his decision but he stuck with it and his patience helped him to become one of the wealthiest and most successful people ever. Along with decision making patience also prevents one from giving up. This is as a result of keeping your goals consistent regardless of how difficult or the time it takes to reach them. One of the greatest examples of success through patience Is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is one of the most influential people that have ever lived. Dr. King’s goal which was simple but seemed impossible at the time was to end discrimination and unify our nation ï » ¿Patience and Courage At first glance, it might seem that patience and courage are dispositions that tend in different directions, reflecting different strengths. If we are asked to imagine exemplars of each of these virtues, we probably call two very different individuals to mind—the courageous person imposing, heroic, probably male, and the patient person quiet, reserved, quite likely female. (After all, Ancient Greek courage simply was the virtue of manliness (andreia), and the Victorians used to name their daughters Patience.)Some of our images of courage may even positively conflict with some of our images of patience, with the courageous person insisting upon action while the patient person implores him to wait. In his wonderful paper, â€Å"Patience and Courage† (Philosophy 68(266), 1993), Eamonn Callan begins with a sort of thought experiment intended to capture our intuitive–though he thinks mistaken–sense of the relative significance of patience and courage: Suppose y our friends had to ascribe a single vice to you in large measure, along with any virtues that could be coherently combined with that salient vice.Suppose further that the vice had to be either cowardice or impatience. Which would you choose? (p. 523) Callan suspects that â€Å"almost everyone would choose impatience without hesitation,† because a coward strikes us as an unreliable kind of person, and impatience itself might in some cases be a good thing, e. g. impatience with tyranny and injustice. Callan goes on to argue against this intuitive response, in that it underestimates the need for patience (an idea I have explored in previous posts), and also suggests that a more nuanced thinking about courage and patience shows that these virtues do not essentially conflict.This should not be so surprising if we think, as Aquinas does, of patience as a part of fortitude, and recognize fortitude itself as the core of courage (or, as synonymous with courage). Of course, when we spe ak of fortitude, we speak of endurance, and talk of courage (or bravery) may seem instead to call to mind the â€Å"courage of the charge. † But charging, as Tim O'Brien notes in his memoir on Vietnam, is only a tiny slice of bravery–once one has charged into danger, there is much to be endured. Or consider this perhaps surprising remark from Kierkegaard's Purity ofHeart: â€Å"Is patience not precisely that courage which voluntarily accepts unavoidable suffering? The unavoidable is just the thing which will shatter courage† (p. 173). Interestingly (as the translator notes), the Danish for patience taalmod contains the term for courage (mod). (Literally, taalmod is â€Å"enduring courage. â€Å") Kierkegaard connects patience to â€Å"unavoidable suffering† and thus implies that courage differs in that in courage we choose to put ourselves in the way of danger and adversity for a noble cause.And he discusses how it may seem then that there can be no vir tue in enduring adversity that is unavoidable and which, it seems, cannot be chosen. (If it's unavoidable, then there seems to be no real choice. ) Here, he imagines the mocking voice of someone who says that this â€Å"patience† is merely â€Å"making a virtue out of necessity,† and Kierkegaard replies, yes, that's exactly it! His point is that merely being saddled with unavoidable suffering or adversity does not imply that we will, as it were, shoulder that adversity in such a way that we remain committed to the Good.We may despair, or become bitter and resentful, angry at the world. Of course, it may be that since Kierkegaard is a theist, he can assume that there is some way in which any suffering thrown at us can possibly be endured well. Non-theists may not have grounds for the same hope. But let me put that, for now, to the side. (I hope to write a chapter about this issue in the future. ) Callan discusses a case that goes to Kierkegaard's point: a man loses his sight, and vacillates between despair and rage, who thinks that the possibility of a good life has vanished.It is not that he fails to learn how to get around in the world in spite of his blindness, but his life is devoid of all hope and joy because of the deep resentment he has about having become blind. He refuses to accept this unavoidable part of his life. Callan says, â€Å"The blind man in my story has no patience for the moral task his blindness has set him, and no amount of courage or fortitude can compensate for the absence of that virtue† (p. 526). Now here, there are interpretive difficulties, since I suggested above that we might see courage and patience as linked by fortitude. Here we might takeCallan to be treating fortitude as a kind of thickness of skin, the stoniness we might ascribe to the Stoic sage: he is in despair, but doesn't show it. I have argued in my essay â€Å"In Defense of Patience† (newly revised as of yesterday), that perhaps we should q uestion the idea that fortitude and patience can be pulled apart very far, that we should not reduce fortitude to the external appearance. (Otherwise, we can't distinguish genuine fortitude and endurance from mere psychic deadness. ) Callan's point–at any rate–is that the possibility of this man's seeing and seeking Good in his life depends upon his coming to accept his blindness.Why call that patience? Perhaps what I said about love and patience in a previous post provides part of an answer, especially if we can translate some of what I said about learning to love another person into talk of learning to love one's situation. (This is what Chris Cowley's â€Å"Learning to Love† is all about, in Philosophical Topics 38(1), 2010. ) Here, we come to accept the distance between our new condition and our previous one, and re-commit to living well (and not merely, as Cowley discusses, â€Å"making the best of it†).We can call this