Distribution Channel of Banas Dairy Essay

The present study is conducted in the Banas Dairy sales area Genesis of Banas Dairy Late ShriGalbhabhai Patel established Banas Dairy with the dream of uplifting socio economic status of village farmers. This dream was fulfilled through the creation of a co-operative milk union for Banaskantha district, on the footprint of â€Å"Amul Dairy† of Kaira district, the ideal model of a Co-operative. Consequently eight village level co-operative milk societies in Vadgam and Palanpur taluk Ire registered and started collecting and pouring milk at DudhSagar Dairy, Mehsana from 3rd October 1966. The milk union got registered under Co-operative act on 31st January 1969 as Banaskantha District Co-operative milk producers’ Union Limited, popularly known as Banas Dairy. The foundation stone was laid by Late Galbabhai Nanjibhai Patel on 14th January 1971 at 122 acres land acquired near Jagana village in order to set up a dairy plant under the operation flood program launched by national Dairy development Board. On 7th May 1971’ the dairy started functioning at the same place with a capacity of 1. 5 lakh liters of milk per day. This has now been increased to 24. 3 lakh liters per day. The dairy has three automated plants with a wide 8-9 product lines. The small dream of Shri Galbabhai has now taken the shape of a co-operative of 1350 societies with around 15000 members. With the relentless efforts of dedicated and committed leadership, the dairy has won the trust of milk producers of Banaskantha district and has brought about a happy change in the lives of all its members. It has come up as a major revolution in the upliftment of the residents of the district. Mission and Vision Banas District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd. was established with the prime objective of eliminating the monopoly of private traders and providing the poor farmers the due that they deserve. Along with this it also ensures that the farmers are benefited the maximum out of their operations and activities. The mission of the organization is to provide sustainable means of livelihood to socio-economically downtrodden rural mass, while treading on the path of progress. The organization renews its vision every ten years. It strives to be a successful world class co-operative dairy. The objectives of the organization are clearly expressed through the quality policy, which states that: â€Å"I, the Banas Dairy, commit and aspire to fulfil the needs and expectations of our internal as Ill as external customers and delight them through our quality products and services. I shall achieve the goal through the followings: a). Applying principles of Quality Management Systems and Food Safety Management for continuous enrichment of our management processes. ). Providing remunerating returns, quality input services, introducing innovative and appropriate schemes and services to our milk producers. c). Motivating and providing and encouraging appropriate training for skill up-gradation of our employees. d). Protecting our value system and the environment by judicious use of all natural resources. † India is an agri- oriented country of the world. 70% people are living in rural area so I can say Indian peo ple are living in village the majority of population. The dream of late Galbabhai Patel, founder chairman and the selfless sage to uplift socio- economical status of village farmers came true after creation of a co- operative milk union for banaskantha district, on the foot print of â€Å"Amul Dairy†of kaira presently Anand) district on the model of true co operative milk societies in Vadgam and palanpur taluzka of district Ire registered and started collecting and pouring milk at Dudh Sagar dairy, Mahesana from 10th march 1969.

Health Expenditure Poverty Essay

Condition where people’s basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met. According to World Bank: Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty also encompasses low levels of health and education, poor access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack of voice, and insufficient capacity and opportunity to better one’s life. According to United Nations: Fundamentally, poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to food and clothing a family, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living in marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean water or sanitation. Type of Poverty: Poverty is generally of two types which are as follow. Absolute poverty Absolute poverty is synonymous with destitution and occurs when people cannot obtain adequate resources (measured in terms of calories or nutrition) to support a minimum level of physical health. Absolute poverty means about the same everywhere, and can be eradicated as demonstrated by some countries. Relative poverty Relative poverty occurs when people do not enjoy a certain minimum level of living standards as determined by a government (and enjoyed by the bulk of the population) that vary from country to country, sometimes within the same country. Relative poverty occurs everywhere, is said to be increasing, and may never be eradicated. Psychological Cause of poverty Poverty is regarded as a vicious circle. It is the product of different causes. Some of the thinkers have attributed it to a single cause but as poverty is a multi dimensional problem, multiple factors are responsible for it. According to hennery George, the main cause of poverty is the personal ownership and monopoly of individual on the land. He writes â€Å"in great cities where land is so valuable that it is measured by foot you will find extreme of poverty and of luxury.† Marx said the main causes of poverty are the exploitation laborers by the capitalists. Malthus said, poverty increases because of the fact that, while the food production increases in arithmetical progression, the population increase in geometric progression. These views lay emphasis on a singular cause of poverty but modern social scientists consider that poverty is the result of multiple factors. Personal factors: Personal factors play important role in economic status of a person. In this modern scientific era, one may not believe in the fate but no one can deny the importance of personal capacity and efforts in his life style and life pattern. The important personal factors cause poverty is as follows. i) Sickness: Due to sickness a person is unable to work or his income decreases. A major portion of his income is spent on the cure of the diseases. Sickness increases poverty. Hunter has rightly pointed out that â€Å"Poverty and sickness form a vicious partnership each helping the other to add to the miseries of most unfortunate of mankind.† ii) Mental disease: Mental disease and frustration also increase poverty. Owing to this, a man looses the balance of his mind by which he is incapable of doing anything. So his family becomes poor and it aggravates poverty. iii) Accident: Accident of any kind may make a person incapable of working, as a result of which he becomes a parasite on society or his income decreases. When income decreases poverty increases. iv) Idleness and extravagance: India is a rich country inhabited by poor. Idle and lazy persons do not work although they are able to work. Hence they remain poor. There are also extravagant persons who can waste any amount of money in no time. So the cause of poverty is not the lower income but excess of expenditure over income. Such persons also spent lavishly during festive occasions like marriage ceremony, many social religious festivals etc, and they always remain poor. v) Demoralizations: Due to lower morale some person are addicted to drinking, prostitution, gambling and other social evils. Such persons spent high proportion of their income on these evil habits and finally become pauper. Biological factors: Rapid growth of population is one of the most important causes of poetry. Malthus has pointed out that the geometric progress of population is the root cause of poverty. Due to the development of medical science, reduction of famine, control of epidemics and natural calamities death rate has decreased. At the same time birth rate has not been effectively controlled. If a man has too many children his standard of living is definitely lowered and he becomes relatively poor.† Besides, other factors like the power of fertility of Indian women, early age of marriage are also indirectly responsible for poverty. Global Distribution of Resources Many experts agree that the legacy of colonialism accounts for much of the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy. In many developing countries, the problems of poverty are massive and pervasive. In recent decades most of these countries have tried to develop their economies with industry and technology with varying levels of success. Some nations have become fairly wealthy, including the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Many developing countries, however, lack essential raw materials and the knowledge and skills gained through formal education and training. They also often lack the infrastructure provided by, for example, transportation systems and power-generating facilities. Because these things are necessary for the development of industry, developing countries generally must rely on trade with developed countries for manufactured goods, but they cannot afford much. Some social scientists argue that wealthier developed countries continue to practice a form of colonialism, known as neocolonialism. The affluence of these countries is based to a large extent on favorable trade with the developing world. Developed countries have been able to get inexpensive natural resources from poorer countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including oil for power, ores and minerals for manufacturing durable goods, and manufactured goods made by low-wage workers in factories operated by multinational corporations. This practice contributes to the dependency of poorer countries while not raising their standards of living. Economical factors: The most fundamental cause of poverty is economics. The important economical factors are as follows. i) Backwardness of agriculture: Indian Agriculture is carried on with primitive techniques. Due to the absence of modern machines, tools, implements, improved seeds, manures, inadequate irrigation facilities, constant fragmentation of land and exploitation by the landlords etc. Agricultural production hampers to a great extent. Besides these our agricultural system is not sufficient to provide adequate number of jobs or better price for agricultural products. This increase poverty among the rural farmers. ii) Slow and defective industrialization: In India industrialization is taking place at a snail’s pace, due to inadequate finance, paucity of skilled and technically trained personnel, irregular supply of power and raw materials etc. Therefore it is not possible in India to provide employment in large scale tot he persons who are willing to work. Further the concentration of industries in urban areas also deprives the rural poor from getting employment in industries. iii) Unequal distribution: Distribution of wealth is unequal in India. Wealth is mostly concentrated in the hands of a few. These people after an optimum of investment keep the wealth in iron chests. On the other hand, the people who would have invested it for productive purpose do not get it. This leaves a majority of population in this state of unemployment. iv) Unwise economic policy: Indian is rich in respect of natural resources, but poor in making proper utilization of it. Till now we are not able to make optimum utilization of resources as a result of which it remains unutilized or misused. Sometimes due to defective policy of the government people remain poor. Psychological effects of poverty Psychological research has demonstrated that living in poverty has a wide range of negative effects on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our nation’s children. Poverty impacts children within their various contexts at home, in school, and in their neighborhoods and communities. Poverty is linked with negative conditions such as substandard housing, homelessness, inadequate nutrition and food insecurity, inadequate child care, lack of access to health care, unsafe neighborhoods, and under resourced schools which adversely impact our nation’s children. Poorer children and teens are also at greater risk for several negative outcomes such as poor academic achievement, school dropout, abuse and neglect, behavioral and socio emotional problems, physical health problems, and developmental delays. These effects are compounded by the barriers children and their families encounter when trying to access physical and mental health care. Economists estimate that child poverty costs an estimated $500 billion a year to the U.S. economy; reduces productivity and economic output by 1.3 percent of GDP; raises crime and increases health expenditure Poverty and academic achievement Poverty has a particularly adverse effect on the academic outcomes of children, especially during early childhood. Chronic stress associated with living in poverty has been shown to adversely affect children’s concentration and memory which may impact their ability to learn. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that in 2008, the dropout rate of students living in low-income families was about four and one-half times greater than the rate of children from higher-income families (8.7 percent versus 2.0 percent). The academic achievement gap for poorer youth is particularly pronounced for low-income African American and Hispanic children compared with their more affluent White peers. Poverty and psychosocial outcomes Children living in poverty are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems. Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder. ïÆ'ËœSome emotional problems may include feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Poverty and economic hardship is particularly difficult for parents who may experience chronic stress, depression, marital distress and exhibit harsher parenting behaviors. These are all linked to poor social and emotional outcomes for children. Unsafe neighborhoods may expose low-income children to violence which can cause a number of psychosocial difficulties. Violence exposure can also predict future violent behavior in youth which places them at greater risk of injury and mortality and entry into the juvenile justice system. Underresourced schools in poorer communities struggle to meet the learning needs of their students and aid them in fulfilling their potential. Inadequate education contributes to the cycle of poverty by making it more difficult for low-income children to lift themselves and future generations out of poverty. Violence According to experts, many women become victims of trafficking, the most common form of which is prostitution, as a means of survival and economic desperation. Deterioration of living conditions can often compel children to abandon school in order to contribute to the family income, putting them at risk of being exploited, according to ECPAT International, an NGO designed to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children. For example, in Zimbabwe, a number of girls are turning to prostitution for food to survive because of the increasing poverty. In one survey, 67% of children from disadvantaged inner cities said they had witnessed a serious assault, and 33% reported witnessing a homicide. 51% of fifth graders from New Orleans (median income for a household have been found to be victims of violence, compared to 32% in Washington, DC (mean income for a household

