Meaning in Life

Meaning in Life Introduction People are expecting a lot from young people in the current world. Young people are often challenged to take up responsibilities and be critical influencers of political, social, and economic causes in the contemporary society.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Meaning in Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is apparent that young people are faced with a lot of challenges because the contemporary society poses innumerable challenges to an extent that they cannot take up responsibilities and shape the society as expected of them. Young people are increasingly worried about the contemporary society and the projected future society they will inherit and become critical decision makers in the society. This reignites the memories of the early years of the 20th century, especially the 1920s when critical developments in the world, like the post World War I, brought a lot of challenges. At that tim e, most countries were confronted with the task of meeting economic needs, as well as ensuring the safety of their citizens who remained vulnerable due to the effects of the war and immense competition among states. This paper presents critical views about creation of meaning in life. Critical questions to ponder As a lot of young people strive to make meaning in their lives today, it is important to explore a number of questions to gain the true sense of the term ‘meaning’. Is ‘meaning’ a subjective or an objective term? What constitutes ‘meaning’ in the lives of people in the contemporary society? The other question that needs to be answered concerns the state of the society today. This entails social, political, economic, and environmental orders and how they shape people’s mental orientations. What leakages exist in the current political, economic, environmental, and social realms? How do they affect people’s orientation and p reparedness to take up responsibility now and in the near future? Are there certain needs and expectations that must be met for people to make meaning out of their lives? What is ‘meaning in life’? In simple terms, meaning implies making sense or significance. Martos, Thege and Steger (2010) observed that meaning can be derived from two critical aspects of believe; whether people actually believe and how people believe. Also, the pattern of relations between an individual and other people in the society is critical when carrying out an implicit measurement of meaning.Advertising Looking for critical writing on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This brings in the religiosity aspect of life. George and Park (2013) noted that meaning goes hand in hand with purpose. Significance in life is attributed to the ability of a person to meet his goals and aims in life. Social support is critical in the de velopment and fulfillment of goals in life. Schnell (2009) and Steger, Frazier, Oishi and Kaler (2006) observed that one critical aspect of the well-being of people in the society, which comes out in the humanistic theories that are utilized in counselling psychology, is people’s perception of meaning in life. The perceived meaning in life is a complex issue that can only be comprehended through assessment of different factors that contribute to distress in people. Kinnier, Kernes and Tribbensee (2003) observed that people must aim at making critical contributions in the society. The three authors observed that making a contribution in the society is one of the most important ingredients of making meaning in life. On the other hand, Kray et al. (2010) observed that creation of meaning by an individual is a process. Meaning is created from important life events that a person engages in. Events emanate from a counterfactual reflection of past happenings where the constructs of reality are developed. This motivates a person to take part in an event. The meaning of life results from synthesis of past successful events and projection of the probability of succeeding in future. This is referred to as nostalgia (Routledge et al., 2012). Needs and meaning in life As noted earlier, the most critical question in the contemporary society concerns how meaning can be reinvigorated and reconstituted in the lives of people. According to Stillman and Baumeister (2009), meaning in life can only be attained through fulfillment of four main needs. These are: Sense of purpose in life, feelings of efficacy, value, and a sense of positive self worth. A look at these needs implies that meaning in life is a psychologically oriented process. A sense of purpose in life comes from synthesis of past events and the subsequent projection of future happenings. The modern world is confronted with a lot of challenges that range from degradation of the environment to vices like corrupti on, mismanagement, and the quest for personal gain. These vices have been inherited from former generations by the contemporary generation.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Meaning in Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This depicts a scenario where there is a blurred vision about the future due to the threats that are likened to the prevalence of a lot of vices in the contemporary society. Most of these vices keep evolving throughout generations. This justifies the high levels of frustration among the youth and adults. This group of people has a diminished level of optimism about the future due to the unethical happenings in the society (Stillman Baumeister, 2009). Whether people can control their destinies is also an issue of concern in the modern world. The feeling of efficacy is attained when people feel that they can impose controls on what takes place in their lives. However, the conditions that p revail in the world have made people wander as they seek to confront one challenge after the other. The challenges range from relation factors to physical threats like environmental degradation and climate change, the fear of terrorism and war, and the increasing inflation rates that makes it hard for people to fulfill their needs. Therefore, people only focus on securing their needs. People increasingly seek for psychological support because of increase in distress over the inability to meet their needs, or respond to different forces in the society (Maddux, 2000). According to Stillman et al. (2009), there is an increase in social exclusion in the contemporary world. This makes it hard for people to realize the need for positive self worth. Stillman and Baumeister (2009) noted that people often search for ways of ensuring that they are admirable, good, and worthy. However, these virtues cannot be justified by individuals themselves. On the contrary, the virtues have to be justifie d by other people. Unfortunately, most people are swayed by life events to an extent that they lack time to assess fellow individuals. According to Twenge (2003), the