“Habit is a great deadener”. In what ways does Waiting for Godot illustrate this idea? Essay

Habit and routine form an important part of the play Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett. The play, a famous product of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’, is characterized by a circular structure which doesn’t lead anywhere, repetitive dialogue and a general absurdity. It witnesses two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who spend the entire two acts waiting for Godot. The routines they develop throughout the play are mainly a result of their attempts to pass the time. Habits such as fiddling with objects and telling stories become part of their routine and seem like a good way to get through the waiting. However, as Vladimir himself says, â€Å"habit is a great deadener† (Beckett 105) and eventually their habits deaden them. The term â€Å"deadener† implies that the habits make the characters even more bored and that instead of helping them, they lead to their downfall and make their lives even more meaningless. This essay will discuss the habits developed by the various characters and explore whether they indeed illustrate the idea of habits being a deadener. Through this, it will also discuss what Beckett is trying to prove about habit in human life in general. One habit that is developed in Waiting for Godot by both Estragon and Pozzo is fiddling with objects. This habit is portrayed mainly through the stage directions and is therefore visual action instead of words. Estragon uses objects such as his boot in order to pass time. â€Å"Silence. Estragon is fiddling with his boot again† (Beckett 37). In this stage direction, Beckett places Estragon’s fiddling within a silence which shows how he tries to fill the void by playing with his boot. This habit is formed out of boredom and therefore designed to relieve it. Through this, Beckett seems to be commenting on how human beings rely on habits in order to give their lives meaning and security. However, instead of making life more interesting, the repeated fiddling only reinforces the monotony in the play making the characters even more bored. Pozzo on the other hand fiddles mostly with his watch, â€Å"cuddling his watch to his ear [†¦] he puts his watch back in his pocket† (Beckett 37). He repeatedly takes his watch out, consults it, puts it away, and gets it out again in a very routinely manner. He does not only do this to pass the time; it is also a way for him to prove his superiority through the material objects he owns. It is important for him to continuously assert his power and position. However, instead of giving him power, this habit eventually contributes to his downfall. In the second act, Pozzo becomes blind and loses all his power. A second way for Pozzo to prove his power and seek attention is by performing which also becomes habitual. At several occasions, Pozzo takes on another role and starts performing in order to entertain the others and become the centre of attention. He usually performs dramatic monologues, â€Å"tirelessly torrents of red and white light it begins to lose its effulgence† (Beckett 38). This sentence clearly shows his eloquent diction chosen to impress his audience and again prove his superiority. The varied syntax of this particular speech, ranging from complicated poetic sentences to short crude phrases, makes it interesting to his audience and shows how he is indeed acting. Every time he takes on a role, he ensures that everyone is paying attention to him because that is his ultimate goal. Routines are a way for people to define themselves by what they habitually do. But again, this habit turns out to be a deadener which is illustrated by Pozzo’s sudden change of status in the second act. Suddenly he is blind and no one pays attention to him anymore. He repeatedly asks for help but no one responds and this proves how his habits deadened him. A similar habit to that of performing is telling stories. It is one of the first habits to be introduced in the play and is again a way for them to fill the time. In the beginning of the play, Vladimir attempts to tell his first story, but Estragon repeatedly interrupts him: â€Å"two thieves, crucified at the same time as Our Saviour. One – / our what?† (Beckett 6). This habit is almost an immediate deadener as it fails to achieve its goal of passing time and giving them something to do. Estragon’s interruptions undermine Vladimir’s capabilities as a story teller and turn the stories into meaningless, circular debates. Instead of storytelling becoming a routine to give their lives meaning, it becomes a reinforcement of the meaninglessness of their existence proving that they aren’t going anywhere. None of the routines or habits they develop is helping. They are in fact doing the opposite and making their situation worse. They are still stuck waitin g for Godot and always will be. Waiting in itself could be considered as a deadening habit. It is definitely the dominating habit in the play as they are continuously waiting. The phrase â€Å"we’re waiting for Godot† (Beckett 51), which also inspires the title, is the most repeated sentence in the entire play. The fact that it is repeated so many times shows how desperate and meaningless their situation has become. The repetition of the phrase emphasises its importance to the overall play because even though it is very simple, it sums up the entirety of the play. This habit is arguably the most deadening of all as it prevents them from leaving and going on with their lives. It forces them to stay put and thereby takes all the meaning out of their existence, diminishing them to mere spectators rather than participators in life. A final habit that Estragon and Vladimir develop is that of staying together. In staying together, they attempt to avoid the insecurity of being lonely and try to use each other to confirm that their lives do have meaning. â€Å"I felt lonely†, says Vladimir when Estragon falls asleep (Beckett 10). This simple sentence is the very essence of why they develop the habit of staying together. Even though Estragon is physically there, Vladimir has no one to talk to anymore and this agitates him. They need each other even if they don’t always get along in order to confirm each other’s existence. At the slightest threat of being left alone, they panic and therefore stay together as a matter of necessity. The above quotation invokes pathos in the audience as they realise how strong their reliance is upon one another and therefore how low they have sunk as individuals. They are trying to avoid insecurity through their habits, but Beckett is implying that this is impossible and that habits will lead to monotony and insignificance in your life. Instead of profiting from each other, staying together prevents them from moving forward and thereby deadens them. Habit is indeed a deadener and Waiting for Godot illustrates this in numerous ways. All four characters in the play have been deadened by their habits and instead of their routine saving them, they caused their downfall. It seems as if Beckett is trying to illustrate how habit affects people in reality. It is unavoidable as human beings to develop habits. It is almost like a natural mechanism in order for us to avoid absurdity in life. However, Beckett implies, one has to accept absurdity as it is part of life. Habits won’t give us the security we need, they will only bring monotony and eventual deadening to our lives as happened in Waiting for Godot. This play is obviously part of absurdist theatre and therefore an exaggeration, however Beckett seems to be relating it to real life to a certain extent. He seems to be advising to prevent from developing habits and instead accept the randomness that unavoidably accompanies life. Work cited: Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Grove Press: New York, 1982.

Case Study Analysis Ppaer Essay

Introduction A number of problems were made during the recent hiring process. This case Study is an attempt to identify and recommend ways to improve this process. From the information that has been obtained, I believe that a lack of employee experience and a lack of prior planning and follow up resulted in a failure to accomplish all the task necessary to hire the new employees in a timely fashion. ?Background Carol Robins, a new campus recruiter for ABC, Inc. , in early April he was able to hire 15 new trainees who were destined to work for Monica Carrolls,  the operations supervisor. From the interviews that were conducted, it appears that Carl was unable to accomplish all of the tasks necessary so that the new hires could begin work. These tasks included documentation, drug testing, material preparation for the orientation, and facility scheduling. Monica Carrolls did contact Carl on May 15 concerning his process with the hiring process. Other employees had failed to keep the paper copy of the master orientation manual current so that it can be quickly copied. Another factor appears the rapid expansion of the company. Alternatives With more than one problem a major focus on a number of different Solutions, such as, Prior planning by Carl could have eliminated some of the issues; however, Carl’s in experience would probably still have resulted in there being some problems. The company has failed to provide relatively inexperienced employees, like Carl, with comprehensive procedures and job practices. Under the topic of supervision, Monica Carrolls could have made contact more often with Carl. But her job, as operations manager, does not include his supervision. Another solution to the supervision problem could be to increase the staff in the human resources department. However, on examination this does not appear to be the most efficient solution due to the increased costs. Another solution would be to maintain the master â€Å"New Employee Orientation† manual in electronic format. Having the manual in electronic form allows for easy updating of the policy and procedures, and prevents inadvertent loss or damage to that document. This method is cost effective and easily implemented. ?Proposed Solutions. A â€Å"New Employee Checklist† will be created with all pre-employed tasks listed on it. ?The â€Å"Employee Orientation† manual will be maintained in an electronic format. ?Some of the pre-employment tasks will become the responsibility of the potential employees to accomplish. Potential employees will report when the tasks have been completed. A member of the human resource staff will confirm that the task has been completed correctly. ?Employees like, Carl Robins, will be required to submit weekly reports detailing the current status of all potential employees. ?Recommendations New employees are the only way the work of this organization gets accomplished. Everyone efforts to sustain the continued growth and profits of this company cannot be ignored. With the continued growth of the company the proposed solutions that the employee will make on that day may need to be modified as the company becomes larger. I would recommend that a periodic review of the hiring process; looking for ways to improve it. And also a review should be done on an annual basis.

