Hare and the Tortoise Essays

Hare and the Tortoise Essays Hare and the Tortoise Essay Hare and the Tortoise Essay Unlike animals, humans are a strange case of self-conscious beings. We can ask questions about ourselves, we can deliberate about others. We form opinions and judgments about others whereas animals are content on feeding themselves and they do not even ask questions about themselves. This is the primary source of the emergence of the human identity. Who am I? is the question that encompasses our identity. But ironically while we call it the I or me, we often fail to realize that a large portion of it is in fact constructed by others- their opinions, ideas, and experiences. Human life and human personality are nothing but a gradual development through the accumulation of knowledge through the various Ways of Knowing (Emotion, Perception, Logic Language). They work collectively through an external medium to form human life and personality. Which of these Ways of Knowing does a novel use? Which Ways of Knowing does scientific psychology use? The answer lies before us! While novels employ all the four ways in great depth, scientific psychology employs mainly logic. Upon reflecting on this alone, one would have to agree to Noam Chomskys claim. From the very beginning, we are brought up with nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Though not evidently, these do give a child a vague concept of what human behavior is like and what generally life is all about from the very start. For instance; the jealous step-mother in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs portrays and emotion Jealousy that every human being undergoes at some stage in life. The Hare and the Tortoise teaches us that Slow and steady wins the race. : The Fox and the Grapes where the fox, upon failing to reach the grapes hanging high up on a vine says The grapes are sour anyway Though Psychology may term this phenomenon rationalization or reduction of cognitive dissonance, the story originated in much simpler terms and in colloquial speech this story refers to most people who after losing deny the intention to win altogether. 1 Hence, besides human behavior, the stories that we have been brought up with also impart the various lessons in life. One would never see a child learning through scientific psychology. The stories, nursery rhymes and fairy tales that we are exposed to in the initial stages of our life are definitely involved in forming the fundamental concepts of human life, personality and behavior. Autobiographical novels are when Emotions and Logic are brought forward through the medium of Language which we then Perceive as we delve into the protagonists life and experiences; this is when one can truly acquire knowledge. In some cases, the author may try to explain a psychological term through the help of a story. For example, D.H. Lawrences Sons Lovers portrays Freuds concept of the Oedipus Complex. Though unbelievable this phenomenon is very common in a place like India where men in their thirties still live with their mothers and in due time, become so dependent on them that they begin to find similar qualities in their lovers. Many novels that are read are third person narration omniscient. The fact that they are omniscient helps us to understand the different emotions that the characters feel and what causes them. Hence, one can get a true understanding of life and personality through logical deductive reasoning. Apart from learning about human life and behavior, novels, much like scientific psychology also help to explore the various myths and instincts embedded deep in our psyche. The Hero Myth for example, which is seen in many a novel. We humans are beset with brokenness and imperfection and are constantly in search of an Ideal Self, the person we all want to be. But society pressures and our own sense of adapting as well as fitting brings us to a realization that the above can only be an ideal case and never a real one. Just like the hero myth, the Mother Myth and the Jealous Romeo myth are also very commonly incorporated in novels. What we read greatly affects our subconscious, to which we then react with what we would term instincts. This also answers the fundamental question in ToK How can we know without knowing that we know? Art is an Area of Knowledge that is grouped in the category of creativity. But TS Eliot in his essay Tradition and the individual talent states that even art is greatly influenced by the artists traditions, experiences and moreover what he reads. No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone.2 Novels in a similar way affect our understanding of the other various Areas of Knowledge. Until recently, consciousness which is a great part of psychology was not much studied by the Natural Sciences; it was considered philosophy. Scientific psychology has one immense drawback, that of being non-emotive. Stuart Sutherland wrote in the International Dictionary of Psychology Consciousness is a fascinating but elusive phenomenon; it is impossible to specify what it is, what it does, or why it evolved. Nothing worth reading has been written about it.3 The fact that nothing has been written about it shows how non-emotive psychology really is. Moreover even if there were something substantial written about it, it is not accessible to everyone and not many people would bother to research as much as they would read novels. But when they do come across a concept in a novel, they are left with no choice but to find out what it is all about and that is hen they would consider taking the pains to research on that particular topic which they would not otherwise.

