Lord of the Flies :: Lord of the Flies Essays

William Golding, in his anecdotal novel Lord of the Flies, has made one of the most incredibly intricate, dazzling works of American writing. It is a clear story of a couple wrecked students that significantly transforms into a multifaceted story of perpetual duplicity, dishonesty and hard and fast envy. It is in this story that three young men, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack, come to play the crucial pieces of pioneers to a gathering of kids who are battling for the privilege of endurance. Â Â Â Â Â The first kid is Ralph, a fine case of ethics, empathy and kinship. He is the main individual on the island to assume responsibility and the person who hold the gathering together. Ralph was chosen the pioneer when the gathering initially met up. He was perceived as one individual who mental fortitude to lead them home. On the decision in favor of boss, Ralph stated, “ ‘Who needs me?’ Every hand outside the ensemble aside from Piggy’s was raised right away. At that point Piggy, as well, lifted his hand hesitantly into the air. Ralph tallied ‘I’m boss then’ '; (Golding 23). Ralph is picked as pioneer in light of the fact that in the story Lord of the Flies, he represents each great quality important to get back. The characteristics are administration, consideration, kindheartedness, and the greater part of all, companionship. The subsequent youth is referred to different young men as Piggy. Piggy isn't care for different young men, in the way that his feeling of fun and experience was supplanted with that of troubling and alert. He is a stout kid, which welcomed on the name “Piggy.'; He likewise experiences different diseases, for example, terrible vision and asthma. “He was shorter than the reasonable kid and exceptionally fat. He approached, scanning out safe lodgments for his feet, and afterward turned upward through thick scenes'; (Golding 7). Piggy emblematically speaks to each issue, each slip-up that could be made, that may leave numerous little youngsters abandoned on an island out of sight ocean. The last youngster passes by the name of Jack Merridew. Jack is an impetuous youth with a pizazz for administration, and a temper to oblige it. Jack was the kid who needed the situation of boss from the beginning. In light of Ralph’s political decision as boss, “Even the ensemble cheered; and the spots on Jacks face vanished under a become flushed of embarrassment'; (Golding 23). Jack Merridew, from that point on, was unique. He disdained Ralph and from that point on was devoured by abhor and desire toward everybody that followed the new boss.

What Were You Doing ESL Beginner Dialogue

What Were You Doing ESL Beginner Dialog This exchange centers around the utilization of the both the past constant and past straightforward. The past ceaseless is utilized to talk about activities that were hindered in the past, for example, I was sitting in front of the TV when you called. Practice the discourse with your accomplice and afterward practice the utilization of these two structures on your own start with the inquiry What ​where you doing when past simple.â English Dialog Practice: What Were You Doing? Betsy: I called you yesterday evening yet you didnt answer? Where right? Brian: I was in another room when you called. I didnt hear the telephone ringing until it was past the point of no return. Betsy: What were you working on?​ Brian: I was copying a report that I expected to send to a customer. What were you doing when you called? Betsy: I was searching for Tom and couldnt discover him. Do you know where he was? Brian: Tom was heading to a gathering. Betsy: Oh, I see. What did you do yesterday? Brian: I met the delegates from Drivers toward the beginning of the day. Toward the evening, I dealt with the report and was simply completing when you called. What did you do Betsy: Well, at 9 I had a gathering with Ms. Anderson. From that point forward, I did some research.​ Brian: Sounds like an exhausting day! Betsy: Yes, I dont truly like doing research. In any case, it should be finished. Brian: I concur with you on that-no research,no business! Betsy: Tell me about the report. What's your opinion of it? Brian: I think the report is a decent. Tom accepts its great, as well. Betsy: I realize that each report you compose is fantastic. Brian: Thank you Betsy, you are constantly an old buddy!

Tips on Getting Organized to Combat Stress

Tips on Getting Organized to Combat Stress Stress Management Household Stress Print How to Get Organized to Manage Stress By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on June 24, 2019 Anthony Harvie / Stone / Getty Images More in Stress Management Household Stress Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Job Stress Relationship Stress Want a secret weapon for relieving stress? Getting organized. Putting in the effort of getting organized, especially if this organization extends to multiple areas of your life, can help reduce stress levels long term by requiring less last-minute scrambling in a variety of everyday situations. It can also feel empowering, so you experience new situations as exciting rather than stressful, which can minimize the strength and duration of your stress response, or keep it from getting triggered in the first place. However, getting organized is more difficult than it initially sounds. For example, how organized must you be? When do you know when you’re ‘organized enough’? (Do your clothes need to be hung according to color, or alphabetically? Must every minute be scheduled and accounted for in a calendar somewhere?) And what are the most important areas of life for getting organized? The following tips for getting organized cover how organized to be, what areas carry the greatest benefits, and how to get started: Organize Your House A cluttered home can subtly drain you of energy; that much is pretty common knowledge. However, there are other hidden costs of clutter as well. (Clutter can drain your finances and schedule, too.) That’s why it’s important to organize your home. While you don’t need to have your books alphabetized or your shoes lined up according to the date you bought them, it is important to have everything in its place  and have that place be somewhere that makes sense. There are a variety of ways to maintain an organized home. Organize Your Time Do you find yourself constantly rushing? Does your mind race with all that you have to do? And do you have trouble remembering it all? If so, you already know that living like this can be pretty stressful, don’t you? Getting organized with your time can make a huge impact on your life: Your to-do list can all get done, and it can stop occupying your thoughts. In getting your schedule organized, remember a few important things. First, don’t overbook yourself. Plan only as many activities as you have time for. Also, be aware of what you need to get done and whenâ€"in a way other than keeping it all in your head. (I recommend David Allen’s Getting Things Done for a cohesive time management plan.) Finally, schedule in some downtime. If you’re always running, running, running, you may be less efficient overall because you’re tired of all the running. Schedule in some downtime, and you can really focus the rest of the time. Be Proactive Yes, you may consider being proactive with your problems to be part of getting organized in that its a tendency to be organized with your approach to stress, which can be quite empowering. It’s important to notice and eliminate patterns of stressors so that your stress response isn’t constantly triggered. For example, if you’re having trouble with your kids, don’t just face each situation like it’s happened for the first time; try to notice patterns of behavior and address those patterns, so they won’t keep happening. (I like to call that ‘getting organized with discipline.”) If you find yourself constantly stressed in traffic, try to pinpoint why, and address those issues. You can be organized in your life in a host of ways. These are three of the main ones. Give them a try, and start feeling less stressed today.