Analysis of Lester Burnham

From the outside, Lester seems to have a perfect salary, and a perfect family who lives in a perfect neighborhood. In reality, things are not what they seem to be. In fact, he is on the verge of getting fired from this job, his wife and only child hate him, and he also hates himself. Slowly a series of crises begin to occur that ensure that eventually the family will be destroyed. It starts off with the deterioration of his relationship with, his daughter Jane, and wife Carolyn. â€Å"She wasnt always like this. She used to be happy. We used to be happy. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) Everyday is different in his life, but also the same. He goes to work and comes home only to have dinner with the same music and same people who despise him the most. Not to mention how every dinner ends the same, with personal attacks towards him, only to make him feel worse about himself. The worst part is that he knows he is going to do the same tomorrow. As things seem to escalate more and more it is becoming more obvious that he has reached his mid-life crisis. Especially when he meets Angela, his daughters attractive best friend, he thinks he has finally found a new purpose for living. This is when Burnham has reached a critical point in his life. This film revolves around many ideas and themes. One of these is the value of life. â€Å"I have lost something. Im not exactly sure what it is, but I know I didnt always feel this sedated. But you know what? Its never too late to get it back. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) From now on, in the movie, Lester decides to turn his life around. Starting by getting himself out of the depression he is currently in. As the movie goes on, one of the first things you notice while watching the movie is how perfect the houses are aligned and how his whole entire house is furnished with the color gray or light shades of blue. The only things that do seem to have color are either painted with red or blue. In turn the red signifies the things that make the characters happy and the blue signifies the troubles the characters are facing. How does that person interact with others in the movie? Lester’s interaction with others in the movie was the one significant thing that showed his true colors of his character. He seemed to have a positive outlook on gaining relationships, but most characters in the film wanted nothing to do with him. They saw him as an impersonal individual with no care in the world, but to fulfill his own desires. On the other hand, all he wanted was to have a happy relationship with his daughter and wife. However, in return they never showed him an ounce of gratitude. Especially his daughter Jane. From the first time I saw them have dinner with the vase of red flowers and perfect family portrait between them, I knew that Jane had repressed anger towards her father. Particularly when Lester tried to conversate with Jane and she clearly expressed that she could care less. â€Å"Well, what do you expect? You cant all of a sudden be my best friend, just because you had a bad day†¦I mean, hello. Youve barely even spoken to me for months. †(Cohen, Mendes,1999) At this point in the movie it has become pretty obvious that the main character is not only depressed but he also has a passive aggressive personality disorder. The first psychological behavior shown was depression. Depression is an Axis I disorder under the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Which is also described as by doctors Sharp and Lipsky in 2002 as a â€Å".. common psychiatric disorder in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Persons who are depressed have feelings of sadness, loneliness, irritability, worthlessness, hopelessness, agitation, and guilt that may be accompanied by an array of physical symptoms. A diagnosis of major depression requires that symptoms be present for two weeks or longer†¦Targeted screening in high-risk patients such as those with chronic diseases, pain, unexplained symptoms, stressful home environments, or social isolation, and those who are postnatal or elderly may provide an alternative approach to identifying patients with depression† The main characters loneliness and sense of worthlessness has become more evident when his neurotic wife no longer wants to engage in sexual activities with him. And his fourteen year job as a writer for a media magazine has come to an end. In addition, what seems to throw him over the edge is the lack of communication he has with his daughter. Although she wants nothing to do with him, he still longs for her happiness. A Person who is also depressed shows a sign that life is not worth living for them. The character of Lester Burnham didn’t hesitate to express this within the first minute of the movie. He narrates â€Å"My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood. This is my street. This is my life. Im forty-two years old. In less than a year, Ill be dead†¦Of course, I dont know that yet†¦And in a way, Im dead already. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) However what ultimately deteriorates Lesters life is his passive aggressive personality disorder. Also found in the Axis II DSM-IV-TR criteria. These are all the things that the character of Lester Burnham embodies on a day to day basis: â€Å"People with this disorder resent responsibility and show it through their behaviors, rather than by openly expressing their feelings. They often use procrastination, inefficiency, and forgetfulness to avoid doing what they need to do or have been told by others to do†¦A person with this disorder may appear to comply with anothers wishes and may even demonstrate enthusiasm for those wishes. However, they perform the requested action too late to be helpful, perform it in a way that is useless, sabotage the action to show anger that they cannot express in words†(Vorvick, Rogge, 2008) His evident mid life crisis causes him to irresponsibly buy a red sports car and fall in lust with someone that is the age of his daughter, also known as Angela in the film. His first encounter with Angela started the red rose petal frenzy. Everytime he interacted with her red rose petals appeared in her significance. The rose petals signified a sense of happiness for Lester and acceptance by the only female in the film. Another symptom for passive aggressive behavior is feeling resentment and hostility. Mr. Burnham clearly displayed his feeling of resentment and hostility in the second dinner scene where him and his wife get into an altercation over how Lester up and quit his job, when he had a clear chance to save it. But things started going downhill after Lester shouted across the table to his daughter â€Å"And your mother seems to prefer I go through life like a fucking prisoner while she keeps my dick in a mason jar under the sink†(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) By this point Carolyn and Lester are screaming to each other, but all Lester seems to want is someone to pass the asparagus. Finally, he becomes feed up with the non-respect he is shown as the man in the household and he gets up himself to get the asparagus. After serving himself, a minute later he throws the aspargus directly across the wall next to the perfect family portrait, in order to command attention from his ungrateful wife and daughter. Another sign for passive aggressive personality disorder in Lester Burnham is the drug abuse and poor career development. (Something that Lester didn’t hide throughout the film. ) Especially his interest in smoking marijuana, which he ironically receives from his neighbor and also his daughters boyfriend, Ricky Fitts. By this time, the main character Lester, has shown how withdrawn he actually is from the world and how irresponsible he has become.

Measurement system in engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Measurement system in engineering - Essay Example These were, at best, crude devices which gives a â€Å"feel† of the magnitude of the physical quantity. They do not provide accurate measurements and therefore cannot be recorded and kept for future reference. To overcome this, a new type of device was created. This is called transducer. These transducers are used to convert mechanical quantities into electrical signals which can be recorded. Measurement systems started gaining prominence in engineering and a new genre called â€Å"instrumentation† engineering was born. This is done using Strain gauges. Strain gauges are constructed with materials whose electrical resistance value changes when force is applied on them. The variation in resistance is directly proportional to the force applied. The variation in resistance can be measured using a wheatstone bridge or a simple voltmeter-ammeter method. The basic strain gauge is used in the industry in weighing scales, weighing systems etc. Different variations of the same are also used in measuring tension in a material (like paper, steel strip etc) as tension is also essentially force. A variation of the same can also be used to measure â€Å"torque† - which is the angular force i.e force x distance. There are several ways of measuring pressure. The cruder ways of measuring pressure using manometers or bourdon tubes have now been replaced by more sophisticated measurement techniques. The most common way to measure pressure of a flowing liquid is to use a venturi. As the liquid passes through a â€Å"venturi†, the velocity of the liquid increases and the corresponding pressure decreases known as â€Å"Bernoullis Equation† (â€Å"FlowMax engineering,†n.d.) This principle is used to measure the pressure. As a derivative of the same, the venturi meter can be used to measure â€Å"flow† of the liquid as well – since â€Å"flow† is proportional to square root of the pressure drop. An electronic circuit to generate the

Strategy- Energy Firm Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategy- Energy Firm - Assignment Example However, the case of BP oil shows that firms seek to reduce cost at the expense of ethical actions hence the observed problem (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). The strategies of the company are to incorporate the additional cost of meeting ethical requirements and corporate social responsibility in the final price to the consumer. Competitive strategies in various industries have gone beyond pricing. The cost of production remains a key factor in a firm’s profit level. Ethical concern is cost related and remains a competitive dilemma among companies. Although the cost of corporate social responsibility affects the profits, it has long term benefits as far as market share is concerned (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). For profit companies can effectively balance ethical practices with competition. The consumer community is aware of the ethical practices hence significantly influence the performance of the firm. This was evident when the world frowned against the BP oil over its environmental degradation on the spill. This means strategic costing and fair pricing would help address market size in the long run and compete favorably. The situation of BP oil would have been averted if the management had considered the high cost environment care option. The CEO would have opted for the expensive casing pipe as this would help reduce the risk significantly (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). It is evident that the wrong decision cost the firm its global image and subsequent slump in sales. The situation would have been prevented by insisting on ethical standards as a long term consumer focused

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 46

Marketing - Essay Example 193). In this regard, services marketing need to design strategies that cater specifically to services, as contrasted to products or goods, due to the very nature and characteristics of services. As emphasized, services possess six distinguishing characteristics that make it distinct: its being (1) intangible; (2) inseparable in production and consumption; (3) perishable; (4) heterogeneous; (5) focused on client-based relationships; and (6) emphasis on customer contact (Chater 13: Services, n.d., pp. 193-194). Therefore, marketing practitioners should be able to recognize these characteristics in designing strategies that would cater to the needs and demands of the clientele. The strategies for services are also different from goods or products in terms of the need to consider these characteristics, as well as the ability of service organizations to satisfy the customers’ needs. Thus, a more comprehensive knowledge of the customers’ profile need to be established, in conjunction with the ability of the organization to provide the services that match their needs. Likewise, since services are intangible, it was also learned that the design of strategies would depend on the continuum of intangibility that is exemplified. According, â€Å"knowing where a product lies on this continuum is important in creating marketing strategies for service-dominant products† (Chater 13: Services, n.d., p. 193). Services marketing is therefore more challenging due to the nature of services, as well as the evaluation of the customers on the service quality that was provided. Therefore, the success of service marketing depends on the ability of service pr oviders to meet the customers’ demands and address any weaknesses as a means to achieve defined targets and goals. Essay 2: Generally, marketers use one of three basic targeting strategies to focus on a target market: undifferentiated, concentrated, or differentiated. Locate a news item or an article that discusses the target

Marketing advertising report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing advertising report - Essay Example building brand awareness for both Southeast Asian Laneway festival and existing local festivals, but she was unsure about the exact marketing activities required to promote the brand. In such a context, the manager has asked the researcher to recommend suitable marketing and advertising strategy to promote the brand, thereby helping her to fulfill the proposed objectives. The manager has asked the researcher to focus on certain issues, while making recommendations such as, 1- propose strategic recommendations that can help Laneway Festival to address their current needs, 2- provide justification regarding functionality of proposed campaign, 3- illustrate look/feel of the proposed advertisement in order to specify how the proposed campaign would achieve success, 4- identification of target audience for the advertisement and 5- make broad media recommendation by addressing budget, time period and brief description of activities. As marketing personnel, the researcher will analyze the b rief and try to locate anomalies present in there. In the next section, the study will conduct a brief literature review in order to understand arguments, presented by previous researchers, to identify the working pattern of advertising campaign. In the book, â€Å"Confessions of an Advertising Man†, Ogilvy (1988) had stated the phrase, â€Å"If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative†, in order to highlight the importance of outcome while employing advertisement to promote brand. According to Ogilvy (1988), success or creativity of advertising campaigns can only be appreciated, if it is able to sell the product/service. Hence, advertising campaigns cannot be created only for the sake of creativity. Kawashima (2006) found that look and feel of advertisements changes with the background story of the brand, nature of target audience and divergence of marketing objectives. Grabher (2001 and 2002) argued that incorporation of creativity in advertisements can be done by experimenting with

PSC Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PSC - Coursework Example SharePoint Foundation can be used to create a number of websites. The web pages on these sites may be enabled with collaboration via webpages, other documents and of course, data etc. This component of the Ms Sharepoint Package is the server in the setup of SharePoint just in accordance with its name. It takes Sharepoint Foundation as its baseline upon which it grounds itself. It is characterized with the property to organize site administration, compiling of lists and libraries and customization of the website concerned. Since SharePoint Server banks on SharePoint Foundation for all its basics it naturally incorporates all it properties along with its own. Significantly its own properties include The Content Management of an Enterprise, Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence, enterprise search, and personal profiles through My Sites. The very latest and the foremost with respect to the most current technological needs of the say, SharePoint Online  is a cloud based solution provided by the Computing giant Microsoft. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Instead of having the need of incorporating the entire massive structure of MS SharePoint within its premises any business can now log onto the cloud server of the application package. The only requirement is that subscription needs to be done and the employees of the organization/ business setup can be provided with an enterprise grade solution for creating sites. These sites would enable sharing of documents and information with partners, customers and colleagues.   Ã‚   â€Å"SharePoint Workspace is a desktop program that you can use to take SharePoint site content offline and collaborate on the content with others while you are disconnected from the network. While you and other team members are offline, you can make changes to SharePoint content that will eventually synchronize back to the SharePoint site.† (Microsoft, 2011) With the onset of