Amphicyon - Facts and Figures

Amphicyon - Facts and Figures Name: Amphicyon (Greek for ambiguous dog); pronounced AM-fih-SIGH-on Habitat: Plains of the northern hemisphere Historical Epoch: Middle Oligocene-Early Miocene (30-20 million years ago) Size and Weight: Varies by species; up to six feet long and 400 pounds Diet: Omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; bear-like body About Amphicyon Despite its nickname, the Bear Dog, Amphicyon was directly ancestral to neither bears nor dogs. This was the most prominent genus of the family of mammalian, vaguely canine-like carnivores that succeeded the larger creodonts (typified by Hyaenodon and Sarkastodon) but preceded the first true dogs. True to its nickname, Amphicyon looked like a small bear with the head of a dog, and it probably pursued a bear-like lifestyle as well, feeding opportunistically on meat, carrion, fish, fruit, and plants. The front legs of this prehistoric mammal were especially well-muscled, meaning it could probably stun prey senseless with a single well-aimed swipe of its paw. Befitting a mammal with such a lengthy provenance in the fossil recordabout 10 million years, from the middle Oligocene to the early Miocene epochsthe genus Amphicyon embraced nine separate species. The two largest, the appropriately named A. major and A. giganteus, weighed up 400 pounds fully grown and roamed the expanse of Europe and the near east. In North America, Amphicyon was represented by A. galushai, A. frendens, and A. ingens, which were slightly smaller than their Eurasian cousins; various other species hailed from modern-day India and Pakistan, Africa, and the far east. (The European species of Amphicyon were identified in the early 19th century, but the first American species was only announced to the world in 2003.) Did Amphicyon hunt in packs, like modern wolves? Probably not; more likely this megafauna mammal stayed well out of the way of its pack-hunting competitors, contenting itself with (say) piles of rotting fruit or the carcass of a recently deceased Chalicotherium. (On the other hand, oversized grazing animals like Chalicotherium were themselves so slow that elderly, sick or juvenile herd members could easily be picked off by a solitary Amphicyon.) In fact, its likely that the Bear Dog faded from the world scene 20 million years ago, at the end of its long reign, because it was displaced by better-adapted (i.e., faster, sleeker, and more lightly built) hunting animals.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Cost-Benefit Analysis - Assignment Example The company should limit access to sensitive information and, as a result, prevent any leakage (Gantz & Philpott 4). Another threat is software attacks. The company may produce software that is vulnerable to certain software. People may decide to purchase alternative software if the problem persists. Trojans, worms and viruses that significantly affect the working of the software, may attack the software. Operating system update is instrumental in dealing with malicious software. Hardware encompasses the threat of theft. The theft of the hardware may be through employees or strangers who visit the various companies. The theft can occur during civil disturbances where there is no guarantee of security. Hardware can also be damaged when in transit or at the shops. Checkpoints and increased surveillance of premises are necessary where any suspicious activity is not instantly and dealt with immediately (Gantz & Philpott 4). The assumptions on asset value were based on their current values in the market, value to competitors, the replacement of an asset if lost and any compromising issues arising from external forces. The effects of liabilities in case of a compromised asset were put into consideration. I had to make the assumptions because hard data is not easily available though one could quantify the assets efficiently based on the expensive technological products. The frequency of the threats would be a challenge though in the technical business companies deal with similar products and therefore software violations can occur. The challenges were many as the determination of the many controls in the market and their differing prices. The choice of an effective control like setting up firewall was challenging since most of the products offer similar services but have different prices. The choice of an effective control like setting up a

