Self-Awareness Understanding Essay Example for Free

Self-Awareness Understanding Essay The short story Jonathan Livingston Seagull says a lot about self-awareness. At the beginning of the short story in part one the seagull Jonathan Livingston Seagull is beginning to become self-aware by focusing on trying to become the perfect seagull. In his progression to be more than the average seagull, by learning to fly he is learning about self-awareness. During his practices he begins to see what he truly can do and what the Flock is missing out on. This short story tells me that going along with everyone else and not thinking for myself or about my own actions inhibits my learning to become independent and fully realize the self. By doing what he wanted to do, Jonathan found out what the Flock was missing out on. When he tried to explain the dilemma the Flock was in they ignored it and threw out this attempt at change. It was a terrible loss for the Flock, but tremendous gain for Jonathan. Being outcast from the Flock allowed him to further excel in his self-awareness capabilities. He had a clear perception of what he was. The two seagulls who lead Jonathan to a â€Å"higher place†, which had been exposed to this way of thinking, helped Jonathan on his path. This may say that in order to be fully self-aware one must accept others with that similar way of thinking. In doing so one can spread the knowledge to others who are less self-aware or not self-aware at all, like to individuals who are hindered by their chains of routine and their disability to think for themselves. This story promotes self-awareness by making the main character venture off on his escapade that is viewed as negative by the Elders. They see his methods as wrong and â€Å"un-seagull like†, whereas Jonathan sees it as how seagulls should be. The Elders’ minds are clouded and they, along with everyone else in the Flock who adheres to the Elders’ words are not self-aware. By going on this unconventional adventure to better himself, the story speaks to me that I shoul d also become more self-aware or master the ability. To me it seems as if the Jonathan could be me and the Flock is supposed to be the rest of the world, and in taking this class I am going on his journey to another world with a few select others who are on the same path (the other students in this class). I feel as if the author wants the reader to develop his or her own self-awareness by focusing on his or her own personality and behavior. Only by learning about myself and reviewing what I do can I fully develop my self-awareness. Others cannot teach it to me. They can only teach me to teach myself. I cannot simply read about being self-aware to master it. I must place myself in worldly situations and learn from each and every experience. I am separate from the environment and other individuals. When I want good, solid information, I turn to the experts. So, who am I going to turn to for information about myself? Who is the expert? I am. Does a friend, a therapist, a minister, my hero, my parents know more about me than I do? They cant. I live in my skin and mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, day in and day out. No one is closer to me than me! The answers are in there, perhaps all I need to solve these riddles is a useful question. In truth, I do not remember if I practice self-awareness regularly. My memory isn’t too good, so remembering this does not always go as smooth as I would think. I am however very self-aware, so I must have done it right over the past years. Thinking back on times I do remember, I can examine those experiences in which I felt certain ways and why. That train of thought can help in teaching me about me. A personal example is the time I gave a speech in Public Speaking and recorded myself talking. This was an excellent way to get to that part of me. By going back and watching that video I learned a great many things about myself that I previously had not. If we had recordings of our daily lives I think it would be easier for people to be self-aware because most of the time people do without thinking. If I had that back up it would greatly increase learning about my own self. Also, living in a country in which I was not born is a great help in understanding my individuality. It helps because I do not just flock to join crowds because I know what I am not. I think it would be a great help to go to another place and experience a different culture especially if it is far different than the original. It can quickly show how much of an individual a person is. I think that is how Jonathan Livingston Seagull developed his self-awareness so quickly. He did not fit in with the rest of his Flock even when he tried to be like them. He promised he would not go back to his previous ways of individualism, but he could not keep his promise because it was not who he was. It’s funny how people say, â€Å"How can I be someone besides myself?† Until one looks in a mirror and says, â€Å"Wait, that’s not me, is it?† To choose to be myself I have to be what I want, do what I want, and feel what I want. Following others’ ways of living causes them to become just like the person they are following. To be myself I have to make my own path and separate myself from everyone else. I must watch myself and get to know myself by observing my actions because I have not a clone to inquire about. It would be much easier, but sadly we have only ourselves to rely on in the situation that is self-awareness. Until people learn this, they are flawed and not truly who they claim to be.