Existentialism in Literature Essay

Existentialism in literature is a movement or tendency that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. While Existentialism was never an organized literary movement, the tenets of this philosophy have influenced many diverse writers around the world and readers can detect existential elements in their fiction. Americans writers like William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck reveal existential elements in their writing. Perhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice. Humanity’s primary distinction, in the view of most existentialists, is the freedom to choose. Because we are free to choose our own paths, existentialists have argued, we must accept the risk and responsibility of following our commitments wherever they lead. American writers Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson often wrote about these concepts. Existentialism is not dark. It is not depressing. Existentialism is about life. Existentialists believe in living—and in fighting for life. The politics of existentialist writers around the world varies widely, but each seeks the most individual freedom for people within a society. Despite encompassing this wide range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are constant: ? Mankind has free will ? Life is a series of choices ? Few decisions are without any negative consequences ? Some events and occurrences are irrational or absurd, without explanation. ? If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. So existentialism, broadly defined, is a set of philosophical systems concerned with free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Because we make choices based on our experiences, beliefs, and biases, those choices are unique to us—and made without an objective form of truth. There are no â€Å"universal† guidelines for most decisions, existentialists believe. Even trusting science is often a â€Å"leap of faith. † The existentialists conclude that human choice is subjective, because individuals finally must make their own choices without help from such external standards as laws, ethical rules, or traditions. Because individuals make their own choices, they are free; but because they freely choose, they are completely responsible for their choices. The existentialists emphasize that freedom is necessarily accompanied by responsibility. Furthermore, since individuals are forced to choose for themselves, they have their freedom—and therefore their responsibility—thrust upon them. They are â€Å"condemned to be free. † Many existentialist writers stress the importance of passionate individual action in deciding questions of both personal morality and truth. Personal experience and acting on one’s own convictions are essential in arriving at the truth. 17th-century French philosopher and existentialist Blaise Pascal saw human existence in terms of paradoxes. He believed that â€Å"We know truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart. † And as many existentialists, he acknowledges that â€Å"It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory. † The modern adage that the journey is more important than the final destination applies to this idea. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself existential, reacted against traditional thoughts by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his or her own unique vocation. As he wrote in his journal, â€Å"I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die. † Existentialists have argued that no objective, rational basis can be found for moral decisions. The 19th-century German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche contended that the individual using free will must decide which situations are to count as moral situations. He believed that â€Å"There are no facts, only interpretations. † . . . and he is famous for this well known adage:â€Å"That which does not kill me, makes me stronger. † The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky is probably the most well-known existentialist literary figure. In his book Notes from the Underground the alienated anti-hero questions experiences in life that are unpredictable and sometimes self-destructive. French writer, Jean Paul Sartre wrote that man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth. There is no ultimate meaning or purpose inherent in human life; in this sense life is absurd. We are forlorn, abandoned in the world to look after ourselves completely. The only foundation for values is human freedom, and that there can be no external or objective justification for the values anyone chooses to adopt. † When the Swedish Academy granted the Nobel Prize in Literature to Sartre for his work which, they recognized as â€Å"rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, [that] has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age,† Sartre made it known that he did not wish to accept the prize. In a public announcement, in1964, Sartre expressed his regret that his refusal of the prize had given rise to a scandal, and he wished it to be known that his refusal was not meant to slight the Swedish Academy but was rather based on personal and objective reasons. Sartre pointed out that due to his conception of the writer’s task he had always declined official honors so this act was not unprecedented. He had similarly refused other awards offered to him. He stated that a writer’s acceptance of such an honor would be to associate his personal commitments with the awarding institution, and that, above all, a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution.

Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Essay

Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success - Essay Example Within my educational realms, the personal and professional goals are deemed as very significant. This is because I have properly understood the dual  role of education and attaining a graduate degree under my belt in the aptest way. I have realized how this will work well with the changing times and how I would be able to cope up with pressure when it is exerted on me. The personal and professional goals might be different but what is important here is a collective vision to set things right within the domains of the graduates who are fulfilling their educational responsibilities. The reasons for pursuing graduate studies lie in the fact that the student understands that if he is a graduate, he would be offered a handsome job and thus his life would be made secure. On the flip side of the coin, the ramifications seem horrendous to state the least – where this individual can face wrath within his future domains and would often be at the mercy of others, which indeed is an un fortunate reality. It is true that a GPA will give a good measure of my talent and the way in which I aspire for education within my university. Thus it is pertinent that a graduate must be motivated enough to have a sound GPA and should not think of anything else other than having a standard GPA at the university, and so would be my case in essence. This indeed is a challenge right from the onset as far as I am concerned – as soon as I enroll within the university. It is a fact that the challenges in the line of attaining top-quality education for a graduate are many and my case is no different. However, what is important for me is the manner in which I acquaint myself with the changing norms and procedures. One such challenge is the way in which I will try to come at par with the studies which are being offered. It is quite possible that I might feel weak within studies or within a subject and on that count; I will feel that I cannot cope up with the same. I might not be ab le to impart the much needed time towards my graduate studies which would lead to more frustration and worries on my part. Another challenge that I might face is to maintain a considerably solid GPA in order to remain ahead of my class fellows as well as to have a solid rapport with the university administration. I need to have a GPA which is a clear representation of my skills, abilities, my educational capacities, talents and so on and so forth. Last challenge that a graduate like me might have within my graduate studies is in the way I need to pay my semester or term fees, which seem to be on the rise every now and then. Since the university authorities do not usually assign a reason before raising the fees, it leaves the students and their guardians high and dries most of the times. The definable steps in achieving short term and long term goals would bank a great deal on how things shape up within my understanding levels of education.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Law - Essay Example In this paper, laws are discussed as far as their determinations of the levels of freedom people enjoy are concerned (Locke 15). In America, there is a law governing each activity. From handling children to the amount of sugar in a Coke bottle, everything in America follows given guidelines. Operating without these guidelines often lands people in trouble ending in jail terms and fines. While the breaking of laws occurs in every country, the United States is often ridiculed for having laws on subjects that could be easily resolved using other methods. Being the most elaborate constitutions on earth, the United States constitution has a profound effect on the way people handle other people and live life in general (Locke 24). First, having some rules in place limits people’s freedom of movement. For example, moving from one state to the next requires that one informs their original state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and then updates their driver license to that effect. Failure to do these often results in one’s license being suspended. It is actually illogical that a nation with a single currency, president, and national flag should have different laws on the same issue. Secondly, having too many laws limits people’s imagination since it scares them into believing whatever they are up to could land them behind bars. In this sense, many people fear entering businesses such as the trading of commodities since one just does not know to differentiate between legal and the illegal. In essence, being without laws has its advantages and disadvantages. While not clouding people’s judgment, it gives people freedom to carry out evil deeds unchecked. As Hobbes once said, the existence of such a â€Å"dissolute condition of master less men, without subjection to Laws, and a coercive Power to their hands from rapine, and revenge† would be a breeding grounds for all vices bent on curtailing civilization and comfort. Laws shall thus remain