Philosophy Essay - 1433 Words

Philosophy When I was born, I did not know the difference between right and wrong. Now, I do. The word philosophy means the love of knowledge. One type of knowledge is propter quid, which ask the question why or how. In this paper, I will demonstrate how Socrates, Hume and Aristotle, three well known philosophers, would explain how I acquired this knowledge in relation to the principles of right and wrong. Socrates is the first philosopher, I will discuss. Since Socrates did not write anything down, Socrates thinking is told through his student, Plato, who wrote his teachers thoughts. Socrates is an idealist who believes that things are†¦show more content†¦This thesis allows a man to have ideas of which he later becomes conscious by recollection; thereby overcoming the sharp division between not-knowing and knowing, and justifying inquiry. (Sternfeld, 35) Socrates states in the Meno A man cannot inquire about what he knows, because he knows it, and in that case he is i n no need of inquiry, nor again can he inquire about what he does not know, since he does not know what he is to inquire. (Plato 80E) This theory of recollection may explain why we often say that we had certain knowledge before we leaned it or heard it for the first time. It is often said that we are born with concepts and it is these concepts that structure our minds, beliefs, and actions. In his dialogue entitled the Meno, Plato illustrates how Socrates is able to show that even a young uneducated slave boy knows some truths of geometry not because somebody taught him that subject but because be naturally knows the relationship of various ideas to each other. (Stumpf 260) This quote illustrates how Socrates thought that the uneducated boy knew geometry. He recollected it from his soul. In the Meno, Socrates states that the boy is recovering by oneself knowledge within oneself. (Plato 85D) Knowledge in the Meno is perceived as havingShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy998 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy is the attempt at answering or understanding the questions that the being who is philosophizing yearns to know or wishes to understand. The importance of what the philosopher wishes to know or understand is not a determinate factor in what it means to do philosophy. The act of doing philosophy is not defined by the subject of examination but by the driving passion of knowing and understanding. This means that an individual that wishes to know why a laptop is a laptop or why is it thatRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy And Philosophy1292 Words   |  6 Pages As a student at Richland college, I have never studied philosophy before, and I have heard very bizarre claims about what philosophy is. For that reason, I wanted to take a philosophy class so I can learn more about it. Due to lack of knowledge, I used to think philosophy as involving a kind of mystical significant, sometimes resulting from observing problems without solutions. In addition, sometimes I accustomed that philosophy is nothing more than a name that does nothing more than feelingsRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy And Philosophy1035 Words   |  5 Pages As a student in Richland college, I have never studied philosophy before, and I have heard very bizarre claims about what philosophy is. For that reason, I wanted to take a philosophy class so I can learn more about it. Due to lack of knowledge, I used to think philosophy as involving a kind of mystical significant, sometimes resulting from observing problems without solutions. In addition, sometimes I accustomed that philosophy is nothing more than a name that does nothing more than feelings ofRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy1451 Words   |  6 Pages Philosophy is recognized by the questions being asked, and the methods used to answer them. These questions are usually the ones that are open-ended, abstract, or the ones that lead to controversial answers. Due to the openness in philosophy, the uncertainty, there is not just one viewpoint that is completely accepted by all to be true. This leads to many disputes and conversations that are ultimately driven by th e core of philosophy, which is its latin translation, the love of wisdom. Now, theRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Philosophy Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesWhat is philosophy? Philosophy could be defined in many ways, but I believe that the Oxford dictionary defines it best: â€Å"The study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience or a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour†. That definition basically encapsulates the entirety of what we have discussed during the time that we have been in this course. It covers the basic ideals of both eastern and western philosophy quite eloquently over the spanRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy1122 Words   |  5 Pagesof whether philosophy from hundreds of years ago, are still relevant to today and the society of which we live? The answer, simply put is yes. It is still relevant because we still do question everything, we still wonder about topics that were discussed b ack then, and because philosophy is the basis of critical thinking, a quality that is still useful today. We often ask questions, which in turn led us to the discovery of the discipline of philosophy. The primary reason for philosophy is to gainRead MorePhilosophy And Its Importance Of Philosophy861 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy and Its Importance Doing philosophy as many philosophers demonstrate over time and in the present is to simply question the understanding of what is known and not known or accepted and unaccepted. This is to say, that philosophers must question all aspects of life and all the surrounding dimensions of the world. In doing so, the philosopher is trying to grasp a firmer or different understanding of the truth that is either presently or not presently known; whether comforting or not comfortingRead MorePlato, Philosophy, And Philosophy929 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Plato is philosophy, and philosophy, Plato.† – Ralph Waldo Emerson. This was the first quote I read regarding Plato when I first picked up the Great Dialogues of Plato, and turned it over to read the back cover. This quote struck me for some unknown reason and I instantly couldn’t wait to begin reading the dialogues of Plato and begin to understand why he is regarded as one of the great philosophers. The first pi ece I read, was The Apology, spoken by the great philosopher Socrates and writtenRead MorePhilosophy And The Modern Philosophy2035 Words   |  9 PagesUpon talking about the history of modern philosophy, one of the most important philosophers, who is considered as the father of the philosophy in this period, is Descartes. He was a pioneer for the movement of the new trend of philosophy and became a break between the medieval philosophy and the modern philosophy. Being educated in the environment of medieval philosophy, specifically in the school of Jesuits, Descartes received the system of scholastic philosophy as his foundation for making a new startRead MorePhilosophy624 Words   |  3 PagesSurname Instructor Course Date Survey of Mexican Philosophical Thought The philosophy of the Mexicans is a production of philosophers from ancestries from Mexico, residing either within or outside the country. The general philosophy surfaced with the introduction of the first school by the Spanish conquerors, with teaching and publications on philosophical treaties. As such, it is critical to deny that these thinkers got education from the European schools, making it quite impossible

The Effects of Computer Addiction - 2564 Words

ESSAY 2 : THE EFFECT OF THE COMPUTER ADDICTION Technology has developed so much that it is almost crucial to have electronic devices particularly the personal computers at home, school, internet cafà ©, etc. Teenagers have gotten soused to have technology around them. However, while having these computers that make life easier, comfortable, and handy at most of the times, it could also have negative effects on their lives particularly in their studies when used too much. When these computers are used too much by these teenagers, they will develop a kind of addiction which is now commonly called computer addiction. Computer addiction is defined as such a strong involvement with a machine or what can be displayed on it that the usual†¦show more content†¦People could change personalities even identities using the cyber world. Students still involve there selves with the cyber relationship, for the reason that, they don’t usually get the feeling of a person whose love c areer is engaged in a cyber relational. Nowadays, Googling and Facebooking are the most common daily activities in our society. 