Stereotypes of African American Women in Film Essay

Stereotypes of African American Women in Film - Essay Example In film, the seductive and worldly imagery of the African American woman has endured. While more empowered positions have been created over time with race relations slowly repairing and providing for a less judgmental view on the African American woman, the films of the early twentieth century reveal the story of how she was viewed. Through the work of Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge, the stereotypes can be seen, but explored with a deeper complexity that was brought to the roles because of the presentations that Horne and Dandridge brought to their work. In many ways, the work that was done by Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge broke some of the stereotypes that had been most prevalent about African American women. Horne stated of her position in Hollywood that â€Å"They didn’t make me into a maid†¦but they didn’t make me into anything else either. I became a butterfly pinned to a column singing away in Movieland† (Bogle, 2001, p. 127). She came across as w holesome a problem for the sex-object roles that she was given. Because of her nature, she was not seen as a â€Å"slutty† character, but was engaging as an alluring woman who flirted and teased, rather than performed acts that would diminish her nature. She was elegant and poised, thus creating sophisticated presence. In this, her roles created a sense of broken stereotypes, the women she portrayed not the average that was promoted during her time. Horne’s portrayal of Georgia Brown in Cabin in the Sky never broke through to representing a woman of ill-repute. Bogle describes her work as â€Å"startling freshness and untainted wholesome beauty† from both Cabin in the Sky (1943) and Stormy Weather (1942). Her role in Stormy Weather, made her an â€Å"object of contemplation, rather than one of possession† (Bogle, 2001, p. 127). In Cabin in the Sky, she is positioned as an instrument of Lucifer, but she brings a complexity as she never fully slips into the state of a tainted woman. In Stormy Weather, puts Horne in context with the music industry of the early 20th century. She represents an ambitious, but desirable woman who is seeking a career over love. This representation broke with the traditions of both women and African American women, her desires for something beyond an immediate gratification not a familiar stereotype. One of the problems with Cabin in the Sky was that it was set in a familiar type of fantastical setting in which there was an ideal ‘otherness’ in which African Americans lived. This concept suggested that while their lives were separate, they did not suffer from segregation, but flourished in communities that were just out there somewhere (Bugle, 2001, p. 131). Where Cabin in the Sky created an unrealistic domestic space, Stormy Weather created a somewhat unrealistic professional space in which African Americans experienced their lives. The film was an example of wartime escapism, providing an unre alistic world in which to experience a diversion from the seriousness of the nature of life during the war. Both of these films, however, were ground-breaking as they each had fully African American casts, the diversity of the roles within those films providing for a better exploration of African American life. Two roles that Horne greatly desired, ended up being given to Dorothy Dandridge. The role of both Carmen Jones (1954) and Jane Richards in Bright Road (1953) were given to Dandridge over Horne. Where Horne exuded a ‘

Sonnet 16 - John Milton Essay Example for Free

Sonnet 16 John Milton Essay John Milton is considered to be the most significant English author after William Shakespeare. Although his chief work is â€Å"Paradise Lost†, he also wrote other wonderful poems, prose, as well as sonnets, in which he tackles a number of subjects which range from religious to political. Rarely is one piece of writing limited to one or the other of those fields. Among all the sonnets, Sonnet 16 is special because it refers to Milton’s blindness. It was written soon after the poet became blind and starts with a mood of discouragement and grief â€Å"When I consider how my light is spent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but ends in a note of resignation for the situation occurred: â€Å"They also serve who only stand and waite. † The sonnet has four main themes. One of theme is limitation. Milton believes that his blindness will leave him with few chances to use his creative skills as he once did. Without his sight, writing poetry becomes more difficult for him. It is perhaps not accidental that similar limitations affected other personalities, such as Beethoven, who, as composer, lost his hearing, Michelangelo, who as an artist lost also his sight, or Jorge Luis Borges, whose blindness didn’t prevent him from writing. The next theme is light, strongly related with the theme of limitation. Light represents what can be perceived with the eyes, but it also has the meaning of spiritual light. The poet expresses his frustration at being prevented from serving God the way he desires to. In Milton’s opinion, a poet is useless when he loses his sight. Though, his burning desire to serve God urges him to write more than ever. Milton understands that if he buries his talent to use it at a later date, it might become hidden forever, and the poet will be cast into God’s darkness. Milton’s message is that although his life has not expired, his life of poetry has vanished. The other themes present in Sonnet 16 are duty and submission. The poet feels that it is his duty to make use of other talents, other than poetry and he wonders if God allows him to do that. The answers to his questions come from â€Å"Patience†, who tells him that God has many who hurry to do his bidding, and does not really need man’s work. What is really valued is the ability to bear God’s mild yoke [†¦]. Milton makes the reader understand that, according to Christian faith, rather than being an obstacle to fulfill God’s work, the loss of vision is part of this work, but only on the condition that the impaired person understands to live patiently with his impairment. It is a lesson Milton himself learnt, since he wrote â€Å"Paradise Lost† after becoming blind. Milton had a deep knowledge of Scripture (that is how he was able to write Paradise Lost), and in this poem, you can see the influence of his faith. The central meaning of the poem revolves around what Milton is about to complain to God: â€Å"Doth God exact day-labour, light denyd†. The word â€Å"day-labourer† in Milton’s opinion is a suggestion that the labourer works only in the daylight, in the presence of light, therefore the poet does not know whether God would accept a labourer for whom the light is denied. The complaint is asked â€Å"fondly† (which means foolishly, unwisely), but even so, the poet is prevented from stating it by Patience (personified by Milton), who explains to the poet what the nature of God is. God is absolute and does not need man’s work. Who best / bear his mild yoke means the people who are most respectful to Gods will. However, God judges humans on whether they labor for Him to the best of their ability. Therefore, even if one person becomes severely disabled, he remains worthy in the sight of God. For, as Milton

Understanding If The Iraq Wars Justified Politics Essay

Understanding If The Iraq Wars Justified Politics Essay The American war campaign against the military troops of Iraq began on 20th March 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by international troops led by United States of America and the United Kingdom. Then, the governments of the United States and United Kingdom and other European countries claimed that the possession of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq posed a threat to the international security. This assertion informed the invasion of Saddam Husseins Iraq by the United States and its allies. This invasion has proven to be an unjustified act after it was confirmed that the regime of Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. In fact it was alleged that Saddam Hussein only bragged of possessing weapons of mass destruction so he could prevent the neighbouring Iran from ever considering invading his country. Why would the United States invade Saddam Husseins Iraq instead of going after the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorists groups? After the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks, the Al Qaeda extremists admitted to being responsible for the bombings and Osama Bin Laden himself admitted to giving the directive for the bombing. It was only logical that the United States of America would pursue the extremists groups directly and swiftly. However, President Bushs advisers were wrong in going after Saddam Hussein instead of Osama Bin Laden. By then, Osama was still at large and offering more threats and so it would have been easier to find him and bring him to book for atrocious mass killing, than going against Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein in fact had no direct ties to the Al Qaeda or Taliban. The war in Iraq was pushed by the general objective of making the world a better place. The objective of the war was to convey a warning to other axis of evil nations to stop their uranium enrichment programs. The United States feared that if the Islamic Republic of Iraq enriched itself with uranium, this would spark a nuclear arms race. President George W Bush coined the term axis of evil, in January 2002 State of the Union Address in an apparent reference to nations that were sympathetic to the Al Qaeda terrorist group and other international terrorist organizations. After that address, the United States embarked on a war campaign that as at 22 August this year has cost the administration 743 billion dollars  [1]  . The cost of the war has been especially difficult to manage given the existent global economic climate. The effect of the Iraq war on the economy needs no advertising. The United States spends at least 200 million dollars on the Iraq war daily. In 2002, when President George W. Bushs economic adviser Larry Lindsey inferred that the war would cost approximately 200 billion dollars in the long run, people thought he had overestimated the costs. It is now clear that his estimation was a gross underestimation. The Iraq war has costs the United States taxpayer a whooping 730 billion dollars as at August 2010. President Bushs economical advisers anticipated a quick and reasonably inexpensive war, but instead the war dragged on and resulted in the deployment of more than 125,000 American soldiers. These American soldiers need food, shelter and at time entertainment and the only place they can derive these human wants is from Iraq. These soldiers have therefore been supplied by products made in Iraq and this has only helped build the Iraq economy while the United States economy continues to la nguish in budget deficits. Sustaining the large troop base in Iraq has meant the United States spent more and thereby accruing more debts. The major casualties of the Iraq war have been the innocent civilians caught in the cross fire between American forces and its allies against the insurgent. Data available indicating the death toll from the invasion is varied, but critically indicting of the war. Different groups have given different information regarding the actual or even projected figure of Iraqi casualties. The Associated Press gave its figure of civilian casualties at approximately 110, 500 deaths as at April of last year. Another organization called the Iraq Body Count, which collects a database of Iraqi civilian casualties, released a report in April this year indicating that around 105, 000 innocent residents lost their lives from the American offensive  [2]  . War, if absolutely necessary, is meant to deliver humans from suffering and not create suffering instead. The staggering number of civilian casualties makes the war in Iraq more harmful than helpful. This war has ravaged family units, displaced per sons from their homes and left millions living in perpetual fear of imminent death. In the aftermath of the war, America attempted to assist Iraq in managing their country and fighting insurgents, but this caused more harm than good to the general stability of the United States. There are growing doubts in the mainstream America about the administrations capability of winning the war. It is clearly known that the United States of America miserably failed in the Vietnam War three decades ago, and that severely affected the confidence the Americans had on their government ability to successfully complete an overseas mission. The Iraq war is having similar effects on the American psyche. Vietnam made Americans to doubt the governments stand on issues of foreign policy. This confidence by the citizens is further is crushed by realization that their government could wage war on a country based on false intelligence reports  [3]  . When the environmental or ecological effects of the war are assessed, more harm can be seen. The weapons used excreted chemical substances that polluted air, soil and water. These substances contained toxic materials such as hydrochloric acid, asbestos, dioxins and other harmful metals. This polluted the soil as the uranium released by combat troops killed some plant species. During the shock and awe, in the initial launch of attacks, there was thermal radiation excreted by heavy artillery. This thermal radiation caused death by ionising the body of Iraq civilians and American soldiers. In the course of the protracted war, many innocent civilians and soldiers suffered mechanical injuries that left them without limbs. A lot of complications arose due to the mechanical and ionising radiation such as infertility, blood disorders like blood cancer, and cataracts formation. It caused adverse effects on body organs and tissues formation i.e. radiation poisoning. It also caused genetic effe cts and birth defects that might subsequently be passed from current Iraq generation to the next generations. Pressure from heavy artillery employed in the war meant Iraqi civilians chances of survival depended on buildings they were staying in as the buildings can survive 0.8 bar of the heavy blasts, while a human can only withstand 2.0 bar of blast. The increased pressure caused by the blast caused burns of different types to the innocent casualties of the war. Examples are thermal burns from infrared radiation, beta burns from beta radiation and gamma burns from gamma radiation. Radiation also caused hair loss, other effects on the skin like ulceration, itching, flaking, inflammation and blistering. The war in Iraq is associated with other grave ills in the society. There has been significant movement of refugee populations from Iraq to its neighbouring countries of Syria and Jordan. The war has intensified terrorism across the borders of Syria-Iraq and Jordan-Iraq instead of curtailing it. The overthrowing of Saddam Hussein from the Iraqi presidency has intensified separatism in the country and propelled sectarian violence pitting the Sunni and Shiite Muslims to another level. Prior to invasion of Iraq, Saddam had managed to keep the two factions in harmonious coexistence. With the withdrawal of the allied forces from Iraq, it will be interesting to see whether the sectarian violence, transnational criminal activities in the Middle East and the cross-border terrorism will subside or intensify. A safe bet would be on deterioration of stability and security standards. The seven year war in Iraq has damaged the overall credibility of the United States as a world leader. Images of roadside civilian bombings, video footages of American soldiers torturing suspected terrorists and shipment of the suspected terrorist to Guantanamo bay has compounded the already bad image of the United States abroad. It can be recalled that the United States made a unilateral Iraqi invasion decision, in total disregard of the United Security Council opposition to the war and this has installed the perception of arrogance from the Americans in dealing with diplomatic issues  [4]  . These and other reasons make the United States Iraq war completely unjustified.

