Phobic Disorders

Phobic Disorders Phobic disordersClinical CharacteristicsA phobic disorder involves extreme, persistent and irrational fear with lack of control, which is strongly out of proportion with the danger.‚Â ·The feared situations are avoided or responded to with great anxiety‚Â ·Possibly recurrent, unexpected panic attacks‚Â ·Individual recognises the fear experienced is excessive‚Â ·The phobic reactions interfere significantly with the individuals working or social life‚Â ·Exposure to the feared stimulus nearly always produces a high level of anxietyDiagnosisWith panic attacks, substance abuse should be ruled out as a cause.Categories‚Â ·Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or public places. Panic disorder starts first; fear of having another attack makes the individual feel insecure.‚Â ·Social Phobias - extreme concern about one's own behaviour and the reactions of others‚Â ·Specific phobias -e.g. zoophobias (animals).BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF PHOBIC DISORDERSGenetic Twin StudiesThe "Little Miss Muffet" scenario explained by Den...Torgersen (1983) - 31% concordance for panic disorder with agoraphobia in MZ twins versus zero concordance in DZ twins. None of the MZ twins shared the same phobias.Family studiesSolyom et al. (1974) - 45% of phobic patients had a family history of the disorder compared with 17% of 'normal' controls.Ost (1989) - 64% of blood phobics had at least one close relative who also suffered from it.Evaluation‚Â ·Related individuals may acquire phobias through imitation‚Â ·Genetic explanations suggest that some individuals are predisposed to form phobias but life experiences are important too.Biological preparedness - Selligman (1971)People have an innate predisposition to develop certain fearsResearch evidenceDe Silva (1988) - 88 phobic patients in Sri Lanka tended to exhibit biologically based fears.EvaluationCan't explain fears of harmless situations or things, such as slugsPSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF PHOBIC DISOR DERSPsychodynamicFreud (1909) - phobias arise, when anxieties are displaced on to the phobic object. Symbolises initial...

Definition and Examples of Singular They

Definition and Examples of Singular 'They' In  English grammar, singular they is the use of the pronoun they, them, or their to refer to a singular noun or to certain indefinite pronouns (such as anybody or everyone). Also called  epicene they and unisex they. Though strict prescriptive grammarians regard the singular they as a grammatical error, it has been in widespread use for several centuries. Singular they appears in the writings of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Woolf, and many other major English authors. In January 2016,  the American Dialect Society chose the gender-neutral singular they as its Word of the Year: They  was recognized by the society for its emerging use as a pronoun to refer to a known person, often as a conscious choice by a person rejecting the traditional gender binary of  he  and  she (American Dialect Society press release, January 8, 2016). Examples When a person talks too much, they learn little. (Duncan Hines, Lodging for a Night, 1938)If anybody wants their admission fee back, they can get it at the door. (Fiddlers Dram. Spooky South: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore, retold by S. E. Schlosser. Globe Pequot, 2004)She admired the fullness of the dirty net curtains, opened every drawer and cupboard, and, when she found the Gideons Bible, said, Somebodys left their book behind. (Sue Townsend, Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction. Lily Broadway Productions, 2004)She kept her head and kicked her shoes off, as everybody ought to do who falls into deep water in their clothes. (C.S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn-Treader, 1952)I know when I like a person directly I see them! (Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out, 1915)A person cant help their birth, Rosalind replied with great liberality. (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848) Singular They and Agreement Examples of semantically singular they are given in [52]: [52i] Nobody in their right mind would do a thing like that. [52ii] Everyone has told me they think I made the right decision. [53iii] We need a manager who is reasonably flexible in their approach. [52iv] In that case the husband or the wife will have to give up their seat on the board. Notice that this special interpretation of they doesnt affect verb agreement: we have they think (3rd plural) in [ii], not *they thinks (3rd singular). Nonetheless, they can be interpreted as if it were 3rd person singular, with human denotation and unspecified gender. (Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) The Growing Acceptance of Singular They The general hesitancy of grammarians towards accepting singular they is not actually matched by many of their academic colleagues who have researched the usage and its distribution (e.g. Bodine 1075; Whitley 1978; Jochnowitz 1982; Abbot 1984; Wales 1984b). Nor indeed is it matched by the lay native speakers of standard English, who show an overwhelming preference for it in contemporary spoken English, non-formal written English and an ever-widening spread of non-formal written registers, from journalism to administration and academic writing. . . . Singular they, in fact, has been well established in informal usage for centuries; until prescriptive grammarians decreed it was grammatically incorrect, and so outlawed it, effectively, from (public) written discourse. The OED and Jespersen (1914) reveal, for example, that right from the time of the introduction of the indefinite pronouns into the language in their present form in the Late Middle English period, the option involving they has been in common use. (Katie Wales, Personal Pronouns in Present-Day English. Cambridge University Press, 1996) The Only Sensible Solution His or her is clumsy, especially upon repetition, and his is as inaccurate with respect to grammatical gender as they is to number. Invented alternatives never take hold. Singular they already exists; it has the advantage that most people already use it. If it is as old as Chaucer, whats new? The  Washington Post’s style editor, Bill Walsh, has called it the only sensible solution to the gap in English’s pronouns, changing his newspapers style book in 2015. But it was also the rise in the use of  they  as a pronoun for someone who does not want to use he or she. Facebook began already in 2014 allowing people to choose they as their preferred pronoun (Wish them a happy birthday!). Transgender stories, from The Danish Girl, a hit movie, to Caitlyn Jenner, an Olympic athlete who has become the world’s most famous trans woman, were big in 2015. But such people prefer their post-transition pronouns: he or she as desired. They is for a smaller minority who prefer neither. But the very idea of non-binary  language with regard to gender annoys and even angers many people. In other words, as transgender people gain acceptance, non-binary folks are the next frontier, like it or not. Who knew a thousand-year-old pronoun could be so controversial? (Prospero, Why 2015’s Word of the Year Is Rather Singular. The Economist, January 15, 2016) Origin of the Concept of the Gender-Neutral Masculine Pronoun [I]t was [Ann] Fisher [author of A New Grammar, 1745] who promoted the convention of using he, him and his as pronouns to cover both male and female in general statements such as Everyone has his quirks. To be precise, she says that The Masculine Person answers to the general Name, which comprehends both Male and Female; as, Any person who knows what he says. This idea caught on. . . The convention was bolstered by an Act of Parliament in 1850: in order to simplify the language used in other Acts, it was decreed that the masculine pronoun be understood to include both males and females. The obvious objection to thisobvious now, even if it was not obvious thenis that it makes women politically invisible. (Henry Hitchings, The Language Wars: A History of Proper English. Macmillan, 2011)

