Friendship is one of those parts of life that we at times take for granted. We expect it to be present in all areas of our lives. I’ve herad many people saying our ‘friendship is forever’. But in truth how many true friendships do you have? Friendship is a gift that two people give to each other. It is not sometthing you give expecting a result from it but a true and unanticipated gift of enormous potential. True friends form a special connection. True friends are there even when they are not expected to be present. True friends know and respect each other’s gift. They are always with you, and they do not turn up only with they are in trouble or need a shoulder to cry on. It is a special bond that is created out of genuine affection and is given freely to those who have shown their truth. It is given without the thought of reward but with the essence of the heart which longs for this special connection. When friendship comes from the heart it forms a link to our soul that cannot be broken. It connects people in a really strong way. That type of friendship exists forever. True friendship is genuinely a wondrous thing impossible to describe. Friendship brings light into your world. When you look at your true friends you will uncover who you are. You will see a reflection of your soul .You will see your world before you and will see without any doubts the truth of your way. True friends are simply your self. When you look around and see your friends you see before your eyes the world you created and the being your have become. Think of your true friends and be grateful for the gifts they bring to your life. Allow your hearts to connect and bring comfort to each other. Give them your love in return for each friend you have is a gift that should be accepted with grace and thankfulness. But most important of all, be a TRUE friend with the ones around you. Be as true as you say you are, and that can only be proved with action and not only with words.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Misunderstandings
Good communication is key in any relationship. Misunderstanding of ideas can occur when there is an absence of communication between two groups. When two parties are not speaking, there is no way to clarify positions, intentions, or past actions. Sometimes both parties make a big effort to communicate as clearly as possible, but cultural differences or language barriers obstruct clear understanding. Even within a cultural group, misunderstandings can arise because of different personal communication styles. One person will ask a lot of questions to show interest, while another person will find that to be disrespectful. Men and women, in particular, are thought to have different styles.
Fortunately, breakdowns in communication are usually repairable. Misunderstandings can be explained, languages can be translated, relationships can be restored and rumors can be controlled. Misunderstandings are therefore extremely frustrating in that they are not supposed to occur, and if they do occur, then someone must be at fault, either the speaker did not correctly package the message or the listener erred in unpacking it, or both. The majority of people are already very sophisticated at sending and interpreting messages. Speaker attempt to code ideas, feelings, and images with words. Those words are transmitted to listener who then match them with their own experiences. There is no universal codebook, so what one person thinks of as "success" will not necessarily match another person’s definition. Words correspond to different ideas and feelings for different people, and it can take multiple attempts before an idea has been understood satisfactorily. The more cultural differences there are between speakers, the more frequently they will have to stop and work out differences of meaning.
Fortunately, breakdowns in communication are usually repairable. Misunderstandings can be explained, languages can be translated, relationships can be restored and rumors can be controlled. Misunderstandings are therefore extremely frustrating in that they are not supposed to occur, and if they do occur, then someone must be at fault, either the speaker did not correctly package the message or the listener erred in unpacking it, or both. The majority of people are already very sophisticated at sending and interpreting messages. Speaker attempt to code ideas, feelings, and images with words. Those words are transmitted to listener who then match them with their own experiences. There is no universal codebook, so what one person thinks of as "success" will not necessarily match another person’s definition. Words correspond to different ideas and feelings for different people, and it can take multiple attempts before an idea has been understood satisfactorily. The more cultural differences there are between speakers, the more frequently they will have to stop and work out differences of meaning.
A clear understanding of semantics is crucial to preventing misunderstandings. Arguments frequently occur when two people think they are talking about the same thing, but really they are just using the same word for two different ideas or things.
According to specialists on the field who work in helping people communicate more effectively, two of the most common techniques taught to solve the conflict are active listening, or empathic listening, and the use of "I-messages" instead of "you-messages." Both of these focus on trying to communicate without placing blame and really trying to hear and understand what the other person is saying.
When people are in conflict, making the extra effort to improve communication between the disputants is often helpful in reducing the intensity of the conflict, even if the conflict cannot be that easily resolved.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Commentary on “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt Whitman
‘I Sing the Body Electric’ is a poem about Walt Whitman’s admiration of the human body and soul. It is a celebration of the beauty of the human body, both male and female, in relation to its physicality, its shapes, its sexuality, and its divinity. He urges us to look toward the "divinity" of both the human individual and human society. He celebrates the body and its importance in forging connections between people. The author transmits to readers the idea that our body can connect us both erotically and spiritually with the bodies of others. In all this, the role of the body as the connection between the soul and the world remains crucial.
