February 7th
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller
Everyone is born with some sort of gift or ability that will contribute to the world in some sort of way. This could be something small, like an honest heart, or something larger like the power to heal wounds with one touch. Regardless, we all have a function. The point is, no one person can do everything, but everyone can do something and that something gives you a purpose nonetheless. Keller is saying if you can do something, use it, go for it, and do it. Don't be a wimp about it because you were given a gift for a reason and no matter how futile you believe it is, it will make a difference in some way. Helen Keller seems proud that, despite her disabilities, she was able to make an impact and use the talents that she did have. Lacking sight or the ability to hear and speak didn't determine whether she would become successful or not. Her determination to overcome those obstacles and find something that was truly meant for her was what molded her future. She may have only been one person, just as I am and you are and whoever else might be reading this is, but she was still a person.
February 16th
"Survival, I know, is to begin again." - Judy Collins
I think what Collins is trying to say, is that the definition of surviving is knowing how to restart after a tragedy. This is very true in that in order to "survive" one must begin again, making positive out of the negative. To survive something, is to come out of that something looking past the misfortune and towards the solution. This statement is very abrupt and straight to the point. She is saying what she wants to say without shadowing the meaning behind metaphors.
When words fail me...
I remain silent, for fear of slipping up and saying something inappropriate. When words fail me, I avoid the eyes of expecting peers. When words fail me, I hide. When words fail me, though this happens rarely, I prefer to be alone because I won't tolerate not being able to share my views. When words really fail me, when I am at a complete loss, when I have reached my emotional limit, I dance.
"When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion." - CP Snow
I think that this statement is brilliant in so many ways. It is true that the most terrible crimes have been committed by unwillingly ferocious people who are under the influence of the power of another. Crimes committed for the sake of rebellion are executed with the idea of change in mind. The idea that the person is doing something for the greater good, or even for the smallest change. Those who commit acts of terror based on the ideals of another person, those who act out on the precedent that they are "supposed to" or they "have to or else" are not basing their acts on a strong belief of their own, but rather on that of another person. These crimes are often unforgivable, using the Holocaust as an example. Many of the events that took place during the Holocaust were initiated by followers of the NAZI party. These followers were convinced by the NAZI initiative, that it was the "right" thing to do, to trust the power of Hitler and his army. These acts were rarely committed out of a true, personal hatred for non-German people.
February 17th
The road to authenticity.
by Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW
The Cruelty Crisis: Bullying Isn't a School Problem, It's a National Pastime
Exclusion, humiliation, gossiping, name-calling, and cutthroat alliances - we can't get enough! We panic when these behaviors are directed at our own children and we express outrage when the consequences turn deadly, but over the past few years we, the adults, have turned cruelty into entertainment and sport.
According to the Nielsen ratings, reality television topped the "most watched TV" list in 2009 and analysts expect the trend to continue through 2010. From the Real Housewives of Orange County to the Jersey Shore, reality TV draws audiences by delivering performances that mirror the exact behaviors that we define as bullying. We tune in to watch hostile confrontations, belittling, collusion, backstabbing, and public ridicule. We're drawn in by the promise of mean-spiritedness and we're seduced by the idea that we get to watch people's most intimate and private moments made public. Sound painfully familiar?
Gossiping, one of the most glamorized behaviors on TV and a popular weapon in the bully arsenal, is another behavior that falls into the "do as we say, not as we do" category. As adults, how many times have we stood around with a group of friends or colleagues and criticized or made fun of someone? It happens every day in carpool lines, in the back of churches, in front yards, and around the water cooler. We wonder why the awkward first grader is being excluded from birthday parties when our PTO clique is constantly whispering about his weird mother and would never consider inviting her to coffee.
When it comes to managing conflict and difference, we're not exactly modeling the behaviors that we want to see in our children. Whether it's politics,religion, or social issues, the more uncertain we feel, the more certain we act. Finger pointing, screaming, and in-your-face personal attacks have replaced respectful and necessary debate and discourse. We see this everywhere from political talk shows and school meetings, to the sidelines of kids' soccer games. I've heard people define bullying as "angry, aggressive acting out in children." I would argue that a lot of bullying is simply kids acting like aggressive parents acting out and behaving like angry children.
I've spent the past decade studying vulnerability, shame, authenticity, and belonging. I've interviewed research participants and collected thousands of stories about how we live, love, parent, work, and navigate our increasingly anxious world. Over the past ten years I've witnessed a profoundly dangerous pattern of behavior emerge in our culture:
As our fear, uncertainty, and feelings of vulnerability increase, cruelty becomes an acceptable way for us to discharge our pain and discomfort. Rather than doing the difficult work of embracing our own vulnerabilities and imperfections, we expose, attack, or ridicule what is vulnerable and imperfect about others.
In our culture, vulnerability is synonymous with weakness, and imperfect means inadequate. Rather than acknowledging that we are all vulnerable and imperfect, we buy into the painful idea that we are less than; that we aren't worthy of belonging. It is the struggle for worthiness and belonging that leads to bullying.