Discuss Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discuss - Research Paper Example Descartes’ inventions in philosophy and mathematics had considerable influence on the art of the 17th century. Previous accounts of the mind-body relationship had mostly been unidirectional, in that, people believed that either the body controlled the mind or vice versa. With Descartes’ dualism concept, people could now think of the relationship between mind and body as being two-way. Artists began to perceive the objects of their drawings as having a body and a mind that affected each other (94). Descartes’ discovery of the Cartesian coordinate system that enabled people to use geometric shapes in the expression of algebraic equations in 2-dimensions also impacted the world of art. Before Descartes’ discoveries, artists created their work without using geometric shapes and this only made it hard for them to achieve multiple dimensions in their artwork. However, with Descartes’ discovery, they could now use geometrical shapes to create 2-dimensional perspectives in their drawings and other artwork (105). Isaac Newton (1643-1727) is inarguably one of the most celebrated inventors in the history of mankind. He was a mathematician, physicist and astronomer from England. His most notable work lay in science and mechanics especially after his discovery of the laws of motion (Tiner 5). He enlightened people about the relationships between motion and force. He also played an instrumental role in the field of prisms. He is credited with discovering the source of colors (35). His discoveries had a profound effect on the thinking of his time, especially in relation to art. Prior to Newton’s discovery of the phenomenon of colors, people used to think that a mixture of light and darkness is what produced color. Newton, through his prism experiments, was able to determine and prove that light was the only element responsible for color. Various artists were

Advanced Project Management unit 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advanced Project Management unit 1 - Essay Example According to British Standards, projects are a unique set of coordinated activities, with definite starting and finishing points, undertaken by an individual or organisation to meet specific performance objectives within defined schedule, cost and performance parameters (Maylor, 2010). Project management can be defined as â€Å"leading a team to achieve project success through team spirit and skills development, in a constrained environment, leading to value creation through appropriate use of tools and techniques†. This definition has been based on several requirements and parameters in achieving project success. Team spirit suggests that the success of the project depends upon the people involved in it. The team members must have certain abilities such as soft skills. They must have the ability to work in teams, be full of enthusiasm and possess good communication skills (McConachy & Caine, 2003). This indicates that organizational culture should be supportive of projects without which it can result in project failure. Other significant elements in the success of projects are interpersonal relationship, management commitment and results-orientation. Skill development is an essential part of any project. Project teams comprise of a unique group of individuals who come together to work in a controlled environment towards a common goal (Atkins and Gilbert, 2003). If the members are brought together at the earliest possible stage, they could be flexible and adaptable, thereby enabling timely decisions, with quicker response to market and technology. The members’ strengths, contributions and interests have to be given due recognition. They must also be encouraged to develop further skills. If top performers are included in the project team, performance will meet or exceed expectations (Hacker, 2000). All projects operate in a

Financial problem in a country or organization of your choice Essay Example for Free