As regarding form and structure, this is a well constructed poem. It is long and complex but it can be divided in 8 sections. This is a poem of lists. The lists alternate with anecdotal sections and literary sections.
The first section of ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ announces itself as a poem about the human body. The poem's first line is an evidence of this ("The bodies of men and women engirth me, and I engirth them").
In the second section, Whitman engages with the different people in his surroundings: "Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, and march in line with the firemen”. He describes the society which he is part of with an implicit democratizing force. When reading the poem readers can perceive that he considers himself as incorporated into that society.
The third and fourth sections are about Whitman's view of the divinity of the body and soul. The small anecdote of the farmer whom Whitman wishes to be near to is very interesting. Whitman's description of the farmer includes words such as "vigor, calmness, beauty of person," and "wisdom". Clearly Whitman had great admiration for that man. This is evident when he says "you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other". Despite the interpretations of these lines, in my opinion Whitman's message is bigger than an issue of sexuality. Even though his love and passion for the farmer was different than it would be for a younger man or a woman, it was strong and true.
In the fifth and sixth sections, Whitman depictes the unique beauty of both genders, male and female, arguing that "each has his or her place in the procession".With these lines he highlights the idea that everyone has a place and role in society which each person is responsible for.
Though he describes men and women in two very different ways, he sees them as essentially the same and he describes both with passion, and he loves both as he loves everyone. He writes, "There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well”. But this is where his description of men and women as similar ends. He describes first the body and the soul of the woman as having a "fierce undeniable attraction," "moving with perfect balance," and having "inexpressible completeness, and beauty". He then gives man a different place in society, describing him as "action and power, defiant, blissful, sorrowful, prideful" and full of "knowledge". He describes men and women as having two unique places in society, the man as the one who must act, and the woman as the one who must be a mother and who has a sensual influence over men. Besides the different descriptions of them, Whitman still finds both women and men beautiful as they fulfill their role in society.
He also challenges readers' notions of race, class, and gender directly: "Do you suppose you have a right to a good sight, and he or she has no right to a sight?" He later describes the similarity of all humans when he says "Do you think matter has cohered together from its diffuse float, and the soil is on the surface, and water runs and vegetation sprouts for you, and not for him and her?"
In the next sections Whitman describes slaves who are being sold in slave auctions. He compares the "red, black, or white limbs as cunning in tendon and nerve", and explains that "Within there runs blood, the same old blood, the same red-running blood! There swells and jets his heart, there all passions and desires, reachings, aspirations". The message can be interpreted as referring to a similarity between slaves and white people. He states than the blood that fill their hearts is the same. Whitman clearly feels passion for these people, no matter if they are slaves.
In these sections abolition of slavery arises as a main theme. These lines invite us to think about how dehumanizing slavery is. Whitman's egalitarianism is a important aspect of this poem, for he argues against the devalorization of the body implicit in slavery.
In the end of this section Whitman asks us to consider our interconnectivity with each other: "Who might you find you have come from yourself, if you could trace back through the centuries?" The poem ends by calling us to action through a celebration of our common humanity. The connection with the common man and woman reveals Whitman closeness to society and common problems of it, such as slavery.
Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" is a very passionated description of the human body and the human soul. His appreciation for people for their simple humanity is very interesting. His passion does not make difference between gender, race, age, or even physical attractiveness. Whitman shows in this poem a broad sense of passion and respect for everyone. He loves the human soul and the human body, as well as he loves each person as an individual and the mass of individuals as a society.
As regarding form and structure, this is a well constructed poem. It is long and complex but it can be divided in 8 sections. This is a poem of lists. The lists alternate with anecdotal sections and literary sections.
The first section of ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ announces itself as a poem about the human body. The poem's first line is an evidence of this ("The bodies of men and women engirth me, and I engirth them").
In the second section, Whitman engages with the different people in his surroundings: "Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, and march in line with the firemen”. He describes the society which he is part of with an implicit democratizing force. When reading the poem readers can perceive that he considers himself as incorporated into that society.
The third and fourth sections are about Whitman's view of the divinity of the body and soul. The small anecdote of the farmer whom Whitman wishes to be near to is very interesting. Whitman's description of the farmer includes words such as "vigor, calmness, beauty of person," and "wisdom". Clearly Whitman had great admiration for that man. This is evident when he says "you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other". Despite the interpretations of these lines, in my opinion Whitman's message is bigger than an issue of sexuality. Even though his love and passion for the farmer was different than it would be for a younger man or a woman, it was strong and true.
In the fifth and sixth sections, Whitman depictes the unique beauty of both genders, male and female, arguing that "each has his or her place in the procession".With these lines he highlights the idea that everyone has a place and role in society which each person is responsible for.
