Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Essay In many works of literature, authors express their viewpoints on society and times in which they live. In the essay â€Å"Self Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, the authors speak out against conformity and materialism in society. Both were romanticism authors during the 1800s. They focused on simplicity and individuality. Both writings can advise teenagers today on the importance of non-conformity and the value of rejecting materialism. In â€Å"Self Reliance†, Emerson discusses being one’s own person and not allowing society to mold someone like a piece of clay; â€Å"Trust thyself† are the exact words he used. Trusting oneself means it is okay to be different if one wants or chooses to be different. It means that one does not have to follow the â€Å"bad† crowd just because everyone else may be choosing to do so. One must know that if they have a good idea and if they believe in that ideaeven if it is different from the norm of societysome people will follow. Emerson also says, â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist. † This means that to be a true and real person, one must stand up for what they believe in and not allow themselves to be completely changed by society. One must not conform to ways that will cause them to be someone or something outside of their own desires. In the beginning of his writing, Emerson gives us a definition of what he believes defines genius: â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius. ’ This is his way of saying that every person should know that doing what one thinks is right is the best decision—for him/herself. Every educated person does not conform to society if they do not think that society is going in the right path. Emerson also says that people who have good ideas are misunderstood. In his statement, â€Å"To be great is to be misunderstood†, Emerson is saying that most people who had great ideas in history were misjudged because their ideas were not along with the norms of society’s ideas. Therefore, the societal conformists thought that their ideas were wrong. Emerson gives reasons as to why most people conform to society and try to be the same. He says, â€Å"The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency†meaning that people might follow society because that is what they are used to doing. They are only doing what they saw happening when they were younger. Their parents and other adults probably did the same thing that most people do todayconform. Emerson disputes this reason in his statement by saying, â€Å"But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone†. Relying on the past could be problematic when someone questions things since most were probably brought up a certain way and are used to doing things the same way, but never really knew a good reason why to conform. In â€Å"Walden†, Thoreau explains how having less material things can simply your life. He says, â€Å"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things† In saying this, he means to own your items and do not let them own you. Thoreau thinks that people have the desire to own things, thus, causing them to have to use all of their time working to own said things. Working all the time means that one can not do the things that one wants to, and that the items that one desires ends up owning them. Through this statement, Thoreau is basically saying that having all these things such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, and televisions are distracting people from the more important things in life such as family, health, and well-being. One of Thoreau’s famous quotes is, â€Å"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! † This means to make ones’ life as simple as possible. He thinks that the poor are the fortunate ones since they have the least to look after and worry about while the rich have so much to look after that they do not have time for themselves. Living a simple life enables one to be free of commitment and obligations. One only has to worry about one’s self. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that following one’s own path in life is the best way to go. They believe that being oneself and having a simple life is the best life. Both lessons can be relevant in today’s society by looking at the rural areas that still exist in the United States. Some of these areas still follow the principle of a simple and non-materialistic life. Their lives are not filled with technology and other things that distract most people from life. Young people (myself included), can take away much from Emerson’s and Thoreau’s writings. I could focus on more important things in life rather than wasting lots of time on unnecessary technology such as Facebook and Twitter. We could use technology under moderation and make sure that those things do not take up more time than necessary in our lives.