16 out of 16 first year students surveyed by the researchers said that they always do Googling and Facebooking. The huge time that college students waste increases. Students aside from doing school project also try to update with the celebrity gossips and visit the sites where they can easily find news about favorite celebrities and reading magazines. Sometimes they are obsessed with glamorous life of celebrities that make them forget what they should do as students. The addicted students always feel anxious or depressed when their computer time is shortened and they also easily become angry when being disturbed. Students tend to surf the net first and gather many info on news,celebrity gossip, and organizing data, which is too much that not all of the information can be used. Internet addiction disorder refers to the problematic use of the Internet, including the various aspects of its technology, such as electronic mail (e-mail) and the World Wide Web . Students nowadays do have a known disorder, which is the IAD (Internet AddictionShow MoreRelatedEffects of Computer Addiction on the Academic Performance of the Students1272 Words   |  6 PagesEffects of computer addiction on the Academic Performance of the students A Research paper Submitted to the Faculty of Education City College of Tagaytay In Partial Requirement for the subject, Educational Research Von Bryan A. Borja BSE – IIA Submitted to: Mrs. Lorena Constante October 17, 2012 Introduction    It is known that we are living in technological era. The computers become irreplaceable tool in everyday life of almost each personRead MoreEffects of Computer Addiction to the Interpersonal Relationship of the Students3303 Words   |  14 PagesThe Effects of Computer Addiction to the Interpersonal Relationship of the College Computer Studies Students Jervy Centeno Donn Geo Dimayacyac Leah Janina Duran Charmaine Marinduque Camille G. Santiago Mr. Jonathan Roque Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Background Introduction Computer addiction can have a variety of negative effects on a person. The most immediate are social. The user withdraws from friends and family as he spends more and moreRead MoreWhat Are the Disadvantages of Computer Addiction?900 Words   |  4 Pagesoptions for computer addiction treatment, one point regarding addiction to the computer needs to be made : Computer addiction is not an official psychiatric diagnosis. Despite a growing movement to have obsessive computer and internet use included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), so far this has not happened. In relative terms when disadvantages of computer addiction compared to other addictions such as alcoholism and drug addiction, computer addiction is a veryRead MoreComputer Addiction1293 Words   |  6 PagesComputer addiction   A disorder in which the individual turns to the Internet or plays computer games in an attempt to change moods, overcome anxiety, deal with  depression, reduce isolation or loneliness, or distract themselves from overwhelming problems. The elderly, as well as children and adolescents, are particularly vulnerable because they may not realize the extent of their dependency. In many instances, individuals with computer addiction may seek help for another condition, suchRead MoreThe Internet And Its Effect On Our Lives1371 Words   |  6 Pagesproviding us with the ability to run our businesses online and change stocks. However, excessive activity and addictive activity are two very different things. Healthy excessive activities add to life, whereas addictions take away from it. Problematic internet use also known as internet addiction disorder is and individuals’ inability to control their urges, or behaviors regarding internet use that lead to distress or impairment. As time went on and the amount of internet use increased, (IAD) has attractedRead MoreHow Computer Technology Changed Individuals Lifestyles For The Better?1505 Words   |  7 Pagescontemporary society is becoming increasingly computerized. The fundamental cause is computer technology is conceived globally to have brought conveniences to individuals’ lifestyle, including at work places and social life. Computer technology is the creation and development of computers to aid individuals in daily life and at work. Examples of computer technology include Internet and social media applications. So has computer technology changed individual’s lifestyles for the better? It is necessary toRead MoreWhat Makes A Video Game Addictive?1537 Words   |  7 Pages Video Game Addiction Caymon Mosquera Leslie Henderson Intro to Mass Communication 1307.87 4/17/2016 â€Æ' What makes a video game addictive? As with any addiction video games are a multi-faceted issue. For starters, video games are made to be addictive. Not â€Å"addictive† in the clinical way, but designers are always looking for ways to make their games more interesting and increase the amount of time people will spend playing them. Consequently, games are designed to be difficult enough to be trulyRead More Computer Addiction Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagespitfall many have fallen victim to is that of computer addiction. Computer addiction can be defined as the obsessive use of computers that interferes with daily life. This addiction has been shown through many activities over computers such as video gaming, chat rooms, and net surfing to just name a few. In order to truly understand what computer addiction is one must understand the symptoms and motivations that lead one to become addicted. Computer addictions have been found in every race, gender, andRead MoreComputer Dependency and Addiction Essays646 Words   |  3 Pages Computers have taken over our lives. Computers are great things, and are very useful in everyday life, but they create distractions, which just makes us stay closer to computer rather than from the computer. In our modern day world, computers have absolute importance all around us, at work, at schools, at malls etc. It is impossible to run away from the devices and we’ve become so attached on it that we can’t do things on our own now. For example, say you were doing some homework and youRead MoreThe Problem Of The Internet1263 Words   |  6 Pagesthat we have today. The internet is a worldwide system of computer networks and people use this technology everyday. It’s on computers, on game systems, and even on phones. However, it has also led a lot of people to spend too much time in front of the computer, so much so that it becomes the center of their lives. (PsychGuides) Now I know what you’re thinking â€Å"Now this isn’t related to me at all†. teenagers are the most prone to the addiction however. adolescents often become addicted to the Internet

Creative Thinking Free Essays

Much of the thinking done in formal education emphasizes the skills of analysis–teaching students how to understand claims, follow or create a logical argument, figure out the answer, eliminate the incorrect paths and focus on the correct one. However, there is another kind of thinking, one that focuses on exploring ideas, generating possibilities, looking for many right answers rather than just one. Both of these kinds of thinking are vital to a successful working life, yet the latter one tends to be ignored until after college. We will write a custom essay sample on Creative Thinking or any similar topic only for you Order Now We might differentiate these two kinds of thinking like this: Critical ThinkingCreative Thinking nalyticgenerative convergentdivergent verticallateral probabilitypossibility judgmentsuspended judgment focuseddiffuse objectivesubjective answeran answer left brainright brain verbalvisual linearassociative reasoningrichness, novelty yes butyes and In an activity like problem solving, both kinds of thinking are important to us. First, we must analyze the problem; then we must generate possible solutions; next we must choose and implement the best solution; and finally, we must evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. As you can see, this process reveals an alternation between the two kinds of thinking, critical and creative. In practice, both kinds of thinking operate together much of the time and are not really independent of each other. What is Creativity? An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new. As we will see below, creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing (only God can do that), but the ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems to have thought of yet. Believe it or not, everyone has substantial creative ability. Just look at how creative children are. In adults, creativity has too often been suppressed through education, but it is still there and can be reawakened. Often all that’s needed to be creative is to make a commitment to creativity and to take the time for it. An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for ways to improve it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of permitted or normal things, like chocolate-covered strawberries, for example. The creative person realizes that there are other possibilities, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or chocolate-covered prunes. A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making gradual alterations and refinements to their works. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity, very, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a frenzy of rapid activity. Much closer to the real truth are the stories of companies who had to take the invention away from the inventor in order to market it because the inventor would have kept on tweaking it and fiddling with it, always trying to make it a little better. The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement. Creative Methods Several methods have been identified for producing creative results. Here are the five classic ones: Evolution. This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideas stem from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, the new ones slightly improved over the old ones. Many of the very sophisticated things we enjoy today developed through a long period of constant incrementation. Making something a little better here, a little better there gradually makes it something a lot better–even entirely different from the original. For example, look at the history of the automobile or any product of technological progress. With each new model, improvements are made. Each new model builds upon the collective creativity of previous models, so that over time, improvements in economy, comfort, and durability take place. Here the creativity lies in the refinement, the step-by-step improvement, rather than in something completely new. Another example would be the improvement of the common wood screw by what are now commonly called drywall screws. They have sharper threads which are angled more steeply for faster penetration and better holding. The points are self tapping. The shanks are now threaded all the way up on lengths up to two inches. The screws are so much better that they can often be driven in without pilot holes, using a power drill. The evolutionary method of creativity also reminds us of that critical principle: Every problem that has been solved can be solved again in a better way. Creative thinkers do not subscribe to the idea that once a problem has been solved, it can be forgotten, or to the notion that â€Å"if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. † A creative thinker’s philosophy is that â€Å"there is no such thing as an insignificant improvement. † Synthesis. With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined into a third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a magazine and an audio tape gives the idea of a magazine you can listen to, one useful for blind people or freeway commuters. For example, someone noticed that a lot of people on dates went first to dinner and then to the theater. Why not combine these two events into one? Thus, the dinner theater, where people go first to eat and then to see a play or other entertainment. Revolution. Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one, an marked change from the previous ones. While an evolutionary improvement philosophy might cause a professor to ask, â€Å"How can I make my lectures better and better? a revolutionary idea might be, â€Å"Why not stop lecturing and have the students teach each other, working as teams or presenting reports? † For example, the evolutionary technology in fighting termites eating away at houses has been to develop safer and faster pesticides and gasses to kill them. A somewhat revolutionary change has been to abando n gasses altogether in favor of liquid nitrogen, which freezes them to death or microwaves, which bake them. A truly revolutionary creative idea would be to ask, â€Å"How can we prevent them from eating houses in the first place? A new termite bait that is placed in the ground in a perimeter around a house provides one answer to this question. Reapplication. Look at something old in a new way. Go beyond labels. Unfixate, remove prejudices, expectations and assumptions and discover how something can be reapplied. One creative person might go to the junkyard and see art in an old model T transmission. He paints it up and puts it in his living room. Another creative person might see in the same transmission the necessary gears for a multi-speed hot walker for his horse. He hooks it to some poles and a motor and puts it in his corral. The key is to see beyond the previous or stated applications for some idea, solution, or thing and to see what other application is possible. For example, a paperclip can be used as a tiny screwdriver if filed down; paint can be used as a kind of glue to prevent screws from loosening in machinery; dishwashing detergents can be used to remove the DNA from bacteria in a lab; general purpose spray cleaners can be used to kill ants. Changing Direction. Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention is shifted from one angle of a problem to another. This is sometimes called creative insight. A classic example is that of the highway department trying to keep kids from skateboarding in a concrete-lined drainage ditch. The highway department put up a fence to keep the kids out; the kids went around it. The department then put up a longer fence; the kids cut a hole in it. The department then put up a stronger fence; it, too, was cut. The department then put a threatening sign on the fence; it was ignored. Finally, someone decided to change direction, and asked, â€Å"What really is the problem here? It’s not that the kids keep getting through the barrier, but that they want to skateboard in the ditch. So how can we keep them from skateboarding in the ditch? † The solution was to remove their desire by pouring some concrete in the bottom of the ditch to remove the smooth curve. The sharp angle created by the concrete made skateboarding impossible and the activity stopped. No more skateboarding problems, no more fence problems. This example reveals a critical truth in problem solving: the goal is to solve the problem, not to implement a particular solution. When one solution path is not working, shift to another. There is no commitment to a particular path, only to a particular goal. Path fixation can sometimes be a problem for those who do not understand this; they become overcommitted to a path that does not work and only frustration results. Negative Attitudes That Block Creativity 1. Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself. Many people avoid or deny problems until it’s too late, largely because these people have never learned the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical responses. A problem is an opportunity. The happiest people welcome and even seek out problems, meeting them as challenges and opportunities to improve things. Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what you have and what you want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is something better than the current situation or (3) an opportunity for a positive act. Seeking problems aggressively will build confidence, increase happiness, and give you a better sense of control over your life. 2. It can’t be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By assuming that something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives the problem a power or strength it didn’t have before. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at the history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics: man will never fly, diseases will never be conquered, rockets will never leave the atmosphere. Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by the statement, â€Å"The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. † 3. I can’t do it. Or There’s nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybe the problem can be solved by some expert, but not by me because I’m not (a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank (whether educated, expert, etc. Again, though, look at the history of problem solving. Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviation engineers? No, they were bicycle mechanics. The ball point pen was invented by a printer’s proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a mechanical engineer. Major advances in submarine design were made by English clergyman G. W. Garrett and by Iri sh schoolmaster John P. Holland. The cotton gin was invented by that well known attorney and tutor, Eli Whitney. The fire extinguisher was invented by a captain of militia, George Manby. And so on. In fact, a major point made by recent writers about corporate excellence is that innovations in industry almost always come from individuals (not research groups) outside of the area of the invention. General Motors invented Freon, the refrigeration chemical, and tetraethyl lead, the gasoline additive. Kodachrome was invented by two musicians. The continuous steel casting process was invented by a watchmaker (fooling around with brass casting). Soap making chemists turned down the problem of inventing synthetic detergents: those detergents were invented by dye making chemists. In a nutshell, a good mind with a positive attitude and some good problem solving skills will go far in solving any problem. Interest in and commitment to the problem are the keys. Motivation–a willingness to expend the effort–is more important than laboratory apparatus. And remember that you can always do something. Even if you cannot totally eradicate the problem from the face of the earth, you can always do something to make the situation better. 4. But I’m not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable of very high levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine. The problem is that this creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to the surface. You will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative. 5. That’s childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often ridicule the creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. But if you solve a problem that saves your marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend from suicide, do you care whether other people describe your route to the solution as â€Å"childish? † Besides, isn’t play a lot of fun? Remember that sometimes people laugh when something is actually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the imagination to understand the situation. 6. What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and to be ordinary and not creative. Here are some overheard examples: Creative Person: â€Å"I like to put water in my orange juice so it’s less sweet. † Ordinary Person: â€Å"You’re weird, you know? † Ordinary Person: â€Å"What are you doing? † Creative Person: â€Å"We’re painting our mailbox. † Ordinary Person: â€Å"You’re crazy. † Creative Person: â€Å"Why don’t we add a little garlic? Ordinary Person: â€Å"Because the recipe doesn’t call for garlic. † Ordinary Person: â€Å"Why are you going this way? It’s longer. † Creative Person: â€Å"Because I like the drive. † Ordinary Person: â€Å"Did anyone ever tell you you’re strange? † The co nstant emphasis we see in society is toward the ruthlessly practical and conformist. Even the wild fashions, from those in Vogue to punk rock, are narrowly defined, and to deviate from them is considered wrong or ridiculous. Some peoples’ herd instinct is so strong that they make sheep look like radical individualists. So, what will people think? Well, they’re already talking about you, saying that your nose is too big or your shoes are funny or you date weird people. So, since others are going to talk about you in unflattering ways anyway, you might as well relax and let your creativity and individualism flow. Almost every famous contributor to the betterment of civilization was ridiculed and sometimes even jailed. Think about Galileo. And look what happened to Jesus. Quotation: â€Å"Progress is made only by those who are strong enough to endure being laughed at. † Solutions are often new ideas, and new ideas, being strange, are usually greeted with laughter, contempt, or both. That’s just a fact of life, so make up your mind not to let it bother you. Ridicule should be viewed as a badge of real innovative thinking. 