Though he describes men and women in two very different ways, he sees them as essentially the same and he describes both with passion, and he loves both as he loves everyone. He writes, "There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well”. But this is where his description of men and women as similar ends. He describes first the body and the soul of the woman as having a "fierce undeniable attraction," "moving with perfect balance," and having "inexpressible completeness, and beauty". He then gives man a different place in society, describing him as "action and power, defiant, blissful, sorrowful, prideful" and full of "knowledge". He describes men and women as having two unique places in society, the man as the one who must act, and the woman as the one who must be a mother and who has a sensual influence over men. Besides the different descriptions of them, Whitman still finds both women and men beautiful as they fulfill their role in society.
He also challenges readers' notions of race, class, and gender directly: "Do you suppose you have a right to a good sight, and he or she has no right to a sight?" He later describes the similarity of all humans when he says "Do you think matter has cohered together from its diffuse float, and the soil is on the surface, and water runs and vegetation sprouts for you, and not for him and her?"
In the next sections Whitman describes slaves who are being sold in slave auctions. He compares the "red, black, or white limbs as cunning in tendon and nerve", and explains that "Within there runs blood, the same old blood, the same red-running blood! There swells and jets his heart, there all passions and desires, reachings, aspirations". The message can be interpreted as referring to a similarity between slaves and white people. He states than the blood that fill their hearts is the same. Whitman clearly feels passion for these people, no matter if they are slaves.
In these sections abolition of slavery arises as a main theme. These lines invite us to think about how dehumanizing slavery is. Whitman's egalitarianism is a important aspect of this poem, for he argues against the devalorization of the body implicit in slavery.
In the end of this section Whitman asks us to consider our interconnectivity with each other: "Who might you find you have come from yourself, if you could trace back through the centuries?" The poem ends by calling us to action through a celebration of our common humanity. The connection with the common man and woman reveals Whitman closeness to society and common problems of it, such as slavery.
Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" is a very passionated description of the human body and the human soul. His appreciation for people for their simple humanity is very interesting. His passion does not make difference between gender, race, age, or even physical attractiveness. Whitman shows in this poem a broad sense of passion and respect for everyone. He loves the human soul and the human body, as well as he loves each person as an individual and the mass of individuals as a society.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Importance of Reading
In todays world we receive so much information via radio, television and multimedia experiences yet none of these mediums of communication has the ability to educate as in the fundamental skill of reading.
When examining how well a nation is doing and how likely its economic situation is often the literacy rate is included. When this figure is low the country is more likely to be an economic backwater, government is likely to be poor or a dictatorship, corruption widespread and a there’s a wide lack of universities and experts.
Countries that have recently experience improving economic fortunes have increased their populations education level.
The easiest way to educate any problem is to teach them the skill of reading. If you can read you have open to you a world of knowled. The ability to read means that you can educate yourself to overcome problems.
Even in this day of multimedia, reading is still the most essential skill to acquire knowledge. The internet has meant that information is freely available to anyone who can log on. However, to absorb, teach and learn that information reading is required.
The advent of computers and the Internet also leads us into a feeling that reading may be old fashioned and unnecessary. And here is a problem! How does information in the computer get into the human mind? Until someone invents a connection into our brain, we have to "read" it. And so we come full circle, in order to use the Internet and be part of it, you have to have the skills of reading.
That points to the importance of reading skills in education. Teachers sholud always encourage studenst to read. Schools must provide the opportunity to use reading skills within the curriculum.Parents have to be involved in setting an environment for reading at home too. As a society, we need to form a reading habit that continues for a lifetime.
When examining how well a nation is doing and how likely its economic situation is often the literacy rate is included. When this figure is low the country is more likely to be an economic backwater, government is likely to be poor or a dictatorship, corruption widespread and a there’s a wide lack of universities and experts.
Countries that have recently experience improving economic fortunes have increased their populations education level.
The easiest way to educate any problem is to teach them the skill of reading. If you can read you have open to you a world of knowled. The ability to read means that you can educate yourself to overcome problems.
Even in this day of multimedia, reading is still the most essential skill to acquire knowledge. The internet has meant that information is freely available to anyone who can log on. However, to absorb, teach and learn that information reading is required.
The advent of computers and the Internet also leads us into a feeling that reading may be old fashioned and unnecessary. And here is a problem! How does information in the computer get into the human mind? Until someone invents a connection into our brain, we have to "read" it. And so we come full circle, in order to use the Internet and be part of it, you have to have the skills of reading.
That points to the importance of reading skills in education. Teachers sholud always encourage studenst to read. Schools must provide the opportunity to use reading skills within the curriculum.Parents have to be involved in setting an environment for reading at home too. As a society, we need to form a reading habit that continues for a lifetime.