Out-Out by Robert Frost and Mid Term Break by Seamus Heaney Essay

Analyse the two poems Out-Out by Robert Frost and Mid Term Break by Seamus Heaney by paying particular attention to the similarities between the two poems 'Out-Out' was written by Robert Frost who was an American poet born in 1874. He moved to the New Englandfarm country, where most of his poems were inspired. 'Mid Term Break' was written by Seamus Heaney, who was born on a farm in county Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The two poems are very similar and are both about the deaths of a young child, one about a boy who loses his hand whilst using a buzz saw; unfortunately, he also loses his life. In Mid Term Break the boy loses his life in a car accident. He was only left with "A poppy bruise on his left temple" There are also lots of differences between the two poems. In Out-Out the young boy was from quite a poor working class background in my opinion, which meant that the young boy had to work for the day in order to help the family. However the boy in Mid-Term Break was from a higher class family and seemed to be in quite a posh school. "College sick bay" This could mean it is a boarding school because it has its own sick-bay. The similarities between the poems are that both of the deaths were accidents and were also quite brutal. Out-Out is a poem of 34 lines of just one stanza. The poem is written in the 3rd person by somebody that is narrating the story, and that has no connections with the happenings of the poem. The way the poem is written also makes it less tragic, as every line flows to the next without giving much time to think about what has happened. The rhyming also hides some of the sadness in the poem. One point to consider is the shape of the poem, as it vaguely resemble... ...fer to catholic beliefs as in the religion they light candles to remember peoples lives, and to send them to heaven. Unlike Out-Out the ending is far more dramatic and depressing rather then the fading away from the story as happened In Out-Out, as you didn't even know how old the boy was until the very last line. This makes it seem very sad. "wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple, he lay in the four foot box as in his cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year." This is very effective because it explained everything that happened, as we didn't know the story until the end. I think that makes the poem much more emotional, not knowing what to think. I believe Mid Term Break is more effective because of the was the poet has described the death, and it seems much more emotional that Out-Out.

Bsp Money Supply Policy

Supply of Money There are several definitions of the supply of money. M1 is narrowest and most commonly used. It includes all currency (notes and coins) in circulation, all checkable deposits held at banks (bank money), and all traveler's checks. A somewhat broader measure of the supply of money is M2, which includes all of M1 plus savings and time deposits held at banks. An even broader measure of the money supply is M3, which includes all of M2 plus large denomination, long-term time deposits—for example, certificates of deposit (CDs) in amounts over $100,000.Most discussions of the money supply, however, are in terms of the M1 definition of the money supply. Banking business. In order to understand the factors that determine the supply of money, one must first understand the role of the banking sector in the money-creation process. Banks perform two crucial functions. First, they receive funds from depositors and, in return, provide these depositors with a checkable source of funds or with interest payments.Second, they use the funds that they receive from depositors to make loans to borrowers; that is, they serve as intermediaries in the borrowing and lending process. When banks receive deposits, they do not keep all of these deposits on hand because they know that depositors will not demand all of these deposits at once. Instead, banks keep only a fraction of the deposits that they receive. The deposits that banks keep on hand are known as the banks' reserves. When depositors withdraw deposits, they are paid out of the banks' reserves.The reserve requirement is the fraction of deposits set aside for withdrawal purposes. The reserve requirement is determined by the nation's banking authority, a government agency known as the central bank. Deposits that banks are not required to set aside as reserves can be lent to borrowers, in the form of loans. Banks earn profits by borrowing funds from depositors at zero or low rates of interest and using these fu nds to make loans at higher rates of interest.