7. I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend’s beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things. After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success. He said something like, â€Å"I’ve gained a lot of knowledge–I now know a thousand things that won’t work. † Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and problem solving. The cure is to change your attitude about failure. Failures along the way should be expected and accepted; they are simply learning tools that help focus the way toward success. Not only is there nothing wrong with failing, but failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt–much better than inaction. The go-with-the- flow types may never fail, but they are essentially useless to humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes after a long struggle. Suppose you let your fear of failure guide your risk taking and your attempts. You try only three things in a year because you are sure of succeeding. At the end of the year the score is: Successes 3, Failures 0. Now suppose the next year you don’t worry about failing, so you try a hundred things. You fail at 70 of them. At the end of the year the score is Successes 30, Failures 70. Which would you rather have–three successes or 30–ten times as many? And imagine what 70 failures will have taught you. Proverb: Mistakes aren’t fun, but they sure are educational. Myths about Creative Thinking and Problem Solving 1. Every problem has only one solution (or one right answer). The goal of problem solving is to solve the problem, and most problems can be solved in any number of ways. If you discover a solution that works, it is a good solution. There may be other solutions thought of by other people, but that doesn’t make your solution wrong. What is THE solution to putting words on paper? Fountain pen, ball point, pencil, marker, typewriter, printer, Xerox machine, printing press? 2. The best answer/solution/method has already been found. Look at the history of any solution set and you’ll see that improvements, new solutions, new right answers, are always being found. What is the solution to human transportation? The ox or horse, the cart, the wagon, the train, the car, the airplane, the jet, the SST? Is that the best and last? What about pneumatic tubes, hovercraft, even Star Trek type beams? What is the best way to put words on paper? The word processor? Is that the last invention? How about voice recognition, or thought wave input? On a more everyday level, many solutions now seen as best or at least entrenched were put in place hastily and without much thought–such as the use of drivers’ licenses for ID cards or social security numbers for taxpayer ID numbers. Other solutions are entrenched simply for historical reasons: they’ve always been done that way. Why do shoe laces still exist, when technology has produced several other, better ways to attach shoes to feet (like velcro, elastic, snap buttons, and so on)? 3. Creative answers are complex technologically. Only a few problems require complex technological solutions. Most problems you’ll meet with require only a thoughtful solution requiring personal action and perhaps a few simple tools. Even many problems that seem to require a technological solution can be addressed in other ways. For example, what is the solution to the large percentage of packages ruined by the Post Office? Look at the Post Office package handling method. Packages are tossed in bins when you send them. For the solution, look at United Parcel. When you send a package, it is put on a shelf. The change from bin to shelf is not a complex or technological solution; it’s just a good idea, using commonly available materials. As another example, when hot dogs were first invented, they were served to customers with gloves to hold them. Unfortunately, the customers kept walking off with the gloves. The olution was not at all complex: serve the hot dog on a roll so that the customer’s fingers were still insulated from the heat. The roll could be eaten along with the dog. No more worries about disappearing gloves. (Note by the way what a good example of changing direction this is. Instead of asking, â€Å"How can I keep the gloves from being taken? † the hot dog server stopped think ing about gloves altogether. ) 4. Ideas either come or they don’t. Nothing will help. There are many successful techniques for stimulating idea generation. We will be discussing and applying them. ________________________________________ _______________________________________ Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking and Problem Solving 1. Prejudice. The older we get, the more preconceived ideas we have about things. These preconceptions often prevent us from seeing beyond what we already know or believe to be possible. They inhibit us from accepting change and progress. Example problem: How to connect sections of airplanes with more ease and strength than using rivets. A modern solution is to use glue–glue the sections together. We probably wouldn’t think of this solution because of our prejudice about the word and idea of glue. But there are many kinds of glue, and the kind used to stick plane parts together makes a bond stronger than the metal of the parts themselves. Another problem: How can we make lighter weight bullet proof windows? Thicker glass is too heavy. Answer: Use plastic. Again, we are prejudiced against plastic. But some plastics are not flimsy at all and are used in place of steel and in bullet proof windows. Another problem: Make a ship’s hull that won’t rust or rot like steel or wood. Solution: Use concrete. Our prejudice is that concrete is too heavy. Why not make lightweight concrete? That’s what’s done. Final example: How to divide a piece of cake equally between two kids so they won’t complain that one kid is preferred over the other: â€Å"You gave him the bigger piece; you like him better! Waaaah! † Solution: Put the kids in charge of dividing the cake. Our prejudice is that immature, selfish kids can’t do the job. But the solution, one cuts the cake, the other has first choice of pieces, works very well. 2. Functional fixation. Sometimes we begin to see an object only in terms of its name rather in terms of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as a device for cleaning a floor, and do not think that it might be useful for clearing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobic exercise, propping a door open or closed, and so on. (Later on in the semester, we will be doing â€Å"uses for† to break out of this fixation. ) There is also a functional fixation of businesses. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the railroads saw themselves as railroads. When automobiles and later airplanes began to come in, the railroads didn’t adapt. â€Å"That’s not our business,† they said. But if they had seen themselves as in the people transportation business rather than in the railroad business, they could have capitalized on a great opportunity. Similarly, when the telephone began its rise, some of the telegraph companies said, â€Å"That’s not our business; we’re telegraph companies. † But if they had said, â€Å"Hey, we’re in the communication business, and here’s a new way to communicate,† they would have grown rather than died. Compare Western Union to ATT. And have you heard of those big calculator companies Dietzgen or Pickett? No? Well, they were among the biggest makers of slide rules. But when electronic calculators began to rise, they didn’t know what business they were in. They thought they were in the slide rule business, when they were really in the calculator business. They didn’t adapt, they didn’t accept the challenge of change and opportunity, and they fell. And there’s a functional fixation of people, too. Think a minute how you react when you see your pastor mowing his lawn, or your auto mechanic on a television show promoting a book. Stereotyping can even be a form of functional fixation–how many people would laugh at a blonde quoting Aristotle? Too often we permit only a narrow range of attitudes and behaviors in other people, based on bias, prejudice, hasty generalization, or limited past experience. Think of those statements like, â€Å"I can’t believe he said that,† or â€Å"Imagine her doing that,† and so on. But recall the proverb, â€Å"The goal of my life is not to live down to your expectations. † 3. Learned helplessness. This is the feeling that you don’t have the tools, knowledge, materials, ability, to do anything, so you might as well not try. We are trained to rely on other people for almost everything. We think small and limit ourselves. But the world can be interacted with. If you are in need of information, there are libraries, bookstores, friends, professors, and, of course, the Internet. And there are also city, county, and state government agencies with addresses and phone numbers and web sites. There are thousands of government agencies that really exist and that will talk to you. Contact the EPA if you’re working on air pollution or pesticides. Get some government publications. Call your state senator or federal congressman for help on bills, information, problems. Contact the manufacturer of a product to find out what you want to know about it. If you are technologically poor, you can learn. Learn how to cook, use tools, make clothes, use a computer. You can learn to do anything you really want to do. All you need is the motivation and commitment. You can learn to fly an airplane, drive a truck, scuba dive, fix a car–name it. 4. Psychological blocks. Some solutions are not considered or are rejected simply because our reaction to them is â€Å"Yuck. † But icky solutions themselves may be useful or good if they solve a problem well or save your life. Eating lizards and grasshoppers doesn’t sound great, but if it keeps you alive in the wilderness, it’s a good solution. Perhaps more importantly, what at first seem to be icky ideas may lead to better solutions–de-ickified analogues of the original. When doctors noted that some unsophisticated natives were using giant ant heads to suture wounds, they imitated this pincer-closing technique by inventing the surgical staple. Psychological blocks prevent you from doing something just because it doesn’t sound good or right, which is a pretty ridiculous thing. Overcoming such blocks can be really beneficial. Navy commandos in Vietnam overcame their blocks and put on women’s panty hose when they marched through the swamps and jungle. The pantyhose cut down on the friction and rubbing from the plants and aided in removing the dozens of leeches after a mission. Overcoming the block to using your own blood to write a help note could save your life someday if you got kidnapped. Positive Attitudes for Creativity 1. Curiosity. Creative people want to know things–all kinds of things– just to know them. Knowledge does not require a reason. The question, â€Å"Why do you want to know that? † seems strange to the creative person, who is likely to respond, â€Å"Because I don’t know the answer. † Knowledge is enjoyable and often useful in strange and unexpected ways. For example, I was once attempting to repair something, without apparent success, when an onlooker asked testily, â€Å"Do you know what you’re doing? † I replied calmly, â€Å"No, that’s why I’m doing it. † Next, knowledge, and especially wide ranging knowledge, is necessary for creativity to flourish to its fullest. Much creativity arises from variations of a known or combinations of two knowns. The best ideas flow from a well equipped mind. Nothing can come from nothing. In addition to knowing, creative people want to know why. What are the reasons behind decisions, problems, solutions, events, facts, and so forth? Why this way and not another? And why not try this or that? The curious person’s questioning attitude toward life is a positive one, not a destructive one reflecting skepticism or negativism. It often seems threatening because too often there is no good reason behind many of the things that are taken for granted–there is no â€Å"why† behind the status quo. So ask questions of everyone. Ask the same question of different people just to be able to compare the answers. Look into areas of knowledge you’ve never before explored, whether cloth dying, weather forecasting, food additives, ship building, the U. S. budget, or the toxicity of laundry detergents. 