Belonging is the innate human need to be a part of something larger than us; we are hardwired for it. Cruelty is a predictable outcome in a culture that tells us that invulnerability and perfection are prerequisites for belonging. We are never more dangerous than when we are backed into a corner of never __________ enough (good/ rich/ thin /successful/ admired/ certain/ extraordinary/ safe/ in control/ powerful/ etc.).
In a world that is plagued by war, economic hardship, and pervasive self-doubt, we rage and humiliate to alleviate our own misery. It's simply easier to attack and berate others or watch it happen on TV, than it is to risk having honest conversations about our struggles with worthiness. Why lean into our own feelings of scarcity and shame, when we can watch strangers get booed off stage or voted off the island? It feels good to watch others suffer.
If we want to reclaim courage and compassion in our families, schools, organizations, and communities, we must open our hearts and minds to a new way of thinking about vulnerability and imperfection. Our imperfections are not flaws; they are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Vulnerability may be at the core of fear and uncertainty, but it is also the birthplace of courage and compassion - exactly what we need to help us stop lashing out and start engaging with the world from a place of worthiness; a place where empathy and kindness matter.
Whether we are a sweaty-palmed 7th grader navigating a hostile cafeteria, or a laid-off worker trying to make a mortgage payment, or a young mother waiting for mammogram results, feeling vulnerable, imperfect and afraid is human. It is when we lose our capacity to hold space for these struggles that we become dangerous. We can legislate behavior all day long, but true compassion comes from a tender and vulnerable place where we understand how inextricably connected we are.
Courage and compassion are not ideals; they are daily practices. The TV shows that we allow in our homes, the way we discuss politics and social issues, the way we handle altercations at the grocery story - these are choices with real consequences. Bullying is a serious problem in schools, but we are all accountable for the cruelty crisis that is fueling these behaviors. The answer to the bullying problem starts with this question: Do we have the courage to be the adults that our children need us to be?
- Humiliation
- Outrage
- Confrontation
- Hostile
- Ridicule
- Vulnerability
- Cruelty
- Imperfect
- Compassion
- Altercations
RESPONSE
"Confrontation. Depending on your adversary, it's not always a good idea." Standing up for oneself, proving one's capability, being tough. When the instinct of the human mind takes over and our natural defense mechanisms kick in, we become slaves to our insecurities. We put up walls of our own, concrete barriers that hold strong against any nuclear weapon, but can be cracked by the most insignificant comment. Words that hit home, words that weasel in to our deepest subconscious and hurt more than any stick or stone. In an attempt to prove our stability we create conflict. It is easiest to fight back. Although many people feel that confrontation is pointless and that fighting back will get you no where, one's actions do not always reflect one's opinion. Confrontation derives from the inner most need to defend oneself. It latches on to one's weaknesses and as soon as those tiny imperfections are threatened, it attacks. Confrontation comes from needing to be right, needing to be heard and seen. It comes from having to proves oneself, no matter the opponent.
http://www.edarticle.com/character-education/bullying/how-to-help-you-child-to-deal-with-bullying-part-1.html
February 21st
Why do you think people engage in immoral acts? Why do I engage in immoral acts?
In the modern world, the border between 'right' and 'wrong' has weakened and become thin. So many kids now a days are accidentally implanted with the idea that they can get away with almost anything and, in turn, act upon these rule-breaking activities in an attempt to prove their power. There is an ever increasing movement when it comes to the concept of 'age equality.' Adolescents feel that they have the right to question authority and do whatever they please. The absolute opposite could also be considered a catalyst for impromptu behavior.
February 22nd
Evil. What makes people go wrong?
"The world is, was, and will always be filled with evil."
Where there is good there will be bad.
Evil is about power.
What is responsible.
Dispositional
Situational
Systematic
"All evil starts with 15 volts."
"The pornography of power."
- Mindlessly taking the first small step
- Dehumanization of others
- De-individualization of self (anonimity)
- Diffusion of personal responsibility
- Blind obedience to authority
- Uncritical conformity to group norms
- Passive tolerance of evil through inaction or indifference
"The line between good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being." - Alexandre Solzenitsyn
"The evil of inaction"
March 9th
Describe a time when you have been mistreated by another person. What would you say to that person?
A recent fall-out with a close friend of mine has got me thinking. What does it really mean to be a good friend to someone? What does it take to be someone's best friend? What actually defines a best friend? Honestly there is no specific event that I could even begin to describe that could justify the end of our relationship. It just stopped. It ended and I would like to think that we changed or grew apart but it seems that we were always the way we are now, we just realized that we never really liked each other. If I take a few steps back and really look in to the beginning of the friendship, there was nothing entirely appealing about her. She was ignorant and arrogant and she really didn't seem to care about anyone or anything but herself. Even when I got to know her. When she shared with me things about her life and her family she would talk to me as if she were some sort of higher power and I was blessed to be in her presence. She expected me to give her my full attention but I was a very small priority to her. So now I question why I ever felt that she would be a compatible friend. She never treated me as if I meant anything to her and if she did it was only because she needed something from me or she knew I was angry with her. So I have a few question for her...
Did you ever really know who I was? Do you realize how much of an impact you had by treating me the way you did? Are you really that selfish? Do you even care?