Management course paper

Roger and Roethlisberger state in their highly acclaimed article â€Å"Barriers and Gateway to  Communication† that one of the major barriers effecting interpersonal communication  between two human beings is the evaluative nature of Human Beings. In a typical inter  personal communication between two individuals each person tries to evaluate the attitude of  the partner towards oneself. Furthermore each party looks for signs of negative perception  about oneself in the eyes of the partner at the same time passing negative judgment about the  partner. So essentially an individual analyzes the communication to determine the answers to  following questions; What is his/her attitude towards me? What does he/she think about me and my opinion and ideas? What do I think about him/her (What kind of a person is he?)? Thus in the process of finding answers to these questions people tend to miss out the main  points and the true meaning of what the partner is trying to say. This situation leads to  misunderstanding and the communication turns into an argument which may further  deteriorate into a verbal war. Roger and Roethlisberger propose that active listening helps to make the communication  effective. Active listening means that a person must be able to understand what exactly  his/her partner is trying to say? This can be achieved when one understands the emotions and  feelings of the partner and perceives the partner’s words as the partner perceives them. Thus  in a communication each individual must restate their partners words to their partners  satisfaction, this ensures that the person gets the true meaning of his partners statements. Perceiving the others frame of mind is only possible when one checks his tendency to [1]  evaluate, thus effective listening is not an easy task in fact it is a skill which has to be  gradually developed.  Roger and Roethlisberger further propose that when interpersonal communication takes  place at a group level it becomes difficult to perceive the opponents frame of mind so using a  mediator who restates the statements of each person or group helps to solve the problem.  When an individual knows that his statements are being restated to his satisfaction and the  fact that he is being understood mollifies him, he in turn tries to understand what his  opponent wants to say? And the communication progresses effectively and a solution to the  problem in discussion is easily achieved. Answer to Question 2 The process of active listening in an interpersonal communication requires that an individual  empathies with the partner. This is accomplished by perceiving the world as perceived by the  partner, however involving oneself in the frame of reference of another individual may lead  to unwanted outcomes. The following is a list of unwanted possibilities that may occur due to  extreme empathy. A person may begin to appreciate others ideas over his own.  His priorities may be replaced by someone else’s. An individual may loose his identity and his personality may be altered.  He may be manipulated by the person he is empathizing with or other people may   perceive he is being manipulated or is working under someone’s influence.  Because of these reasons people tend to be afraid of active listening, furthermore active  listening is possible only when both the parties engaging in an interpersonal communication  are willing to implement the techniques of active listening. In case only one individual  practices active listening while the other continues in an argumentative mode then the  individual who is using active listening may be discouraged in doing so and may resort to  adopt an argumentative approach. The fear of active listening is more apparent in real life work environment. In an organization  every individual is accountable to their immediate boss and is responsible for their immediate  subordinates. The manager looks at all things from a broader perspective and is responsible  for activities of all his subordinates, thus he has to make sure that the function that is  delegated to him synchronizes well with other organizational function in the process of  achieving the organizational objective. A subordinate on the other hand works on a narrower  perspective and is only responsible for the job allotted to him or the team to which he  belongs, so a subordinate is only concerned with the problem that he faces in the process of  accomplishing his task. In an interpersonal communication between the manager and a subordinate the manager  stands the risk of loosing his priorities if he applies active listening. Let us consider a factual  case where a group of laborers present their problems to a manager who is genuinely  concerned about his subordinates as well as the company as a whole. If the manager gets  totally involved in his perception of the subordinates frame of reference then he looses his  perspective and begins to evaluate the situation from a narrower perspective in doing so he  forgets to analyze the situation from the organizational point of view and rather takes works  on the problem at a personal level. Thus active listening is best practiced when the manager is capable of using the technique  without getting deeply involved in subordinate’s frame of reference. Managers who  successfully employ active listening are able to make their subordinates feel good and this  also helps in motivating the subordinates, furthermore managers who practice active listening  are capable of gaining their subordinates trust and respect. (Roger & Roethlisberger) [1] Roger and Roethlisberger (Barriers and Gateway to communication 1991)   