2. Challenge. Curious people like to identify and challenge the assumptions behind ideas, proposals, problems, beliefs, and statements. Many assumptions, of course, turn out to be quite necessary and solid, but many others have been assumed unnecessarily, and in breaking out of those assumptions often comes a new idea, a new path, a new solution. For example, when we think of a college, we traditionally think of a physical campus with classrooms, a library, and some nice trees. But why must college be a place (with congregated students and faculty) at all? Thus, the electronic college now exists, where students â€Å"go† to college right at home, online. Correspondence courses have existed for years, too, beginning with the challenging of the school-as-centralized-place idea. When we think of an electric motor, we automatically think of a rotating shaft machine. But why assume that? Why can’t an electric motor have a linear output, moving in a straight line rather than a circle? With such a challenged assumption came the linear motor, able to power trains, elevators, slide locks, and so on. Problem: We make brandy, and for this special edition of our finest kind, we want a fully-grown pear in one piece inside each bottle. The bottle is narrow necked. How can we do it? As you think, watch for the assumptions you are making. Possible solutions (assuming fully grown pear): close the neck or bottom after insertion, use a plastic bottle like heat-shrink tubing, change to a wide mouth bottle. If we do not assume a fully grown pear: grow the pear from a bud inside the bottle. 3. Constructive discontent. This is not a whining, griping kind of discontent, but the ability to see a need for improvement and to propose a method of making that improvement. Constructive discontent is a positive, enthusiastic discontent, reflecting the thought, â€Å"Hey, I know a way to make that better. Constructive discontent is necessary for a creative problem solver, for if you are happy with everything the way it is, you won’t want to change anything. Only when you become discontent with something, when you see a problem, will you want to solve the problem and improve the situation. One of the hallmarks of the constructively discontented person is that of a problem seeking outlook. The more problems you find, the more solutions and therefore improvements you can make. Even previously solved problems can often be solved again, in a better way. A constructively discontent person might think, â€Å"This is an excellent solution, but I wonder if there isn’t another solution that works even better (or costs less, etc). † Another mark of constructive discontent is the enjoyment of challenge. Creative people are eager to test their own limits and the limits of problems, willing to work hard, to persevere and not give up easily. Sometimes the discontent is almost artificial–they aren’t really unhappy with the status quo of some area, but they want to find something better just for the challenge of it and the opportunity to improve their own lives and those of others. 4. A belief that most problems can be solved. By faith at first and by experience later on, the creative thinker believes that something can always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every problem. Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where this commitment is present, few things are impossible. The belief in the solvability of problems is especially useful early on in attacking any problem, because many problems at first seem utterly impossible and scare off the fainter hearted. Those who take on the problem with confidence will be the ones most likely to think through or around the impossibility of the problem. . The ability to suspend judgment and criticism. Many new ideas, because they are new and unfamiliar, seem strange, odd, bizarre, even repulsive. Only later do they become â€Å"obviously† great. Other ideas, in their original incarnations, are indeed weird, but they lead to practical, beautiful, elegant things. Thus, it is important for the creative thinker to be able to suspend judgment when new ideas are arriving, to have an optimistic attitude toward ideas in general, and to avoid condemning them with the typical kinds of negative responses like, â€Å"That will never work; that’s no good; what an idiotic idea; that’s impossible,† and so forth. Hospital sterilization and antiseptic procedures, television, radio, the Xerox machine, and stainless steel all met with ho-hums and even hostile rejection before their persevering inventors finally sold someone on the ideas. Some of our everyday tools that we now love and use daily, were opposed when they were originally presented: Aluminum cookware? No one wants that. Teflon pans? They’ll never sell. Erasers on pencils? That would only encourage carelessness. Computers? There’s no market for more than a few, so why build them? Remember then that (1) an idea may begin to look good only after it becomes a bit more familiar or is seen in a slightly different context or clothing or circumstance and (2) even a very wild idea can serve as a stepping stone to a practical, efficient idea. By too quickly bringing your judgment into play, these fragile early ideas and their source can be destroyed. The first rule of brainstorming is to suspend judgment so that your idea-generating powers will be free to create without the restraint of fear or criticism. You can always go back later and examine–as critically as you want–what you have thought of. Proverb: â€Å"A crank is a genius whose idea hasn’t yet caught on. † 6. Seeing the good in the bad. Creative thinkers, when faced with poor solutions, don’t cast them away. Instead, they ask, â€Å"What’s good about it? † because there may be something useful even in the worst ideas. And however little that good may be, it might be turned to good effect or made greater. Example problem: How can we get college students to learn grammar better? Solution: Spank their bottoms with a hickory stick. This isn’t a good solution, partly because it’s probably illegal. But should we just toss it out? Why not ask what’s good about it? 1) it gives individual, attention to the poor performers, (2) it gives them public attention, (3) it motivates other students as well as the student being spanked, (4) it’s easy and costs nothing. The next question is, Can we adapt or incorporate some of these good things into a more acceptable solutio n, whether derivative of the original or not? We easily fall into either/or thinking and believe that a bad solution is bad through and through, in every aspect, when in fact, it may have some good parts we can borrow and use on a good solution, or it may do inappropriately something that’s worth doing appropriately. And often, the bad solution has just one really glaring bad part, that when remedied, leaves quite a good solution. In the above example, changing the physical spanking to a verbal spanking changes the entire aspect of the solution while keeping all the good points we identified. 7. Problems lead to improvements. The attitude of constructive discontent searches for problems and possible areas of improvement, but many times problems arrive on their own. But such unexpected and perhaps unwanted problems are not necessarily bad, because they often permit solutions that leave the world better than before the problem arose. For example, the first margarine was made from beef fat, milk, water, and chopped cow udder. It wasn’t extremely tasty or healthy. Then about the turn of the century a shortage of beef fat created a problem. What to use? The margarine makers turned to vegetable fats from various plants and the soybean, corn, and sunflower oils they used are still used today. The margarine is healthier and tastes better. Or think about exams or papers. When you don’t do as well as you want, you think, â€Å"Oh no! † But actually, you have a good insight into what you don’t know and still need to learn. You are aware of the geography of your knowledge in a much more detailed form than before the errors showed up. 8. A problem can also be a solution. A fact that one person describes as a problem can sometimes be a solution for someone else. Above we noted that creative thinkers can find good ideas in bad solutions. Creative thinkers also look at problems and ask, â€Å"Is there something good about this problem? † For example, soon after the advent of cyanoacrylate adhesives (super glue), it was noted that if you weren’t careful, you could glue your fingers together with it. This problem–a permanent skin bond–was soon seen as a solution, also. Surgeons in Viet Nam began to use super glue to glue wounds together. Another example, also involving glue: 3M chemists were experimenting with adhesives and accidentally came up with one that was so weak you could peel it right back off. Hold strength, shear strength, all were way below the minimum standards for any self-respecting adhesive. A glue that won’t hold? Quite a problem. But this problem was also a solution, as you now see in Post-It Notes. 