increase in levels of distress and pressure to meet needs and control events results in a state of meaninglessness in the society.Advertising Looking for critical writing on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This, in turn, makes it hard for people to focus on certain worthy courses. People still remain lonely in their minds and souls, irrespective of the perceived higher level of interaction that has been facilitated by technology and globalization (Baumeister et al., 2005). This implies that social exclusion cannot be merely looked at from the physical sense, but it should also be viewed from mental and emotional perspectives (Stillman et al., 2009). Enhancing the experience of meaning in life It is quite difficult to enhance the level at which people experience meaning in their lives due to the amount of iterative forces that play out in the minds of people. The future is quite uncertain as people keep struggling to make ends meet. However, creation of meaning can still be attained amidst the countless challenges that people face. A study that was conducted by Stillman (2010) denoted that social inclusion is critical in as far as attainment of feelings of efficacy and a sense of meani ng in people’s lives are concerned. Development of effective social interactive platforms was found to be a critical path to the creation of meaning in life. Meaning in life is attained when a person seeks to engage others in matters that are affecting him or her. In this way, it is easy to get diverse views on how to attend to the issue at hand. Social capital can be attained through embracing relationships at personal, family, communal, and national levels. This encourages exploration of socio-economic, cultural, and political factors that cause strains in the society (Lin et al., 2013). Challenges that exist in the environment, like creation of social classes that depict social boundaries, depletion of resources that are critical for pursuing goals and meeting needs, and deterioration of the state of economic and political security, are causes of disintegration and exclusion. These bar people from embracing social inclusion. Consequently, this makes it hard for people to e xperience meaning in life. However, these challenges can also pull people together (Lin et al., 2013). Practical steps to enhancing experience of meaning in life Enhancement of meaning in life is in itself an active process. It requires the active participation of an individual for the individual to enhance his or her meaning in life. Therefore, enhancement of meaning in life begins with comprehension of the environment in which an individual dwells in. Environment here means the social, economic, cultural, and political attributes of the society and the forces that emanate from within the society. Environment also means how the above attributes influence human abilities to meet their needs and shape the society. This is one way of attaining self-inclusion. Self-inclusion is one of the denominators of understanding the society and setting and attaining goals. This, in turn, helps in control destiny. The second critical step in enhancing the experience of meaning in life is the embra ce of social integration. According to Stillman et al. (2010), it is important for people to create meaningful interactions. It is easy to enhance a deeper reflection of the society in such interactions. Reflection is critical in driving away the fear and anxieties that infest the minds of people. Consequently, people result in the development of seemingly practical mechanisms of driving away the anxiety and fear. This means that people are able to control their destinies. The other thing that can enhance meaning in life is deciding to live courageously. Courage in this sense means that an individual should not focus on embracing personal security at the expense of setting goals and developing plans to guide in the achievement of the goals. Courage is the best solution for confronting fear and anxiety since fear limits a person, but courage keeps one going (Hicks Routledge, 2013). References Baumeister, R. F., Dewall, C., Ciarocco, N. J., Twenge, J. M. (2005). Social exclusion imp airs self-regulation. Journal of Personality Social Psychology, 88(4), 589-604. George, L. S., Park, C. L. (2013). Are meaning and purpose distinct? An examination of correlates and predictors. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 365-375. Hicks, J. A., Routledge, C. (2013). The experience of meaning in life: Classical perspectives, emerging themes, and controversies. Dordrecht: Springer. Kinnier, R. T., Kernes, J. L., Tribbensee, N. E. (2003). What eminent people have said about the meaning of life? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 43(1), 105-118 Kray, L. J., George, L. G., Liljenquist, K. A., Galinsky, A. D., Tetlock, P. E., Roese, N. J. (2010). From what might have been to what must have been: counterfactual thinking creates meaning. Journal of Personality Social Psychology, 98(1), 106-118. Lin, K., Xu, Y., Huang, T., Zhang, J. (2013). Social exclusion and its causes in east Asian societies: Evidences from SQSQ survey data. Social Indicators Research, 112(3), 641-660. Ma ddux, J. E. (2000). â€Å"Self-efficacy: The power of believing you can. (in press).† In, Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J. (Eds). Handbook of positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Martos, T., Thege, B., Steger, M. F. (2010). It’s not only what you hold, it’s how you hold it: Dimensions of religiosity and meaning in life. Personality Individual Differences, 49(8), 863-868. Routledge, C., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Juhl, J., Arndt, J. (2012). The power of the past: Nostalgia as a meaning-making resource. Memory, 20(5), 452-460. Schnell, T. (2009). The sources of meaning and meaning in life questionnaire (SoMe): Relations to demographics and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(6), 483-499. Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80-93. Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F. (2009). Uncertainty, belongingness, and four needs for meaning. Psychological Inquiry, 20(4), 249-251. Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F., Lambert, N. M., Crescioni, A. W., Dewall, C. N., Fincham, F. D. (2009). Alone and without purpose: life loses meaning following social exclusion. J Exp Soc Psychol., 45(4), 686-694. Stillman, T. F., Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., Baumeister, R. F. (2010). Meaning as magnetic force: evidence that meaning in life promotes interpersonal appeal. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 000(00), 1-8. doi: 10.1177/1948550610378382 Twenge, J. M. (2003). Social exclusion and the deconstructed state: time perception, meaninglessness, lethargy, lack of emotion, and self-awareness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(5), 409-423.