patience, but at the same time , I think we can see, pace Callan to some extent, that such a process may in any number of cases also involve the kind of strength we describe as courage. People who are seriously injured and require extensive physical rehabilitation are sometimes praised for their courage in their efforts to endure the problems caused by their injuries, and to re-learn what they can, and to learn how to compensate for the abilities they have lost. Why call this courageous? First, there is the great endurance involved.Second, in such circumstances, we may be tempted to despair, to feel sorry for ourselves, and even be afraid to face our condition, afraid of failing, afraid to learn what our new physical limitations are, and afraid to think about living our lives, or returning to our everyday lives, beset with the problems incurred through our injuries. If we think of courage primarily as the (voluntary) facing of fears and dangers, then courage is involved in facing the fears above, but the need for patience is not very far behind. This isn't peculiar to this example, since many courageous acts are extended in time.Indeed, focusing on courageous acts that happen in an instant may obscure that many of our actions are in fact chains of action, stretches of activity, oriented toward some goal. Within such a stretch of time, the difference between a courageous and a rash action may come down to one's ability to wait and endure the anticipation of setting out into â€Å"positive† action. (And so, in many sports, great athletes are praised for their ability to â€Å"wait for the game to come to them†Ã¢â‚¬â€œnot to take bad swings or shots or to throw bad punches.Consider how Kobe Bryant will sometimes bide his time for three quarters only to dominate the final twelve minutes, or Ali's notorious â€Å"rope-a-dope† strategy for fatiguing his opponents. [Not that we should exactly recommend Ali's strategy to young boxers, for unfortunately obvious reasons of long-t erm health. ]) So, courage and patience turn out not to be foes, or to show that there is disharmony amongst the virtues. And again, we see how in its quiet, unassuming way, patience reveals itself to be something of a â€Å"silent partner† as we seek to develop other virtues and strengths.Courage Every human being on this planet is given the gift of courage. However, there are very few that ever take advantage of this gift, and actually put it to good use. Courage is the ability to work one’s way through a tough situation. Be it mental, or physical. We have all faced tough challenges before. The difference, however, is that some people tend to give up when the going gets rough, while others keep on. Courage is a necessity to the evolution of our people. Without courage, African-Americans would still be stuck in slavery.There would have been no one there to fight for the rights of the people we now consider our equals. Courage can be found in various forms. An amazing example of courage can be found in a soldier. They risk their lives every day simply to protect ours. We can even see courage in a fellow classmate; one who is coping with the loss of a parent, fighting depression or even dealing with an eating disorder. As said earlier, it can be mental or physical. Courage is the only thing that gets us through the hard times, and the tempting opportunities.Without it, every one of us may have given into that cigarette in the 6th grade. Courage is vital to the evolution of the human population. It is also an essential quality to becoming a successful person. Courage is of two kinds: physical and moral. The farmer is common to both man and beast; but the latter belongs to man alone. Courage comes from the strength of mind or will. Physical courage depends on one's physical strength. A weak; and sickly person is hardly seen to be physically courageous. Because his ill health does not permit him to take an aggressive view in life, although he may be mentally bold.But a person, who is bold and strong, both in body and mind, is normally found to be courageous. The question of physical courage arises in the event of any danger or difficulty that suddenly appears, when immediate protection or security from that fear of massacre or destruction demands physical courage. If a sudden fire breaks out in a house, or a dacoit is going to take place, physical courage becomes absolutely necessary in such critical moments. Without physical resistance with indomitable courage, it becomes impossible to save the situation.But moral courage is in no way inferior to the physical courage. It is, on the contrary, more important and glorious to possess moral courage. Moral courage is very rare. It is f0undl in one in a million. There are numerous instances where people have bravely used their physical courage and saved the life of a drowning man, or a house from burning in fire, by jumping courageously into the scene of danger. But there are few cas es, where the common people are found to open their mouth against an unfair or unjust deed that they witness, because they lack moral courage. They are cowards without a backbone.Noble may be the cause in which physical courage is shown; but nobler is the cause in which moral courage is displayed. Moral courage comes from a firm conviction that the possessor has in him. Let us take the case of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who is known for his noble character and moral courage. The man was highly educated, but hardly with any extraordinary physical strength; yet he was endowed with tremendous moral courage. He did not hesitate to raise his voice of protest or even insult the wicked Europeans who used to rule the country then with enormous  power.He had also ignored all sorts of humiliation in the hands of his own countrymen, when he was determined to get the Bill for ‘Hindu Widow Re-marriage' passed by the Government. That goes to show his wonderful determination, moral c ourage and noble character. Galileo, the great scientist, had also to suffer imprisonment in his old age for the sake of his conviction. Men of moral courage never barter away their conscience, but put it before liberty, before reputation, even before life. They think of no danger, nor of death, when the alternative is a disgrace.They hate more to live as cowards than to face prosecution, imprisonment or death. It is these men who are the true makers of history. It is they who live in honour, die in glory, and have the privileges of being adored by all Courage is summoning strength in the face of life's difficulties or, sometimes, life's horrors. It means proceeding in spite of pain, cost, or risk. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the deliberate decision that action is necessary regardless. Courage acknowledges uncertainty, but perseveres because of conviction and resolve.It offers us focus and self-possession so we can call up our competencies to meet our challenges. Courage is not necessarily an outward act of heroism; it can be purely internal, such as making the decision to be cheerful in grief, to adhere to values different from those around us, or to give something another try. hrough my own experiences in life I have been able to define the true meaning of courage. Courage is to have the ability to know wright from wrong and stand up for what you believe in even in the face of great adversity.In my lifetime I have rarely been called upon to display courage, but I clearly remember one specific situation. I was fourteen years old and at one of my friends birthday parties. There were around seventy-five teenagers at the party, along with loud music and dancing. What I thought was going to be a great night, turned out to be the night my courage would be tested. As I was talking to some of my friends I noticed something was wrong with them. Shortly after, I noticed that their behavior was different, I realized that I was smelling the scent of marijuan a.Before I knew it I was being offered some of their drugs. I thought about the consequences that were to come if I had said yes to their offer. I felt that if I had said yes, I would have let down so many people, but most importantly myself. Having courage gave me the will to say no to the drugs and walk away from the peer pressure. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, both Atticus Finch and Mrs. Dubose exemplify moral courage. Throughout the novel Atticus was portrayed as a man of great courage and integrity. Atticus had to discuss concepts with his daughter Scout when they were at Finch Landing.Scout wanted to know why Atticus was going to defend Tom Robinson if he already knew he was going to be defeated. Atticus then explained to Scout that, † simply because [Atticus and Scout] were licked a hundred years before [Atticus and Scout] started is no reason for [Atticus and Scout] not to try to win† (76). Atticus was demonstrating his courage by proving that no matter how hard things get, you should never give up, and that you should always fight for what you believe in. Atticus is shown as being courageous by demonstrating perseverance and standing up for what is right.Another example of how Atticus is courageous is when at Finch Landing, he explains to Scout that this time he knew that he was † Fighting [his] friends, and no matter how bitter things get, they are still [his] friends and this is still [his] home†(76). Atticus' explanation to Scout was important because he had to reassure her that no matter the outcome of the trial they would still have their friends and there home. Even with all the pressure to quit the case, Atticus was determined to go up against all odds to ensure that justice would prevail. Atticus was a courageous, determined, and compassionate man.Along with Atticus, Mrs. Dubose is another prime example of a courageous person. Mrs. Dubose demonstrated courage when she decided to give up her morphine addiction. Mrs. Dubose died a slow painful death and when she was on her death bed, Mrs. Dubose reminded Atticus carefully, † [Mrs. Dubose] was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody† (111). In this situation most people would not have been able to tolerate the pain and would have given in to the morphine. Mrs. Dubose could have easily chosen to take the morphine and die with out so much agonizing pain, but she was too contrary.Her moral courage helped her to overcome her addiction. Mrs. Dubose was not only a courageous but also a selfless person. Jem had to learn this about her the hard way. Atticus questioned Jem, â€Å"Son didn't you know what her fits were†(111)? Mrs. Dubose chose not to tell anyone that she had been trying to give up the morphine. The withdraw made her have anger fits. She did not want to burden anyone with her problems. Mrs. Dubose let everyone believe that she was an angry, old, mean, terrible person. Still need to finish conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. patienceHave you ever wondered why certain people succeed and do well in certain situations while others don’t? The reason is that those successful people have and have always had a certain characteristics that help them to do so. These characteristics are called virtues. A virtue is a characteristic of a person which supports individual moral excellence and collective well being. One of the most important virtues that helps individuals progress and succeed is patience. This is because patience helps one make good decisions, prevents one from giving up, and helps develop empathy and compassion.First and foremost patience helps us make good decisions. The reason for this is by being patient you have a clear mind to think through the possible results of your actions. Everyone has stress and has been in stressful situations but the way we respond to the stress is what defines our future success. In order to become successful people have had to ma ke tough decisions regarding their futures and without patience they would not have been able to do so. For example Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, made the decision to drop out of college in order to pursue his dreams of creating a software company.In its early stages he faced much adversity for his decision but he stuck with it and his patience helped him to become one of the wealthiest and most successful people ever. Along with decision making patience also prevents one from giving up. This is as a result of keeping your goals consistent regardless of how difficult or the time it takes to reach them. One of the greatest examples of success through patience Is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is one of the most influential people that have ever lived. Dr. King’s goal which was simple but seemed impossible at the time was to end discrimination and unify our nation