Financial problem in a country or organization of your choice Essay Discuss the causes of a financial problem in a country or organization of your choice and suggest some solutions. Specify the problem and the City/Country and relate to a particular study. Zimbabwe is an agricultural based economy previously known as the ‘bread-basket’ of Southern Africa. In the past decade, the country experienced a drastic economic disintegration due to wide range of factors including: unconstitutional land redistribution, health, decline in foreign investment and hyperinflation. The Zimbabwean economy is strongly intertwined with politics; therefore the political instability subsequently offset the economy. In 2000, the government embarked on ‘the land reform programme’ which removed white commercial farmers from arable lands so that it could be redistributed among black farmers. The experienced farmers were replaced by mostly black subsistence ones, with no farming knowledge, equipment and capital and therefore could not produce at a commercial scale. There was no agricultural export, meaning there was a loss of foreign currency being injected into the economy on a regular basis. This marked the beginning of economic downfall. Richardson (2004:307). The failure of the agricultural sector which is the backbone of the economy led to the economic crisis. This meant that the government could not generate enough revenue to sustain its infrastructures such as the health sector. Health conditions are directly related to the poor economy. Sick workers were not able to work as much or as productively as healthy ones. Labour markets were less efficient and the market was not able to produce as much. Consequently, the economy produced far less per-worker than a similar healthy economy. This was evident in Zimbabwe by the low participation rate that at just over 35 %, as opposed to 51.08 % in the U.S. or 51.97 % in Japan. Richardson (2004:289). Another contributing factor was that foreign investors also fled, due to insecurities and the government policies dictating that 51% ownership of their businesses should be locally owned. Foreign direct investment fell to zero by 2001, and the  World Bank’s risk premium on investment in Zimbabwe shot up from 4 % to 20 % that year as well. Hill (2003: 109). Furthermore, the Zimbabwean economy was brought down by the illegal sanctions (an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with it. Merriam-Webster dictionary 2012:198) imposed by the American and European superpowers. This meant that no trade was to be done with Zimbabwe. There was a sudden death of foreign currency and investment influx to the country. The U.S. and Britain have partially withheld financial support for Zimbabwe and there would be no access to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because they could not pay their debt and the prevailing hyperinflationary conditions. Hill (2003: 102). The causes of Zimbabwe’s financial problem can be mitigated by first achieving a ‘political breakthrough’ that will depoliticize the economy. Then, land should be re-redistributed among experienced commercial farmers and train the less experienced ones to ensure a more sustainable output. There must also be a liberalisation of foreign investment regulations to attract the foreign investors. In conclusion, these suggested solutions will help to rebuild the economy and restore Zimbabwe as the bread basket of Southern Africa. References: Richardson, C,J. 2004. The Collapse of Zimbabwe in the Wake of the 2000–2003 Land Reforms. New York: Edwin Mellen Hill, G. 2003. The Battle for Zimbabwe. Cape Town: Zebra

Lawmakers Should Pass the DREAM Act Essay -- Essays on the DREAM Act

Imagine a world with an educated youth. Now imagine a parallel world where children are fighting to keep a smile on their faces, because, in truth, it is the only thing they have. In reality, this is what is happening. Youth, who have the privilege to be American citizens, are granted a very fulfilling education with a promise of a career. Children of illegal and undocumented immigrants do not have such luck. Some undocumented children in America have very promising futures and even a degree under their belts, but they cannot apply for a job because they have no proof of citizenship. A controversial topic is the matter of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education, for Alien Minors) which permits undocumented immigrants to obtain citizenship and later get a job. Is this topic really a law†¦ or a lifestyle? Should we really be arguing on the matter of life or death? When the Dream Act is put into play, its positive effects are more numerous than the negative ones. With this act, undocumented children are given an education and a future. What is better than an educated America? With education, America can be even more dominant. Everyone, despite their legal classification, deserves to have the option of success. On the matter of money, taxpayers would not have to pay $16.2 billion annually on behalf of deportation fees. With these children growing to be citizens, they will have to pay taxes which will also help the growing deficit. America was born on the morale that all people deserve a safe asylum and freedom. There are, however, some negatives to this act as well. Some voters speculate that instituting this bill will create a large scale â€Å"chain migration†. They feel that this act is only a â€Å"magnet† for the famil... ...Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 353-355. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Apr. 2014 Malkin, Michelle. "Lawmakers Should Reject the DREAM Act." The Children of Undocumented Immigrants. Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "Harry Reid's Illegal Alien Student Bailout." Michelle Malkin.com. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. Valbrun, Marjorie. "Children of Illegal Immigrants Struggle When Parents Are Deported." The Children of Undocumented Immigrants. Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "Foster Care, Uncertain Futures Loom for Thousands of Immigrant Children." America's Wire. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Political and Social Development in Malaysia Essay

