In the article Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are written by David McCullough, is an essay in which he informs how important it is to learn about our history and how it shapes who we are today. Throughout, he connects important events from American History and relates it to our lives and the world around us. The three main ideas; which are “Character and Destiny”, “Our failure, Our Duty”, and “Listening to the Past”. These ideas
Throughout my life, I never considered the possibility that everything may not revolve around me. We are so wired to the notion that we are the center of the universe and that our personal needs exceed the importance of others. Although today’s students may continue to believe in this idea of self-importance, David Foster Wallace argues that true value lies in our ability to sacrifice for others. In his 2005 commencement speech held at Kenyon College, Wallace strays away from the typical speech one may hear, about how you “made it” and how excited you should be to conquer the future. Instead, Wallace goes on to explain what is not talked about, such that the average American life sometimes involves “boredom, routine, and petty frustration.” Wallace’s speech discusses what it takes to overcome the annoyances in everyday life, but to also be conscious of our surroundings.
“What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.”
A long-debated argument in the field of Psychology has been which theory or explanation of human behavior is the most important and the most viable. Is B. F. Skinner’s theory that behavior is the result of man’s response to external stimuli or is Carl Rogers’ theory that man’s behavior is the result of his determination to achieve self-actualization the best explanation? After much research and thought, I will argue in favor of Carl Rogers’ Humanistic Theory that “emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth” (Weiten, 2016, p. 9).
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."
"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself. --
I can relate to this quote because I believe that there is a never a limit to learn and discovering more. People need to observe and experience more to be able to learn and creates their own opinion. This can relate to the idea of natural laws were individuals were pushed to make observations and shape society.
Dr. Jim Anderson wrote, “Since what influences our thoughts also controls our lives, and since our thoughts follow according to our philosophy, it is important for each of us to have a proper philosophical foundation.”
This foundation, whether healthy or unhealthy, will form the way in which a person relates as an adult. Like Wilson (2001) and Hawkins (2010) who assert that external factors, such as other people, impact an individual’s emotions and behavior and ultimately form the personality structure, I also believe this personality theory. The Source, Role, and Function of Motivation (.5)
We often don’t think about what we do or even how we do things. The “Kenyon Commencement Speech” is teaching us how to think outside of ourselves. David says that hard-wired into our boards at birth is a basic self-centeredness and it’s a part of everyone. No one wants to admit that their world revolves around them, but what they fail to realize is that it’s a choice, a decision that one chooses to make. Reading, thinking, and analyzing this essay can help you realize that as a human being we can’t be self-centered, we have to be aware that life happens. A person can’t be selfish they have to be open-minded to real world situations, unplanned events that occur on an everyday bases.
should views one's own true thoughts as something very important and special. From this maxim, a
Favorite quote: “Humanity does not ask us to be happy. It Merely asks us to be brilliant on
David Foster Wallace in his speech called "What is water" states as a main idea that everyone through their life journey should always be aware of everything and try to find out the right ways out of situations that happens during this journey by using education that the graduates received and use the cleverly. With different stories he explains that the way how we are thinking can influence on our understanding about a given situation everywhere, it can be at home ,work,store and etc. only the education can give them the ability to control their own minds and get advantages from their or others life experiences and use them as a guide through their "average adult days". The author brings a lot of examples from his own life so his message for
“You will find the world in your own eyes, if they learn how to see; in your own heart if it learns how to feel; and in your own fingers if they learn how to touch.” (Dunham 188).
human nature. These three authors show that there is more to people than just the