The fieldwork memoir finishes on a strong note wanting people to learn to exist and conform to a world that did not form them originally. We now live in a society of different cultures, views, religions, and principles teaching us to all be a little bit more…
On June twelfth of 2001, Linda Lee wrote an article for the Family Circle stating a case against college. Lee attempted using pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade her readers that college is not a necessity in a child’s future. However, numerous of these appeals can easily be contradicted by somebody as simple minded as a high schooler.…
David Foster Wallace informs a graduating class that in order to succeed, they need to learn how to think. Wallace gives examples of selfish thinking; he asserts, “We rarely think about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness because it’s so socially repulsive. But it’s pretty much the same for all of us” (Wallace 201). Wallace argues the fact that people have a tendency to not think about being in someone else’s shoes. His speech states the importance of awareness thinking and how that can be a better overall education. Alain de Botton reaches out in a similar direction in his essay, “On Habit.” De Botton educates his audience on thinking in a way of your surroundings. He remarks the importance of slowing down and appreciating your everyday location, just as if you were on vacation. These two authors are educating their audience on better ways to think. Their goals are to change your perspective on life, to stop and think once and a while. Wallace makes a point of selfish thinking and to avoid judging society’s actions for a better life style. Botton educates his audience in the same direction, but a slight turn to a more positive way; to appreciate anywhere you go. He gives an example of sitting in your bedroom and finding something new and noteworthy, just as if you were sitting on the beach in the Caribbean’s. It seems these days society gets so caught up in world issues like gun control, politics, wars and the economy and quickly judging opinions; thinking differently and enjoying the better part of life is a skill worth achieving.…
Going to college is considered to be one of the most important parts of a person’s adult life. Lee focuses on this unnecessary pedestal that the college experience is put on. Kids treat it as an excuse to party and do not place the same level of importance on it as their parents do. Lee had this realization with her own son when she thought about how she was “paying $1,000 a week for this pleasure cruise” (52). This lead her to pull her son out of school until he was ready to go back and be serious or find a job to occupy his time more efficiently. Her son went on to have many different jobs. They were not the most glamorous, but taught him independence and how to be responsible with his own money. Lee argues that this life path got her son to a fulfilling place where he was enjoying what he was doing and had found a good job where a promotion was in his near future (2). This end result is typically why students go through college in the first place.…
In today’s society, we as Americans of the United States—the younger generations—often well-overlook the struggles of our parents, grandparents, and so on. The United States of America is globally referred to as the land of opportunity. The reason why we take for granted the fact that we are very fortunate as to being provided with an education and if you are a member of the middle-class society, everything in life might seem very great and easy for you—maybe too easy. Despite the struggles one may grow up with though, however difficult or unforgivable as they may seem, everyone should rest assured so that they can have the ability to believe in themselves and persevere towards your purpose in life, because anything may be accomplished…
The idea that an individual is capable of reaching any dream that they wish for, so long as they strive to the best of their ability, is one commonly shared. Parents are known to encourage their children by sharing the concept that by working hard you can achieve anything. However, an individual is not necessarily capable of achieving any goal they wish; we have all been limited as human beings and have a certain capacity to achieve. Through the wide collection of stories and accounts in ‘Inquiry: Questioning, Reading, Writing’ by Bloom, White and Borrowman and other supporting texts, it is evident that hard work does not enable an individual to be anything they want to be.…
The ambiguity of human freedom is especially evident when making important life choices, for example, who we want to be and how we want to live our lives. Fromm holds that although people in advanced societies have been freed from the bonds of preindividualistic society, which gave them both security and limitations, they have not gained freedom in the positive sense of realizing their individual selves. That is, they have not found an outlet for the optimal expression of their intellectual, emotional, and social potential. We have freedom to direct our lives—from the details of daily life to the more crucial choices such as our…
I must first remind you of the unrest among our fellow students before I begin to examine the pandemonium we currently suffice as home. Our generation is at war with the complicated reality of this stringent society and we must no longer allow mainstream practices to dictate our freedom. The time is now for us to shed the constraints of our parents’ generation and provide a change that will bring authenticity to America’s youth! We standup not just for ourselves but for those of tomorrow and to change the norms of today.…
Personal response essay How do we grow as individuals? What molds our lives and selves? Rewards and improvements in our lives can be accredited to the hardships and adversities individuals face. Adversities like; being laid off, grueling 12 hour work days, raising teenagers, and couples…
Throughout the course of one’s whole lifetime, the constant question of what to do with one’s own life is brought up numerous times. How does one configure what he or she ought to do with their own life? What should an individual take into consideration while deciding what to do and also what other outside influences are also evident in helping the individual reach their decisions? There are so many choices that an individual could make and those choices could either be negative or positive. An individual must take into consideration how the choices he or she decides to make are going to affect the people around them and also how…
In the 1920s, many Americans were trying to achieve the infamous “American Dream.” The dream was to be rich, successful, happy, and one of the social elites. However, even though this was the dream for Americans in the 1920s, the general standard has changed over the years into the present time. Since the 1920s, the dream of putting a high emphasis on an individualistic and materialistic life has evolved into a present day dream of working hard, holding a well-paying job, and raising a family.…
Seeing the magical world of Harry Potter light up the silver screen again. Standing in the same room as the Pop Punk band All Time Low. Cracking open the pages of the Norse Gods in Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor. Studying in my dorm room away from home. Why on earth would anyone want to miss out on these things? You see, I struggled with the question what makes life worth living for a long time, I knew that I was pushing on for something, but I could never find the words. I found my answer slowly, adding things that I was living for to the list until I realized that life was worth living for the small things, for the things in the future that you will miss out on if you leave early.…
Even though I am the first-generation student in college, with the support of my family back home, I am an example to many young girls and boys in my community to work hard for one-day seek admission to a college like Holy Cross or even Harvard. Four years from now I know that I will not be disappointed with the hopes of attaining a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in philosophy. Therefore, I am someone who wants the best for themselves and others while taking every step to be successful in the end.…
My family's history and story has never failed to inspire me. My love for research and exploring, has led me to meet people who challenge me artistically and mentally. I love feeding my brain, and I enjoy making my inspiration tangible. It’s this admiration, prospective, actions, and imagination that has brought me to where I stand today. I am a highschool senior utilizing whatever they can, to get to a new altitude of a scholastic nirvana. My dreams are consisted of my family’s happiness, my own contentment, and making my day-dreams a physical thing. I’m certainly not the average person, and I think that’s a great aspect to have when rewarding unsung young…
Life is truly a journey. Some roads we travel once, some we revisit, and others are never ending. My journey thus far, is a compilation of learning, personal growth, joy, sadness, great accomplishment, and some disappointment. Today, I am the sum total of those experiences, and aspire to continue to live well and achieve even more through furthering my education. Throughout childhood, the importance of continuing education throughout all life stages, was engrained upon me. As a parent, I instill the same value in my children. Education is an important factor in my personal growth, as it creates opportunity to…