3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes

3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes 3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes 3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes By Mark Nichol Rules are made to be broken, but more often they are made to be followed, because violation of those rules, in writing as in any other human endeavor, often leads to unintended consequences. One case is the careless use of quotation marks for emphasis. Scare quotes, as quotation marks employed for this purpose are called, are often used to call out nonstandard or unusual terms, or merely to introduce a word or phrase. However, although this strategy used to be common, scare quotes have taken on a new role that has largely, at least among careful writers, supplanted the old technique: Now, they are better employed to convey derision, irony, or skepticism. For example, a writer who describes how â€Å"the institute offers workshops in ‘self-awareness therapy’† is widely presumed not to be gently preparing the reader for the appearance of an unfamiliar phrase; more likely, they are calling attention to what they feel is preciously New Age-y terminology. Meanwhile, the statement â€Å"The Pentagon’s strategy of ‘pacification’ certainly did make things quieter in the neighborhood† comments on the evasive military euphemism, while â€Å"The ‘new’ model strikes me as less sophisticated than the old one† calls attention to an unjustified adjective. Here are three types of superfluous usage of scare quotes: 1. The astronomers reported Tuesday that they had combined more than 6,000 observations from three telescopes to detect the system of exoplanets. Exoplanets is a term that has only recently entered the general vocabulary, but neologism is not a criterion for use of scare quotes; simply introduce the word, define it, and move on: â€Å"The astronomers reported Tuesday that they had combined more than 6,000 observations from three telescopes to detect the system of exoplanets.† (In the article from which this sentence is taken, a definition of exoplanet follows the statement.) 2. They engaged in listening exercises and musical analysis so as to better understand the musical DNA of their favorite songs. If you use an established term in an unfamiliar but analogous sense, trust readers to make the connection; don’t bracket the term in scare quotes: â€Å"They engaged in listening exercises and musical analysis so as to better understand the musical DNA of their favorite songs.† 3. So-called â€Å"notification laws† require businesses to notify customers when certain unencrypted customer data is improperly accessed. Never employ scare quotes around a term introduced by the phrase so-called. Yes, you may want to signal to readers your dissatisfaction with the term, but so-called performs that function, so scare quotes are redundant: â€Å"So-called notification laws require businesses to notify customers when certain unencrypted customer data is improperly accessed.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsNarrative, Plot, and Story

The Theory of Management Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Theory of Management Fashion - Essay Example The essay "The Theory of Management Fashion" concerns the theory of fashion management. In view of this, the theory of management fashion states that management fashion is in principal a cultural happening structured by the rule of rationality. This means that the management must be perceived to be always looking for perfection. The primary belief in management is that over a given span of time, a particular management fashion will be out of trend, and a newer one will replace it. Based on this school of thought, certain management fashions last for a short time while other stay for a long period and attain widespread acceptance. In various management segments, several successions of management creativity are seen whereby as one goes out of trend and declines in popularity, the trendsetter initiates a novel innovation, thus resulting into a graphical representation of the trend as a rising and declining curve.Management fashion has been studied over the years through an examination o f two comparable life patterns. The first parallel is the discourse life pattern, which is an approach employed to study the volume as well as the natural world of disclosure concerning a particular trend over time. It employs bibliographic and subject matter breakdown, separating the assorted forms of discourse such as the Internet, business book, journal and magazines as well as the mass media. The dissemination life cycle is the second parallel. This strategy is employed to determine the level. to which management creativity is taken up by organizations, which follow fashion and the extent of use over a given period. Based on the innovation form and type, the analysis can be executed through case study surveys or the scrutiny of secondary facts such a sales figures and services supplies among other market indicators. Literature review Across generations, social science scholars have been captivated by fashion and fads. However, it is only recently that theories and schools studyi ng these two aspects in management emerged with scholars like Abrahamson (1996) pioneering in the field of study in addition to other scholars like Fairchild (1999) following suit. These scholars and their studies among others attend to the hype centered on organizational management models and tools namely knowledge management and quality circles among others (Herzhoff 2010). In view of this, four themes have been identified which are applicable to the study of management fashion. Fads and fashion in academic research There has been a divergence in view points concerning management fashion with scholars like Cole (1999) observing management fashion studies as an expensive pastime while Abrahamson (1996) acknowledges the importance of examining fashion, claiming that publicized themes of management should not just be disregarded. In view of this, other scholars like Collins (2000), support Abrahamson’s viewpoint. Abrahamson, who is a supporter of the management fashion theory, contends that philosophers and academicians ought not to be indifferent to trends, since they are not only restricted to aesthetics. Abrahamson (1996), further states that there exist two clear differences between trends and aesthetics. Trends in aesthetics necessitate only to be recent and attractive, whereas trends in management need to be not only logic but also progressive. Secondly, the demand for aesthetic fashion is influenced by social

Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Admission - Essay Example As students, we were regularly tasked with coming up with project in groups of five or thereof, these tasks equipped me with the ability to tolerate and work with people of different natures and principles contrary to mine. The tasks also gave me valuable knowledge on how to ensure maximum productivity in groups and meet deadlines. I can actively employ these skills in my professional life where I am tasked with working with my colleagues. I can also use the skills to ensure that deadlines are met to ensure maximum productivity My undergraduate studies gave me valuable lessons on leadership. The coursework contained tenets on business management and how to ensure business success (Norman 35) .In the classroom I learnt how to lead and handle crisis situations. As a project leader, I gained valuable knowledge on how to motivate my group members to ensure maximum productivity. I also learnt how to cope with uncooperative members. The leadership skills would prove invaluable to public service especially if given a managerial position. The ability to motivate my colleagues in situations where an institution is making losses would be necessary. It would also help me to maintain the morale of the employees. My experience as a volunteer with the World Health Organization was pivotal in my learning experience. Among the many students who volunteered during the 2004 cholera outbreak, only a few of us remained by the end of the containment period (Geudens 36). This experience taught me the value of commitment to set goals and agendas. I learnt that without commitment, one would not achieve the desired results. This skillset would be useful in my public service especially as pertains quality service delivery. Commitment to my duties will be important in the achievement of institutional goals and objectives. My six months training as a cadet in the military taught me how to cope with

Assess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assess - Essay Example It enables a person to understand things on a much higher plane and provides them with the leverage of better expression, when it comes to giving their opinions and ideas to others. My past memories of literacy, takes me back to my childhood days, when I lived with my family in Saudi Arabia and was in constant touch with my mother tongue Arabic, that came naturally to me because everyday, my mother would read me stories and narrate her own life events as the years passed by. Going to school and learning my lessons, taking part in school activities and moving with a good circle of friends, helped to influence me further and make me more literate over the years. A lot of my leisure time during the My adolescent years were greatly influenced in supplementing my reading by watching movies or engaging in multi-media by playing computer games and even entertaining role plays with my friends that I enjoyed so much. Both my parents played major roles where my language learning was concerned. They helped me imbibe a deep love for reading and speaking well, by taking me to meetings, debates and oratorical presentations where I had the opportunity of watching great speakers speak in depth on important subjects. Knowing that only my mother – tongue would not be sufficient for an all round education, they engaged me in special classes for learning the English language which I loved and further developed through reading and writing both at school and at home. Reading assignments given by my teachers over the years, helped to harness a deep understanding of both English and Arabic language and served to further influence my use of grammar and arrangement of sequential thoughts of expression, when I was given writing assignments. My English teacher was a major influential factor in my life because not only did she possess profound knowledge of the subject, but she showed genuine interest in every student while imparting that knowledge to us. understand that literacy has a

Early release of mentally ill inmates who are charged with sex crimes Research Paper