Topic is how did Steve Jobs has influenced people's, or my own ideas Essay

Topic is how did Steve Jobs has influenced people's, or my own ideas - Essay Example I am focused on doing the same because I have decided that I wont do anything I don’t want to as I want to focus my energy in doing what am best at in order to achieve my objectives in life. He always gave the best at what he was doing in order to perfect it with the objective of giving the customers the best there can ever be. One of the major lessons I got from him is that life is short hence I have to maximize the use of my time in order to achieve my goals. Furthermore, mistakes are there to make us better citizens and come back much stronger than before. I take my mistakes as life lessons and I do my best not to repeat them and do things differently so as to achieve my objectives in life. I also study the lives of my friends and other people and get the best out of them and avoid the mistakes that they made in life. This has made me who I am today and I still remain focused on achieving greater things in life. He used his personal life experiences during his speeches and this inspired me a lot as I always aspired to be like him. His insistence on not losing faith during hard times often guides me during difficult times. I now understand that there is no time for being hopeless as life is too short to even think of despairing. I am now focused in everything I do and I don’t despair at all regardless of the hardships I face in life. The various challenges and obstacles that tend to inhibit my success in life only make me stronger and wiser and give me confidence every time I manage to overcome them. My mistakes make me a better person because what is important is not to repeat them and stay focused on discovering new ways of doing things. Through his speeches, I managed to understand and appreciate the importance of utilizing the few resources I have at my disposal. Success is not based on doing big things because you may die struggling to achieve that and not do it at all. It is based on utilizing the available resources to get the best out of them. When he said that people don’t realize what they have until they lose them, I was moved because he was stressing on the importance of guarding what we have and using them wisely in order to get the best out of them. Things like time and natural resources are not renewable and should be well utilized for maximum output. We only live once and aging is not reversible so we should do all the things that we are capable of doing in good time so we don’t regret in the future when it’s a little too late. It is important to be yourself and do things in your own unique way. Being original and sticking to oneself helps in discovering and sticking to personal talents as opposed to imitating what the others are doing. This is very important because it ensures that one concentrates at what he is good at and likes doing as opposed to imitating something that is beyond your ability. Setting personal achievable goals is the basic thing here as it drives one to succeed in a given task within a given time frame. It also eliminates the possibility of trying to achieve impossible things because other people are doing them and succeeding with ease. This goes hand in hand with ignoring those who criticize what you are doing and think that you are either crazy or bound to fail. The society has these kinds of people that will either mock you or pull you down so you don’

Special occasions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Special occasions - Essay Example For Muslims, there is a one-month of fasting being tediously observed during Ramadan to manifest the Prophet Muhammad’s historic acknowledgement of receiving the Quran from the angel Gabriel. These are special occasions that have been repeatedly and religiously observed for centuries. Further, there are special occasions that are deemed extraordinary only to the individual, the family and closest friends. One’s immersion to the world is celebrated annually through diverse means. Birthday celebrations for children are particularly a joyful occasion to cherish. Apart from the lavish preparations for food, party favors, mascots and invitations for guests, birthday celebrations are filled with loved ones and friends sharing precious moments and preserved through gifts, mementos and photographs that are kept to revere in the future. Another set of special occasions shared with family and friends are school affairs such as commencement exercises or graduations from one academic level to another, school prom, or being accepted in a prestigious university for higher education. What do all these occasions have in common that make them special? The most important element, of course, is me and the people who I share these events with. People tend to associate something special when activities are done out of the normal routine of daily endeavors. They only come once in a defined time period. The anticipation for the next event makes them extraordinary. Likewise, loved ones and friends exert quality time, money and effort to engage in intricate and elaborate preparations just to make one happy during these events. We acknowledge and realize that during these special occasions, we receive a blessing, a grace, a benefit, a lesson, a form of positive reward. During birthdays, aside from gifts, good food, and the company of loved ones, we get

Global Skills and Global Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Skills and Global Knowledge - Essay Example The new insights gained from learning the French culture and language equipped me with the basic skills to increase the possibility of living in Europe and enable me to communicate with others using their language. Further, by reinforcing learning the dimensions of culture, I was able to acquire a better edge from other people of the same qualifications as mine, but without the knowledge of speaking French. Through learning intricate details of the French culture, I was fortunate to have shared interesting facts that could improve communication, interpersonal relationships and possible entry to global organizations from that country, in particular, if given the right opportunity. To reiterate, I enrolled in a French for travel class that provided basic theoretical guidelines on grammar, syntax and frequently used statements for daily communication. In doing so, proficiency in French was initially gained. With regular practice and continued study in higher class modules, I am sure tha t I would be highly proficient in the language. These skills could be applied in future plans to either live or work in Europe. The basic communication skills of learning French would be used for relevant correspondences: both speaking and writing, as one envisions working with a global organization, either in France, or with branches in Europe. As a result of learning a third language, I gained more competence and confidence to communicate with people from France or from other French speaking countries.

Internet is good for study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Internet is good for study - Essay Example Statistics has revealed that global use of the internet as of 2012 have profoundly increased and where China ranked as the number one country with the highest number of Internet users and followed by the United States (Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users). The popularity of the Internet could be attributed to different reasons, depending on the profile of the users. It has always been acknowledged that members of the current generation, especially adolescents and young adults use the Internet for diverse purposes other than fact finding or information gathering. The popularity of social networking sites has significantly increased Internet usage through sharing of experiences, photos, events, and recent updates on the lives of friends, relatives, and acquaintances. From the study conducted by the Lebo, the Internet was found to be used for the following general purposes: fact finding activities, visiting social networking sites, playing games, watching videos, paying bills, and even purchasing products online (Lebo). Fact finding activities could already be classified as a general category for studying. In this regard, the current discourse contends that the Internet is actually a good medium for enhancing academic performance or in studying for the reasons that information is easily accessible; more people from all walks of life have immediate access to this technological medium; and studying through the Internet could be undertaken across time and geographic locations. A discussion of the reasons why the Internet is deemed good for studying would initially be provided. To present a balanced discourse, the views of people who contend that the Internet actually poses threats to learning and academic development would also be expounded. Thus, the next section would present a discussion on why the Internet could be detrimental to academic endeavors. The final section would weigh the arguments asserting the