9. Problems are interesting and emotionally acceptable. Many people confront every problem with a shudder and a turn of the head. They don’t even want to admit that a problem exists–with their car, their spouse, their child, their job, their house, whatever. As a result, often the problem persists and drives them crazy or rises to a crisis and drives them crazy. Creative people see problems as interesting challenges worth tackling. Problems are not fearful beasts to be feared or loathed; they are worthy opponents to be jousted with and unhorsed. Problem solving is fun, educational, rewarding, ego building, helpful to society. Miscellaneous Good Attitudes 1. Perseverance. Most people fail because they spend only nine minutes on a problem that requires ten minutes to solve. Creativity and problem solving are hard work and require fierce application of time and energy. There is no quick and easy secret. You need knowledge gained by study and research and you must put your knowledge to work by hard thinking and protracted experimentation. You’ve surely read of the difficulties and setbacks faced by most of the famous inventors–how many filaments Edison tried before he found a working one, how many aircraft designs failed in the attempt to break the sound barrier. But planning to persevere is planning to succeed. 2. A flexible imagination. Creative people are comfortable with imagination and with thinking so-called weird, wild, or unthinkable thoughts, just for the sake of stimulation. During brainstorming or just mental playfulness, all kinds of strange thoughts and ideas can be entertained. And the mind, pragmatist that it is, will probably find something useful in it all. We will look at several examples of this later on. 3. A belief that mistakes are welcome. Modern society has for some reason conceived the idea that the only unforgivable thing is to fail or make a mistake. Actually failure is an opportunity; mistakes show that something is being done. So creative people have come to realize and accept emotionally that making mistakes is no negative biggie. One chief executive of a big American corporation warns all his newly hired managers, â€Å"Make sure you make a reasonable number of mistakes. † Mistakes are educational and can lead to success–because they mean you are doing something. Sir Francis Pettit Smith, one of the early developers of the screw propeller, tried one design in 1836. During the test, half of it broke off–what a failure–but then the boat increased in speed substantially, revealing the efficiency of a new design, formed from a mistake. In sum, as Vergil once said, â€Å"They can who think they can. † Having the proper positive attitude about generating new and useful ideas and solving problems is really a large part of the whole process. A few years ago, the pipes in my mom’s house had finally rusted through and I was faced with the task of finding a plumber to get a bid. Knowing how much they charge for small repairs, I knew that doing a whole house would cost a fortune. I thought, â€Å"You know, I’d really like to do this job myself, but I wonder if I can. † My neighbor happened to be around once when I said this, and he said, â€Å"Oh, you can do it. † Just that simple expression gave me the positive attitude I needed to do it. So I did. Characteristics of the Creative Person †¢curious †¢seeks problems †¢enjoys challenge †¢optimistic †¢able to suspend judgment †¢comfortable with imagination †¢sees problems as opportunities †¢sees problems as interesting †¢problems are emotionally acceptable †¢challenges assumptions †¢doesn’t give up easily: perseveres, works hard How to cite Creative Thinking, Papers Creative Thinking Free Essays 1. If you had the power to transform the educational system to more effectively develop critical thinking abilities, what suggestions would you want to see implemented? You should focus on only one level. Draw upon the research and principles presented in Chaffee’s book and identify the specific processes that you wish to encourage. We will write a custom essay sample on Creative Thinking or any similar topic only for you Order Now If I had the power to transform the educational system to more effectively develop critical thinking abilities, I would start to familiarize children with the concepts as early as possible. In the past when I was growing up, the emphasis for learning was placed largely on memorization. Since then, however, there is a trend toward teaching critical thinking skills in the classroom. These skills emphasize more than memorizing. They emphasize analysis and logic. If I were revamping the education system I would have classrooms begin to teach these concepts as early as kindergarten. â€Å"Being open to new ideas and different viewpoints means being flexible enough to change or modify your ideas in the light of new information or better insight. † (Chaffee p. 56) This would be an important concept to foster in kindergarten because at that age children are still open to new ideas and concepts. To teach them at that age to be open to new ideas would help them when they get older. This would help the child to grow as a thinker. Having children become critical thinkers at an early age can be accomplished by asking questions that have more than one correct answer. This teaches the child that they can answer the question without being afraid of being wrong. Another important method for teaching young children is to have them work in groups. This exposes them to others’ thoughts and ways of thinking. This is where being flexible comes into play. Young children are naturally flexible in their thinking and open to new ideas. If we emphasize the importance of being flexible at this young age, the child will have an easier time remaining flexible in their thinking and be more open to new ideas later on in life. Even though working in groups is important, encouraging young children to think independently is also important. (Chaffee p. 71) This can be encouraged in a young child by giving them various ideas and having the child arrive at his own thoughtful conclusion. The reason I would start so young is that I feel that the earlier children are exposed to these concepts the earlier they will be able to use a combination of cognitive abilities, basic attitudes nd thinking strategies. These skills enable a person to clarify and better understand the world. (Chaffee p. 71) 2. Imagine that you were born in a different sociocultural context. Describe the factors that would influence your chances of achieving creative breakthroughs. Emphasize whatever domain you feel best reflects your potential. Be sure to also include the cognitive and developmental notions that are discussed by Csikszentimihalyi. For this question I imagined that I was alive during the depression era and was not part of the wealthy class of that time. My domain would be the writing of novels because I have always liked writing stories. The following factors would influence my chance of achieving a creative breakthrough. One factor is exposure. One can’t be creative in a domain without being exposed to it. For example, â€Å"No matter what mathematical gifts a child may have, he or she will not be able to contribute to mathematics without learning its rules. † (Csikszentimihalyi p. 29) What this means is that if I was not able to be exposed to writing, books or famous authors through school, I would not be successful in writing myself. If I don’t learn the rules of grammar and spelling it would be very hard for me to write anything worthwhile that anyone would want to publish. Chance, perseverance or being at the right place at the right time is also important. Conditions might not be favorable for me as a writer during the depression. Times were hard for everyone and everybody was struggling just to put food on the table. There might not be much opportunity for chance no matter how much I persevere. Also, I might not have much energy to put into writing after spending the majority of my time earning enough money to live. No matter how gifted a person is, he or she has no chance to achieve anything creative unless the right conditions are provided by the field. â€Å" (Csikszentimihalyi p. 330) The book gives the example of Michael Jordan and stated that if he â€Å"had been born in a country where basket ball was not practiced, he would not have been able to refine his skills and would not have been recog nized. † (Csikszentinihalyi p. 331) Also, I would need to have hope. If there is no hope to use my skill, I will not be successful. It is extremely difficult to make a living as a successful writer. If I don’t have hope, I will not have much of a chance. One of the most important things I would need is luck. Without luck on my side, my book won’t ever be read by an editor. One would have to have luck for the publisher to choose my manuscript out of the many they receive. It is very important to be at the right place at the right time. The book gives the example of a painter who made an important contact at a party. Using this example, if I go to a party, I might make an important literary contact which could start my career. If I choose not to attend this party for any reason, I may never meet that contact person and therefore never jump start my career. It is the luck of being at the right place at the right time. Cognitive variables may make me more predisposed to become a writer. I may have more of a strength for writing and less of a strength for math. Writing may come easy to me and if I was exposed early to books, authors and good writing, I may be able to develop this inherited potential. Overall, I feel that it would be extremely hard to become a successful author during the depression unless luck was on my side and I was able to persevere. . The last chapter in Chaffee and the last two chapters in Csikszentimihalyi discuss improving creativity. Analyze the differences and similarities between the two authors on this issue. How does critical thinking facilitate creativity and what else, beyond critical thinking is necessary for creativity to occur. Chaffee states that both thinking critically and creatively are â€Å"two essential and tightly interwoven dimensions of the thinking process. These two forms work as partners to produce effective thinking enabling us to make informed decisions and lead successful lives. Chaffee p. 276) Both Chaffee and Csikszentmihalyi have views on creativity. There are both similarities and differences to these views. Csikszentmihalyi feels you should be be surprised and surprise others frequently while Chaffee feels that a person should expect the unexpected. Both authors agree that the creative