Angels in America Essay -- Kushner Angels in America Essays

Angels in America Everyone has his or her own personal faults in life. Some are looked down upon more for their issues than others are. Homosexual relationships are considered sacrilegious and unethical, so much that we scrutinize persons having those relations. We as a society should not look down upon individuals whose sexual preference is different from our own. The 80's were a time of economic growth and global power. It is also the setting for Tony Kushner's play, "Angels in America". In Kushner's play it was at time of gay revelation. Reagan's reforms and policies gave homosexual people the power and courage to be more open sexually. Throughout this play, "coming out", is a very new evolution, one that Kushner bases his play on. In the story, many of his characters are homosexual, and the truth about their sexual preferences comes out. Roy Cohn is a successful lawyer in New York, who is dying of AIDS because of his sexual relationships. He keeps his love relationship separate from his professional life for the simple fact that if he were exposed to the wrong people it could damage his reputation. This information could be used against him in court. He lies to people, telling them he has cancer to conceal his homosexuality and prevent them from knowing about his sickness. Roy is facing disbarment and if they knew he was gay, he would easily be barred from being a lawyer. Roy tells his doctor, Henry, that "Roy Cohn is not a homosexual man. Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man, who fucks around w... ...er sexual preference, than we as society can accept this kind of relationship. The graphic details Kushner describes about living and dying with the AIDS disease, gives the audience both the view of a horrifying disease and hope for the future. In the beginning of this play, there is a feeling that homosexuality is despised, but as the play moves to the second part the mood changes. It changes to a very relaxed, almost understanding, and picture of how homosexuality is viewed. In contemporary America, homosexuality is becoming accepted as a sexual preference. Many interest groups, organizations and gay people have strived for this for years. It is not our right to judge others because of what sexual preference they choose, but it is our God given right to be proud of that choice.

Personal Narrative - The Rice Fields of Home :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

The Rice Fields of Home I remember the big Gingko tree on the little hill. It was an old tree, shaped like a grandma with her curved back and wrinkly body. I loved how its leaves turned golden yellow during the autumn. I called them, Eun-hang Ip. Whenever the wind blew, it was snowing yellow, and I was covered with them. I would often doze off in that yellow blanket while the sunshine held my feet with her warm hands and the gentle breeze brushed my hair. In my dreams, I climbed that tree all the way up and reached the clouds--the white cotton candies. Carefree, worry free; my younger years... Everything seemed so beautiful in my eyes. Mother Nature was with me and she filled the absence of my real mother during my childhood; my daily life started with the satisfying weather and ended without complaints. All four seasons shared their charm equally and decorated my memories with their pretty details. I never forget my grandpa’s sky-blue antique bicycle and its’ two gigantic wheels. It didn’t have a break, but it made a little squeak sound every now and then which brought out more of its’ oldie character. I would paddle that bicycle through my peaceful, car-less road. The trees on the side of the road with their arms arched inward made the way seem like a tunnel. The little bits of sunbeams that sneaked in between the leaves, looked like the sparkling Christmas tree lights. When the tree tunnel ended the paddling also stopped, and the gravity took control because it was going down the hill. With the sudden acceleration and the bursting of full blazing sunshine, I closed my eyes, feeling the speed all over my body. Red, pink, yellow, and white Cosmos flowers, which replaced the trees on the side, were the first colors back into my little peaking eyes. As I rode through the flower tunnel, now slow and calm again, I could hear the fall wind wh istle. Time of harvest, a six years old me running around and following my family, was a busy time. All the rice fields, which were once covered with rice plants, were cut.

LASCAUX: The Most Famous Cave in all France :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

LASCAUX: The Most Famous Cave in all France Not too far away from the town of Montignac, in the western Massif Central and Northern Pyrenees, the cave of Lascaux was discovered. Four teenage boys and their dog discovered it. The four boys, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel and Simon Coenccus, were out on an expedition, but they found more than they bargained for that day. Their dog wandered away and they searched for him. In the process, the four boys discovered a cave that had been right below their feet for the past 17,000 years. They were not able to venture down into the 250-meter deep cave on the first day so they came back the next day prepared to enter the cave. When the boys first wiggled their way down into the cave they did not find anything. It was not until they reached an oval room that they first discovered paintings on the walls. These boys had uncovered paintings dating back to the Aurignacian (30,000-18,000 B.C.E.) (Laming, 34-41) and Magdalenian (15,000-10,000 B.C.E.) periods. It is belie ved that many of the paintings found in Lascaux were created between 16,000 and 14,000 B.C.E. The boys could no longer keep this cave a secret, so they told one of their teachers, Monsieur Laval. After accompanying the boys down to the cave, M. Laval started alerting historians to this new discovery. Within five days three historians were already on their way to visit the site. On September 17, 1940 three experts on Paleolithic art, Abbà © Breuil, Dr. Cheynier and Abbà © Bouyssonnie, crawled down into the cave; it was at this point the cave became authenticated. Soon after, many visitors began coming to the cave. What was it these people were so excited to see? When visitors first entered the cave they had to go down a twenty-meter slope, which led to the first hall, The Great Hall Of Bulls. The first thing they saw in the Great Hall of Bulls were the black bulls. Attention is quickly focused on them because of their great size compared to the other paintings. Also found in the Great Hall of Bulls are pictures of horses, deer, a small bear, and a primitive unicorn. â€Å"The strange so-called Unicorn appears to be walking towards the interior of the cave.