John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism Essay Abstract The paper presents the life of John Stuart Mill through his biography. A glimpse on his exceptional life as a child was also included in his biography. Likewise, his major contributions as a philosopher and economist were also discussed. Since John Stuart Mill was a proponent of utilitarianism, the paper focuses its discussion on Mill and utilitarianism. The views of John Stuart Mill on utilitarianism and how it differs from Bentham’s views were given much attention in the paper. The history of utilitarianism was also presented to show how utilitarianism evolved. The confusions of many people, regarding who the real founder of utilitarianism, was clarified through the history of utilitarianism. Introduction John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), is a British philosopher-economist, who is the son of James Mill. He is one of the best 19th century thinkers. In economics, he was influenced by the theories of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Thomas Robert Malthus, and his Principles of Political Economy is a little more than a restatement of their ideas. He had a great impact on 19th century British thought, not only in philosophy and economics but also in the areas of political science, logic, and ethics. He was a proponent of utilitarianism. He systematized the utilitarian doctrines of his father and Jeremy Bentham in such works as Utilitarianism (1863), basing knowledge upon human experience and emphasizing human reason. In political economy, Mill advocated those policies that he believed most consistent with individual liberty, and he emphasized that liberty could be threatened as much by social as by political tyranny. He is probably most famous for his essay â€Å"On Liberty† (1859). He studied pre-Marxian socialist doctrine, and, although he did not become a socialist, he worked actively for improvement of the conditions of the working people. Utilitarianism is a philosophy which has been around for centuries, and is still active and popular in the modern world. It is important not only in philosophy itself, but in disciplines such as economics, political science, and decision theory. To some people, Utilitarianism seems to be the only ethical philosophy which is obviously correct. To others, it seems to be quite misconceived, even reprehensible. Biography of John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a British philosopher, economist, moral and political theorist, and administrator. He was the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century. His views are of continuing significance, and are generally recognized to be among the deepest and certainly the most effective defenses of empiricism and of a liberal political view of society and culture. The overall aim of his philosophy is to develop a positive view of the universe and the place of humans in it, one which contributes to the progress of human knowledge, individual freedom and human well-being. John Stuart Mill was born on May 20, 1806 in Pentonville, London. He was the eldest son of James Mill, a Scottish philosopher and historian who had come to London and become a leading figure in the group of philosophical radicals which aimed to further the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham. His mother was Harriet Barrow, who seems to have had very little influence upon him. Mill was educated by his father, with the advice and assistance of Jeremy Bentham and Francis Place. He was given an extremely rigorous upbringing, and was deliberately shielded from association with children of his own age other than his siblings. His father, a follower of Bentham and an adherent of associationism, had as his explicit aim to create a genius intellect that would carry on the cause of utilitarianism and its implementation after he and Bentham were dead. John Stuart Mill as a child was exceptional. At the age of three he was taught the Greek alphabet and long lists of Greek words with their English equivalents. By the age of eight he had read Aesop’s Fables, Xenophon’s Anabasis, and the whole of Herodotus, and was acquainted with Lucian, Diogenes Laertius, Isocrates and six dialogues of Plato. He had also read a great deal of history in English and had been taught arithmetic. At fifteen, John Stuart Mill undertook the study of Benthams various fragments on the theory of legal evidence. These had an inspiring influence on him, fixing in him his life-long goal of reforming the world in the interest of human well-being. At the age of seventeen, he had completed advanced and thorough courses of study in Greek literature and philosophy, chemistry, botany, psychology, and law. In 1822 Mill began to work as a clerk for his father in the examiners office of the India House. In 1823, he co-founded the Westminster Review with Jeremy Bentham as a journal for philosophical radicals. This intensive study however had injurious effects on Mills mental health, and state of mind. At the age of twenty-one, he suffered a nervous breakdown. This was caused by the great physical and mental arduousness of his studies which had suppressed any feelings or spirituality he might have developed normally in childhood. Nevertheless, this depression eventually began to dissipate, as he began to find solace in the poetry of William Wordsworth. His capacity for emotion resurfaced, Mill remarking that the â€Å"cloud gradually drew off†. In 1851, Mill married Harriet Taylor after 21 years of an at times intense friendship and love affair. Taylor was a significant influence on Mills work and ideas during both friendship and marriage. His relationship with Harriet Taylor reinforced Mills advocacy of womens rights. He died in Avignon, France in 1873, and is buried alongside his wife. John Stuart Mill and the Classical School of Thought Classical economics starts with Adam Smith, as a coherent economic theory, continues with the British economists Thomas Robert Malthus and David Ricardo, and culminates in the synthesis of John Stuart Mill, who as a young man was a follower of David Ricardo. Among the classical economists in the three-quarters of a century, although they have differences of opinion between Smiths Wealth of Nations and Mills Principles of Political Economy (1848), the members of the group still agreed on major principles. All believed in private property, free markets, and, in Mills words, that â€Å"only through the principle of competition has political economy any pretension to the character of a science. † They shared Smiths strong suspicion of government and his ardent confidence in the power of self-interest represented by his famous â€Å"invisible hand,† which reconciled public benefit with individual pursuit of private gain. From Ricardo, classicists derived the notion of diminishing returns, which held that as more labor and capital were applied to land, yields after â€Å"a certain and not very advanced stage in the progress of agriculture steadily diminished. † Through Smiths emphasis on consumption, rather than on production, the scope of economics was considerably broadened. Smith was optimistic about the chances of improving general standards of life. He called attention to the importance of permitting individuals to follow their self-interest as a means of promoting national prosperity. History of Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a fairly old philosophy, and major elements of it are even older. The best known, and most prolific, utilitarian philosophers were Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). In their time, utilitarianism was a significant philosophical movement in Britain, and the utilitarians were some of the leading social reformers of the time. John Stuart Mill, especially, is quite well known today. Many people seem to think, unfortunately, that utilitarianism began with Bentham and ended with Mill. This is quite wrong in two ways. First, Bentham was not the first utilitarian, although he did coin the word utilitarianism. Various pre-Benthamite philosophers were advocating utilitarian positions several decades before Bentham was born. Also, utilitarianism has a lot in common with ancient non-utilitarian philosophers, such as Mo Tzu and Jesus. Both of these people advocated a doctrine of universal love. These doctrines were not precisely stated enough to compare directly with utilitarianism, but they were definitely universalist and egalitarian, and had strong currents of consequentialism, welfarism, and (at least in the case of Mo Tzu) maximization. The second problem with the popular misconception is that there has been a great deal of development in utilitarianism since Mill. Some people are aware, for example, of the later developments of Preference Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Mill is still usually regarded as the main resource on Utilitarianism, though. Part of the problem is that he wrote about it comprehensively, and there have been few good comprehensive books about utilitarianism since then. Modern utilitarianism is in many ways far more sophisticated than that of Mill. Most importantly, it has become connected with many developments in areas such as economics, political science, and decision theory. Utilitarianism has always enjoyed an essentially unique position as the only philosophy which applied to all areas of human endeavor in a reasonably straightforward endeavor, and committed to specific positions on how conflict between various interests should be resolved. In Mills time, utilitarianism was strongly linked to economics, although the two disciplines subsequently diverged. Today, Preference Utilitarianism as a theory underlies many ideas in the sciences, and has been formalized to a degree that Mill never dreamed of. The idea of utility maximization even has applications entirely outside of philosophy, such as its use in artificial intelligence to represent how a computer could make trade-offs between different goals. Utilitarianism today exists both as a powerful kind of formal reasoning, and as the philosophy which says that such reasoning should define the moral ideal in human affairs. Utilitarianism can even be formally derived from a set of four reasonable seeming axioms, something that no other major philosophy can claim. The modern state of utilitarianism in relation to other philosophies is actually quite unusual. Most philosophies exist in theoretical isolation, based on ideas which have little in common with ideas in other disciplines. Other disciplines, in turn, dont have much formal contact with them. Most major philosophies have a significant presence in politics and social issues, with people explicitly referring to issues such as rights and equality when debating how society should be organized. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, exists mostly in the background of popular discourse. People who claim to follow other philosophies often make utilitarian arguments when it suits them, and utilitarian arguments are often used by people who wouldnt claim to follow any specific philosophy at all. Many philosophers make sure to explicitly place their ideas in opposition to utilitarianism, as if it were always lurking in the background ready to pounce on the unsuspecting theory. In part, this may be because utilitarianism is a sort of philosophical hydra, growing a new position for each one that is dismissed. While specific utilitarian ideas are vulnerable to attack, the underlying sentiments have proven amazingly resilient and have evolved to remain entirely current. Throughout the twentieth century, many philosophers confidently predicted that utilitarianism had been devastated, and would soon fall out of favor only to be disproved when it remained as popular as ever. Utilitarian perspectives have also been quietly adopted in domains ranging from economics, political science, and decision theory to cognitive science and artificial intelligence. This has given modern utilitarianism a powerful formulation like no other, and a strong applied tradition. The old questions of how to measure utility, and how to maximize it most effectively in practice, have been extensively researched outside of philosophy. The result of this is that while other philosophies often talk in general terms of how they should be applied, and have problems in resolving conflicts between various principles, utilitarianism is at the cutting edge of rigorously applicable principles. Which is still, it should be mentioned, far from perfect. John Stuart Mill on Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is the most influential moral philosophy in the last two centuries. Jeremy Bentham is the acknowledged founder of utilitarianism. He admitted however that he took over the principle of utility from David Hume. By stating categorically that there is an ultimate good – a summum bonum, John Stuart Mill, the most famous utilitarian, laid the foundation of his moral philosophy. According to Mill, all moral actions should be aimed at attaining this good. Mill insists that this good is happiness. According to the Greatest Happiness Principle, †¦ the ultimate end, with reference to and for the sake of which all other things are desirable – whether we are considering our own good or that of other people – is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments, both in point of quantity and quality†¦ ( Boyce, p. 36) Mill states his teological position by insisting that the rightness of an action is determined by the actual consequences. It cannot be done by simply examining the nature of the act alone. The real value of our actions depends on whether it promotes the good or not. The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals Utility or Greatest Happiness Principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness. Wrong, as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain, by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure. (Boyce, p. 36) Mill differs radically from Bentham on two important points. He is vehemently against the purely quantitative treatment of the principle of utility. According to Mill, we have to admit that some pleasures are intrinsically superior to others. He disdainfully said: It is better to be a human being dissatisfied, than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides. (Solomon, p. 310 ) To confirm his point, Mill cites Epicurus (341-270 B. C. ) who also espoused the view that while the good life is the life of pleasure, he does not mean only bodily and sensual pleasure alone. These are higher forms like intellectual and spiritual pleasure. According to both philosophers some pleasures are intrinsically superior to others. When there are some issues that arise about the criterion for judging the quality of pleasure. Mill argues that: If I am asked what I mean by difference of quality of pleasures, or what makes one pleasure more valuable than another, merely as a pleasure, except its being greater in amount, there is but one possible answer. Of two pleasures if there is be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of a feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure. If one of the two is, by those who are competently acquainted with both, placed so far above the other that they prefer it, even though knowing it to be attended with a greater amount of discontent, and would not resign it for any quantity of the other pleasure which their name is capable of, we are justified in ascribing to the preferred enjoyment a superiority in quality so far outweighing quantity as to render it, in comparison of small account. (Solomon, pp. 297-298). The example given by Mill is Socrates who is acquainted with both bodily pleasure and intellectual pleasure. If you ask which pleasure is more desirable, obviously, according to Mill, Socrates will choose intellectual pleasure. So the criterion for judging which pleasure is better than another must be made by a judge who has experienced both kinds of pleasures. Indeed, Mill is calling for an inter-subjective consensus of people who experienced both types of pleasure. The introduction of quality of pleasure added undue complication to Bentham’s quantitative calculus. The higher pleasure consists of the more intellectual, artistic and even spiritual, like reading poetry, speculating about the nature or the cosmos, enjoying of music and the visual arts etc. as opposed to the more sensual and physical, like eating good food, indulging in sex and other physical stimulation. It must be mentioned though, that Mill is not excluding the lower pleasure from consideration. But obviously, he personally prefers the higher pleasures. Remember that it is the pig that provides the model for lower pleasure; in contrast, it is Socrates who exemplifies the quest for higher pleasures. Mill’s proof on the soundness of the principle of utility: The only proof capable of being given that an object is visible is that people actually see it. The only proof that a sound is audible is that people actually hear it; and so the other sources of our experience. In like manner, I apprehend, the sole evidence is it possible to produce that anything is desirable that people do actually desire it†¦ no reason can be given why the general happiness is desirable, except that each person, so far as he believes it to be attainable, desire his own happiness. (Solomon, p. 319 ). This proof has been the subject of debate among utlilitarian scholars. According to Solomon, the most generous interpretation of Mill’s proof are the following: one’s own happiness or pleasure is the only thing desired by each person; the general happiness or the happiness of all is the only thing desired for itself by all; the only test of something being desirable is its being desired; the general happiness is the only thing desired in itself; and lastly, the only test of the rightness or wrongness of actions is their tendency to promote the general happiness (the greatest happiness for the greatest number). Summary and Conclusion John Stuart Mill, being a philosopher and an economist had a great impact in the 19th century british thought not only in the field of philosophy and economics but also in other areas of political science, logic, and ethics. His exceptional childhood because of his father’s rigorous training had injurious effects on his mental health, and state of mind. Nevertheless, his father was able to create a genius in him that would carry on the cause of utilitarianism and its implementation after the death of his father and Bentham. One of the important works of John Stuart Mill was Utilitarianism, which argues for the philosophy of Utilitarianism. This philosophy was primarily formed by Jeremy Bentham, but Mills father James Mill was also a proponent. Utilitarianism holds that actions are good in proportion to the amount of happiness produced and number of people happiness is produced in. Mills main innovation to Utilitarianism is the idea of a hierarchy of pleasures. Bentham had treated all forms of happiness as equal, whereas Mill argued that intellectual and moral pleasures and developments were superior to more physical forms of pleasure. His views are of continuing significance, and are recognized to be among the deepest and certainly the most effective defenses of empiricism and of a liberal political view of society and culture. The overall aim of his philosophy is to develop a positive view of the universe and the place of humans in it, one which contributes to the progress of human knowledge, individual freedom and human well-being. His views are not entirely original, having their roots in the British empiricism of John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume, and in the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham. But he gave them a new depth, and his formulations were sufficiently articulate to gain for them a continuing influence among a broad public. References: ACUNA, A. E. 2001. Philosophical Analysis. 5th Edition. U. P. Department of Philosophy. Diliman, Quezon City. Autobiography by John Stuart Mill. http://www. utilitarianism. com/jsmill. htm. BOYCE, W. D. 1978. Moral Reasoning. University of Nebraska Press. London. MONTGOMERIE, I. 2000. A Utilitarian FAQ. http://www. ianmontgomerie. com /manifesto/utilitarian. SOLOMON, R. C. Morality and the Good Life. 1984. McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York. Webster’s Family Encyclopedia. 1999. Vol. 6. Archer Worldwide Inc. Great Neck, New York, U. S. A.