African American Social Standings Essay -- Slavery Afircan Americans E

This research paper will discuss the African American social standing in America throughout history. It will discuss the highs and lows and the pros and cons of the progression and also the different periods that African Americans lived through since they were brought to America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The progression of African Americans in America began with a practice called slavery. Slavery is the state of a person who is the chattel of another. It began in 1441 when Portuguese men kidnapped 12 black Africans from Cabo Blanco and moved them to Portugal. This opened the door to slavery in the Americas. A British statesman stated that 'Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil.' The first African Americans slaves in America were brought to Jamestown, Virginia as servants and or slaves in August 1619. In order for slavery to work Africans had to made to seem inferior, one of the main an most common ways to show this was through religious racism ( Aretha, David pg. 21 ) The practice of slavery was then sent to the south were they were put on plantations. Plantations consisted of a large mansion like home surrounded by a large farm where slaves planted and harvested crops and performed other jobs which they weren?t paid for. While on the plantation the slaves ca lled the owner Master or Mistress, they provided the slaves with food housing and clothing.( David Brion Davis, World Book online... Slavery) While on these plantations many of the slaves faced severe consequence for disobedience. They received consequences for not working hard or fast enough, they would also be used as an example in order to control the others. Their harsh punishment would include branding, whipping, mutilation, chaining and sometimes the harshest punishment of all cold blooded murder. Slavery was one of the worst periods in American history. During this period of slavery there were few revolts but many runaways. While slavery continued to spread and get more brutal in the South, the North disagreed with the idea of free labor. Their difference fueled the abolitionist movement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Abolitionist Movement was the first movement that lead to the African Americans? political and physical freedoms from slavery. ?Antislavery activity began in colonial days. During the 1680's, Quakers in Pennsylvania condemned slavery on moral grounds. In the late 1700's, several leaders of the American revolut... ...han the Non Violent Movement. Front runners like Malcolm X and other influential faces such as Huey P. Newton and Bud Siegel who together formed the Black Panthers all believed that the white man was the problem and that in order to win equal rights that African Americans needed to start fighting fire with fire and bullets with bullets instead of the more passive ways of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. ( Aretha, Chronicles pr. 261-300)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I believe that the law has provided African Americans with equal rights as whites but I believe that they may still appear not to be equal. In the 21st century I belive and know that there are many laws that seem to make African Americans and white equals but there is still much discrimination in the world. I also believe that the racism is not as bad but still exist, it just isn?t as blatant and in your face as it was in the past. African Americans still have trouble getting jobs, being accepted into organizations and colleges or university, But I do believe that we have made a 900 degree turn from the time where ?Colored? and ?White? signs decorated the front of every doorway, restroom and waterfountian in the southern U.S