It is difficult to picture, whilst analyzing the political and social development of Southeast Asian countries, how this region was completely dominated by European colonialist powers, even six decades ago. Southeast Asia was among the 84 % of the surface area of the earth that stood colonized at the beginning of the Second World War, a process that began in the 16th century and carried on steadily during the next three centuries (Chadda and Others, 1971). European colonialism in the region ended mainly in the decade after World War II, its greatest result being the birth of nine new nations, including Malaysia (Chadda and Others, 1971). Political and social developments in the region, from the mid 1950s, when independent sovereign states emerged after the withdrawal of colonial powers, to the current day, have to essentially be viewed through the prism of colonialism to understand the broader issues that face the countries of the region, and the internal ethnic, social, religious, and political forces that play important roles in the shaping of their social and political progress, and in the choice of their structures of governance. For more than a thousand years before the arrival of the armies from Europe, from A. D. 200 AD to 1500 AD, the complexity and thoughtfulness of Hindu and Buddhist influences from the Indian subcontinent provided the people of Southeast Asia with some commonality and cohesion in areas of politics, governance, religion, arts, and literature (Cunningham, 1990). Numerous developments in the region, like alliances, royal marriages, wars, trade, and population movements brought the people of this region, including the Burmese, the Thai, the Vietnamese, the Khmer, and the Malays into multifarious relationships. Such harmony, commonality, and communication was disrupted and eventually lost after the establishment of colonial hegemony by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, French, and Americans was established in separate parts of the region (Cunningham, 1990). Colonies became connected to their American or European rulers, which competed with each other, economically, culturally and politically, and became distant from each other. Despite their forced oneness with their colonial conquerors, the countries of Southeast Asia retained their unique ecological, cultural, and ethnic diversity (Cunningham, 1990). Whilst the region’s geographical dimensions and population are similar to that of West Europe, it is far more diverse in culture and traditions. â€Å"Southeast Asia’s population and land area are similar to those of Western Europe, but the region has far greater cultural variety. Hundreds of different societies speak mutually unintelligible languages. Many have proud civilizations stretching back over a thousand years. The people grew irrigated rice, traded overseas between and with India and China, and developed many small states and larger empires that allied and warred. From about A. D. 200 to A. D. 400, these societies reshaped Hindu-Buddhist cultural influence from India in statecraft, law, religion, art, architecture, and literature. † (Cunningham, 1990) Malaysia Malaysia, the subject of this essay, is an integral part of Southeast Asia and is a striking representation of the region’s ethnic and religious diversity. A narrow peninsular land mass, Malaysia as it is now known, was ruled from the 9th to the 13th century AD by the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya. Control of the kingdom passed to the Javanese Hindu kingdom of Majapahit in the 14th century and thence to a local Muslim prince in the 15th century (Gomez, 2004). The peninsula attracted the attention of the Portuguese in the 15th century, who conquered Malacca in 1511, an event that marked the beginning of four centuries of European rule (Gomez, 2004). With control of the area passing from Portuguese and Dutch hands to those of the British in the early years of the 19th century, its first consolidation took place in 1826, when the British settlements of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore were combined to form the Colony of the Straits Settlements (Gomez, 2004). Occupied by the Japanese from 1941 to 1945, the territories of peninsular Malaysia came together to form the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and obtained freedom from the British in 1957 (Gomez, 2004). The present-day Federation of Malaysia came into existence only in 1965, when Sarawak and Sabah joined the Federation of Malaya (Gomez, 2004). Evolution of Regional Democracy in Southeast Asia The beginning of post colonialism in Asia witnessed a significant social, intellectual and political endeavour to establish democracy and make it function in line with Anglo-American thought. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in India, U Nu in Burma and Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines, who had receive much of their formative and political education in the west, sought to draft constitutions, form political parties and hold elections (Crouch, 1996). Democratic processes were, during this time, under attack in all of Asia and it is not difficult to imagine the tremendous obstacles that confronted them year after year. Societies were being reconstructed after the devastation left by European and American colonialism, and a devastating war that had nothing to do with the people of Southeast Asia; the leadership was in the hands of inexperienced and untested administrators, there were a myriad social problems like poverty, illiteracy, and disease to tackle, and nations needed to be moulded from confusing and disparate ethnic puzzles (Crouch, 1996). The ideological confusion was even greater. Political leaders in Malaysia and other countries of Southeast Asia needed to choose from the democratic processes that were alive and thriving in the countries of North America and West Europe, and in countries like the UK, the state run communism that controlled the Soviet Union and East Europe, the banana republics of South America, paternal leftist dictatorships like those in Castro’s Cuba and Tito’s Yugoslavia, and the monarchical kingdoms and emirates of the Middle East (Crouch, 1996). The pressures of social reconstruction, nation building and ideological confusion in the region had joined hands, by the 1970s, to remove the essence of democracy from most of Southeast Asia with strongmen like Suharto in Indonesia, and Marcos in the Philippines disregarding democratic norms and consolidating personal power bases (Hill, 2002). The relegation or subversion of democracy in Southeast Asia was however accompanied by the rise of the Asian Tigers, with countries like South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan growing faster than all other countries in the world for over a decade (Hill, 2002). Such astonishing growth was also accompanied by the need for strong governments, which incidentally were headed by small groups of predominantly male leaders, who took decisions in all areas of public life, on issues as diverse economic subsidies, university admissions, foreign worker entry, working conditions and liberation of women (Hill, 2002). Democracy came back strongly into the political picture only in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, the deconstruction of the Soviet Union, and the economic crisis in Asia (Hill, 2002). The fall of â€Å"democratic† regimes in East Europe along with the acceptance of the superiority of the market system within a liberal democracy brought home the message to the people of Southeast Asia that economic growth built on political repression was ultimately unsustainable (Hill, 2002). Objective Malaysia has by and large experienced a stable political atmosphere, riding on the back of coalition one party rule and the political dominance of Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad for more than 20 years (Johnson, 2003). Malaysia’s society is multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious. The Malays, who comprise a just over 50% of the population form the majority community, all of them, by constitutional definition being Muslim. About 25 % of the population (down from 31 % at independence) is ethnic Chinese, a group which historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 7% (again down from 11 % at independence) of the population and include Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians. Non-Malay indigenous groups combine to make up approximately 11% of the population. While national unity as continued to elude the country, its extremely successful industrialisation drive, (since the mid-1980s), has made it into one of the world’s important trading nations. Malaysia has experienced astonishing economic growth in the last two decades. The national poverty rate has fallen from 49. 3% in 1970 to 5. 1 % in 2004, with corresponding improvements in education, literacy, child mortality and disease control (Kershaw, 2004). The country’s political progress has to be viewed in light of the phenomenal economic growth achieved by it as well as the social and political processes of the region. This study aims to study the political and social development of the country, including issues like the process of holding elections, the level and genuineness of political competition, freedom of speech and media, official and unofficial abuse of human rights, punishment regime, the strength of the judiciary and other institutions, the relationship between economic and political development, and the capacity of the state to politically administer its sovereign territory.