Regimes of Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments

Regimes of Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments A comparison of the similarities and differences of the respective regimes of recognition and enforcement of judgments under Council Regulation 44/2001 with those provided by the English Common Law. As a Member State of the European Union, the United Kingdom is subject to two regimes of recognition and enforcement of judgments. One is the domestic system that has developed under the English common law, while the other has been imposed upon the English legal system by the European Council, through Regulation 44/2001. These two regimes are similar in many ways, although there also significant differences between them. The Council Regulation acknowledges that in the pursuit of a community in which free movement of persons is ensured, there needs to be ‘measures relating to judicial cooperation in civil matters which are necessary for the sound operation of the internal market.’ Furthermore, it expressly recognizes that judicial differences between the national rules of member states governing jurisdiction and recognition of judgments ‘hamper the sound operation of the internal market’. The Regulation seeks to establish the free movement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, and it can therefore be seen as a harmonizing measure. It replaced the Brussels Convention on jurisdiction. The Regulation is based upon the principle that there should be a high level of predictability in the area of judicial enforcement and recognition. This can be seen as in-keeping with the general aims of the Community as set out in the earlier Treaties. Article 32 of the Regulation defines ‘judgment’ as ‘any judgment given by a court or tribunal of a member state, whatever the judgment may be called, including a decree, order, decision or writ of execution†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This deals with any semantic difficulties of interpretation throughout the Member States, and ensures that all judgments that should properly be described as judgments are so. The Regulation goes on to state that a judgment in one Member State will be recognized, without the need for any special procedure, in other Member States. This can be seen as differing to some extent from the common law regime in England, under which a specific treaty with the country in which the original judgment was obtained is required in order for that judgment to be enforced. Such was the result of the Brussels and Legano Conventions, which the Regulation has sought to amend. If this is not in existence, the jurisdiction of an English court will depend upon where the process was served upon the defendant. At common law, there is a distinction between service upon a defendant within the jurisdiction, and service upon a defendant outside the jurisdiction. Where the defendant is outside the jurisdiction, service upon such a defendant requires the permission of the court (under the Civil Procedure Rules Part 6). There are a number of other significant factors to which attention must be paid under the English common law relating to recognition of judgments. These factors include the nationality of the court which gave judgment (as was mentioned above relating to the question of whether a treaty exists with that country); the subject matter of the action (that is, whether it is an action in personam or in rem; a distinction which the Regulation also makes); as well as the nature of the order made by the court outside of the jurisdiction. The regime under the common law makes provision for the ‘registration’ of judgments, particularly of those from the Commonwealth and other Western European countries (under the Administration of Justice Act 1920, s9(1)). Once registered, a judgment has the same force and effect as if the judgment had originally been obtained from the registering court on the day of registration. Furthermore, foreign judgments can be registered under the Foreign Ju dgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1933. The effect of this is the same as registered judgments under the AJA; namely that the judgment obtains the force and effect it would have if granted in the registering court. These provisions, then, require a foreign judgment to be registered in the UK in order for it to be enforceable and recoverable on. This is considerably more protracted and complex than under the European regime brought in by Regulation 44/2001. This is more straightforward, although of course more limited. While a judgment obtained in a court of a Member State will be applicable throughout the Community, and actionable upon, this extends only to the other Member States as opposed to under British law, whereby the judgment of a court of any nationality will be recognized and enforced, so long as it is registered in accordance with the statutory provisions. Further principles have developed under the common law in England regarding what judgments will be enforceable. It is established that the judgment in personam of a court of ‘competent jurisdiction’ will be enforceable in England provided that it is for a definite sum of money, and it is final and conclusive. These conditions add little to the statutory provisions other than a requisite degree of certainty. This can be seen to differ from the Regulation which stipulates that even a judgment for a ‘periodic payment by way of penalty’ will be enforceable but only if the amount has been finally determined. There is no requirement, then, under Article 49, for the payment to be final and conclusive. There are, then, certain important differences between the two regimes on recognition and enforcement of judgments to which the UK is subject. Despite this, however, the Regulation sought to harmonise the laws relating to enforcement to promote the free movement of judgments within the Community. It has achieved this without infringing too much on the existing English regime which maintains it applicability to judgments from courts of nationalities outside the Community.

Rommel Rundstedt Controversy Essay -- War, Invasion of France, Normand

There are significant reasons why Field Marshal Rundstedt’s operational concept to defend against the Allied invasion of France was superior to Field Marshal Rommel’s and could have changed the course of the war. Geographically, Rundstedt’s concept provided the Germans the best chance to defeat the Allied advance. Operationally, he accounted for several military and intelligence assessment considerations that gave his plan the edge. From a strategic and political standpoint, had Hitler been willing to negotiate peace, a major Allied defeat in France offered by Rundstedt’s plan presented Germany its last chance to achieve victory. Had Rommel made a proper assessment of the French coastline and countryside, he would have probably sided with Rundstedt. â€Å"It was clear to von Rundstedt that 2,600 kilometers of coastline could not be made impregnable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ose, 8) In Rundstedt’s view, the best strategy to defend the coast â€Å"called for using an offensive defensive by operating behind the coast strong armored divisions, strictly controlled and flexibly led.† (Ose, 9) Obvious geographic challenges along the coast meant that Rommel’s plan to be decisive with armored divisions would have given the German Army little chance of success. The first major problem with Rommel’s plan was the length of coastline which would have been impossible to defend unless he was lucky enough to determine the exact time and location of attack. The long coastline of France had already overextended German forces and their defenses were growing weaker due to commitments elsewhere in the Europ ean theater. (Cubbage, 149) Even with Rommel’s plan for extensive obstacles along the coast, it seems he â€Å"forgot that a concrete and steel barrier with an exploitable wea... ...epts to defeat the Allied invasion of France. Upon examination of each operational concept, it becomes clear that Rundstedt’s plan would have given the German Army the best chance of success. In the summer of 1944, a decisive victory over Allied forces in France could have drawn Great Britain and the United States to the negotiating table. A decisive victory would have also afforded the Germans more forces on the Eastern Front. More forces in the east could have halted the Soviet advance, and could have brought Stalin to the negotiating table as well. Given those possibilities, we know in hindsight that it would have been unlikely for Hitler or the Allies to accept anything less than total victory. In other words, the operational success offered by Rundstedt’s plan would not have translated into strategic victory given the resolve of Hitler and the Allies.