On Henrik Ibsen’s Nora in a “Doll’s House” Essay

Henrik Ibsen displays the effect of society’s standard on an ideal family through the interesting characters in his play. Its story lingers on the loveless marriage of Nora and Torvald, and the lives of the supporting characters of the play as they portray society’s take on sexual prejudice and the role it plays on the family unit. Moreover, the story brings out a message that people are not always what they seem on the outside and on first encounters. In the Laws of Morality as presented by Ibsen, individuals had different dilemmas such that a character was developed and recognized in accordance to how he/she deals with it. An individual’s character is not inherited and thus, developed by personal endeavors or one’s own exertion. In today’s community, morality is typically focused on institutions rather than individuals; however the two are inextricably linked. Respect for an individual’s freedom and identity is necessary to sustain mental saneness which is more likely to protect individual freedoms. One such significant character in the play is the protagonist, Nora. Initially, she is introduced in the play as a somewhat childish and submissive wife of the Helmer household. Nora’s husband who constantly refers to her as his â€Å"little squirrel† (Ibsen) or â€Å"skylark† (Ibsen) is constantly implying and enforcing his views of a proper wife on her. This in turn makes the audience think that Nora is a highly dependent wife who relies on her husband’s approval. As the play progresses, Nora displays a rather courageous feat that she has hidden from her family. She had in the past associated with Krogstad on committing fraud to find finances needed in the rehabilitation of her husband’s poor health. To pay for the debts, she works secretly to ensure this. Nora is thrown into a traumatic chaos when Krogstad threatens to reveal their crime in exchange for a favor. She is further set off balance when her husband’s reaction turns out to be the complete opposite of what she hoped for. This circumstance makes her realize the disillusions she had of her marriage and that she has yet to find her true self as an independent being. Having lived an overly protected life under the care of her father and then her husband, she comes to understand that she is living not the life that she wants but of what they have imposed on her. The play ends with Nora leaving her family to embark on a mission to rediscover what she has truly wanted for herself all along. Psychological Effect Due to Unacceptance Nora is first seen as a person who is happy and contented to be the loyal wife and doting mother. While trying to meet the demands of what the society and her husband refers to a proper wife, she deliberately tries to rebel in small ways by lying to her husband about small matters such as eating sweets. Lying on such small things is seen to be psychologically disturbing for Nora, since all things she does seemed to be disapproved by her husband. She later realizes that she was never fully happy and contented living the life that others have arranged for her. Her personal foundation is being individually attached to the community having different cultures, beliefs and fashion preferences compared to hers such that, most of her decisions, likes and dislikes were greatly affected and influenced by the opinions and preferences of the community evolving around her. During the span of her marriage life, she wasn’t allowed and therefore feared to practice her true individual character. Though freedom is something an individual enjoys and is the absence of oppression, it should be practiced that where there is freedom, there is responsibility. This put her in a state of initially accepting her state of living, thus, accomplishing what the community around her believes as a rightful wife to Torvald. However, she discovers that she has been living a lie, hiding the other side of her true personality to the people who were supposed to be her family. Her husband, who she trusted to respond in her honor broke her trust and was more worried on how other people would see the family if they were to know of the crime that she has committed. Freedom is described as rights to personal security, personal expression, and political participation and it is in this respect, that Nora’s freedom of expression of was limited. The Doll in Distress Finding out that she has lost an important part of herself in an empty marriage is a distressing trauma that a lot of people like her deal with. She feels like she has lived an almost empty life as Torvald’s doll and that all her efforts for her husband to appreciate and understand her have proved to be useless. She had lived a life of a doll, where she does what she was told inside the doll house. The shelter that she once considered her home is such a doll house where there are to emotions living and even lingering inside her doll family. Given the traumatic experiences that she has experienced, there is a possibility that she will encounter depression. Moreover, these bouts of depression can lead to possible mental disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. We have take note that when she decided to leave her husband, she surmised that their children were better off with their father and not with her. This already tells us that she has also lost her confidence as a good mother to her children. Due to her depressing state, she had taken of towards her freedom, leaving of the great responsibility of being a mother behind her. Such confidence of being a good mother was destroyed due to her situation, carrying her battered morale and vanishing self esteem with her. Leaving the Doll House As Nora breaks out and breaks free from the emotionless house, there is sense of strong will to be, putting a great effort of almost forgetting the family and life she had been attached to for years. In Ibsen’s plot, she placed Nora of having acquired a sense of free willingness by letting go a huge part of her life. In the last part of the play, Nora developed the free willingness to make a big step towards recognizing an emotion that is happening to her and being aware of its effect around her. Tuning in and being aware to her every emotion or feelings makes her manage them enabling her to be confident in her worth and capabilities. Being aware of her self makes her confidently use her abilities. Being aware of ones self and emotions makes her a free willed person. Henrick Ibsen finally ended the play with a display of triumph on Nora’s side, being able to show her true individuality despite of Torvald’s disapproval and concern of the reaction of the community around them, which is in great contrast of the true story where the husband had demanded for a divorce and Nora, who was mentally and emotionally agitated, had a nervous breakdown and confined in a mental institution. Conclusion For sheltered people like Nora, breaking out of their safe zone and embarking on a new environment is a terrifying endeavor. They are more vulnerable to fallbacks because being independent is something that they will have to learn for themselves for the first time on their own. Coping up with stress is harder when a person is unaided. Although she has displayed a great deal of courage by clearly defying the wishes of her husband and leaving altogether the household it is therefore inevitable an emotional pit. It is therefore important that although she has decided to leave the household to be independent, she should be in a place where close acquaintances are available for her emotional support system. In these day and age, support systems in the mental health department are already accessible. Compared to the olden days, it is no longer a taboo issue when one seeks a psychiatrist’s help to clear one’s mindset and consult professionals on how to healthily cope up with stress. People who had experiences like Nora then should not hesitate to consult these services if ever they feel that they need it. More importantly, it is essential that they surround themselves with people who know their plight and not isolate themselves. Individuals are important members of a community for a single community is a composition of different individuals. Being individuals of one community, we are now evolving in a community with different likes, dislikes, culture and tradition. The Helmer’s personal foundation is being individually attached to the community of the same cultures, beliefs and fashion preferences, thus, most of their decisions, likes and dislikes, their way of living were affected by the opinions and preferences of the community evolving around them. So even if an individual is a part of a community, there is a big difference between an individual and a member of a community. In a lonely Doll World, it is therefore important by having an awareness of using our abilities to bring optimum results by understanding others as an individual and try out for better ways rather than stereotyping. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius. 29 March 2005. The Project Gutenberg. 14 April 2007