A Good Life essay

The Good Life Denise West April 14, 2013 Siena Heights University Gail Ryder Introduction A good life is what everyone desires. But what is actually a good life? Many people have their own interpretation of what a good life is. Society today has a different outlook on what is an acceptable lifestyle. Many people are influenced with the perception of how an individual should live their life. Some often find themselves trying to fulfill their happiness through America’s perception on how they should live. Instead they become disappointed with the disapproval of others and often forget what happiness really means to them.A good life consists of maximizing happiness. Many believe wealth, power, and respect brings happiness. I happen to disagree. I believe wealth and power bring sorrow and problems. The philosopher Socrates did not approve happiness was result of affluence and material consumption. He believed a rich and active mind is happier than a consumer of finer foods and exp ansive clothing (De Botton, 2000). Whether it is positive or negative, as long is the individual accepts and is happy of his or her own life, then they are living a good life.My life revolves around a combination of these six themes: education, work, ethics, relationships, spirituality, and success. In my essay, I will give my expertise of a good life. I will share thoughts of my life and give examples of each theme of why live the way I do. Education I believe education is a lifelong process that consists of both formal and informal experiences that lead to the individual learning something. The setting could be a home, a school, a workplace, a volunteer position, or an internship learning experience.Education is an ongoing mix of experiences; I think an educated person is a one who has made the most of each experience and learned from it. One should possess the general knowledge needed for making informed rational decisions and inferences on familiar and novel situations in person al and intellectual life. An educated person should also master of the general thinking abilities required for making informed intelligent decisions, estimates, assessments, and inferences. Philosopher Montaigne was an educated man with great wisdom. He spent most of his spear time in a circular library reading books (De Botton, 2000).I was raised by a family who is very educated. My mother and father have master degrees. My sister is a graduate student at Kansas State University. My father pushed my sister and I our entire lives of the importance of education. I receive a tremendous amount of support from my parents, family and friends. They continuously motivate me to be successful in completing and continuing my education. My plans for education are to continue to graduate school. Later in life, I am interested in teaching secondary education. I have a lot of inspiration and support from others and I am determined to succeed.I instill the importance of intelligence to my children . I agree with Montaigne’s two categories of knowledge: learning and wisdom. â€Å"In the learning category his placed logic, etymology, grammar, Latin and Greek. And in the wisdom category he places a far broader, more valuable kind of knowledge, everything that could help a person to live well† Montaigne’s intentions were to assist people† live happily and morally â€Å"(De Botton, p 153, 2000). These are two categories that keep me hungry for more. I often find myself harder on my son, because the graduation rate has dropped tremendously and it continues to decline.Depending on what aspiration a person has, having an education qualifies for great employment. Work The will power, motivation, and education are a good start in performing the ideal job in the workplace. The ambition and excitement of commuting to work daily is great feeling. A good work environment improves satisfaction and productivity. When a person is unhappy in the workplace, it is a d rag waking up each day to return to that place of business. Philosopher Epicurus believed the tension starts to show at home and we often point the finger at work (De Botton, 2000).It is important to be able to balance work and home to manage a positive work environment. Having a stress free job as well having fun and believe in your work is part of the good life. A good working environment is important for employee morale. It builds strong relationships between associates and among the biggest motivating factors in the workplace. I enjoy the work I do on a daily basis. It is a challenging job that requires an outgoing personality, sales drive, and patience. The down fall of my workplace is the associates and environment. We lack communication and the ability to coach each other to improve the workplace.The location in an urban area limits the opportunity of sales growth, variety customer base, as well as deepening relationships. At times, I felt the same pain as Epicurus. We both s tarted to wonder if were on the correct career path. One thing I lack in the workplace is empathy. I meet a lot of people each day. Many customers have personal problems they choose to share with me. Many times I can’t relate, because I have not experienced it. I represent my employer, and I am branded by them. I have to maintain a certain image and give great impressions. My supervisor has coached me on empathizing with my customers.We role play each week, and he has given me different conversation tools to better assist my customers. I want to give my customers a great experience each time they visit. To minimize tension, and misinterpretation, I will start utilizing 360 coaching. This is a tool recommended by my employer. Associates coach each including management. We give positive feedback to each other on how we could improve. This should help my team with any disagreements one may have with another associate. After opening up with one another and sharing each other diff erences, the company is great place work.Communication is the key to every success. With our recent suggestions and improvement, I believe everything will work out great. Ethics Ethics is a concept of morality principles. It defines the standard behavior which tells us the most common way of society: good, bad, right and wrong. The book Affluenza written by authors Graff, Wann, and Naylor have great information on living a good life daily minimizing consumption. â€Å"Affluenza is a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, deft, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more† (Degraff, Wann, Naylor, p. , 2001). Afflenza respects those perfectly human desires, and seeks to create ways to make comfort, elegance, and enjoyment more genuine and durables than purchasable, perishable commodities (Degraff, Wann, Naylor, 2001). Unfortunately, I struggle with Affuenza. My finance and I live a certain lifestyle. Our lifestyles boil down to become e xpansive. We often find ourselves caught up in what we feel we have to have or need, such as hair, nails, brand name clothing, jewelry, and restaurants. We also have plenty of unnecessary bills only because they are available resources to us.We are not utilizing the product or service for what it is worth. We have more stuff, less time, and our quality of life seems to be deteriorating (Degraff, Wann, Naylor, 2001). As we move forward in our lives, I try to educate my finance of Affluenza and suggested a variety of ways will can save time and money. I plan to start tracking our daily spending habits more closely. If we cut back on luxury habits we could save thousands a year. We are coming to together and taking it one day at time. It is difficult to change some things you are accustomed to.Overcoming this disease is important to us, because we are embarking on a higher level in our relationship. We are currently testing our new ideas to happiness in our lives. Hopefully the results give us some leeway to plan what matters most to us, and how we will cherish our years to come. Relationships