What Constitutes Knowledge? Essay -- Definition Educating Knowing Essa

What Constitutes Knowledge?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The workings of the mind have been the focus of philosophers from the beginnings of humanity. One primary focal point that has been pondered over by numerous thinkers is what exactly constitutes knowledge. At first glance the issue seems to be cut and dry but the question gets more complicated with thought. This can be witnessed by the many different epistemological theories put forward throughout the ages. This can specifically be seen by looking at 4 different classical views on knowledge, those of Plato, Epicurus, the Stoics and the Skeptics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As it was stated in the opening paragraph of this essay everyone has their own theory of what constitutes knowledge. That is why I think it would be beneficial for me to state what I believe knowledge is. First of all I don’t think anyone can ever know anything for certain. I believe that we can sense certain sights, smells, sounds, etc. but our senses could be mistaken. We are let down by our senses all the time we see optical illusions, mirages, mishear people, confuse odors and the like. Also if you think about all of the senses that we are lacking that other species have we are missing out on a great portion of reality. For example bloodhounds have a drastically stronger sense of smell, snakes can see heat, dolphins and bats communicate through high frequency sounds that we can not dream of hearing. Added to all the other things that go on around us daily that we are missing shows me that we are missing out on what is truly reality. We can only hope to experience, or â€Å"know† our own very limited reality. So to that end that is one reason I don’t think we can ever really know anything. In regards to knowledge of human reality I believe that we may be able to be very confident of certain things but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we know them. To me knowledge is having 100% certainty of a fact and that’s dangerous in my opinion because nothing we experience is certain. Here I split what has been called knowledge into empirical knowledge, rational knowledge and Knowledge that we hear from others. However I think that each one of these categories has their own shortcomings and I’ll deal with them from the most credible source of knowledge to the least. As I explained before the senses can deceive us and there is no reason to believe that anything we see is reality. Eve... ...ntrol plays an extremely important part in the process of chasing knowledge. It takes a great deal of self control to admit to yourself that you do not know something. It is a common human characteristic to assume that you know a certain piece of information and you need to restrain yourself and at least double check the validity of the statement. It is also very important to remember how you came to â€Å"know† the information. Many people claim to know things that they have learned in class, from parents, or in church. However, none of these are valid avenues to true knowledge. Just because another individual says something that makes some sense doesn’t mean it’s correct. The individual needs to be wary of believing that they know things. It is one thing to believe in something but it is a far greater commitment to say that you know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I agree with some of the points made by the classical philosophers on the subject of knowledge, but I don’t agree with any of their entire theories. Socrates, Epicuris, the skeptics and the Stoics all make valid points but also stray from my view of what knowledge is. However, I am quite sure that my theory could be wrong as well.

The Welcome Ceremony: A Role :: essays research papers fc

The Welcome Ceremony is performed when visitors entering a village where they are expected usually find the ali'i and faipule waiting for them either outside or within a house. If the occasion is a very formal one, the whole village may have assembled in its various groups, matai, Pastors of different denominations, Women's Committee in distinctive uniforms, schools and young men and women. In this case, a arch of welcome will probably also have been constructed. The meeting house (fale fono) and other houses set aside for the adjustment of the party, are almost certain to have been carefully and beautifully decorated with leaves and flowers. In search of our topic, â€Å"The Welcome Ceremony,† also known in Samoan,†Usuga,† we put together the three categories that were given to us. We, as a group wanted our topic to relate to the theme, so we elaborated on our topic,† The Welcome Ceremony: A Role In Communication Between Different Villages, Environments and Agriculture.† Our topic if shortened,† The Welcome Ceremony,† is a ceremony performed to welcome visitors, its performed with hospitality, honor and respect. Most visitors find this ceremony pleasing and delightful. They admire the customs used, for instance: the sitting positions, the cultural greetings with High Rank Samoan Chiefs and Pastors(Faifeau) of different denomination and then manners taken place during the ceremony. We carried out our research by gathering sources from primary and secondary sources. We planned and gathered our sources with patience. Source of research were of interviews, internet access and brief readings. The category chosen to carry out our topic is, a Group Performance. Why a group performance? We want people to know and see in their own visual aid how the ceremony is performed. We also want to state for a fact that our generation knows what the ceremony is and the process of the performance. The topic being brought to life by the performers tells or sends the audience a message, telling them that we, the presenters, are interested in our topic. It also sends a message to the newcomers that our generation is bringing back the true meaning of our culture. We are reviving our Samoan culture. By doing so, we picked the performance category to show what we understand about our topic. The welcome ceremony: a role of communication between different villages, environments and agricultures; to us, it has a great relationship to this years theme. The Welcome ceremony has a lot of communicating actions and reactions.