Men and Women Stereotypes

Emotional Manipulation at its Finest Have you ever felt like everything is always your fault? Like you’re always the person that’s stirring up trouble in your relationship? Women feel this way in particular and it’s because of the men that make us feel this way as well as the pressuring media. I’m sure that most women have heard derogatory comments such as â€Å"you’re crazy† or â€Å"you’re so dramatic† from husbands, boyfriends, male co-workers, fathers, kids, or even male friends at least once in their lifetime.As the epidemic of women being â€Å"crazy†, â€Å"sensitive† and â€Å"irrational† increases over time, we are seeing that women are being emotionally manipulated by men at an escalating rate. This sort of behaviour is appalling to women everywhere because it is a stereotypical way of treating us. Men and the media should not have the right to make women feel terrible for â€Å"overreacting† when they were the ones that caused us to react in the first place. Emotional manipulation is the driving force behind the male population’s egotistical way of viewing life.Having the power to make your wife or girlfriend feel bad for something you did boosts a man’s ego and confirms that they are the powerful spouse within the relationship. Although this stereotype has been around since before anyone can remember, it is important for women to fight back against the idiotic behaviour of men. In order for men and the media to stop emotionally manipulating women, society must stop authorizing this abusive and inconsiderate behaviour in their behalf. The term â€Å"gaslighting† comes into effect when situations such as these are observed.Gaslighting, as Yashar Hedayat wrote in his work entitled â€Å"A Message to Women from a Man: You are Not â€Å"Crazy†Ã¢â‚¬ , is â€Å"a term often used by mental health professionals to describe manipulative behaviour used to confuse people into thinking their reactions are so far off base that they’re crazy†. This is what men do to get themselves out of trouble with their women and it is toying with the women’s emotions. In my personal opinion, it is not fair for women to feel this way because it’s the alternate spouse, friend, co-worker, etc that caused the trouble within the relationship.Why should the woman feel bad for the male’s irresponsibility? In this day and age, women are afraid to let out their true inner feelings because men make it hard for them to do that. For example, Yashar Hedayat explores the idea of a man being late to dinner. The woman decides to text him to see where he is but instead of saying â€Å"you’re late where are you? You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago. † she writes â€Å"you’re late lol where are you babe? † See the difference? She doesn’t want to upset him in any way so she adds a smile to lighten the mood.If men were not emotionally abusing women, this sort of behaviour on the woman’s part would not have to occur. It saddens me that women have to pretend to be happy in front of someone they’re supposed to be able to tell everything to. If such trust existed, would relationships have a different atmosphere? This manipulation is like jail for women; they are trapped in the fact that they cannot express how they feel when a man plays with their emotions. As I stated before, men have a sense of power within their relationships especially when gaslighting plays a huge factor in the relationship.Yashar Hedayat states that â€Å"acts of gaslighting steal [women’s] most powerful tool: their voice† Since the beginning, men have always been the dominant partner within relationships and this has caused women to remain quiet and not fight back. We can see this in the 1950’s when women were destined to be housewives from the age of eighteen. Men were the spouse that went to work every day and made money for the couple and the family if they had one. The stereotype of women being the recessive spouse continued into today’s society.Although women are not destined to be housewives anymore, men are still considered to be the dominant spouse in most relationships. When men partake in gaslighting, they are confirming their power over the woman. Often, the woman feels defeated and overpowered by the male which in turn causes emotional manipulation within the relationship. So why do men feel the need to manipulate women into thinking that they're crazy? Dr. Joseph Nowinski wrote an article on psychologytoday. com explaining how men are just as insecure as women.He states that men's insecurities have in fact altered relationships between men and women. Some men are so insecure that they force their insecurities onto their spouse and this is where gaslighting plays its role. Because of these insecurities, men feel the nee d to drive women crazy. The media is also a pressure on women. As state earlier, there is a stereotype surrounding women that they are clingy and too emotional when it comes to men. You see â€Å"overly-attached girlfriend† trending on twitter all the time and this authenticates the tereotype. Although some women may be overly sensitive and attached, it is not the case for all women. The media has also produced many films about crazy people and the main character is almost always a woman. The new exorcist movie coming out (the name escapes me) has a girl as the main character. The 1994 movie â€Å"Gaslight† (origin of the word) is about a woman that is sent to a mental institution when her husband makes her seem crazy. The media is always going to have stereotypical views on women whether we like it or not.This has been going on for a long time and I'm not surprised that the issue is getting larger and larger as the years go on. Gaslighting is an issue in today’ s society and we must try to break down the barriers that surround it. Gaslighting is not something that can be touched upon lightly and women should start to stand up for themselves when it comes to this situation. Although men and the media are large contributing factors to this issue, we must still band together and fight against it.This enhanced interrogation of women’s emotions is starting to deteriorate how strong and independent women once were. To be gain these qualities back, women must begin to take control of their emotions and stop letting men play with them. Works Cited Ali Yashar. â€Å"A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not â€Å"Crazy†Ã¢â‚¬  The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 12 Sept 2011. Web. Nowinski, Joseph. â€Å"Is It Love, Or Is It Insecurity? † Psychologytoday. com. The New Grief, 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2013 LEGEND: Thesis PINK Methods of Proof YELLOW Rhetorical Devices GREEN Literary Devices BLUE

Black Boy By Richard Wright Essay

Harper and Brothers in New York first published Black Boy, an autobiography of Richard Wright, in 1945. The Harper Perennial Edition, published in paper back in 1998 runs to 448 pages. There is more than one theme which runs through this work, of course, but the over-riding, end-all, be-all message which the author hammers home is that harm is done to fellow humans in the name of racial bigotry. Wright’s theme begins with the very title of the book. Black Boy is an epithet used to denigrate blacks as surely as is Nigger, the title chosen by Dick Gregory for his autobiography in the 1960s. Wright’s story takes place in the early 20th century. He sees racism as a child and as an adult. It is a major force in the development of his personality and influences virtually every facet of his life. In Black Boy Richard Wright explores the theme of racism and ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks. Black people of the era did not want a young black to ‘rise above his station’ in life. Since Wright is reared in abject poverty his peers did not wish to see him try and break his metaphorical chains. His father is mostly absent and he has no strong male influences for the good. He relates how he got over on his father without being punished, â€Å"I had my first triumph over my father (at age 12). I had made him believe that I had taken his words literally (12). He was physically abused. The institutional racism of that day was called Jim Crow and particularly in the deep south of the United States it was a way of life. He grew up misunderstood even by his own people. Blacks of his day were not supposed to get ‘uppity’, meaning they were supposed to act subservient to white people because a black who disrespected a white person would bring down retribution on countless other black people who had done nothing. The blacks that should have had a positive influence on Wright as a child were either blind to his gifts or chose not to see. They not only did nothing to encourage him but also rather did all they could to hold him back. Likely it was so they would not draw attention to themselves or seem ‘uppity’ but the result was a gifted child who lost years of this life that could have been spent in pursuit of the arts. Wright has criticism not only for the white laws, the white establishment and the white race, but also gives a scathing critique of the black community as well. This book is an indictment of the adult black community of his era that refused to take matters into their own hands to educate and guide the children that so desperately needed such guidance. Wright tells his audience that it is not until later in life when he is exposed to literature that he has any idea of what he is missing. He doesn’t know such beauty and such profound thought even exists. Wright’s life is a struggle against the status quo in his native state and in the north where he finds himself as a young adult. White America does not want an intelligent angry young black man voicing his criticisms of the American way of life and blacks do not want him rocking the boat. This is years before Dr. King and even Brown vs. The Board of Education and no one knows what to do with Wright. Mostly they want him to go away. This in itself influences Wright’s attitudes toward his fellow blacks and reinforces the theme of racism being detrimental even to other members of one’s own race. Wright at first sees only two ways to react to his life, feeling caught as he is between the warring races. He can become subservient and bow to the inevitable. He can drink, steal, lie and fight, which he does at first, or he toss away the stereotype of the illiterate lazy black boy and become someone else’s idea of compliant, giving a graduation speech written for him, †You can’t afford to say just anything before those white people that night,† (175) his professor tells him, not allowing him freedom to speak his mind. Wright tosses off the yoke of conformity and does battle with whites and blacks as the need arises. He sees that it is not the white race alone that is holding him back. The metaphor Wright adopts to show his desire for knowledge is hunger. He tells the reader constantly of his incessant childhood hunger, never totally sated, (14) always wanting more than is available and he means for the reader to equate this physical hunger with his hunger for knowledge. He relates how he consumes food and Proust with equal passion. It is implied that it is both whites and blacks who withhold the food, both physically and metaphorically that he so desperately craves to fuel body and soul. Wright tells the reader that it is blacks that are first responsible for trying to quench the fire of his independent spirit but he rises above them and goes his own way, becoming what his heart tells him he must become. He relates how as a child he and the other black children were not given the education they need to rise above that ‘station’ and he blames not the whites but the blacks for the lack of recognition of bright black children who could do so much more with their lives had they but an education. He faults the black teachers and administrators of his school for kowtowing to the whites and keeping black children in ‘their place’. For these reasons Wright ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks

Meaning of life †Human Essay

I believe the meaning of life is to give life a meaning. Throughout my entire life, I have wondered what the purpose is. Why am I and every other human being even on this planet in the first place? That brings me to my next question. Is there a God? If there is, why did he put us here? Any Christian asked will say our sole purpose is to serve God. First of all, what does that even mean? And second, I must ask why? Why would a supernatural being place us strategically on this planet strictly to serve him? That sounds pretty selfish to me. There has to be something more. Something concrete. Something greater. How could there not be? All my life I have worked hard to succeed. I have challenged myself and fought to do better than my best. Why? I asked myself. Why stress so much when I’m only going to die in the end? Pessimistic, I know. Finally, I thought, maybe the meaning of life doesn’t have to be so complex. Maybe the meaning of life is whatever we want it to be. Maybe the meaning of life is to give life a meaning. I do what I do because I want to do it. It’s that simple. I do it because it means something to me. Everyone adds their own meaning to life. The meaning of life is never universal. The meaning of life is never complex. The meaning of life is actually quite simple to think about. Many people help the needy. Others play sports. Both activities add meaning to those lives involved. Purposes change, but the overall meaning of life will always stay the same. The meaning of life is simply to give life a meaning. This I believe.

Monologue of Inspector Calls Essay

That morning I was scared and devastated to go back to that shop Milwards that day. Although father forced me he still doesn’t believe what he’s done while I was going to the shop people kept on talking quietly but I knew they were talking behind my back as it was just obvious. I was shocked as father didn’t want the matter to go out in public due to his reputation and his honour. I was ashamed to be walking in the street that morning but I had learnt my lesson which other people didn’t know. I was in the shop and suddenly I had a flashback I can just remember. The previous summer was quite strange as I was very suspicious that day as I felt Gerald’s s absence. During this time I felt he must been having a affair, I couldn’t suspect anything else due to the fact of his absence. I can remember that very night when the inspector came home, inspector Goole he seemed a bit curious at first and said we had killed this girl called Eva smith I didn’t really recognize that girl or heard her name before. I was astonished to know father had something to do with this. Inspector Goole then came up to me enquiringly as he thought I was involved. I looked at the photograph I just noticed I knew this girl,. I felt horrible knowing that this girl Eva smith got fired from her job because of me. I didn’t realise it at that time, just because I thought of that silly dress. I didn’t know what to think of myself any more knowing what I’ve done to this poor girl who did nothing to me. Just because I was jealous of her. This is what happened I was shopping at Milwards and when I saw her I told the manager that until the shop assistant (Eva smith) was gone I would never set foot in that shop again. I amazed to see that my parents and Gerald didn’t really take any notice to see what we had done. I don’t about the relationship between Gerald and myself as I don’t think I can have I relationship with someone who can’t tell the truth. I know he’s a nice man and I was excited about my engagement but Gerald didn’t realise what he had done he didn’t seem to value our relationship as well. Moreover mother and father didn’t learn anything they were just happy to know everything was over and none of this would be spoken again. I was just happy when the inspector said ‘ we are members for each other and we are responsible for each other’ that night when everything was over I remembered what the inspector had said and wanted to change everything. What had happened was then the past and now is the future.