One of my biggest challenges of my life is my relationship. There is nothing more important than the quality of my relationship. My relationship influences the major decisions I make and is a large part of my happiness. Relationships can be very stressful at times. They require at lot of listening, effort, and compromising.Both parties have to be willing to sacrifice in order to move forward. A fundamental to a strong relationship is commitment. Commitment to making a relationship strong and healthy is the basis on which it will mature. Relationships take plenty work and effort. Compared to life itself, relationships are aggressive and intense because we are forever changing. A durable relationship need continuous nurturing and that takes commitment from both parties. Our commitment to the relationship is unconditional caring about maintaining and improving our relationship , even during times of anger or disappointment.There may be times when I am not even sure I like him, but I am committed. My strong commitment reminds me of Epicurus views of friendship. At first he thought pleasure brought him happiness. He eventually had a change of heart and found that the loyalty of friendship is what matters most (De Botton, 2000). I will spend the effort to sustain relationship during tough times. The motivation of keeping our family together saved us. We put our differences aside and our children first. Their security is most important. Our determination led us to our engagement. We are set to wed next summer. Spirituality One doesn’t need either the bible to instruct one in prudence; nor the fear of divine retribution to provide the incentive† (De Bottom, 2000). Epicurus shows us how morality can be founded upon prudent self-interest. I was raised a Christian. Philosopher Nietzsche called Christianity â€Å"the religion of comfortableness† (De Bottom, p. 238, 2000). Until my grandmother died in 1993, my family and I attended church regularly. As an adult, continue to believe in the Christian Religion; however I do not practice it. I currently do not the bible for a number of reasons. I do not want to be put in a category as a hypocrite.I am uncomfortable in committing to a religion if I am not ready to live righteously. I don’t want to find myself going back and forth and continuously repenting to the Lord for sins I have committed. The second reason I do not practice Christianity is because I do have a church home. I have not find a church where I felt comfortable worshiping. In the past, I found myself visiting a variety of churches and none felt right to me. I started to wonder, I am looking in the right religion? Maybe there’s another religion that makes more sense to me and has a place where I could worship and feel comfortable.The significance of any religion lies simply in the answer to the ques tion: why do I exist, and what is my relationship to the infinite universe that surrounds me? â€Å"It is impossible for there to be a person with no religion as it is for there to be a person without a heart. He may not know that he has a religion, just as a person may not know that he has a heart, but it is no more possible for a person to exist without a religion than without a hear â€Å"(Leo Tolstoy, 1879). As I read this statement from Tolstoy Confession, I thought about my current situation.Tolstoy was a philosopher who came to believe that he had â€Å"accomplished nothing and his life was meaningless† (Patterson, p. 5, 1983). The third reason I do not practice Christianity is because my finance study’s another religion. I have taken in to consideration to research his religion and to a common ground and decide which religion is best for me. Either way, we both have to agree on the same religion. It is important we raise our children with the same values to l ive a good and happy life. Success The meaning of Success comes in many forms, and a variety of meanings.It defines what you are searching for in life. It is within the perception of the individual. A large portion of one’s life is spent working to become successful. People are told during the upbringing to work hard so they earn make lots of money. People have a variety of interpretations of what success means to them. Socrates says, â€Å"One who understands the limits of the good life knows that what eliminates the pains brought on by need and what makes the whole of life perfect is easily obtained, so that there is no need for enterprises that entail the struggle for success† (De Botton, 2000).Success is often measured by social status and wealth. I determined success by the amount of happiness one feels. I live my life by planning. This is task that I put in place to organization my life. Time management is important to me. I currently have a blue print for my lif e. It is sectioned in four categories which are three weeks, three months, one year, and three years. This is a tool used to set goals and manage my life. Each year I review my blue print to ensure each goal is accomplished. My goals are similar to the six themes I have discussed.I consider myself to be a successful person. I have managed to complete every major task I have set forth. I have an outstanding family with two beautiful children. I am scheduled to graduate in December 2010, and I have an awesome job. I am in process of simplifying consumption, and we are working toward spirituality. These are important goals that I and my family discuss on a regular basis. I continue to stay open for suggestions and constructive criticism. I am willing to explore whatever is necessary to work toward a wonderful and happy life. This year is a successful year.Conclusion We think happiness is good, therefore we seek it. The search for happiness can be endless if you do not know what you are searching for. Individuals find themselves never accomplishing their goals. We can choose to enjoy the adventure and explore as much as possible. Try to make a conscious resolution to be content. By having a peace of mind and satisfaction means you are happy with what you have and what you are. I received my results of a good life with a history of effectiveness and success. I have a general sense of what I feel are the best ways to get things done.I set of process and principles that has worked well for me over many years. I am a detailed person who manages time, plans for the future, and a fan of great strategy. I choose to ignore the setbacks and I look at the big picture in order to guide myself and my organization to maximum results. A good life is a combination of many things. Everyone has their own interpretation of what a good life is. It starts with self development within individual. Many philosophers such as Epicurus and Socrates believe pleasure brings forth happiness ( De Botton, 2000). I happen to agree.Nothing matter to me more than my happiness. It is up to the individual to decide what pleasures them most. My life has had its many shares of a rollercoaster. I have made and learned from my mistakes. There is not anything that I regret nor wished didn’t happen during the years of my life. Without my mistakes, I would not have the opportunity to learn and grow. As a whole, I cherish my life I believe it is great. I am thankful for awaking each morning and for blessing me each day I have no reason to complain. I have experienced more than I ever dreamed of.Most importantly, I am blessed in being a mother. My family is extremely important to me. They complete each and every accomplishment. In combination of each principle, task, and theme they all relate and evolve around one specific goal which is my family. What a great life! References De Botton, A. (2000). The Consolations of Philosophy. New York: Pantheon Books. Graaf, J. , Naylor, T. , & Wann, D. (2001). Affluenza. San Francisco: Brerrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Tolstoy, L. (1993). Confession. Translated by David Patterson. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Payroll and personnel Essays