My First Impression of Critical Thinking Class Essay

My first impression when I went to this university was very positive. The person I spoke to just made me feel completely at home because he said when I started as a mature student and that’s what I wanted to hear. He asked me about my experience so far and treated it as though it was something important, something worthwhile talking about and interesting and then he gave me chance to prove myself although I didn’t have the conventional qualifications, to prove myself by doing a written piece of writing which gave me access to the course. Quite pleased because I felt I was intelligent enough to get onto a course, intelligent enough but not educated enough, I didn’t have the certificates to prove it and this was my chance to do so. I’ve no way of knowing really to be honest I’ve nothing really to compare it without I imagine that obviously with the engineering and those sort of sciences you do need to show that you’ve gone through the steps, yes I can imagine there would be the difference, yeah.. My course is like a general introduction to socio-economic, political, even psychological studies and as you go through from one year to the next you can concentrate more on the areas that you find you are interested in but you don’t regret having done other areas which you weren’t particularly fascinated by because it’s building blocks and you build on the last one before you go onto the next one. I found it really hard work fitting – think fitting 6 subjects in one year is quite a lot to fit in. It would be nice if it was just 5 perhaps but that’s life. The deadlines are really hard work but I suppose you’ve got to have them so that’s okay. I chose to study full-time so I can’t really complain. I find the university itself a rather alienating environment. In the library it is difficult to concentrate – there are always people chatting, letting doors bang and so on. It’s mostly minor practical things like the long two bus journeys that I have and the fact that there is nowhere to base yourself. You can’t make yourself a coffee – you haven’t got a room of your own, not even a locker. You have to carry everything there and back every day and pay 82p for a drink, like a shopper going round town. You can’t find anywhere to have a nap if you’re tired and I love catnapping – it just revives me instantly. Study rooms get really hot. The food canteens are not as good as I’d expect but it’s great – I could stay all day reading in the library – it’s a fantastic resource. There is just so much there – and I think of it as an archive – as time goes on the more and more, the older stuff gets more and more important – the fact that it’s still there because if you compare it for example with the internet there’s loads of stuff on the internet but it’s all pretty current. The old stuff hasn’t necessarily been archived, it can just be switched off. Lack of grass roots involvement, choices and accountability – altogether you are treated more like a consumer than a participant but with no customer services hotline. You’ve very much following a series of chosen paths like levels in a computer game. The choices are just which subjects, not fundamentals like where, when and how to study – it’s not a democracy, it’s an institution. It’s not what I’d expected coming from the voluntary sector where every organisation is run by a committee that the grass roots can contact and appeal to. You can even put yourself forward to join the committees. Student Union’s just not the same, to me that’s like being invited to be a critic in the audience, not to have a share in running the show. Here they ask for one student rep from our group – just one – why not all of us? Why not an open forum meeting every few months to feed all our comments – big and small – through to the management. Why not a suggestion box at least? Where is the annual report to students? Where s the accountability? It was a surprise to find my course entirely full of 18 year old white kids – they all look the same. There must be less than 5% mature students which is a shame. The youngsters are so docile in the classroom, like sheep, they never challenge anything, they just don’t know loads of stuff like recent British history, politics. Of course, it’s easier if you’ve lived through it but I don’t think some of them even listen to the news. I feel sorry for anyone just studying the National Curriculum. The mature students mostly got kids, like me, I’ve got teenagers, some also work, have other activities, some are even doing other courses at the same time, they know how to push themselves. Even so, a lot feel unconfident at the university. They just don’t get what’s required of them, at least for the first year. I was a mentor when I started my second year for an adult in her first year. She said I really helped in lending an ear and explaining things. Mentoring is a really good system. I wish I’d had one when I started. Co-operative work, team work, committee skills. The whole emphasis is on developing you as an individual. You will become a researcher, not a team. We are also carefully told how to avoid plagiarism but people are afraid to actually work together – in fact, university doesn’t teach team work in general. It could. In reality there are vital committee skills some graduates won’t come across till they get to the workplace, making them look naive. I mean practical things like meetings, having agendas, minutes, standing orders and so on. In the voluntary sector I’d been used to organisations having good, well worked out policies and procedures which are publicly available documents. Here, the nearest we got was one session on ground rules in an introductory course which was never repeated, reviewed or built upon. Value and experiences, using skills and building your self-esteem. Something I got from training as an adult trainer was an appreciation of good methods in bringing out what people already have as a starting point for education. Lectures are obviously pretty much one way but seminars don’t have to be. I was taught to be a facilitator not a teacher with the idea that the group works together towards a result. The process of doing this is educational. It builds up self-esteem because everyone contributes – their input is valued. Their previous experiences in life and skills and attributes in group work come out. There is no time for that here. Seminars are mostly just tutors trying to get kids to talk about what they’ve understood from the text of some great intellectual man who’s probably dead now. Perhaps that is just in social science, I don’t know. Social justice, rights, respect, equality and diversity – all these things are central to the objectives in the voluntary sector. I am sure they are here in the mission statement for the university but the reality is different. The staff seem to be 100% white. I am on a course which must be about 98% white. Why aren’t people screaming about that? Where are the anti-racism posters around the place? It’s as if no-one wants to stir up agitation for a change. One good thing is that here in working-class South Yorkshire the university does open its library doors and other facilities to everyone although it doesn’t make a point of advertising the fact – perhaps they think that would cause trouble. Perhaps they’re not proud enough of the community focus part of the mission. Activism, forums, notice-boards. I was expecting university to be a hive of student activities like it perhaps was in the 1960’s but it’s not, as many people have said. The student societies are, to say the least, not high profile. This is a shame because it’s such a learning experience for people’s skills trying to organise something. One reason is that there are so few lively, open notice-boards where activities can be advertised. The few existing notice-boards are glass-covered, it’s not obvious if they’re for student use and people secretly try to slide notices through the glass where they just stay there for months curling up. Split between several campuses there’s no feeling of a sort of open forum for stalls. It’s as if a vital source is missing. True engagement with the community. Before I’d started at university I’d seven years or more with the credit unions which is part of the voluntary sector. It has it’s own culture perhaps, but it has good principles and tools which are used. Principles like diversity, equality, co-operation, mutual respect, rights and social justice, user management, community management, local provision and grass roots basis and a critical awareness of power structures. Democracy, self-esteem building and capacity building, accessible facilities with childcare if necessary, environmental awareness, accountability and sustainable progress. Useful tools include the use of ground rules for meetings, experiential learning, valuing people’s own experience, avoidance of jargon and good policies and procedures. The Hallam volunteering project has an impressive track record and it’s obviously a step in the right direction. It gets students out of the ivory towers or out of the pub and into the community for some real-life experience. But I wonder how this impacts on the organisations they work with. There is such a thing as institutional memory and I wonder whether they’re having a good or a bad experience with student volunteers in those organisations. The local voluntary action organisations could advise on this but I never heard much about Hallam volunteering when I worked in the voluntary sector. It may be a false impression but they seem to come for one-off projects, then go away to write up their experiences. For the full-time volunteers and clients of others in the voluntary sector it must feel a little bit like being experimented on I think. I’d like to think that students could be prepared with an idealistic visionary missionary statement in their minds about the voluntary sector – perhaps a course on community work, it’s principles, it’s forward-looking ideals. The voluntary and community sector is historic – it is immense, it is something Britain should be proud of. If this vision met the hard reality of imperfect organisations, over the years something would rub off for the organisations as well as the students and it would be a two-way learning experience. There are many hard-working development workers in most fields who would be grateful to show the ropes and get some real student volunteers if they came along with some grounding like this. The vision I would have of being a self-directed learner would be spending hours in the library and hours on the internet looking things up. With the guidance of an essay title, perhaps a list of resources that are recommended, web-site links, books by key writers on the subject but not an open brief, definitely working towards an agreed or a set title and writing an essay about that. Yeah it would be nice, it would be nice to have a completely free hand in setting an objective and working an open-ended way to collect data. The nearest I’ve come to that type of experience is in the final year dissertation but even that is within you have to choose within a subject area and then within that you can almost by negotiation choose your wn title for the essay or piece of work. I think I’ve found it quite liberating to be released from the confines of writing an essay – an essay is rather like, well I suppose that is the whole discipline of it – narrowing your words and your thoughts down to one and a half thousand words, certain format, very strict – yeah, that’s difficult, it is an art in itself but I’d much rather be doing something open-ended given the freedom and the flexibility to determine the limits myself. Yeah, I’ve seen people walking round with cameras, with questionnaire sheets. It seems as though I’m guessing, I might be wrong, but it seems as though they’re following year after year the same pattern so I imagine that cohorts of students come round every year and ask the same passers-by the same series of questions. In the first year or two of university is certainly following orders, like following a worksheet or following what you’ve been told to do. In my particular field I’d like to be more in contact with other people discussing working on the same areas. I think I like websites and I’d like to think, for one example off the top of my head, that I was working to a cumulative sort of website where we were each contributing pieces of work in the areas that we’re interested in which would build up as a resource over several years so that new students could come along and be shown this website – look at this as a resource and contribute and discuss with the people currently working on the website. That’s just one idea. Other things that make studying interesting would be student publications which were not reviews of pubs and bands and so on but on the topic so perhaps if the university had a tradition of contributing to the journals. There is a massive, massive range of journals which are great to read and very intellectual and some universities I think have this tradition of contributing and I haven’t seen anybody at undergraduate level making a contribution – you can do.

Melba Essay

Throughout Mà ªlà ©e's journey to fight segregation, her grandmother and faith n God were her greatest weapons. In 1 957, Melba Poetical was extensionally and preparing for her integration I to Little Rock Central High School, an all white school. She was continuously tormenter d by teachers and students while attending but her grandmother's words and her faith in God I s what keeps her going. An instance in which her grandma's words were very influential, was w hen Melba reminded herself of her grandma's advice when faced with a barrage of nasty words. I squared my shoulders and tried to remember what Grandma had said: ‘God loves you, child; no matter what, he sees you as his precious idea. â€Å"‘ As a result of remembering those woo rd, Melba went rigorously to her next class and ignored the nasty words shouted at her by classmates. Melba writes in her journal, â€Å"There seems to be no space for me at Central Hi ugh. I don't want integration to be like the neuros urgeon. Please, God, make space for m e. Melba was becoming discouraged and was realizing that integration was far more difficult t than she originally thought, yet she still had a strong faith in the Lord and asked for his help, knowing that he will provide for her. Me Lie 2 Another time where her grandma helps her, was when Melba was in gym class s, where her classmates taunted and jeered her. She ignores them, but as it continued, SSH e struggled to ignore it and to escape the cruelty of the nature.Soon the gym teacher tells her to g et inside, so she ran away, she was soon chased by some angry students and was tripped by one o f them. From falling down, she ends up getting scraped up and, more and more students SST rated to taunt her, she gets up and runs inside the school hoping to find the office. After opening g many doors, having no luck in finding the office, she was in tears and ready to give up. But then her grandma's voice comes into her head, â€Å"God never loses one of his flock.

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards Paper Madeline Cates ACC/491 Contemporary Auditing 1 November 7, 2012 Thomas A. House Auditing is extremely important to our businesses, our state and federal government, investors, banks, and our overall economy. Without auditing there would be plenty of room for mistakes. Boynton & Johnson (2006) define auditing as the following, â€Å"A systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between those assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users† (p. ). To break it down auditing follows a certain process of steps using financial statements and tax returns to evaluate an organization in an unbiased way. Once this is done a written report is made by the auditors to give the organization the credibility they deserve. This credibility is passed on to interested users such as; banks, stockh olders, and management. The purpose of this paper is to explain the nature and functions of auditing, and relate them to an organization in which we are familiar. The organization is which I am familiar with is Chili’s Bar and Grill where I have been an employee for over 4 years.Chili’s is owned by Brinker Nation, which is publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EAT. Brinker Nation is audited by independent auditing committee with no relation to the company, they follow the standard of the NYSE as well as the Securities and Exchange (SEC). The Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) are a set of standards that public accountants are required to use. All together there are 10 different GAAS that are used to establish the quality of performance and the overall objectives to be achieved in a financial statement audit. Boynton & Johnson, 2006) The Generally Accepted Accounting Standards apply to financial, operational, and compliance audits. Typically a CPA preforms a financial audit by evaluating a firm’s financial position to see if they are using GAAP. The results are then distributed to the general public. A compliance audit focuses on whether or not a firm is following rules and government regulations, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that requires duel-purpose auditing and compliance audits.Operational audits focus on activities in relation to objectives. This is also known as a management audit. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) affect publically traded companies. The PCAOB is a private sector that was created by the SOX Act of 2002. Basically the PCAOB oversees auditors of publically traded companies to protect investors, creditors, and the general public. According to Boynton & Johnson (2006), the PCAOB was given authority in 5 major areas including, 1.Registering public accounting firms that audit the financial statements of public companies. 2. Setti ng quality control standards for peer review of auditors of public companies and conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms. 3. Setting auditing standards for audits of public companies. 4. Setting independence and ethics rules for auditors of public companies. 5. Performing other duties or functions to promote high professional standards ? for public company audits, and enforce compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.With the help of the SEC, PCAOB, SOX Act, and GAAS we can ensure investors and creditors that publically traded organizations are presenting honest, fair, and straightforward financial information. Auditing is vital to the growth of our businesses, our local and federal government, and our economy as a whole. Resources Boynton, W. C. , & Johnson, R. N. (2006). Modern auditing: Assurance services and the integrity of financial reporting. (8th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Louwers, T. , Ramsay, R. , Sinason, D. , & Stawser, J. R.. (2007). Auditing a nd assurance services. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Decision Making and Self-awareness Essay