REGULATION, COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

REGULATION, COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE - Essay Example When the derivatives were distributed, it created an opportunity of basic training and helped in exploiting the difference in prices in future and spot markets. The gas trading of Enron had allowed it to be a market maker and acted as counterparty by trading on both sides and made profits as spreads between the offer and the bid price. Enron was under residual risk after it accessed both the markets and was able to overcome the same by entering into swaps and other such arrangements with dealers. As Enron owned physical plants and took charge of operating those, it had a comparative advantage over the competitors. The company was also able to protect itself from the market price movements for the same reason. Being an industry insider, it also had advantages of acquiring information needed for forecasting shocks related to particular region or sector. Therefore, besides being a market maker, Enron was also a creator of new products. The business strategy used by Enron, in 1990s, was asset light and vertical integration, after it became too leveraged due to the merger. The asset light approach indicates combination of the development of sophisticated risk management techniques with the least amount of ownership and operation of plants. Virtual integration system helps to maintain the reliability of a product with less capital investment. Enron took advantages of deregulation of the US energy markets, as later on, it can be noticed that they enjoyed the experience of steadily rising profit from merger of two utility based companies. Additionally, besides owning several gas pipelines, it also ran a natural gas as well as electricity transmission business. After 1985, Enron even started trading in gas and offered various types of derivates to interested customers, when the gas pipelines business met an end. When the derivatives

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Business Ethics - Essay Example The main body of the essay will be structured using the STAR format. According to Kotler & Armstrong (2004, p. 127), â€Å"written regulations cannot possibly cover all potential marketing abuses and existing laws may be difficult to enforce. However, beyond the written laws and regulations, business is also governed by social codes and rules of professional ethics.† Therefore, companies that are enlightened always encourage their managers to focus on doing the right things always for the betterment of the company. It is imperative for businesses to try to create a balance between the goals of the organisation as well as its CSR initiatives. Careful consideration should always be taken given that there are often conflicting interests whereby certain situations can give rise to disagreements about the right course of action that can be taken in a given situation. Ethics Basically, business ethics refers to the values, principles and standards that operate within business and th ese attempt to make a distinction between something that is morally good from bad (Rossouw, 2004). As such, values can be described as the â€Å"essential and enduring tenets† that help define the company and are â€Å"not to be compromised for financial gain or short term expediency,† (DesJardins, 2006, p.5). Cultural environments in which organisations operate shape the values of the organisations given that there are many forces that affect the way people behave such as perceptions about situations, preferences as well as attitudes which influence people to behave in a particular way (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). It can be noted that there are different types of values in the organisation such as financial, political, historical as well as cultural. Corporate social responsibility On the other hand, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) suggests that there is need for an organisation to establish goodwill with the values and norms of a particular societ y in which it would be operating. Whilst there is no agreed definition of the concept of CSR, it has been defined as a function that transcends but includes making profits, creating jobs and producing goods and services that satisfy the needs and interests of the stakeholders (Oketch 2005 as cited in Smith 2003). Strydom (2004, p.11) suggests that â€Å"CSR is the concept that maintains that businesses are part of the larger society in which they exist and are accountable to the society for their operations.† This means that there is need for the organisations to try to build a relationship between the goals and objectives of the organisation, needs and interests of the stakeholders and the society at large. This concept is also related to ethical issues in the organisation. Situation In this particular case, Gino, the CEO of DMBC intends to divide the windfall of the company between the new CSR program focused on Batten disease and employee bonuses. This follows the diagnosi s of his daughter with Batten disease and this is the major reason why he is pushing for this initiative. However, of notable concern is that the company had not given any pay rises to the employees for almost three years and in some instances, it had been forced to cut salaries for the employees but it seems that Gino is more concerned about the welfare of his daughter at the

4.Review the main features of TWO welfare reforms passed by the post Essay

4.Review the main features of TWO welfare reforms passed by the post war Labour government 1946-1951 - Essay Example There were two main reforms that are still impacting the United Kingdom are the National Health Service and the National Insurance Act, both of 1946. The National Health Service (NHS) was a major achievement not only for the Labour government but also for the nation as a whole. This program allowed free medical treatment for everyone, not just the 21 million people who were covered by the National Health Insurance, the predecessor to the NHS. (Leichter 1979, p. 158) This program which was finally rolled out in 1948 was at first vehemently opposed by the majority of doctors who believed that this form of health coverage would end up ruining medical practices. The doctors who were originally opposed soon realized that their fears were unjustified and joined the ranks of those assisting the needy. The other major reform was the National Insurance Act which came into effect soon after World War II was officially over combined three already established insurance schemes into one. These three covered unemployment insurance, national health insurance, and the contributory pension. When the Act was put into place, it became necessary for all of the adult population to carry insurance, which was subsidized by the government and employers. (Barr 1993, p. 3) This ensured that all those of working age could receive care, therefore enabling more productivity. While not without issue, these two acts really changed the focus of how the United Kingdom saw assistance, and how individuals received it. Due to the recent conflict, the nation had already established a family allowance which in combination with the National Insurance Act and the National Health Service covered close to 100% of the population which was intended by the Labour Government as well as the driving force for the National Health Services, Aneurin Bevan. (Rintala 2003, p. 3) Although many liked the care, it was

United States Foreign Policy toward Cuba Research Paper

United States Foreign Policy toward Cuba - Research Paper Example Cuba opted to maintain its political and economic relations with the Soviet’s legal successor. Since then, U.S. had been indifferent to Cuba and decided to put restrictions on their relationship as â€Å"nations.† In fact, a law was adopted by the United States Congress to prevent international companies â€Å"from dealing with any kind of Cuban assets† (Byers and Nolte 127). The U.S. had also obtained from the United Nations Security Council â€Å"a binding international embargo against Cuba† (Byers and Nolte 127). As such, U.S. companies were prohibited to trade with the Caribbean country (Leler). Also, licensed travel was sharply restricted—travel agencies were required to have government authorization first and foremost (Schwab 75). The objective of such constraints was to economically isolate Cuba â€Å"while depriving it of U.S. dollars† (Schwab 75). For almost a decade, these restrictions were viable and effective until a new form of l eadership had taken into place. The Obama administration had considered modifying its foreign policies to bridge the gap between the Americans and Cubans. Foreign policies in the international setting are interest-specific. It is always the interest of the general public that has a great bearing in every decision making. The goal of protecting and projecting the national interest remains the same (Ahmed, qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†). Nevertheless, the dynamism of international affairs makes it difficult for global leaders to be focusing on the same policy every now and then. As stated by Ahmed, the periodic re-adjustment of foreign policies is an inevitable event (qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†). Generally, foreign policy is the fact that a nation wears in the outside world. â€Å"It is the sum total of the values† which direct the behavior of a country in the international sphere (Ahmed, qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†).

Participation Exercise #5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Participation Exercise #5 - Assignment Example Calculation of a breakeven also aids the business owner in learning the different costs both fixed and variable to easily determine the much they need as capital and that aside to propel the business to profitability. These provide the advantages of calculating the breakeven point before starting a business. The point that aids the business owners realizes the returns from their efforts. The point that defines their real profits the business earns (Rodriguez). During the calculations if the resulting breakeven point indicates a performance below the needed breakeven point, a number of options may aid improve the position. The increase in the selling prices may allow the company to improve the position and increase in volumes of sales provides another option. The circumstances surrounding the business environment determine the action to take with the option to increase the selling price much determined by the competitor’s prices among other factors. An increase in volumes sold will provide a more viable option to improving the position on the breakeven point. Rodriguez, George. Is Your Business successful? 3 Indicators of Success. Powerhomebiz. Viewed on May 1, 2015 from

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Coursework

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) - Coursework Example Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a cluster of signs and symptoms that are not naturally found in the body but develop over a span of time due to a weakened immune system. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS develops as a result of the chronic infestation of the human body with HIV and is usually discovered with the development of advanced symptoms. Discovered in the 1980s, AIDS was considered a disease manifested solely due to homosexual activities in the world. However, since 1981, several discoveries have been made regarding the modes of transmission of the virus and how to prevent them. Nonetheless, AIDS continues to be one of the most feared diseases in the world, as it results in not only physical anguish but also social seclusion. Thus, it is necessary to know about the method and modes of transmission of this disease so as to take appropriate preventive measures. The presence of HIV is usually diagnosed in a patient based on the clinical signs and symptoms that are presented to a medical practitioner. The diagnosis can be confirmed on the basis of laboratory tests such as testing for antigens of the virus or antibodies in the blood against it. However, since laboratory tests are not available in certain remote areas of the world where AIDS is prevalent, medical practitioners rely on the clinical signs and symptoms that the patients present. Since AIDS is a syndrome, the signs and symptoms presented by patients who suffer from it tend to differ.

Webquest Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Webquest - Assignment Example In his theory of cognitive development, Piaget relates the development process of children to different cultures and visualizes their environments of growth. Piaget describes the development stages to undergo the following process Assimilation - Assimilation stage is acquired at birth when a child conceptualizes the reflexes that transform gradually pertaining to the environment where one grows up. It mainly constitutes determination of schema that varies according to a particular situation (Wadsworth, 2004). Equilibrium - Piaget describes equilibrium as determinants enhancing human development process. Piaget articulates that it is never a direct process because different challenges are associated with it. For instance, every stage of development that is coupled by retarded challenges may require replacement by alternative schemas (Wadsworth, 2004). Oral stage - It requires the development stage of duration from birth to a maximum of 1 year. This period determines the principle part of social development where the body seeks to acquire its form of pleasure thus entail behaviors such as chewing of button and biting of nails (Seorang, 2014). Anal stage - This is the stage between one to two years where much of the development is relayed on mastery of the right behavioral practices. At this stage, for instance, a child gets to understand toilet manners and desist from attending to their clothes (Seorang, 2014). Phallic stage - It forms the third stage of human social and emotional development. It mainly focuses on sexuality and the determinants to identify the difference in the genital composition. According to Sigmund, the scene draws many conflicts as boys develop sexual feelings towards their mothers with a comparative fear that their fathers’ who are against such feelings may punish them (Seorang, 2014). Latency stage - This stage embraces numerous skills development and related activities with much sexual motivation

Ireland during World War I And the Role Britain Played Research Paper

Ireland during World War I And the Role Britain Played - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that after looking at the legislative measures passed during World War I and the events of Irish Revolution, it is evident that World War I was giving Britain too many problems. These developments ultimately gave the Irish people an opportunity to force Britain so that free Republic state of Ireland could be formed. This paper makes a conclusion that Britain followed a policy of sharp oppression in order to crush the rising. It was mainly fuelled by the belief that the rebels were acting with German connivance and help. However the execution of the revolutionaries by the government resulted in widespread public revulsion. This exacerbated the growing alienation of the Irish from the British administration. This in turn led to Irish popular support for the republican separatist movement Sinn Fein. Strong suppression of the Easter Rising by the British fueled popular support in Ireland for the Republican separatist movement Sinn FÃ ©in . It was due to this fact and the conscription crisis of 1918 that Sinn FÃ ©in was able to defeat the Redmondite nationalists in the general elections of December 1918 and won most of the seats. In short it can be said that the strong suppression of the rebellion alienated the British from the Irish. The political background of the Irish Revolution was set in the strong suppression of the rebellion by the United Kingdom. Strong suppression of the rebellion by the British Empire led to the fact that people of Ireland began to have sympathy for the revolutionaries and their agenda which led to the electoral victory of Sinn FÃ ©in.

What are the relevant facts Essay Example for Free

What are the relevant facts Essay According to this case, Stacy is a new employee of a local CPA firm, who is on probation and asked to perform an advanced level jobs, because this firm has a heavy turnover. There are some morale and organizational problems with this CPA firm, so that a psychologist is brought into assess these problems. Both Stacy and other employees in this firm point out the same management problems, and some employees even have resigned from this firm. Stacy is helping interview candidates for the open accounting positions. What are the ethical issues? Generally, Stacy has a duty of loyalty to the firm when interviewing prospective job candidates. There are laws require that an employee refrain from behaving in a manner that would be contrary to his employer’s interests. But this duty of loyalty is not absolute; it is influenced by the responsibility and trust between employees and employers. Therefore, even Stacy has a duty of loyalty to the firm, he also can judge if employers’ decisions and arrangements are right. He has no duty to provide truthful information to candidates. What are the primary stakeholders? The partners of the CPA firm, Stacy, all other employees of the CPA firm, and prospective employees of the CPA firm, and clients are primary stakeholders. What are the possible alternatives? First, Stacy can resign from this CPA firm, if he thinks he can not do for the firm any more. Second, Stacy can be loyal to the firm and do what he is told to do. Third, he can tell the truth to the candidates about the information of this firm. What are the ethics of the alternatives? First, based on utilitarianism, Stacy should keep loyal to the firm and do not make frank communication with the candidates. Because this is related to his own job, he has to keep him away from being fired. Second, based on rights, candidates have rights to know the true information about the firm, so Stacy should tell them the truth. Third, based on fairness, tell the truth seems to be fair for candidates and him. But he may loss his job because of frank communication. This is an unfair burden for Stacy. What are the practical constraints? If Stacy tells the true information to the candidates and new employees about the problems at the firm, he might be reprimanded again or even be fired. It may also influence him when seeking a future job. What actions should be taken? Stacy may try to adapt the advanced level job by learning more skills, so that he can avoid making the same mistakes again. He can keep loyal to the firm when he is interviewing the candidates, and remind the new hires some problems privately. He can also make suggestions to the CPA firm.