MAJOR PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MAJOR PROJECT - Essay Example ult, millions of visitors globally are invading the nation to view its unique natural environments and promote the spectacular views available in Asia. In addition, China has also identified and defined an agency or China National Tourism Administration or CNTA to take charge of promoting tourism both nationally and internationally and this has been effective in promoting tourism awareness locally and internationally. Like the world, China is has taken up ecotourism which encourages travelers to walk calmly or give back to the communities and environments that they visit. In China, 2009 became the ecotourism year as designated by CNTA, where travelers were encouraged to exercise green travelling and experience eco-evolution. Although the aspect of ecotourism has remained amongst Chinese people and the world for long, CNTA is actively engaged in promoting eco-tourism in China as a free arrangement of tourism, environmental preservation and bridging cultural understanding. Consequently , tourists are not just visitors but also people who actively fight to preserve the setting (Ruan). In China, regardless of the favorable conditions required for ecotourism like plenty of biodiversity and beauty, the extent of success in ecotourism development is limited but the future is brighter in the presence of CNTA agency in promoting ecotourism it attracts visitors to Asia with the aim of leaving positive impact. In this case travelers are not just involved in looking through the window of a tour bus but getting muddy under your finger nails thereby experiencing a place by involving in the issues in that place. In order to explore eco-tourism in China, the discussion in this paper focuses on one ecotourism site named Wenhai Ecolodge as one of the eco-tourism venues in the Southwestern region of China. The rationale for studying Wenhai Ecolodge is the fact that it is the first of Chinese â€Å"Green Resorts†(Fodors Travel n.p). It is located near Lake Wenhai and this contributes

Admission to the Master’s Program in Physical Anthropology Essay Example for Free

Admission to the Master’s Program in Physical Anthropology Essay I had always been enamored with science; accordingly I did my major in Chemistry and Archaeology from the University of Virginia. In this process I attended two archeological digs. One of these was of six weeks duration at a Native American Site that dated back to the seventeenth century. The other one was conducted at a Historical Site that pertained to the nineteenth century, during one of the semesters in college. During the course of my studies in archeology, I performed an isotopic analysis on hair samples obtained from ancient Egyptian mummies, in order to discover the diet that they used to consume. Subsequent, to graduating with a degree in chemistry and archaeology, I discontinued my studies in order to take stock of my life and also to foray into the field of penmanship by writing a novel. Afterwards, I examined the various graduate programs that I could join in order to continue my education. My interest in science actuated me to pursue a program in patent law in the law school. I did extremely well at law school, but I was not enamored by the study of law or what I saw of legal practice. In my opinion it seemed to be a profession that was motivated solely by personal gain and avarice and was least concerned with the advancement of society.   After the successful completion of the first year of this program, my professors and lawyers persuaded me to continue with it as it would become more interesting.   This assurance caused me to persevere with legal studies. See more:  The 3 Types of Satire Essay Nevertheless, the excitement generated by the acquisition of knowledge was never experienced by me. In addition, I never felt curious about discovering something new in this field of study. This was a novel experience, because I had been elated and thrilled by the process of acquiring knowledge as an undergraduate science student.   However, the time expended in acquiring a law degree was not an utter waste of time and effort. I became adept at analyzing and arguing in a legal manner. Furthermore, I acquired knowledge regarding the historical foundation of our legal system, and I grasped the nuances of patent law.   Thus, I decided to court my original and true love, which is science. Accordingly, I scouted around and subjected the various graduate programs for which I was eligible. My search, which was quite elaborate, disclosed that physical anthropology was ideally suited to my needs. Anthropology is derived from the Greek anthropos or human and logia or study. In other words anthropology constitutes the stud of humankind right from the time that man first appeared on this planet. Each and every aspect of humans is studied in this field of study and the focus is on a holistic approach to mankind. This is a fascinating study and it has four branches, namely cultural, linguistic, archaeological and biological anthropology. My predilection is towards biological or physical anthropology, which studies the biological origins, evolutionary development and genetic diversity of humans. An attempt is also made in this branch of study to comprehend human nature, the brain’s evolution and the nervous system (What is Anthropology? , 2006). My life’s ambition is to successfully complete the master program in physical anthropology and subsequently, obtain a PhD in this field of study. I am extremely interested in primatology or the study of primates, palaeoanthropology or the study of fossil hominids and genetics. At present I am involved with genetic research on mollusks at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. References    What is Anthropology? . (2006). Retrieved November 8, 2007, from American Anthropological Association: http://www.aaanet.org/anthbroc.htm

