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Tim O 'Brien's Essay The Power Of Context'

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Tim O 'Brien's Essay The Power Of Context'
Finding the True Self Throughout life, people are always seeking something, whether it is discovering solutions to satisfy desires or seeking the purpose of life. However, the recognition and fulfillment of one's true self-are the hardest things in the world simply because one always seems certain of him or herself, and is strongly influenced by his or her surroundings. In his essay, “The Power of Context,” Malcolm Gladwell says that human behavior is susceptible to and strongly predisposed by the environment in which they live. He further poses that, "epidemics are sensitive to the surroundings and situation of the places and times in which they transpire." The essay extensively states that the features of one’s current social and physical …show more content…
Based on Tim O’Brien’s, “How to Tell a True War Story,” the depiction is that in a war environment, civilians and soldiers have different perspectives; it is hard for soldiers to tell a true war story because the truth is not just a simple matter of seeing things as black or white. Gladwell not only stop at the point of context but also securitized the concept behind "The Law of the Few." He identified further that the achievement of any social occurrence largely depends on the attachment of people with specific and uncommon set of social gifts. However, Robert Thurman, author of “Wisdom,” states that humans are stuck in the place where they believe they are always the center of the universe. Further, he argues that instead of having an “I am who I am” attitude, an individual should try to find the purpose of selflessness to become the one who has empathy for others to live an enlightened life. Both Gladwell and O'Brien touch on environmental factors that influence human character specifically the way one thinks and acts. While humans are struggling to reconcile their behaviors and thinking in response to their current situations, the ability to fully discover the potential of oneself and mastering the concept of selflessness allows the individual to

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