When is the proper moment to think? Is it better to think before, during, or after an action? The writer, Heinrich von Kleist, argues that one should think after an act. He uses the example of a wrestler, “The athlete, at that moment when he is holding his opponent in his grip, simply has no recourse but to act spontaneously, on inspiration; and if he begins to calculate which muscles to contract and which limbs to move in order to throw him, he will always draw the short straw and be thrown himself” (Kleist, 1810). In this example Kleist is correct that it is more appropriate to reflect on your actions rather, but is this logic acceptable in all occasions? Or when an individual should think be dependent on the situation at hand? In the same essay, Kleist states “life itself is a contest with fate”, however should the entirety of life be treated as a contest (Kleist, 1810)?
To begin with, is it better to think while you act? In the example stated previously, when the wrestler thought during he’s match, he resulted as the loser. In the film Fearless, Huo Yuannjia’s father faced a similar scenario. During a match to determine the better of two Wushu styles, Hou’s father meets defeat when he became lost in thought. In these situations, the individuals would have a higher chance of success if they acted on intuition rather than critical thinking. On the other hand, would acting on inspiration would be best during a test or homework assignment? While working on school assignments
“The activity of thinking prefigures, prepares for, and lets us practice the freedom of mind we require to exercise discerning judgment while living among people who differ from us.” Elizabeth Kamarck Minnich stated in the passage Teaching Thinking Moral and Political Considerations. As part of the top ten in my graduating class, the process of structured thinking has worked in my favor, as it has set me to take classes others wouldn’t usually take; but in no circumstances have I thought that I was smarter than my other classmates. The structured thinking set upon us shows the capability of how well one listens and follows. Listening to what and how the work should be done is a major key in this cycle, and anyone is capable to do it. The second step in the other hand differs, as many tend to
To think or not to think; that is the question. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Frair warns Romeo, “wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast”. Many people tend to not slow down to think through their decisions, adopting the “You Only Live Once” motto. “Living in the moment” or moving too fast could be potentially dangerous. Romeo and Juliet moved too he fast and they ended up dead. If you move too fast in modern life you could get in serious trouble and in some cases, lose your life as so it happened to Romeo and Juliet.
Every action a person takes is the result of having thought about what it is they think they should do and then doing it. Life is riddled with problems that require solving. Decisions are complex matters that require careful judgment and problem analysis especially when one is in a role where others look up to them and are affected by their decisions.
Humans always look for a purpose to live, whether it be in family, passion, or love. Otherwise, without a purpose, life would be tedious and monotone. During my reading of “Night”, by Elie Wiesel, I discovered that the value of a life could not be measured accurately because there was no definite answer to the value of a life. The perspective of one person may differ than the perspective of another person. In “Night”, the value of a life through a pair Jewish eyes contrasted greatly with the value of a life through a pair of Nazi eyes.
Deontology and teleology have been regarded two of the dominant theories in the history of ethics. In response to the question ‘What shall we do?’ the former theory tells us that we should do the action(s) that adherence to a principle (s). Conversely, the latter theory holds the view that we should do the action(s) that promotes happiness or pleasure regardless of the principle(s). Intention plays a significant role between the two theories, though it acts differently. The intention of deontological theory is to follow principle(s) whereas for the teleological theory, the intention is to follow the better outcome(s). In her book Meaning in Life and Why it Matters, Susan Wolf rejects both of these theories because they leave out many of the
How Elie Wiesel's Religion, Family, and Self-Preservation was Affected From the Holocaust Sometimes in life the moments that make or break a person are the hardest moments they endure during their life. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, a Jewish teenager that lives during the Holocaust is sent to the concentration camp Auschwitz where he has to do difficult work and live on very low food supply in order to get out alive. During his time at Auschwitz Ellie's Religion, self-preservation, and his family are affected. During the story Elie’s religion changes for the worse.
People believe that you are in charge of your destiny, that you hold the power. Others believe that outside forces control your destiny. Your destiny is determined by both you and others. In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines, Grant Wiggins and Jefferson are characters that have control of most their destiny. Jefferson has made decisions that affect himself and many others. Grant has changed the direction of his life. Despite the control that he has, people in his community seem to have other plans for him.
In The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao the narrator, Yunior, has a couple of symbolic dreams after the death of Oscar. One of his dreams involves a masked man holding a book with blank pages. The images that appear in the dream give the reader insight to Yunior’s hope for the de Leon family, who experience many tragedies as a result of the reign of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Although much of their history is lost or destroyed due to this bad luck, or fukú, Yunior seems to believe that he can bring the family zafa. It is through his dream that he is able to realize that there is still hope for the future through remembrance of the past, as opposed to avoidance or silence.
The Power Of Adversity In the novel Becoming Human, Jean Vanier explains the true meaning of success and happiness starting from what can be achieved from being from being in an exclusion and put yourself into the inclusion of what you love to do. As In the memoir Coming Back Stronger, It takes a special person to turn adversity into success and despair into hope. Drew Brees one man who had to face difficulties and put success in for all that he loved from the most devastating and tragic event that took place in his life Drew’s Parents had gotten a derivoe and from surviving that he even got bullied Even though Drew Brees gets bullied, His mom steps aside from what they are doing to help to help Drew achieve his goals.
We’re always told to “think before you act” by an authority figure as children. Though most of the time, these words get brushed off, they’re still very important to remember. Without thinking, people have made, and will continue to make, very bad decisions. Thinking before you act is important because it can improve your quality of life, can prove you have a good character, and that you have control over what is going on.
This act shows his desire to contemplate the important decisions rather than to make an impulsive choice
Do you ever think aloud, or do you wait to speak until you have your ideas firmly in place? Why?
“The Pathos of Failure,” is Thomas Elsaesser’s diagnosis of an ideological trend that occurred in mainstream Hollywood in the 1960s - 1970s. During this time, the American film industry saw an unprecedented, revolutionary detour in stylistic experimentation, and thematically, a focus on “the somewhat sentimental gestures of defeat,” (Eleasser 234). This shift represented a departure from Classical Hollywood’s idealized vision of America, the films of which reproduced aspects of dominant American ideology subject to increasing contempt among audiences. Interesting parallels can be drawn between The Graduate (1967) and The Parallax View (1974) in relation to Elseasser’s analysis. ‘The Pathos of Failure’ is felt acutely in both films, not only thematically, but also in the craft of the films themselves: non-linear, episodic, unresolved narratives and complex, counter-cultural, marginal male protagonists, whose goals are ill-defined and ultimately unattained (Hehr 85). Perhaps the allure of these films was that they required a degree of critical engagement from the audience, reflected by wider society’s growing cynicism towards “American institutions and their basic pillars,” (Hehr 31). There is a certain comfort, I will argue, in honestly acknowledging both internal conflicts and greater societal defects through the medium of cinema. Where the Classical Hollywood film would typically offer a solution to the problems established, the Hollywood Renaissance film, via irresolution
Creative thinking and critical thinking are good skills to have, and those that you can carry with you forever. For example, problem solving skills help you come up with creative and innovative ways to solve problems. This skill is going to be useful your whole life, whether you break your mom’s favorite vase and need to fix it to if you have limited food in your fridge and need to figure out what to make. Another skill you can gain is creative thinking. This helps you come up with new ways to do things. In contrast, people have stated that you can gain these skills in other ways. In my opinion, these skills are best gained by hands on activities that challenge your thinking and
Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it.