Be responsible for your pet
Whether your dog is just a puppy or well into adulthood, there are many things you, as a pet owner, need to be aware of. Training your dog is an important in teaching him obedience. All dogs - no matter how old - need some form of training so that they can be easily handled in all situations. Basic training or obedience classes will help you to build a bond and learn to control your dog. There are many reasons for training your dog. Training allows the dog to understand your expectations, helps him become calmer and more relaxed in all situations, in new places, and with new people and makes him easier to manage. Unfortunately, many pets owners do not understand the importance of their dogs’ lack of training and out-of-control behavior.Because dogs thrive in packs and are naturally social, once they come to your home, they expect you to be the leader. Training your dog appropriately with a few highly effective dog training tips teaches him to follow you, understand your necessary commands, and learn to accept his place in your "pack." In the end, your pet will be a well-behaved, functioning member of your family.
It is your responsibility to be aware and responsible for your pet - your dog relies on you to take care of him at all times. Providing him with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and one-on-one training will ensure that he has a long, healthy, and happy life with you. Don't leave his behavior up to chance. Assume control as leader of your pack and your dog will look to you in all situations that may arise. You are the best person when it comes to training your dog - he trusts you, after all. More importantly, training your dog will keep him safe and protected, which is something all dog owners should want.
It is your responsibility to be aware and responsible for your pet - your dog relies on you to take care of him at all times. Providing him with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and one-on-one training will ensure that he has a long, healthy, and happy life with you. Don't leave his behavior up to chance. Assume control as leader of your pack and your dog will look to you in all situations that may arise. You are the best person when it comes to training your dog - he trusts you, after all. More importantly, training your dog will keep him safe and protected, which is something all dog owners should want.
Children Are What They Parents Are
There’s no doubt that the patterns of behavior that emerge in childhood are indicators of the adult personality that a child will have in future time. This perspective requires that we consider more seriously the impact that the child’s environment will have on the developing of the young mind and spirit.
Children are all the time attempting to understand the ways in which the world around them functions. Everything is foreign and new to them. They must, therefore, process information by categorizing details as they construct their perception of the world. In essence, every interaction and communication is processed by the child and given some meaning. The child looks for repetition in order to confirm general knowledge.
This is particularly important when considering the parents’ interactions with their children. Parents are the primary link between their children and the world. This is understandable, as it is the wish of every parent to help their child in a smooth, easy transition into society.
A young child, who has no prior knowledge or value system, comes to believe that what he or she absorbs from the environment is true and culturally acceptable.
Most adults do not realize the significance of their day-to-day interactions with young children. We tend to view things in the moment rather than evaluating the long-term effects of our words and actions.
Much of our behaviors as adults are influenced by our emotions and what is in our best interest for the moment. We need to take a closer look at what characteristics we ultimately wish to develop in our children and conscientiously act accordingly.
Parents should take into account the characteristics that they would like their children to develop and possess as an adult. They should carefully evaluate the way that their children behave and interact with others. Ask themselves if they are encouraging the characteristics that they desire or if they are facilitating the development of less positive patterns of behavior.
Our children behave precisely as we have trained them. It is our responsibility to help them develop positive patterns of behavior that will enable them to be competent, capable, contributing members of our society when they reach adulthood.
Children are all the time attempting to understand the ways in which the world around them functions. Everything is foreign and new to them. They must, therefore, process information by categorizing details as they construct their perception of the world. In essence, every interaction and communication is processed by the child and given some meaning. The child looks for repetition in order to confirm general knowledge.
This is particularly important when considering the parents’ interactions with their children. Parents are the primary link between their children and the world. This is understandable, as it is the wish of every parent to help their child in a smooth, easy transition into society.
A young child, who has no prior knowledge or value system, comes to believe that what he or she absorbs from the environment is true and culturally acceptable.
Most adults do not realize the significance of their day-to-day interactions with young children. We tend to view things in the moment rather than evaluating the long-term effects of our words and actions.
Much of our behaviors as adults are influenced by our emotions and what is in our best interest for the moment. We need to take a closer look at what characteristics we ultimately wish to develop in our children and conscientiously act accordingly.
Parents should take into account the characteristics that they would like their children to develop and possess as an adult. They should carefully evaluate the way that their children behave and interact with others. Ask themselves if they are encouraging the characteristics that they desire or if they are facilitating the development of less positive patterns of behavior.
Our children behave precisely as we have trained them. It is our responsibility to help them develop positive patterns of behavior that will enable them to be competent, capable, contributing members of our society when they reach adulthood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