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Response to the Far...

A Response to the Far Right Concerning Gay Marriage nbsp; Mr. Far Right has claimed that neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights mentions the right of homosexual couples to marry. I think that it would be safe to say that a homosexual couple who wishes to marry is seeking their own definition of happiness. Did Mr. Far Right conveniently skip over the part about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that is the very spirit of both these documents? nbsp; Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest --On Liberty, John Stuart Mill nbsp; Next, Mr. Far Right states that homosexuality is an abomination to†¦show more content†¦nbsp; In this tale, the people who leave decide that no utopia, no fair city, is worth the sacrifice of even a single child. They decide that not one tear of his suffering is worth all the splendor that comes as a result. It is exactly this kind of sacrifice that is the very basis of Christianity. Christ was sacrificed so that we humans may enter the kingdom of heaven. We also, like the citizens of Omelas, must acknowledge the Savior in order to reach utopia, or heaven. nbsp; So let me ask this moral question: Is it morally right to knowingly take the benefits of anothers suffering? Is any possible future worth such a price? If one doesnt like using Christ as an example, let me use another. The following argument is a summation of Ivans argument from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevky. nbsp; It is a fact that children suffer in this world. I dont believe that anyone would contest the fact that the suffering of children is evil, either. (If the hideous tortured deaths of millions of Jewish children isnt evil, then I dont know what is.) Since everything that exists is a part of Gods plan, then God intends children to suffer. Therefore the plan of God is evil, q.e.d. Many Christians argue that this evil is a necessary part of a greater good, of a greater plan for the human race and spirit. nbsp; Again, I ask, is it morally right to take the benefits of the suffering of children? Is anyShow MoreRelatedHomosexualiy and the Catholic Church Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesCatholic Church For us in Scotland homosexuality is one of the most prominent issues in Church and society today. Gay-rights advocates and activists are pushing a strong political agenda from the left#8212;job benefits for domestic partners, civil recognition for gay marriages, the right to bear ones own children via reproductive technologies, equal access to adoption, anti-discrimination statutes. 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Copyright  © 2013, 20 11, 2009, 2007, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form