The Power in Being Particular
The great taboo in modern culture is to believe too strongly in one opinion or another. There is a great call to choose sides, be decisive on an issue, carry a flag. We find ourselves in a perpetual game of tug-o-war that leaves both sides muddied and stagnant. In choosing a side of the rope to pull we forfeit our ability to think for ourselves, to discern personal values, and to uncover morality that truly speaks to our experience. There is great wisdom and intelligence in the world, if only we can learn to put down the rope.
In the fast-paced world of internet, cell phones, and television, it becomes increasingly easier to let people think for you. Almost any stand someone takes on any issue there are statistics,
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We are better able to discern fact and fiction, love and fear, insecurity and strength. There is an opportunity to present fresh ideas and perspectives as opposed to recycling concepts that, while useful, have yet to lead us to any fruitful conclusions. Being particular is not about swaying someone to our side, but in defining personal perception and applying it to our interaction with the world around us. When we begin to develop the ability to associate our personal triumphs, mistakes, faults, and value with intelligence and wisdom, we open ourselves to a greater understanding. We grow in our compassion to forgive ourselves, and others, our ability to listen, perhaps without understanding, but when we are secure in our personal convictions we no longer have to understand everything right away. We can be secure enough to slow down, process, and apply emotion, words, comfort, or condemnation. The power in developing particularity is in the ability to go underneath the information around us and connect with the wisdom within our individuality. As with all power, there is the ability to create and grow, or close off and destroy. The greater power to be found in that choice, is the ability to understand
Poems and plays often have to deal with the theme of power and control. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” Capulet wields the authority. Shakespeare portrays Capulet as a patriarchal ruler who is not afraid to show his controlling side. His aggression is key aspect in the play and becomes a catalyst for the outcome of our “star crossed lovers”. I will also examine the exertion of power in the poems “My Last Duchess”, “Hawk Roosting” and “Human Interest”. Firstly, I will begin with examining the theme of force in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”.
William J. Fulbright, a democratic Senator from Arkansas, was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1966 when The Arrogance of Power was published. In an excerpt from Fulbright’s book, he analyzes the misguided thinking behind America's global interventionism and its delusion of righteous all-powerfulness. These symptoms are a confusion of power and virtue. Fulbright defines the arrogance of power as, “a psychological need that nations seem to have in order to prove that they are bigger, better, or stronger than other nations” (2). William J. Fulbright uses persuasive appeals in his well structured book, The Arrogance of Power to help convey his views on U.S. war
Among the most complex systems is a simple yet overwhelming desire for an establishment of power, if one(it?) does not already exist. Power can be greedy, selfish, aggressive, but also a necessity for order and peace. It is always controlling. It has existed since the beginning of time and will continue to play a vital role in the lives of all, forever. In literature, power can be depicted in a variety of ways, affecting different numbers of people and things. Margaret Atwood’s “Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing”, Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”, Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”, and Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” each uniquely examine the influence of power in their characters’ lives. The roots from which power takes place, the depths
To unlock the greater meaning of life and wisdom, one must overcome and redeem himself or herself
how political power is acquired; how it is wielded; and most importantly how it effects the
A world of system designed to keep people in unjust and unequal positions is held in place by several interrelated expression of "power over": political power, economic power, physical force, and ideological power (Bishop, 1994: 36). So, we can say power is defined as a possession of control, authority or influence over others. In terms of power of dominant groups over subordinate groups, we define power as domination of one group of people over another in major important spheres of life. Power inequities have been in existence throughout the history of humanity and the ways of manifestation evolved from extreme overt oppression to subtle, covert oppression. Three major forms of power inequalities discussed in this paper are
Does power corrupt? There is the good and the bad side of this question. If you answer no then you would probably be thinking about a person who used his power to help others. But, however, if you answered yes, then you probably are thinking about the leaders, who should be named tyrants that use their power for destruction or their own lust for greater power. I feel power corrupts for many reasons and throughout history there has been countless examples of this.
Finally it all comes down to that everyone has feelings and a pass but they just make them act differently, but in the good kind of different, like an example would be that you are having a terrible day and you just can’t take it anymore and you wish that you could just go away forever, but then you see one of your good friends crying, now you start to think what is wrong with them so you ask instead of ignoring them and let’s say they were having a bad day to so you help them out and cheer them up and now they are happy, but you aren’t accept you start to get a good feeling that you did something right even though you felt terrible.
Robert Kagan, American neoconservative scholar and political commentator created an international sensation in 2002 with his essay "Power and Weakness," that he later expanded into a bestselling book entitled Of Paradise and Power. His essay announced that "Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus."
Attending Sophia University is a path to my future goal. As I dream to become an entrepreneur, I choose to study at Sophia University, where I believe it to be an elite school. Sophia University is one of the well-known schools in entire Japan and I know many high school students hope to get into my university. Elite schools are providing sophisticated education and leading students to better jobs and better future. Not only the results tells that many students are offered good jobs but also the diploma of Sophia University is highly evaluated because graduates build trust from achieving honor in many ways attracts people. In terms of cultural capital, what effects and influences do all students get through the
In the book, Obasan, Joy Kogawa uses imagery to convey different symbolic meanings in Naomi's life. Naomi goes through a journey in the novel to uncover the truth of her past. One of the many literary elements that the novel possesses is animal imagery that emphasizes meaning and contributes to the novel's theme. Several animals are mentioned throughout the novel to represent Naomi's emotions and her journey. Kogawa utilizes the several instances of animal imagery in her novel, Obasan, to reveal the nature of power, both physically and emotionally, and the victim of power—Naomi. Animals such as the chicks represent Naomi's helplessness and innocence as she lived in a world without her mother or knowledge of her history. The animals that
Martin Heidegger attempts to answer the “question of Being” by appealing to the terminology and methodology of Dasein, most commonly defined as existence. Dasein is not simply any kind of existence, however, but an existence that is unique from all other existences in that it asks the question of existence while existing in the existence itself. In other words, one must first understand Dasein in order to understand Being because Dasein is a kind of being that is concerned about its very Being. Contrary to the popular opinion that in order to truly and clearly comprehend any phenomenon, the subject which interrogates must necessarily stand outside of the object of the interrogation, Being cannot be understood
One decision can have a ripple effect that impacts many years to come, further than anyone would realize at first glance. These impacts can be felt immediately or many years later. Important and even seemingly unimportant figures have more power than they think. People often make decisions with only themselves in mind. This happens when a leader is hungry for power and stops at nothing to obtain power. However, wise decisions act towards the betterment of lives forever while foolish ones can hurt people negatively on end. Monarchs in British history had the power to change the way people under them lived.
Power and truth play different but equal roles in maintaining control in a nation. Modern societies create regimes of truth that are enforced by power structures such as government, discipline and laws. When it comes to power, the government, queen or dictator is in charge. They tell their citizens what the main expectations are and how to abide by them. Nevertheless, the government should uphold fairness and not abuse its power unless it is necessary. Power is something that is earned; it is not something that is granted by default. The proper qualities, such as integrity, assertiveness and truth, in government or person can benefit its leadership skill set. Sometimes truth can be manipulated by the government to influence its people so
Lastly, we humans are such beings that enclose ourselves in our small world forgetting that there is a bigger world besides what we know which we live in everyday and end up making judgments on what we know from what we are used to but if we escape this and realize there is something bigger than us out there then we will be open to more knowledge which will aid in our judgment and ultimately end in avoiding error. Error in judgment can be avoided by fully understanding things we don’t have knowledge on therefore opening ourselves to everything that is out there and not forming judgments on things we don’t know.