Analysis Of C. S. Lewis Meditation In A Toolshed

Psychologists have been interested in the subject of birth order and its effect on personality for over twenty years. The long-standing theory has been that there is little we can do to change our personalities; since this is predetermined by the order in which we were born. Modern research has attempted to debunk this theory, and prove just the opposite. One author, Julie Beck, took notice of a large study done by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Based on this research she penned an article titled, “Birth Order is Basically Meaningless.” Beck lays out a well-organized argument as to why she believes birth order has no lasting effect on personality. I find her article not only credible, but insightful to the critical reader.

“We all decry prejudice, yet are all prejudiced,” said Herbert Spencer, a famous philosopher. Prejudice is frequent everywhere and difficult to stop. It is very difficult to destroy something in someone’s mind, and it will inevitably be expressed through various methods with different degrees of subtlety. Any expression of this can hurt. Subsequently, in Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, the main theme is that prejudice is everywhere, and can be of varying degrees.

C.S. Lewis, a christian apologist writer wrote Mere Christianity in the nineteen-forties during world war two. Lewis wrote Mere Christianity in attempt to bring together a “common ground” of truths for the core of the Catholic Church’s beliefs. Mere Christianity shows readers logical ways of understanding the Catholic faith and he is presenting this central idea to help comprehend such ideas. The preface of Lewis’s Mere Christianity sets forth his ideas and arguments. Lewis is trying to convince readers his argument is credible and trustworthy, he is trying to get readers to understand his positioning and he is trying to give a sense of clarity. The preface shows Lewis’ goals when writing this argument; it shows how Lewis wanted so badly to express Christian unity no

All sentient beings are in some way shaped by the ideas that surround them. It is impossible for any thinking creature to ignore the philosophies held by their parents, friends acquaintances, and their society. Children, for example, have their personal worldviews profoundly affected by their parents, friends, and teachers. They typically follow the ideas of their parents and integrate the prevalent ideas of their friends and teachers. There is a phrase that describes the predominant swirl of philosophies that surround a thinking being: the philosophical environment. By extension, the philosophical environment is the source of meaning we bring to life, as Joseph Campbell states in “The Hero’s Journey”: “Life is without meaning. You bring

Annie Dillard’s essay “Sight into Insight” emphasizes how one must live in the moment and not sway towards others opinions in order to gain accurate observations on a situation. She uses nature as a prominent theme in her essay to represent the thought of looking past the superficial obvious in order to go deeper to where the hidden beauty rests. Dillard wants the reader to realize in order to observe clearly you have to live in the moment and let go of the knowledge you think you know on the situation. Dillard uses the example of her “walking with a camera vs walking without one” (para.31) and how her own observations differed with each. When she walked with the camera she “read the light” (para.31), and when she didn’t “light printed” (para.31).

Throughout the novel, the author Edward Bloor uses literary devices such as similes to make the readers visualize the descriptive situations in the story. These similes describe to the reader how different occurrences relate to other actions, objects, or living things.

Everybody has unconscious bias. But what role does it play in our daily lives? And how does it affect us? In the TED talk “What Does My Headscarf Mean to You”, speaker Yassmin Abdel-Magied aims to encourage the audience to acknowledge that everyone has unconscious bias, and to look past their own bias in order to promote equal opportunity, particularly when it comes to the workplace. “We all have our own biases. They’re the filters through which we see the world around us.” (Abdel-Magied, 2:06) Everyone has their own way of looking at the world. Abdel-Magied does not argue that having bias is bad. Instead, she wants her audience to acknowledge their own biases, and learn to look past them (Abdel-Magied, 2:16). Unconscious bias, she says, is

In everyday actions and decisions, human nature dictates that ignorance is very common. Barbara Tuchman’s theory of “wooden-headedness”, can be applied to real life on many different levels. Wooden headedness consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. This is when a person acts according to a wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts. Ignorance plays a substantial role in human affairs, although some may think it is just how kids are raised by their parents. Frequently, people will not give in to admitting they’re wrong, even though there may be facts in front of them. Wooden-headedness plays a remarkably large role in human actions and decisions.

Morrison uses figurative language in such a way you can see much more than what is presented to you in black and white. Morrison is able to create a vivid image in your mind with the way she uses figurative language.

Point of view can really have an effect on your beliefs, thoughts, and how you view the world. Just like this quote, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, Pg.39) explains the effect of perspective outstandingly. “...It is a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(Lee, Pg.119) this one really proves something. That you it is wrong to just go and kill or discriminate against people for no reason, when they have not done anything to anyone. This last key point is about honesty and this quote is a good example, “Best way to clear the air is to have it all out in the open.”(Lee, Pg.366) To be honest with everyone is a good thing, it shows people that you're trustworthy and they do not have to worry about you hiding things about them. It makes you look like a good person and someone who should be respected. All these key points from the book To Kill a Mockingbird are a great life lesson and can make you a better person in

One would think prejudice is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, that is not the case, prejudice is still a common factor in todays society. Vincent N. Parrillo’s essay “Causes of Prejudice,” helped me to understand how we are affected not just psychologically but in a sociological way as well, as John A. Camacho explains in his A Few Bad Apples opinion piece published in the Pacific Daily News. Both forms of prejudice are continued to be explained through Stud Turkel’s “C.P Ellis,” he gives us an understanding of psychological and sociological prejudice through C.P Ellis’own experiences. This furthers our understanding on how we can be affected by both psychological and sociological prejudices. The Primary causes of prejudice are psychological as shown by emotional prejudice and demonstrated through an authoritarian personality, that may result in displaced aggression. Where Sociological prejudice can be shown by social norms.

Why do so many people feel the need to judge others based on how they look? Judging others gives people a sense of honor because demeaning others can create a sense of security and identity. If one concludes who a person is merely on what they look like they will miss what is important, what their morals are, and what their intentions are. It takes an individual who has read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to understand because it is a perfect example of treating others with respect and not determining who others are based on what they look like. Many characters in Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird begin to realize that one cannot know a person until they peek beyond that person’s appearance.

In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity. These almighty figures are the world’s greatest thing because they never harm humans, they don’t desire sexual needs from mortals, and they don’t expect endless gifts and sacrifices.

There are many unmistakable parallels between the two-short story’s “The Lottery” and “Barn Burning.” “The Lottery” is written by Shirley Jackson and takes place in a small town in America. The lottery is an annual ritual where all the families get together, the man of each family takes a paper with the possibility of that being marked which then means someone in the family will die. That is to say, a villager winning the lottery results in the other villagers stoning he or she to death. William Faulkner wrote the short story “Barn Burning.” Not to mention, the story starts off in a courtroom because Abner Snopes burned down the property of Mr. Harris. Mr. Harris is landowner, who is left with a burned barn and no legal option. Snopes is advised to leave the country because the court can’t find enough evidence to sentence him. His son Sarty Snopes chooses to warn the owner. “Barn Burning” offers a helpful picture of how Faulkner sees the economics of the postbellum South, where the poor whites remain the underclass rivals of black sharecroppers (Pierce).

Throughout the Medusa’s Hair Obeyesekere notes the importance of a gradual incorporation of symbolism into the behaviors of female ascetics, which result in resolving their overbearing experiences and putting pressure on the religious involvement instead. Thus, his interpretation of this fusion consists of three analogous elements, the existence of correlation between symptom and an emotional context, the usage of symbol as a unique solution for an individual’s crisis and, ultimately, applying a religious form to the concluding role transformation.