Biography of Mary Todd Lincoln, Troubled First Lady

Biography of Mary Todd Lincoln, Troubled First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818–July 16, 1882) was the wife of President Abraham Lincoln. She became a figure of controversy and criticism during her time in the White House. After his death and the deaths of three of her children, she suffered great grief and was emotionally erratic. Fast Facts: Mary Todd Lincoln Known For:  Wife of Abraham Lincoln, she was a controversial first ladyAlso Known As: Mary Ann Todd LincolnBorn:  December 13, 1818  in Lexington, KentuckyParents: Robert Smith Todd and Eliza (Parker) ToddDied: July 16, 1882 in Springfield, IllinoisEducation: Shelby Female Academy, Madame Mantelles boarding schoolSpouse: Abraham LincolnChildren: Robert Todd Lincoln, Edward Baker Lincoln, William Willie Wallace Lincoln, Thomas Tad Lincoln  Ã‚  Notable Quote: I seem to be the scape-goat for both North and South. Early Life Mary Todd Lincoln was born on December 13, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky. Her family was prominent in local society, at a time when Lexington was dubbed The Athens of the West. Mary Todds father, Robert Smith Todd, was a local banker with political connections. He had grown up near the estate of Henry Clay, a major figure in American politics in the early 19th century. When Mary was young, Clay often dined in the Todd household. In one often-told story, 10-year-old Mary rode to Clays estate one day to show him her new pony. He invited her inside and introduced the precocious girl to his guests. Mary Todds mother died when Mary was 6 years old, and when her father remarried Mary clashed with her stepmother. Perhaps to keep peace in the family, her father sent her away to the Shelby Female Academy, where she received 10 years of quality education at a time when education for women was not generally accepted in American life. One of Marys sisters had married the son of a former governor of Illinois and had moved to the state capital of Springfield. Mary visited her in 1837 and likely encountered Abraham Lincoln on that visit. Mary Todds Courtship With Abraham Lincoln Mary also settled in Springfield, where she made a major impression on the towns growing social scene. She was surrounded by suitors, including attorney Stephen A. Douglas, who would become Abraham Lincolns great political rival decades later. By late 1839, Lincoln and Mary Todd had become romantically involved, though the relationship had problems. There was a split between them in early 1841, but by late 1842 they had gotten back together, partly through their mutual interest in local political issues. Lincoln greatly admired Henry Clay. And he must have been impressed by the young woman who had known Clay in Kentucky. Marriage and Family of Abraham and Mary Lincoln Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. They took up residence in rented rooms in Springfield, but would eventually buy a small house. The Lincolns had four sons, three of whom died before adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln was born on August 1, 1843. He was named for Marys father and would be the only Lincoln son to live to adulthood.Edward Baker Lincoln was born on March 10, 1846. Eddie became ill and died on February 1, 1850, weeks before his fourth birthday.William Wallace Lincoln was born on December 21, 1850. Willie became ill while living in the White House, perhaps because of polluted water. He died in the White House on February 20, 1862, at the age of 11.Thomas Lincoln was born on April 4, 1853. Known as Tad, he was a lively presence in the White House and Lincoln doted on him. He became ill, probably with tuberculosis, in Chicago and died there on July 15, 1871, at the age of 18. The years the Lincolns spent in Springfield are generally considered the happiest of Mary Lincolns life. Despite the loss of Eddie Lincoln and rumors of discord, the marriage seemed happy to neighbors and Marys relatives. At some point, animosity developed between Mary Lincoln and her husbands law partner William Herndon. He would later write scathing descriptions of her behavior, and much of the negative material associated with her seems to be based on Herndons biased observations. As Abraham Lincoln became more involved in politics, first with the Whig Party and later with the new Republican Party, his wife supported his efforts. Though she played no direct political role, in an era when women could not even vote she remained well-informed on political issues. Mary Lincoln as White House Hostess After Lincoln won the election of 1860, his wife became the most prominent White House hostess since Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, decades earlier. Mary Lincoln was often criticized for spending too much money on White House furnishings and on her own clothing. She was also criticized for engaging in frivolous entertainments at a time of deep national crisis, but some defended her for trying to lift her husbands mood as well as the nations. Mary Lincoln was known to visit wounded Civil War soldiers and took an interest in various charitable endeavors. She went through her own very dark time, though, following the death of 11-year-old Willie Lincoln in an upstairs bedroom of the White House in February 1862. Lincoln feared that his wife had lost her sanity, as she went into a prolonged period of mourning. She also became very interested in spiritualism, a fad that first caught her attention in the late 1850s. She claimed to see ghosts wandering the halls of the White House and hosted seances. Lincolns Assassination On April 14, 1865, Mary Lincoln was seated beside her husband at Fords Theater when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln, mortally wounded, was carried across the street to a rooming house, where he died the following morning. Mary Lincoln was inconsolable during the long overnight vigil, and according to most accounts, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton had her removed from the room where Lincoln was dying. During the long period of national mourning, which included a lengthy traveling funeral that passed through northern cities, she was barely able to function. While millions of Americans participated in funeral observances in towns and cities throughout the country, she stayed in a bed in a darkened room in the White House. Her situation became very awkward as the new president, Andrew Johnson, could not move into the White House while she still occupied it. Finally, weeks after her husbands death, she left Washington and returned to Illinois. Troubled Later Years In many ways, Mary Lincoln never recovered from her husbands murder. She first moved to Chicago and began to exhibit seemingly irrational behavior. For a few years, she lived in England with her youngest son Tad. After returning to America, Tad Lincoln died and his mothers behavior became alarming to her oldest son Robert Todd, who took legal action to have her declared insane. A court placed her in a private sanatorium, but she went to court and was able to have herself declared sane. Death Suffering from a number of physical ailments, Mary Lincoln sought treatment in Canada and New York City and eventually returned to Springfield. She spent the final years of her life as a virtual recluse and died on July 16, 1882, at the age of 63. She was buried beside her husband in Springfield. Legacy A well-educated and well-connected woman from a prominent Kentucky family, Mary Todd Lincoln was an unlikely partner for Lincoln, who had come from humble frontier roots. She is known mostly for the great losses she suffered in her lifetime and the emotional instability that resulted. Sources â€Å"The Life Of Mary Todd Lincoln.†Ã‚  eHistory.Turner, Justin G., and Linda Levitt Turner.  Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life and Letters. From International Publishing Corporation, 1987