person should follow up on ideas that create a spark of interest when they emerge. They also agree that it is best to look at a problem from multiple perspectives and that this can be done by using the confirmation of other people. Csikszentimihalyi suggests the following for improving creativity. First of all he suggests both keeping notes of your interests and having specific goals. He also suggests that a person interested in improving their creativity do things that are enjoyable but also have some challenge to them. Also, by taking charge of your time, being open and focused, allowing time for relaxing and making a space conducive to the creativity you are trying to achieve you will be able to be more creative. Both Chaffee and Csikszentimihalyi feel that establishing a creative environment is important. This would be a physical environment that allows the person to be more creativ Chaffee feels that in order to improve creativity, one should begin by understanding how the creative process works. He also states that by allowing yourself to be absorbed by the task and the more knowledge you have on the subject in which you wish to be creative the more prepared you are to be creative. Chaffee feels that it is also important to stop thinking about the subject and let the subconscious take over. A person’s mind will continue to work on the subject in the background. He also says in his book to become aware of our negative voice which he calls the â€Å"voice of criticism†. This is a danger to a person’s creativity and the creative person has to learn to recognize the voice of criticism and to ignore it. A person can create a positive voice to put in place of the voice of criticism. When a person thinks of different ways to solve a problem, they are using creative thinking. The evaluating of these alternatives is the critical thinking process. Beyond critical thinking, having the ability to choose freely and decide in what area you choose to be creative facilitates creativity. To exercise genuine freedom, you must possess the insight to understand all of your options and the wisdom to make informed choices. † (Chaffee p. 293) Chaffee goes on to state â€Å"You can learn to redefine your daily life in a new light and enhance its value through free choices derived from thinking critically and creatively. â€Å" (Chaffee p. 293 ) Sources Chaffee, John. Thinking Critically A Concise Guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Print. Csiksentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity:Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996. Print. How to cite Creative Thinking, Papers

The Sun Also Rises4 Essay Example For Students

The Sun Also Rises4 Essay EErnest Hemingway uses a male perspective to reflect his narrative throughout The Sun Also Rises. For the most part this novel centers on masculinity and the perfect male hero of the after-war period. Even though it is hard to see the Hemingway hero in the protagonist alone, the supporting characters bring out what Hemingway considers the mans man qualities. LLady Brett Ashley, the primary reason for the rivalry between three ex-patriots, Jake Barnes; Robert Cohn; Mike Campbell; and a bull-fighter, Pedro Romero. This woman brings out the true masculinity in every man she meets. In fact, her four love interests demonstrate Hemingways standard definition of a man and masculinity. She indulges in her passion for sex and control, she turns men into swine (Hemingway 144), and Cohn calls her Circe a Greek goddess from the stories of Odyssey. Each man Brett has a relationship with in the novel possesses distinct qualities that enable Hemingway to explore what it is to be truly a man. The Hemingway hero thus is presented as a man of action; of self-discipline and of self-reliance; and of strength and courage to confront all weaknesses, fears, failures, and even death. We will write a custom essay on The Sun Also Rises4 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Some characters in the novel are emasculated, but still carry great male traits. Jake is one of them. He was wounded in the World War I and is physically impotent as a result. Despite his mental struggle with society, Jake accomplishes successfully Hemingways quest to present the reader with attributes of an absolute man. Jakes way to present himself to the world as well as his actions are very masculine, yet a reader can feel his sensitivity throughout the story. When he went to a cathedral in Bayonne he started to pray:I knelt and started to pray and prayed for everybody I thought of, Brett andMike and Bill and Robert Cohn and myself, and all the bull-fighters,separately for the ones I liked, and lumping all the rest, then I prayed formyself again, and while I was praying for myself I found I was getting sleepy,so I prayed that the bull-fights would be good, and that it would be a finefiesta, and that we would get some fishing (Hemingway 97). In his prayer alone, Jake is portrayed as both manly and caring individual. He prays for his close friends and does not forget to ask for success for his hobbies. It is ironic how Hemingway chose Jake to be impotent because he possesses important guy qualities. Another impaired individual of the story is Robert Cohn. His wound is different from everybody elses because he never went into the war. He struggles with the fact that he is considered as an outsider and part of the old generation. Despite the fact that Cohn is alienated from the group, he has an affair with Brett and is proud of what happened between them in San Sebastian. He believes that this conquest makes him a hero. He over-exaggerates the significance of their affair and does not understand that Brett simply used him and their brief relationship has no meaning to her. When Cohn is around Brett he acts like a schoolboy in love, which in fact he is, head over heels. Cohn is fascinated by Brett: Theres a certain quality about her, a certain fineness. She seems to be absolutely fine and straight (Hemingway 38). Roberts foolish behavior around Brett blinds him; he doesnt see the fact that Brett is not interested in him and doesnt want him around. Cohns persistence cannot withstand the competition and soon Romero gains Bretts affection. Roberts old boxing skills, a defense mechanism he once used in college, can no longer pull him out of rough situations. Cohn fails to show strength and courage needed to face circumstances like a man and loses a short fight he has with Romero. Brett falls madly in love with the young bullfighter who is full of afecion for life. Pedro is the second important man in Bretts love life, after Jake. He can also cause Brett to lose her self-control, something Jake could only accomplish before: I cant help it. Im a goner now, anyway. Dont you see the difference? Ive got to do something. Ive got to do something I really want to do. Ive lost my self-respect (Hemingway 183). In contrast, Pedro maintains his self-control. During his first encounter with Brett He felt there was something between them. He must have felt it when Brett gave him her hand. He was being very careful (Hemingway 185). Romero repres ents a new exciting hero of the moment. He is confident and has a strong will, something he demonstrated in the fight with Cohn. That night . . . hed been knocked down about fifteen times, and he wanted to fight some more. Brett couldnt hold him, and he got up (Hemingway 202). .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .postImageUrl , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:hover , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:visited , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:active { border:0!important; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:active , .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397 .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uabe5d8039885c5c7ab4a11d9a48fc397:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: At a moments thought we might say yes â€Å" yes it is a caring society and yes I do love my neighbour EssayBretts only object of affection that is not dependent on her tenderness is Mike. Like three other admirers, Mike appreciates his fiances beauty, calling her lovely piece with a lovely nose (Hemingway 79). Furthermore, Mike exhibits no self-control when he becomes drunk, making insensitive statements that show his lack of regard for Brett and others. He cannot contemplate Bretts complexities and her relationships. He often makes disrespectful comments, such as: Bretts got a bull-fighter. She had a Jew named Cohn, but he turned out badly. Bretts got a bull-fighter. A beautiful, bloody bull-fighter Hemingway 206-7). Mike is seen as . . . so damned nice and . . . so awful by Brett, her sort of thing (Hemingway 243). Mike betrays Hemingways ideal man. Although he is self-reliant, Mike possesses little self-control or dignity. Lastly, the only main character that does not have a soft spot for Brett is Jakes good friend, Bill Gorton. In todays world, Bill could be seen as a real testosterone-filled-to-the-full-capacity individual. All he mainly cares about is partying, fishing, bull fighting, in other words Bills primary mission is to have fun. He is always thinks about drinks, even when him and Jake went fishing, he didnt forget to tell Jake to put . . . the wine in the spring up the rod (Hemingway 118) so that the wine will be cooled down for they lunch. He also asked Jake for a wine leather-bottle during the fiesta. Bill could be considered as a group-clown, making sarcastic remarks such as You werent bored, were you? when he addressed Cohn after a bull-fight Cohn said was going to bore him. He is the odd one, in a sense. When hes watching a bull-fight, he knows what to look at and what details are not important. Bill knows that the horses part is not important, a spectator needs to focus on the bulls. B ill is similar to a tour guide. He leads the characters through their problems and concerns. Bill holds the neutral position, like many males, he likes to stay out of other peoples business. Jakes true weakness is the impotence of his will and the supposed hero of the novel is flawed due to his failure to adhere to what he believes is right and wrong. Hemingway betrays larger socio-cultural assumptions about men and masculinity and questions the conventional means in which they are defined in his society. Bibliography: