Traveled to Las vegas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Traveled to Las vegas - Essay Example It was really a good driving experience on a Chevrolet. The Fremont Street is a good night attraction for visitors with casinos and LED lights adding to the overall beauty of the area. On the third day of my trip, I went to The Fountains at Bellagio. One thing that I noticed at this place was the presence of a large number of people from different parts of world. It is a widely spread manmade lake with a lot of fountains that are so attractive that a person with a passion for photography cannot stop taking photographs until the whole picture storage limit of the camera ends. In addition, during night times, this place becomes even more beautiful when lights from high rise buildings cover the area like shining starts. On the last two days of my trip, I visited the Hoover Dam which is considered to be one of the seven industrial wonders of the world. I also took photos of the dam and the accompanying areas. Some more places that I really liked in Las Vegas included the Caesers Palace, Red Rock Canyon, and Mirage Volcanos. All of these places were very attractive and perfectly managed. Summing it up, I would say that my trip to Las Vegas was the most exciting and memorable travel experience of life which I will never forget in my whole

Customer Decision Making and Brand Personality Essay

Customer Decision Making and Brand Personality - Essay Example Branding is done for particular objectives chief among them helping in the delivery of the message to the potential clients with clarity and precision. A great brand also confirms the viability of a product and the company that presents the brand and also connects the target market with the product emotionally. A good brand also motivates buyers and gives them more reasons to identify with the product has made specifically for them. Wanting cannot be done in isolation without understanding the needs and desires of the customers. A brand should therefore integrate the emotions and desires of potential clients with the identity of the product to increase the magnitude of the product (Schiffman et al, 2011). Brand Personality Brand personality is described as a set of human features that can be identified in a product, good or service that is available in the market; it is a feature that customers and potential clients can easily relate with due to its consistent traits and features. Br and personality is considered as a value added trait that makes a good more visible and imposed to the clients. A product with good brand personality has the ability to excite, is competent, sincere, rugged and sophisticated. A customer feels free to buy a product whose traits and characters can be related to their own behaviors and lifestyle. A carefree, youthful, elegant, rough, and thoughtful personality identifies easily with a product that has the same pool of features. The market is like a crowded room full of different products shouting to be seen and recognized by the buyers or potential clients. A good brand personality stands out in a crowded market and does this without standing or being more conspicuous. The brand trait and personality alone is enough to make all the customers recognize it and make an effort towards buying it. Great brands are believed to go beyond â€Å"transactional loyalty† which is the negotiated sales and frequency points to create a real con nection that can create emotional royalty (Schiffman et al, 2011). Before a customer can understand and recognize a brand, there is need for the marketer to understand his/her brand personality. The marketer and the organization must put itself in the shoes of the customer by first analyzing the impact that the brand may create. An organization must therefore identify an object, personality or even animal that they feel suits their image or the image of their product. For example, which car brand or animal does an organization feel it can be associated with? Can the analogy of a convertible or a Volvo, or even a lion or a given sport or movie celebrity fit into the services they offer? (Sung, 2010) Understanding a brand personality is like taking a look at the mirror to see what your reflection looks like in your face and in the face of the customers. Clarity and confidence in a brand personality is also essential for organizations and marketers for it enable them to identify the st rengths and weaknesses of the brand (Russell and Emily, 2011). Implementing a brand personality is an important aspect of marketing as it requires in depth analysis of the nature and impact of that the brand may create. Implementing a brand personality require the complete adopting of three steps which are attributed to the strength and ability of a brand to impress.