Payroll and personnel Essays Payroll and personnel Essay Payroll and personnel Essay This means that companies will have to tap into the psyche of the Gene Y in order to better understand their purchasing decisions and hence better gear their promotional activities in order to attract this cohort. The Gene Y adults sub group contraindicates loyalty characteristics as high in a developing market context against the established wisdom of low loyalty found in developed countries. The results of this paper would help marketers to rethink their strategies in this service industry. Finally, this research reconciles the gap between loyalty, stated preference and distinctiveness of brand personalities. Keywords : Generation Y, Customer loyalty, Influence, Marketing, Consumer behavior INTRODUCTION This is a phenomenological study of the Purchasing decisions of Generation Y (Gene Y) when deciding on which mobile service provider to subscribe to. The study is a qualitative one which was conducted with a convenience sample of students as well as graduates from two different private Universities. At this stage in the research, the attributes of mobile service providers sought by Generation Y will be generally fined as buying decisions made by Generation Y. There has been considerable Generation Y and their shopping behavior but there are still few studies of Generation Y and purchasing decisions in Malaysia. AIMS OF THE STUDY The aim of this study is to seek out the purchase decision made by Gene Y when it comes to making a decision on which mobile service provider to choose from. As such, the expectations (mobile service providers attributes expected) as well as personal values of the interviewees will be looked into. Also, it is interesting to note where they get these expectations from I. E. From their peers, media or family. The main purpose of this study is to further clarify 1083 if there is a existence of a gap between the purchasing decision made by the Gene Y cohort and the what attributes attract them into making that decision to choose a particular mobile service provider. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Brands and branding It is felt that the topic of brands and branding is very much the thing that influences the Gene Y today. As stated by La Ferule and Chant (2008), the decision to get branded products is the need to belong to the group / peers. This is because the peers have become the primary socializing agents for consumption values. La Ferule and Chant (2008) also add that amongst the determinants of materialism among adolescents in Singapore are from marketing communications and social influence factors. These are the main requirements in which a brand can survive in the Asian market. According to Temporal (2001), branding is a sophisticated process that puts together and sustains a complex mixture of attributes and values, many of which are intangible. The objective of branding is to produce a unique and attractive offering that satisfies both the rational and emotional needs of customers in a better way than the competition.