The Taming of the Shrew :: The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew Shrew--1Free, Mary. â€Å"Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s Induction,† RenaissancePapers 1999 (1999): 43-53.1Laurie E. Maguire, â€Å"Cultural Control in The Taming of the Shrew,†Renaissance Drama 26 (1995): 83.2Larry S. Champion, The Evolution of Shakespeare’s Comedy: A Study inDramatic Perspective, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1970), 38. 3David Bevington, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, updated 4thed. (NewYork: Longman 1997), 110.Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s InductionThe minor characters in The Taming of the Shrew receive little critical attention and to anextent rightly so. As Laurie E. Maguire points out, â€Å"To say that Shakespeare’s [play] is. . .abouttaming is to state the obvious: the ‘wooing’ of Katherine by Petruchio, perhaps more than anyother main plot in Shakespeare, dominates performance and criticism.†1The minor charactersserve primarily, according to Larry S. Champion, as "comic pointers" to the main plot's action oras dupes to the more clever.2To relegate Hortensio to either of these categories, however,ignores his centrality as motivator of the main plot, and although David Bevington findsHortensio â€Å"laughably inept†3--he functions, in fact, as the main plot’s lynchpin. Hortensio isthe first to draw our attention to the shrewish Katherine, and it is he who seizes the opportunity S hrew--2Free, Mary. â€Å"Hortensio’s Role in Closing The Taming of the Shrew’s Induction,† RenaissancePapers 1999 (1999): 43-53.4See Martha Andrensen-Thom, â€Å"Shrew-Taming and Other Rituals of Aggression:Baiting and Bonding on the Stage and in the Wild,† Women’s Studies 9, no. 2(1982): 121-143; Ann Barton, Introduction to The Taming of the Shrew, in TheRiverside Shakespeare, 2d ed., gen. ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton,1997),138-41; Emily Detmer, â€Å"Civilizing Subordination: Domestic Violence inThe Taming of the Shrew,† Shakespeare Quarterlyâ€Å" 48, no. 3 (fall 1997): 273-294; Jean E. Howard, Introduction to The Taming of the Shrew, in The NortonShakespeare, gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt (New York: Norton, 1997), 133-141;Natasha Korda, â€Å"Household Kates: Domesticating Commodities in The Taming of theShrew,† Shakespeare Quarterly 47, no. 2 (summer 1996): 110-131; and Murray J.Levith, Shakespeare’s Italian Set tings and Plays (New York: St. Martin’s,1989), 46-53.5See Richard A. Burt, â€Å"Charisma, Coercion, and Comic Form in The Taming ofthe Shrew, Criticism 26, no.4 (fall 1984): 295-311; and Jeanne Addison Roberts,â€Å"Horses and Hermaphrodites: Metamorphoses in The Taming of the Shrew,†Shakespeare Quarterly 34, no.2 (summer 1983): 159-171.to suggest Katherine as a wife for Petruchio. More important to my purpose, however, isHortensio's function in the play's final two acts. While several critics–Martha Andrensen-Thom,Ann Barton, Emily Detmer, Jean E.