Early release of mentally ill inmates who are charged with sex crimes - Research Paper Example Early release of the mentally ill sex offenders is a matter of dispute as there is no conclusive study which analyses the way such mentally ill offenders cope with the community in the long term. However, a look into the various scholarly works shows that mentally ill offenders are highly likely to recommit the crimes due to various reasons, ranging from little or no social support, lack of medical and financial support, and poor monitoring. This work suggests some ways to overcome these problems to reduce the risk without an increased financial burden on the authorities. Early release of mentally ill sex offenders According to estimates (as cited in Rich, 2009), nearly 283,800 mentally ill offenders are held in the prisons in the nation and nearly 547,800 are on probation in the community. Admittedly, the increasing number of mentally ill inmates in the federal and states jails has become a matter of increasing concern for the authorities due to the decreased budget and the conseque nt financial crisis. However, the early release program introduced by the authorities to reduce prison population has caused a very serious problem for the people due to various reasons. In this program, low-risk prisoners are allowed to leave jails before the completion of their jail terms. As most of the crimes committed by mentally ill people are categorized as ‘category one’, mentally ill persons easily manage to get early release. A report dated 1 April 2010 by Cervantes and Wilkens (2010) points out that like many other states, in California too, more mentally ill offenders are released instead of getting referred to mental health care; and from the data provided, it is clear that between 2005 and 2009, the number of sex offenders who are referred to the Department of Mental Health by the Department of Corrections as potentially dangerous to be released to society has increased from 524 per year to 6705. Out of them, as Cervantes and Wilkens (2010) note, the numbe r of mental health cases increased from 238 to 1126; however, it is surprising to note that the percentage of the referrals accepted by the Department of Mental Health fell from 45% to 17% in the same period. A perfect example of what happens in such cases is the case of Chelsea King, a teenager from Poway. In fact, the release of her killer John Albert Gardner had been twice rejected by the prison officials but the Department of Mental Health released him, resulting in the death. A look into the characteristics of mentally ill offenders, recidivism rates, and revolving door phenomenon will prove that early release of mentally ill offenders has a very serious impact on social safety. A look into the details According to The Sentencing Project (2002) report, nearly 40% of all the mentally ill offenders are homeless and an equal percentage is binge drinkers; and moreover, they are two times more likely to be homeless compared to the general population. Another important study by the T reatment Advocacy Center (1999) (as cited in The Sentencing Project 2002), points out that mentally ill population is the reason behind a considerable proportion of violence in society, and the reason lies in their inability to understand their inabilities and the

Arguing the benefits of contributing DNA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Arguing the benefits of contributing DNA - Essay Example This procedure produces identical copies of the DNA sample. With the availability of these procedures, it is easier to identify individuals. Therefore, different states are appealing to the citizens to contribute DNA to bio banks to ensure availability of such samples for use when issues requiring identification arise (Butler 93). There is a lot of criticism surrounding this issue and lack of public knowledge on why contribution of DNA is necessary. Other individuals are bothered about the consequences that may arise because of the police having the DNA samples. However, there is little understanding of how much easier cases of paternity, genetic disorders, and criminal investigations would be, if people were willing to contribute their DNA freely. Despite the ethical issues raised, all individuals should willingly contribute their DNA to bio banks to ease identification. According to Lotter, the chemical structure of DNA does not vary from one individual to another. However, the bas es encoded in the chain appear in a unique arrangement in each individual. Identical twins are the only individuals with identical DNA profiles. Members of the same family show very close similarity and this similarity is the basis of familial matching. There are unique, but rare cases in society whereby unrelated individuals display close similarity. If individuals are willing to contribute DNA, paternity cases will be very easy. Advances in genomics were able to relate DNA profiles of a child to those of the parents. Such advances show that half of a child’s DNA profile matches that of the mother while the other half matches that of the father. This is the case because, during conception, two cells, one from each parent, fuse. Each of the two reproductive cells carries 23 chromosomes contrary to the 46 carried by normal body cells. Fusion of these two cells, results to 46 chromosomes in a cell. This cell, gives rise to the offspring on multiplication. In society, there are several cases concerning paternity. Some fathers deny their responsibility, claiming they are not the real fathers of children. Other people will impersonate the real fathers of children for their selfish gain. DNA typing constantly provides reliable solutions to cases of this nature. According to Butler, if comparison of samples from the father and child reveal matches in DNA patterns, then this is proof of paternity (93). Several of children in society, previously denied the opportunity to know their real fathers, are benefiting from this technological advance. Such children are now entitled to rights and privileges from their parents that they previously did not enjoy. It is worthwhile for people to contribute DNA to ease the solving of paternity cases. Adopted children have been able to identify their real parents, and they no longer live in the world of unanswered questions. Only in rare cases does DNA typing fail in paternity cases. As Butler argues, another critical applicati on of DNA profiling is its use in criminology. There are traces of DNA on anything we handle (397-399). Police analyze all objects on the crime scene to obtain a DNA sample that on amplification is typed and therefore aids in investigations. Police should handle such objects with care, to minimize contamination of the samples, with DNA from their hands. Suspected criminals must present DNA samples to the police. Police then compare their DNA profiles with the profile from the scene and if