The Surfeit of Weird Exceptions to the I-Before-E Rule

The Surfeit of Weird Exceptions to the I-Before-E Rule The Surfeit of Weird Exceptions to the I-Before-E Rule The Surfeit of Weird Exceptions to the I-Before-E Rule By Mark Nichol In the chaos of spelling of the English language, some rules provide comfort until you realize that the number of exceptions renders a rule nearly useless as a memory aid. Such is the case with the rule that in vowel pairs, i comes before e except when the pairing follows c. The pairing ie is the default setting: Believe, die, and friend are just a few of the many words that follow the rule. However, exceptions are numerous, as exemplified in the sentence â€Å"Seize their eight feisty neighbors being weird.† And although the order after c is often ei (ceiling, deceit, receive), the order is often inverted (science, species, sufficient). To be more useful, the rule should continue, â€Å"or when pronounced like a long a, as in weigh or like a long e.† The rule that i comes before e except after c is contradicted by the fact that more than twenty times as many words have the letter sequence cie as the sequence cei, so that’s not a very useful rule. Also, the sequence ei often does not follow c. This is true in many categories of words, including the following ten groups: proper names, such as Keith chemical names like caffeine words in which ei is pronounced like a long e, such as leisure (many exceptions, such as piece) words in which ei is pronounced like a schwa (a weak â€Å"uh†), such as forfeit words in which ei is pronounced like a long a, such as weigh (this sound is never spelled ie, except in the American English pronunciation of lingerie) words in which ei is pronounced like a long i, such as height (exceptions include die) rare cases of ei pronounced, for example, like a short a, such as heifer words in which the vowel-and-consonant sound rhyming with ear is pronounced, such as weird (exceptions include pierce) words in which the vowel-and-consonant sound rhyming with heir is pronounced, such as their (this sound is never spelled ier) words in which e and i are each part of a separate syllable (albeit, being, reignite) Ultimately, it may be wise to forget that such a rule exists and always check spelling of words that may have an ie or an ei combination. 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†Telling a Good Poem from a Bad OneMood vs. Tense

The Underlying Theory of Fingerprinting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Underlying Theory of Fingerprinting - Essay Example The underlying theory regarding the practice of fingerprinting is the concept that no two people in the world possessed identical sets of fingerprints (Zhang, 2001; Epstein, 2002; Specter, 2002; Kumar & Shama, 2009; Cole, 2001, 2005; Leibhan, 2003). This particular theory is the guiding principle with which developments pertinent to fingerprinting has been pursued. In this regard, the following are the findings of the research. First, the concept of fingerprinting as a mechanism for purposes of identification has been known since the ancient period (Specter, 2002; Cole 2001). However, the current trend of utilizing fingerprinting for purposes of identifying, investigating and solving crimes is a current advancement in the field, which is brought about by developments in science and technology together with the condition of increased mobility of people (Sombat, 2006; Cole, 2005; Epstein, 2002). This conceptual finding is significant because it highlights the fact that first, fingerprinting is a recognized tool that a can be used for identification regardless of genre or period in history. Second, from the historical rooting of fingerprinting one can impugned that fingerprinting has been adopted as early as the nineteenth century for criminal investigation. Finally, third, the contemporary concept of fingerprinting is a result of the coming together of science, technology, judiciary, increased mobility of peo ple brought about by globalisation and demands in the contemporary society. This figure shows that the current understanding of fingerprinting is a result of the coming together of several factors that can be rooted from the historical tradition that has been traced in this research.

Celebrities in Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Celebrities in Advertisements - Essay Example Hence, the celebrities have become a strong weapon of influence in the hands of advertisers as they not only help in selling the products, but also help in creating a long lasting psychological association between the product and the consumer, which ensures the future success of the brand. Celebrities In Advertisements As per the modern trends, advertising can be defined as â€Å"a paid persuasive communication that uses nonpersonal mass media –as well as other forms of interactive communication- to reach broad audiences to connect an identified sponsor with a target audience† (Wells, Burnett and Moriarty 5). From the definition, it is clear that advertisers use the advertisement to persuade people to take some action or to take a decision related to the products that are being advertised (Wells, Burnett and Moriarty 5). However, making a consumer to take a decision regarding a product is not as easy as it seems as there are hundreds of different brands selling the same kind of products. Hence, the advertisers have to use a strategy that is highly powerful and highly impacting. This is where the role of the celebrity in advertisements begins. The fact that approximately one sixth of the ads world-wide features the celebrities shows how beneficial it proves for a brand to have a celebrity feature in the advertisements (Shimp 250). Moreover, the salaries the celebrities are paid are huge. According to a report on top endorsement incomes of athletes (2007), professional golfer Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were paid $100,000,000 and $47,000,000 respectively, for the ads (Shimp 251). To endorse the brands, the advertisers use variety of celebrities from the field of television, movies, sports, athletics and even politics (Shimp 250). It is believed that celebrities have the power to influence the attitudes and behavior of the consumer towards the brands as they are respected and loved by the consumers (Shimp 250). The brands pay huge salaries to the celebrities to advertise their products as they think that celebrities can positively influence the consumer and increase the sale of their products (Shimp 250). Studies in the field of advertising have revealed that there is a positive link between the ‘famous people’ in the brand and people’s favorability towards it (Pringle 69). The chances of success of a brand increases when it features one of the likeable celebrities in its advertisement (Pringle 97). Hence, it is believed that celebrities have the power to influence the decision of the people. However, what really works behind the success of the brands featuring celebrities in their ads is the method of ‘mental association’. Psychology Behind Celebrity Advertisements It has been proved that the presence of celebrity in the brand advertisement increases the chances of its success. The explanation for the effect of celebrity advertisements on people’s behavior and thinking can be found in the psychological theory of ‘mental association.’ According to psychoanalysis theory, the principle of ‘association’ governs the mental life of human beings (Richards, Macrury and Botterill 140). The theory states that when a person has any experience, his mind creates an association between the feelings related to that experience and the elements that were involved in that experience (Richards, Macrur