Sports Influence On Psychology Of People Media Essay

Sports Influence On Psychology Of People Media Essay For many years, sports have been valued by many societies in the world. Many people continue to indulge in various sports today either singularly or as a part of a team. Sports have always influenced the history of a nation as well as the psychology of the people in that nation, playing both constructive roles as well as damaging roles. Many people may think that sports are all about winning or losing, however sports is deeply engraved in people psyches and to some it dates back to when they were young and hence it is bound up in many people geographic and social identities. It is through sports that some people have been able to indulge themselves in vicarious achievements and euphoric collective experiences. Many studies have shown that there is a lot of emotion when people try to win for their team or for themselves which in return affect their psychology as well as that of their fans. This paper therefore, analyzes the psychological influence of sports to citizens of United Kingd om. The formation of a nations identity is dependent on the various social activities of its citizens including the social practice of sports. This is because many people like discussing about sports events as they go along with their daily activities both at the workplace and at their home. Studies have shown that there is so much influence on the workers performance based on the performance of their favorite team. It has been found out that there is a lot of impact of sporting failure and success on the UK workplace. Many people get psychologically affected when their team win or loses. It has also been found out that the conversation regarding sports that people have in their workplaces can have a positive impact in boosting their morale as well as improving their productivity and motivation. This means that sports in general shapes the lives of many citizens in UK. Also, people usually construct various perspectives and meaning while watching sports event which greatly influence thei r social belief, self concept and most certainly their nations identity. That is, key social practices including sports and the related events will be discussed and recounted in compelling ways by a large group of people through various mediums from media forms to everyday conversations, leading to the formation of certain ideas in their minds, which in turn leads to the formation of social beliefs and thereby nations identity (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Studies have found that a nations identity is governed by the memories and stories that people hold in common and certainly sports is one of them. This can also be proved by the fact that sports impact goes beyond the day to day social environment. For example Englands win in the 1996 World Cup affected both the economy and the politics of the region. It is during this time that Harold Wilson claimed his victory which was largely attributed to the teams performance and the wave of euphoria and goodwill that the citizens had due to t he team victory. Equating sports or sports teams to a nation as well as its identity, thereby peoples psychology as well as social practices began in 1908, with the launch of the Olympics as a pan-national event, with the entry of many countries and their official patronage. The twelve-year old Olympic Games had informally taken on the role of a multinational sporting event at which nations represented themselves with their best athletes (Smith and Porter 2004). With many countries participating in that Olympics, media coverage and importantly political patronage certainly built the discourse, that nations will normally represent themselves through their sportspeople in various events such as the Olympics. When nations are represented by sportspersons, the activities of the sportspersons on and off the field will in turn form or change or reinforce or even challenge the psychology of those nations, and ultimately their social practices and nations identity since many people like to be associated with a particular team or a sports person. In the society today many young people like identifying themselves with some sports people which greatly influence their personality which is very vital in determining a nations identity. This trend has sometimes led to violence in sports especially when people (fans) identifying themselves with a particular sport lose a match. In many sports fans are full of emotions as they try to win for their team. These high emotions are catalyst to sports violence. More often than not you will find angry fans screaming and yelling to the coaches when they fill that he is letting down their team. Many riots have also been experienced when a team loses an important match. These riots are characterized by fighting among players, dumpsters, mobs overturning cars and many other bad behaviors. The reason for this is due to the psychological attachments that exist between people of a nation and sports. Through identifying with a certain group individuals are abl e to improve and maintain their self esteem (Balisunset, 2009). As a result, sports acts as a powerful source of identification through which people identify themselves with a team or an individual in a team and hence become heavily invested in the results of a given competition. This means that people are affected psychologically when their team loses leading to frustrations. These frustrations lead to anger and the only outlet to his anger is through violence (Murphy, 2005). Many people may think that sports violence is just a simple matter but in some cases it reflects the violence that happens in the society and that is why violence mainly occurs when a crowd is made of a heterogeneous mix. This means that the fans may be using spot violence as a scapegoat to their society dissatisfaction. This means that many occurrence of sports violence may be signifying that something is wrong and immediate actions need to be taken. Contrary to sports violence, sports sometimes have very good impacts to citizens of a nation especially when national team wins an important match. Many people are very happy after a national team wins and this is known to have a positive impact in boosting the morale of citizen. Consequently, this has an impact on peoples approach to work and lifts up their mood hence making them productive in their work. This just shows how sports psychologically influence people lives (International Society of Sports Psychology, 2006). Research has a lso found that talking sport acts as one of the ways of breaking down barriers existing between employees and their customers. The influence of sports is so big to an extent that it can break or make a relationship between a manager and his team. A study conducted in 2006 in UK revealed that 71% of men and 68% of women said that both the employers and employees learn valuable lessons from sports. People get to learn the importance of working as a team, importance of being dedicated to ones team, importance of collective responsibility, what makes a good team player and how to develop ones talents and maximize performance. As a result, we can say that sports success or failure in a nation has influences both social and economic factors of that nation. This is because sport is woven into people day to day life and hence plays a very crucial role in creating bonds between people and ultimately impact productivity of a nation (Social Issue Research Centre, 2006). The influence of sports on psychology of people can also be seen by the way people bask in reflected glory. This is rooted to one element of social identity theory which is psychological distinctiveness. According to this theory, individuals desire their identity to be both distinct from and positively compared with people of other groups. This theory is concerned with identifying when and why an individual identify with a particular group and behave as a part of that group. According to this theory an individual social behavior can exist on a spectrum from purely intergroup to purely interpersonal. By identifying oneself with successful people a person self esteem get boosted. This is the reason why people like identifying themselves with successful teams and sports personality. It is for this reason that you will find people pulling out their old tee shirts and old sweatshirts after a big win, and proudly display their team logos. Also after a team wins a championship the sale of t heir products also goes up until another team wins the following year. This is what is called basking in reflected glory which is labeled by social psychologists as BIRGing. A study conducted I 1976 by supported this phenomena by showing how university students wear their university affiliated clothing the Monday morning after winning a football match during weekend. In doing so the student sought to have success of their team linked to them by wearing school identifying attire. The students are also like using the pronoun we after a victorious athletic weekend than when their team lost. By basking in reflected glory an individual self esteem gets enhanced by identifying with another persons success. They try to receive this glory by doing nothing tangible to help a person or a team get this success. Individuals are more likely to bask in reflected glory when their public image is threatened so as to counter any threats to their self esteem. Also the extent to which a person is comm itted to a team dictates the degree in which he can distance himself from the team lose. According to social identity theory those individuals who are strongly allied to a team are not likely to distance themselves, and to ensure that their self esteem is not threatened they will try to attribute the failure to other things and not the team itself. For those who are not closely allied to the team, the loss makes them to engage in phenomena known as CORFing. This refers to cutting off reflected glory which is characterized by distancing oneself from a losing team as much as possible. This can be done by either using different language to describe the game after defeat. For example the fans begin using the words they lost instead of we lost. Fans can also CORF by blasting, which is a form of indirect self enhancement used when one feels that his or her self esteem is threatened. This clearly shows how sports influence an individual psychology. Many of the international sports, which are being played all over the world, originated or were first played in their modern form in Britain. Team games such as soccer, rugby, and cricket, and sports such as rowing, athletics and boxing, were formalized, codified and modernized in the elite schooling institutions of Britain (its public schools) and the ancient universities. (Tomlinson). These sports diffused into the social gamut of UK as well as the minds of the British people both in the urban as well as rural communities, with the factor of Britishness exhibited by these sports. In those times, sports played in Britain influenced the British socio- psychological ideologies like fair play, an ideal of British manhood. Likewise, sports for women were developed to fit with the ideals of Victorian femininity. Different sports have different combination of representation which influences the social psychological beliefs of single British identity or separate national identities. In football (American soccer), the four nations of the UK are separately represented. In cricket, England and Wales play as one team. In rugby union, the countries are split into England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with Northern Ireland and Eire providing a joint team (Polley 1998). This being the case, the social psychological beliefs of British identity gets changed or modified according to the occasions and circumstances. This means that an individual will identify with a particular team based on the situation at hand i.e. people from one nation will support the group identity of being British in some occasions, but their cognitive dissonance reverts back to them, and thus alleviating their dissonance by changing their stance to support their own national identity. For example, English sports followers could s upport a Scottish athlete who represent Great Britain in the Olympics, but could revert to their anti-Scottish stance, when the national football teams of England and Scotland meet in a friendly or in a World Cup. The reason for this is that individuals have a tendency to identify to the team the truly belong to when faced with a situation like that one. This is because one will have grown up being attached to a particular team and thus there is no way he/she will support another team when the national team is playing. Another perspective about changing their support or their affiliations in sport can be witnessed when one British team fails at a major event, while another British team succeeds, providing the people someone to back. The London-based media is also experienced in this kind of support. When an England team fails to qualify for a major tournament, the media quickly appropriates other British or Irish teams as ours' (Smith and Porter 2004). Cognitive dissonance is displa yed at times when there are differences between an individuals actions and his or her beliefs. This contradictory display occurs often among sports fans in England, as they may believe to have a British national identity, yet their actions prove otherwise. These actions, which oppose their beliefs, are a form of relieving the cognitive dissonance that they have. Football as a sport has been known to unite people across UK rather than divide. Most of the football fans have a strong commonality. The role played by football either socially or culturally is dependent on historical factors. These historical factors include whether the national team or a major side has won an important tournament at a particular time in the past or whether the sport was played traditionally by lower or upper class. The rivalry between teams also plays a major role in defining the sports characteristics. This influences how individuals at different with each other and how they relate a sport in their country and the support they give to teams at the international, national, regional and local level. This means that people in a given country with strong regional and local identities relate differently with those people in countries where regional identity is not important. A good example of this is demonstrated in countries like Sweden where allegiance to local team s is stronger than that associated with the national side. As in any society, British women, till the late 20th , were prevented from actively participating in many societal activities, thereby psychologically subdued.This social belief was further reinforced through sports with early womens traditions, as they were effectively suppressed by male establishments, such as football and both rugby codes. (Smith and Porter 2004). Although, women tried to have pre-eminent positions in society and even fulfill roles of leadership, with Britain being ruled by numerous successful Queens, it was not the case in all spheres of the society. Women were suppressed and deprived of the process of leadership in many facets of social life, sports being one of those facets. Likewise, the social psychological aspect of class factor was also influenced by sports with certain team games, particularly Rugby and cricket which were viewed as games of the upper class.This meant that one grew up believing that certain types of sports belonged to a certain group of peo ple. With this belief people of certain region did not psychologically give attention to some sports that they did to those sports where they felt to be part of the team like in football. With the initiation of the Industrial Revolution, many people started getting employment and became part of the revenue earning group. Even then, their incomes were not optimal and thus there lopsided class factor. This class factor was further imbued in the peoples mind as well as part of their social setup through sports. With certain sports played only by a certain class of people, sports indirectly promoted class differences. England rugby team remains remarkably homogenous: white, educated, middle-class, while Cricket has a rather upper class flavor as in the habits of male upper class Englishness, cricket embodies gentlemanly qualities (Malcolm, 2001). This shows how sports can be effectively be used to divide citizens of a nation by promoting class difference and notion that some types of sp orts are suited to a given group of people. Fortunately this notion is slowly fading away with and people are beginning to accept sports like rugby which initially belonged to a chosen few. Beliefs about having distinct and separate national symbols or identities particularly separate National Anthems have been in existent for some time among the countries of the United Kingdom. For example there have been many debates of whether English should have their own national anthem for many years. English have retained British national anthem for sporting events while Scots and Welsh have claimed their own national anthem. Problems however arise when England plays against either Scotland or Wales, during this time the opponents national anthem has to be played twice. Unfortunately, those debating about this issue in the past only considered the political ramifications of England having their own national anthem thereby neglecting the psychological implication of playing God Save the Queen. Researchers have found out that there are a number of factors that affects the psychology of those involved in sports during any competition. Some of the psychological factors include confid ence, belief, being prepared, sense of identity and ability to perform under pressure. One of the major factors that affect the performance of an individual in sports is a sense of identity. This is because its through having a sense of identity that our values are impacted on us, consequently affecting the individual motivational levels. In addition to that it also impact on an individual sense of purpose and a will to go an extra mile for ones nation. Singing national anthems by the respective teams at sporting events are always viewed as a psychological strategy by the coaches and other people to promote a sense of identity within the team, and also to motivate and fire up them. It also falls under the psychological process of self-esteem in that an individuals self esteem is raised when he or she knows that he/ she belongs somewhere. With self-esteem being a key process that works as a catalyst for many human actions, the national anthems can also work on the self-esteem of any countrys citizens (Kimiecik Harris, 2005). Behavioral psychologists believe that self e steem acts as a positive reinforcement to an individual thereby motivating a person to perform well in his or her actions. The national anthems are known to psychologically fire up sports teams and this will psychologically impact the people who are watching the event in the stadium as well as in their Televisions. This psychological association to their national anthems in turn defines their social beliefs and will lead to various impacts. For that to happen, the view among the English people is that they should have an appropriate national anthem, different from God Save the Queen. The Scots and the Welsh dont get fired up by God Save the Queen so why should the English? With this social belief, sections of the population are even coming up with options for a separate and distinct National Anthem for the English. This reason for all this fuss about national anthem is that both players and fans want to have a sense of belonging before any match which greatly influences their mind i nto having a conviction that the victory is theirs. Studies have found out that the perception of ones mind regarding something influences greatly the outcomes of an event. For example there is no way a team will win a match if they do not have a conviction that the victory is theirs. This conviction is achieved by raising the self esteem of the players and their supporters which in turn motivate them in claiming the victory. To do this coaches have had to apply some psychological techniques like anxiety management in sporting activities so as to improve the performance of the players (Pozzi, 2004). Influx of Asian migrants and people from other regions of the world led to the ethnic diversification of the UKs population. However this diversification has also resulted in the development of a variety of national identities, with different social psychological beliefs. Even after living in Britain for many years and interacting with the British society, British people of Asian origin still exhibit psychological allegiance and support to their parent country. This is clearly demonstrated during sports events when teams from their parent countries are involved. This means that there is an element of conformity, but point is that when Asians first came to the U.K they had they had two options: one being they could integrate themselves into society which may have proven to be difficult or they could stay segregate themselves and chose not to identify with the Britain. Although, it is not illegal or criminal to do so and it is their personal choices, the social beliefs of the British p eople is that it is morally wrong and unpatriotic to ignore and avoid the British identity. For example, when Indian or Pakistani or even Bangladeshi cricket team tours England and plays the English cricket team, the people belonging to those countries are seen psychologically associating with those countries and maximally supporting them, ignoring England.In 1990, the Conservative politician Norman Tebbit famously posited the test match test. Which side do the Asians cheer for? Its an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are? (Korinman and Laughland 2007). This rather harsh remark clearly brought out the focus on how sports reinforce the social psychological belief that British people of Asian origin are still attached to their homeland and thus avoid British identity. This was further reinforced by the comments of the former England cricket captain, Nasser Hussain. He said: It was disappointing to see a sea of green shirts with the names of Pakistani players instead of ours. It reminded me of when we played India at Edgbaston [in Birmingham] in the World Cup in 1999. It was like an away game because so many people supported their side. (qtd. in Majumdar and Mangan 2004). However, these beliefs can also be challenged when one looks from another perspective. That is, the above comment was actually made by a British man of Indian origin, which clearly shows that some British Asians have indeed integrated into the British society, even rising to the status of national captain. Thus, the social psychological belief that Asians have not psychologically integrated into the British society could be challenged, as many British of Asian origins have taken the British identity and support their home team. Sports have also been found to have a lot of influence in the well being of citizens. Current research suggests that sports enhance emotional or psychological well being of an individual and thus it is being used as an additional therapy in treating citizens with psychological disorders in UK. It has been found out that there is a positive relationship between sports and emotional well being of an individual. Sports participation in general alleviates some of the psychological problems people are facing in the modern world. In adults sports have been found to improve their moods hence alleviating many types of depression they have. This has also been found to be the case in children and adolescents who participate in sports because they tend to have reduced behavioral and emotional problems (Martin, 2007). The reason for this is that sports provide an environment where individuals can socialize freely thereby forgetting some of the problems they face in their day to day activities. S tudies also suggest that organized sports influence development of crucial behaviors like stress management, cooperation, positive attitude towards achievement, unselfishness, appropriate risk taking, and the ability to tolerate life frustrations and delayed gratification. It is through playing with others that children get to learn how to build cooperative relationships and the ability to meet their needs in order to belong. In addition to that they are able to learn important cooperation skills as they perform specific team role and work together when playing (NASPSPA, 2007). It has also been found out that youths who participate in sports have less behavioral problems and this has been supported by empirical studies. An example of this study is the one conducted in 1994 in UK and it found out that many youths who participated in sports behaved well in classrooms, earned better graded, dropped out of school less frequently, had fewer behavior problems at home and attended school on regular basis. On the contrary those youths who did not participate in sports were likely to engage in violent behaviors like fights in schools, drug abuse, they were also more likely to become teen parents and consequently the school dropout rates for nonparticipants was high. This shows sports have a very big influence in molding a bright future for citizens in a particular nation since it trains them to be responsible, creative and cooperative. In conclusion we have been able to learn how sports influence the psychology of people in a given nation. We have seen how sports help in improving and individual self esteem through identifying oneself with a successful team. Through this individuals are able to live vicariously through someone else, making them to bask in glory when that person or a team wins. This effect is also transferred in work places where good performance of a team influences the performance of the workers which means that sporting success and failure has a lot of impact on the UK workplace. We have also seen that sports play a very important role in developing a nation identity as well as helping children to grow up to be responsible citizens in future.