Harvard MBA admission essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harvard MBA admission essays - Essay Example Although I was successful in setting standards on paper; however, creation of a practical roadmap was something that made me contemplate further. Since Saudi Arabia has neither unions nor work councils, I seized at the opportunity to mold the new ‘Organization Excellence’ department into a platform as an internal employee work council, as well as an intermediary between the company and employees. After conducting employee interviews, reading extensive P&G archives on performance management, and seeking out thought leadership resources, I designed a completely new system for mobilizing and motivating human assets. Not only did strategy of unifying workers and developing a more-positive working environment pay off; however, also my approach to ‘Organization Excellence’ touched off productivity gains throughout the P&G facility. During a short period of two years, I facilitated the department in its expansion, and it set indexed performance and rising job satisfaction standards throughout the organization. P&G sites across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and beyond are now replicating my model, and subseq uently, the companys reputation, in terms of its human resources management, has also strengthened dramatically, and winning Saudi Arabia’s Employer of the Year Award is just an example of the accomplishment. After completion of the top-to-bottom redesigning of ‘Rewards and Recognition incentive system’, it was an understanding that the system was transforming into a global benchmark for P&G sites worldwide. For this reason, my inspiration stemmed from identifying performance gaps, and at that time, during the training of 350 employees on P&G success drivers and another batch on ‘High Performance Organizations Overviews’, I felt strongly that everyone should be able to take ownership initiative and feel valuation of their contribution. Simultaneously, I sought to transform trainings from a passive information transfer to an interactive experience

IRB Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IRB Critique - Essay Example My proposed dissertation research study is made up of mixed method design, with one dominant and one secondary components of data collection. The proposed quantitative research will facilitate me with my investigation on how the academic performance of a student coincides with the job fulfillment of a teacher. In this concurrent study design, the proposed qualitative method will allow me to test specific hypothesis that will affirm my research inquiries in a moderate sample size of educators. In line with this, the following are formulated: (a) Proposed qualitative survey to be shelled out to a random sample composed of 25 K - 12 teachers, and (2) proposed structured formal personality test to be conducted to the 25 chosen participants. The research will conducted at one of the six schools in the county. Surveys and the Myers Briggs will be administered before the conclusion of the seminar. The survey will be a maximum time of 10 minutes and the MBTI will be a maximum time of 45 minutes ***May you give me some pointers with this? Totally confused *** The proposed research study will be conducted to one of the six schools in the county. Prior to the conclusion of the seminar, surveys and the Myers - Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) will be administered separately. A maximum time of 10 minutes will be spent for the survey, and a maximum time of 45 minutes for MBTI. The data gathered thru the survey and MBTI will be recorded, incorporated, and analyzed by the researcher. The result of this investigation will determine the teachers’ personality and job satisfaction. Inclusion: My population will be K-12 educators (both men and women) of various ages and years of experience. 2 teachers from each grade level with one opening for a vocational or fine arts teacher. (I don’t get this). Inclusion: This study will focus on the K - 12 teachers of both sexes, and of various age