Louisa May Alcott-Term Paper Essay

Many authors use experiences from their life as a guide to their writing. It’s a way to express their feelings and emotions, and it’s something in which they can be passionate. Writers and authors think on a different level than anyone else. They are constantly thinking of different ideas for novels, poems or stories. The best writing comes from those who use their own lives as a basis for their writing. They know what to write about and how to describe it perfectly. The best thing about writing from experience, I think, is that, since it’s still a fictional story, you can have an idea about what you want to write about, but you’re still able to add the interesting and fun details you want to. I believe that Louisa May Alcott has written from her own life experiences. In Eight Cousins, Rose Campbell’s father passed away and she went to live with two of her aunts and her uncle, closely surrounded by her seven male cousins, as well as their mothers. She was a sickly girl and the only cure her uncle could think of was to get active, whether it was considered ladylike or not. When the two first met, he immediately got her to be outside more and to spend a little less time thinking about her health. Alcott was perceived as a tomboy and would often play outside, climbing trees or running around. She had a boy neighbor, about her age, with whom she would often play. The two were almost inseparable for a while, and he was described by Alcott as the brother she always wanted. Continuing in Eight Cousins, Rose befriended the maid of the household, Phebe, and eventually adopted her as her own sister. Rose believed in a good education, as did Alcott, and would teach Phebe all sorts of different school subjects on her own time. Rose was well educated in Latin and loved to read. She very much enjoyed school, and was extremely smart, though most of the young women in her time weren’t educated. Both Rose and Phebe looked forward to the times when they would get to study together. Phebe was never educated before, though she wished to be, and really appreciated Rose for teaching her. â€Å"For women such as Alcott, the world in which they live included women who needed to move beyond the traditional domestic ideal.†(â€Å"Unsexed†) Rose was part of the family living in a house with a maid. She was expected to clean up after herself, as was everyone else, but she went beyond that, offering to cook or clean, even when the help wasn’t asked of her. She made sure she was educated and healthy, yet still humble at the same time. Rose always wanted to help. In Eight Cousins, it was prominently noted that once Rose went to live with her aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was a major improvement in her. â€Å"In an era when women had few options for earning money, Alcott determined to overcome her family’s poverty through her prolific writing.† (â€Å"Louisa† 3) Alcott’s family struggled when it came to money, but after moving several times, things got a little easier, especially when Alcott herself started making money on h er works. â€Å"In the later juvenile novel Rose in Bloom, the theme of women’s rights is interwoven throughout the lives of its characters.†(â€Å"Louisa† 3) Alcott never married, and part of the reason was that she didn’t want to give up her independence. This was an era where women weren’t given as much respect as men, and hardly had any freedom for themselves. Alcott was very much a pro-women’s rights advocate. She did everything she could to try and get a say in society. She joined clubs and groups, and protested against the treatment women were given. â€Å"Alcott was always a strong advocate for social reforms including abolition, prison reform, and temperance, but her primary efforts were directed towards the cause of women’s suffrage.† (â€Å"Louisa† 3) In Rose in Bloom, Rose returned from a two year voyage overseas and decided that she was going to leave her mark in this world. She was a wealthy girl, so she used a lot of her money to open up homes for women and children in need. Rose too believed that women deserved an equal say in this world. â€Å"Her juvenile stories emphasize self-sacrifice and devotion to duty.†(â€Å"Louisa† 2) â€Å"Such novels have remained extremely popular for over a century† (â€Å"Louisa† 1) Alcott was a classic writer and she used her writing as a way to speak up for herself. Both Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom can be considered almost auto-biographical, but her main story that related to her own life was Little Women, for which Alcott is most famous. Little Women was about four girls who went through their life experiencing different events along the way. When Alcott was writing, she received a request from her publisher to write a novel about a typical American girl. She was skeptical at first, but then agreed. Alcott used herself, as well as her three sisters, as her inspiration for the four main characters. â€Å"The heroine of Little Women, for example, is a rebellious young woman who strives for independence and personal achievement as a writer, but ultimately modifies her dreams when she gets married- a fact that has caused this novel to be regarded as antifeminist by some critics.†(â€Å"Louisa† 1) Although not all of the things that happened in the book happened to her, many of the events did occur in her own life. â€Å"A prominent theme in much of Alcott’s fiction is the conflict experienced by women who must choose between individuality and the bonds of family responsibilities and social traditions.†(â€Å"Louisa† 1) Alcott went beyond what was expected of her and chose to be an individual. She didn’t appreciate how women were treated, so she stood up for herself and used her books and writings to tell about it. â€Å"Her subversive sensational stories not only defied 19th-century values of womanhood, but also rebelled against the teachings of her father, Bronson Alcott, who believed in traditional ‘femininity’ and sentimentalism, in a search for human perfectionism.†(â€Å"Louisa† 2) Alcott truly used her life and feelings as her basis for writing, which is evident in her books. I believe that is why she turned out to be such a great writer. She wrote from her heart and wasn’t afraid to let people know who she really was. WORKS CITED Alexander, Lynn. â€Å"Unsexed by labor: middle-class women and the need to work.† bNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. . Ditchfield, Christin. Louisa May Alcott: Author of Little Women. Scholastic Inc., 2005. Print.