In today’s ever changing economy and fast paced lifestyles it might seem difficult to find time to think about who we are as individuals. This includes what our strengths and weaknesses, our drives and personalities, and our habits and values are. This is because many individuals are just not inclined to spend large amounts of time on self-reflection. Even when personal feedback is presented to us, we are not always open to it, because honest feedback is not always flattering. Consequently, many individuals have a considerably low level of self-awareness concerning one’s self. This is unfortunate due to the fact that self-awareness is an essential first step toward maximizing management skills. Self-awareness can improve one’s judgment and help them to identify opportunities for professional development. Self-awareness involves developing an understanding of many dimensions of the individuality of an individual. Self-knowledge provides an essential foundation for general personal mastery as well as other personal management skills such as setting goals and priorities, and managing time and stress. Philosophers have long since recognized that knowing thyself may involve distinguishing between what you are thought to be versus what you actually are. This observation suggests that the perceived self-concepts of an individual may be either positively or negatively biased, from their actual self-concept. However, once self-concepts are formed, individuals tend to avoid new knowledge that does not fit within their self-view. This is typically achieved through feedback from family, friends, and coworkers. Fear, shame, or other emotions may prevent an individual’s ability to develop an honest and accurate awareness of who they are as a person (Williams, 2003). Human beings are complex and diverse creatures and therefore, to become more self-aware, every individual person should develop an understanding of themselves in many areas. There are five major key areas for self-awareness. These areas include an individual’s personality traits, personal values, habits, emotions, and the psychological needs that drive our behaviors (Williams, 2003). An individual’s personality helps them to understand what it means to be aware of themselves as a person. When an individual understands his or her own personality it can help them find situations in which they will thrive, and help them to avoid situations in which they will experience too much stress. For instance, if an individual is a highly introverted person, meaning a person whom is characterized by concerns primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings, that individual is likely to experience more stress in a sales position than a highly extroverted person would. An extroverted individual is a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment around them. So, if an individual is considered to be a highly introverted person, they will need to learn skills to cope with the demands of a sales position that requires extravert-type behavior patterns, or they should consider finding a position that is more compatible with their personality. Consequently, by being aware of an individual’s personality helps them analyze such decisions that they may come across in their day-to-day lives (Ross, 2011). Another key area of self-awareness is one’s personal values. It is important that each person knows and focuses on their individual personal values. For instance, if an individual’s first priority is â€Å"being there for his or her children†, it is very easy to lose sight of certain priorities and/or goals on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis. Unfortunately, during the workday most individuals are beset with multiple distractions, problems, or opportunities; therefore, diminishing the amount of time that we have to accomplish our lists of priorities. Since few, if any of those priorities pertain to what an individual may value most, it is easy to spend too much time on lower priority activities. When we focus solely on our personal values, we are more likely to accomplish what we consider most important (Ross, 2011). Each individual has their own personal habits. Habits are the behaviors that individual’s repeat routinely and often automatically, without conscientious thought. Although every person would like to possess the habits that help people effectively interact with and manage others, each individual can probably all identify at least one habit that decreases effectiveness of achieving this particular goal. For example, if you are a manager who never consults your staff before making decisions, that habit may interfere with your ability to build your staff members’ commitment to the decisions and their decision-making skills as well (Ross, 2011). Where each individual person has their own personal habits, they also contain their own personal needs. Abraham Maslow, a renowned psychologist and other scholars have identified a variety of psychological needs that drive each person’s individual behaviors. Some of these drives consist of the need for esteem, affection, belongingness, achievement, self-actualization, power and control. An advantage of knowing which needs exert the strongest influence on an individual’s behaviors is that it gives that individual the ability to understand exactly how a particular behavior affects the interpersonal relationships with other individuals within differing environments. For instance, most individuals have probably known at least one person whom has a high need for status. These individuals whom have a high need for status are similarly attracted to occupations with high statuses. Therefore, they will ultimately seek high status positions within their organizations. Such people also feel the need to own materialistic things that help to symbolize their status, as well as be given certain privileges and perks that people of lower statuses cannot have. Sometimes these individuals will fight for things that others see as inconsequential – like a bigger office or a longer lunch break. In order for these needs to become satisfied, individuals must be motivated. When an individual’s needs are not satisfied, they can become frustrated, conflicted and stressful, therefore causing others around them to become frustrated, conflicted, or even stressful about a particular topic or situation (Jeanne Segal, 2013). Emotional self-awareness is one of the five facets of emotional intelligence. Being able to connect to one’s emotions is the key to understanding one’s self and others. Many people are disconnected from their emotions–especially strong core emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy. This may be the result of negative childhood experiences that taught them to try to shut off their feelings. But although we may have the ability distort, deny, or even numb particularly unpleasant feelings, they cannot be eliminated completely. They are still there, whether we are aware of them or not. Unfortunately, without emotional awareness, people are unable to fully understand their own motivations and needs, or to communicate effectively with others. Similarly, a person with high emotional self-awareness understands the internal process associated with emotional experiences and, therefore, has greater control over them (Jeanne Segal, 2013). When an individual learns to become self-aware of whom they are, they become more a more effective person in their personal lives, as well as professional lives. For example, self-awareness helps managers to identify gaps in their management skills, which promotes skill development. It also helps managers find situations in which they will be most effective, such as assisting with intuitive decision making, and aiding in stress management and motivation of oneself and others with whom they work with (Ross, 2011). Improving and individuals skill development typically begins with an assessment of the gap between the current situation and a desired future situation. Having an accurate sense of who an individual is helps them decide what steps they should take to improve themselves. Often times, self-awareness will reveal a gap within a particular skill that should probably worked on (Williams, 2003). If an individual is not aware of their strengths and weaknesses, self-awareness can help them to exploit their strengths and cope with their weaknesses. For example, if an individual is someone who is good at â€Å"seeing the larger picture† that involves decision-making, but is not as good at focusing on the particular details, he or she might want to consult colleagues and/or subordinates that are more detail-oriented when making major decisions. When there is cooperation between big-picture-oriented decision makers and detail-oriented decision makers, individuals have the ability to produce high quality decisions (Williams, 2003). Also, leaders with whom have well-developed emotional self-awareness are considered to be more effective intuitive decision makers. In complex situations, they have the ability to process large amounts of sometimes unstructured and rather ambiguous information. They choose a course of action based on a â€Å"sense† of what is best for the situation. This type of decision making is becoming more important for managers as the rate of change and the levels of uncertainty and complexity in their competitive environments increase (Williams, 2003). Another aspect of self-awareness that must be considered is that of stress. Employment positions that do not suit an individual’s personality tend to give that individual more stress than employment positions that are more compatible will. This does not mean that a person should never take a job that conflicts with his or her personality. However, a person should be aware that they will need to work extra hard to develop the certain skills for that position (Williams, 2003). It is very difficult to cope with poor results in any environment when there is no understanding as to what caused the poor results in the first place. Without knowing what behaviors to change in order to improve performance, an individual can feel helpless and lose control of the situation as well as themselves. Self-awareness is empowering because it can reveal where the performance problems are and indicate what can be done to improve performance. In addition, awareness of psychological needs can increase motivation by helping to understand and seek out the rewards that are desired by such as a sense of accomplishment, additional responsibility, an opportunity to help others, or a flexible work schedule. When an individual understands â€Å"what make them tick†, â€Å"what gets them excited† and/or â€Å"why they behave the way they do†, they have insight into what makes other individuals tick. To the extent that other people are similar, knowing how to motivate one’s self is tantamount to knowing how to motivate others. Works Cited Jeanne Segal, P. a. (2013, January). HelpGuide.org. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from Emotional Intelligence: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq5_raising_emotional_intelligence.htm Ross, A. (2011, April 12). Leadership Coaching – Five Areas of Self-Awareness. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from Keys to Growth When Revenue Matters: http://www.keystogrowth.com/thoughts/2011/4/12/leadership-coaching-5-keys-areas-of-self-awareness.html Williams, b. D. (2003, December 11). Self Awareness and Personal Development. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from LeaderLetter: http://www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/selfawareness.htm#top