March 11th
I find the subject of selfishness incredibly finicky. Everyone has a different definition of selfishness based on how they act and how selfish they think one can be until it can be considered a bad thing. I think all acts that benefit oneself are "selfish" acts. The real question is, to what degree of selfish is it considered negative? Are you doing something for another person because you want to help, and the self satisfaction is just a bonus? Or are you doing something because you know it will make you look like a good person. We all just want to be good people.
March 14th
Holocaust
The Holocaust is a historic event, having taken place during the time of World War 11. Initiated by Adolf Hitler and the NAZI political party, the Holocaust itself spread across Germany and the concept of killing or harming Jewish people was a popular one. Hitler wanted to convince the people of Germany that the Jewish people were to blame for the countries economic downfall and societal issues. He used this standpoint in his race for leader of the country. Although Hitler is seen as an evil man, killing so many people with his own hands, it was his faithful followers who were either intrigued by his motives or afraid of disobeying him who did the dirty work. Jewish people were stripped of almost all of their basic rights. They were soon not allowed to work and rarely were able to own a business without the location being trashed by NAZI followers. Many Jewish members of society, if not in hidden well, were sent to concentration camps where they were sorted between women, children, and those unfit for work, and men that were able to work. These camps were filthy and the farthest thing from sanitary. Diseases spread like weeds and there was little food and water available. Eventually, as the number of people in these camps increased and the sicknesses spread, Jewish people were being loaded in to gas chambers and killed by gas poisoning.
-Are there still German people who feel this way about the Jewish race.
-How do the German people now feel about what happened during the Holocaust.
-How is the Holocaust taught in German schools?
April 13th
The Importance of National Shame
I agree with Saunders' opinion on the subject. I think everyone should feel guilty for the crimes committed by their countries in the past because admitting to wrong doing is the ultimate form of humility. One can't consider oneself humble if one finds it difficult to accept one's own wrong-doing and thinking to highly of oneself or one's country can be dangerous. You can't go around and flaunt how wonderful your country is to the world because people will start to lose respect for you. They will start to see you and your country as arrogant and selfish and arrogance is quite different than confidence. It is perfectly acceptable to be confident in oneself or one's home but when that confidence turns in to arrogance, people become uncomfortable and this is when international problems emerge.
April 13th
It is common for "normal" society to look down upon people who are different. Drug addicts, for example, are seen as animals. They are seen as lazy, unmotivated and selfish. We, in a general use of the term, walk past these people on the streets and look away. We avoid the truth of the situation because it really does hurt. We are ashamed that there are people, right now, living on the streets of Vancouver and so we categorize them. They are different than us. I could never do that. I'm not like that. Hitler blamed the Jewish people for Germany's economic downfall. He, with the help of a large number of people, convinced a majority of the nation that the Jewish people were worthless. He categorized them. He made them different. Regardless of a person's race, religion, addiction, or mental health, they are people. They feel things and they understand things. They need to be given a chance. Yes, everyone has the capability to come out of a situation. But opportunity doesn't fall from the sky in to the hands of the needy. They need to be given an opportunity. People who have no where to go, no motivation, no self-respect. These are people who have been told, their whole lives, that they are worthless. They believe it. People who have been given an opportunity, an open door, are able to thrive in their potential.
May 9th
"He is much to be dreaded who stands in dread of poverty." - Publilius Syrus
Syrus might be trying to say that those who dread failure or 'poverty' are the most ambitious of all, constantly working to outrun fate and the inevitable. They tend to be the most powerful people. Often man is scared in to being strong and uses his fear to motivate him to do wondrous things.
"There are questions of real power and then there are questions of phony authority. You have to break through the phony authority to begin to fight the real questions of power." - Karen Nussbaum
I think this if of the most obvious statements about power. There is real power, pure ambition and god-given power. There is also a phony type of authority that is handed over by another human being who believes he holds power when, in reality, his power is none but the same type of phony authority. This reminds me of the type of power policemen and educational officials hold. There is no real power there. There is no influence or genuine practicality with that power. There is only a false sense of authority over a seemingly inferior group of people and for that to be considered power is ridiculous.
"The guilty think all talk is of themselves." - Geoffrey Chaucer
A guilty person feels that everyone must being talking of their actions and what they have done. Cocky if you ask me, to be constantly thinking another person is talking about you. One should never assume another person is speaking of them, thinking of them, or looking at them. It's not classy, not lady-like, not gentlemanly. One must be humble, even when guilty. Guilty people who are suspicious are often caught sooner than those who are not.
FLAWS
- I trust people far too much and hold grudges when I get hurt.
- I can be socially awkward around people I want to impress.
- I care about a lot of people but fail to see when those people don't care back.
- I say often say things I don't mean and end up hurting people because of it.
- I tend to ignore people who I am angry with and avoid confronting them.
- I am submissive and will not hold my own ground when someone does not let me tell them how I feel in a fight. I put others feelings before mine and let people take advantage of me.
- Self-centered
STRENGTHS
- Ambitious
- Hard-working
- Kind
- Caring
- Loving
- Intelligent
- Humorous
- Positive/ Negative
- Resilient
- Creative
- Proud
- Determined