Social Media Essay Example for Free

Social Media Essay What is social media? To many, social media is a tool to communicate with friends, or even friends of friends in a neutral environment talking about any topic, events or news freely (Lipscomb 2010). Social media today, not only serve as a tool for individual to communicate, it also became a platform for companies or individuals to capitalize on it to drive monetary income from it. Social media are platforms that can enable free communication and sharing of information online (Elmore March 2010). Few of the social media platforms are, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, Blogs or even web forums that can be used to share information, opinions online. Social media today are very powerful tool to an individual, company, and even a country. Facebook, being the number one top traffic social media site, is tracking around one trillion page views per month globally (Double Click Ad Planner by Google 2011), and tracking 615 million page views per month in Singapore (comScore, Inc 2013). With a total of 2. million unique visitors, it is reaching out to 65% of Singapore’s internet population and hence, if done correctly, social media platforms can be an empowering tool to enhance a small business network’s knowledge sharing, build social capital, support innovation and aid in problem solving and drive more earnings and income. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, are moving towards more than a social media platform. Employers are using more social media tools like Link edIn to look for potential jobseekers. LinkedIn is a more corporate social media platform, showing not only profiles and hobbies, but also previous job experience and endorsements from peers and colleagues. Job portals like JobStreet are facing more and more competition from social media as job portals normally only shows the jobseeker’s resume and pass employments. LinkedIn shows the employer the social side of the jobseeker, personal skills they have, and positive endorsements from people. Improving Knowledge Sharing Knowledge is more than just information, it is compile of both know-how (tacit knowledge) and know-why (explicit knowledge). In today knowledge-based economy, knowledge has been defined to be one of the key assets for organizations to sustain and success (Jashapara 2011). In our society today, more people are sharing knowledge and information on social media platform more than talking face to face. News reports, articles, along with personal opinions can be easily shared through social media platforms. Knowledge sharing becomes easier and faster with the help of social media. It is essential to understand how knowledge is gained and the methods of how an individual learn. Social learning theory proposes that individual learning happens when individuals are interacting with cognitive, behavioral and environmental factors; primarily with other individuals (Jashapara 2011). Due to the engaging interaction and heavy usage of social media, it can be a great avenue to encourage knowledge creation and sharing. As a study done by Neilson Inc, it encourages employees to share knowledge using social media platforms to better cultivate knowledge sharing (Dina Adamovic 2012). Social media not only aid in knowledge sharing in within the organization, It can be also used to educate its business partners (Evolution1 Utilizes Social Media to Share Knowledge 2012). By using social media, Evolution1 can greatly reduce the actually human labour that is needed in support and educational roles. This has let Evolution1 to remain competitive in our fast pace economy today. Building Social Capital The concept of social capital and human capital is both closely related, they arrive from the valuable assets of an organization, which are the resources that employees acquire (Jashapara 2011). There are intrinsically three dimension to social capital: Structural dimension showing the linkages and connections between factors such as density and hierarchy of networks; Relational dimension that provides the history of interactions between individuals resulting in certain level of trust, norms and expectations; Cognitive dimension that leads to shared meanings, interpretations, mental models and alignment of views. With the help of social media, social capital of the organization can be build up in a faster and easier way. Having to develop better relationships with clients, partners, and also within their employees. It is mentioned that knowledge has been an important factor for an organization’s sustainability and success, therefore essential to develop a knowledge-sharing culture especially with small medium companies. Social media which has been a platform to communicate in our daily life is a fast and easy way to communicate as ideas can be shared and strategic plans can be discussed with a faster response time and even on the go. The online marketing campaign from Ngee Ann Polytechnic has demonstrated how social media applications can be used as communication mediums for idea sharing. The online marketing campaign Ngee Ann Polytechnic uses, â€Å"Tweet about your favorite Ngee Ann Poly Courses†, is using an online advertisement to feature this display banner. On the banner, viewers can tweet real time and the tweets will show up on the banner stating your choice of course. The campaign was a success, driving more than twenty-three million viewers to the ad banner, it also drives more than fifteen thousand viewers to engage and tweet on their twitter page (SG 2012). With the support from the case of Ngee Ann Polytechnic utilizing social media as an idea sharing medium, it has encouraged intensive consumer engagement which in turns achieved premium brand awareness where it can be a competitive advantage over it competitors. In addition, it has achieved in transiting into a successful knowledge-based organization with integrating social media as a communication tool. Innovation For an organization, innovation is very essential, the creation and fostering of new and better ideas keeps an organization to stay ahead of its competitors. Having knowledge workers to constantly having innovative knowledge is an important aspect of an organization’s knowledge management strategy (Jashapara 2011). In today’s fast paced, ever-changing environment, organization is facing the need to constantly innovate new and better ideas. Using social media as a tool, organization can collate and compile innovative ideas from its employees, partners, and even direct consumers. In this manner, organization can better understand what its product is lacking of and what improvements can it make. Aid Problem Solving Social media is being built in a way that it is meant for fast and speedy response. Using social media as a platform, organization will be able to provide real-time response and will have significant impact on problem solving as knowledge can be transmitted faster. Furthermore, an open social network will improves communication level within the organization internally and also externally with its vendors and consumers (Murray 2012). In 2010, Grocer Supervalu realize that it has grown to a big company perating in 44 states with 135,000 employees and 10 distinct store brands from Albertsons to Jewel-Osco to Shaws, it had good people with plenty of ideas but no way to share them. Hence, a sprawling, disconnected workforce was hurting business. But Grocer has soon to adopt an internal social media tools in hopes of fostering cooperation and collaboration amongst its employees across the country. In return, Grocer implementation of social media to solve its disconnected workforce saw a increase in sales figures (Ferris 2012). Benefits There is a huge spectrum of benefits for using social media, it is free marketing for your company, for instance you can place your marketing promotions and products on your Facebook page, have constant updates on events on your Twitter account, look for potential employees on Linkedin with their pass work experience for free and most of all its free and you can build on your company’s branding and awareness through it (Culley 2011). As mentioned earlier, the extensive reach of social media to our population is really big (comScore, Inc 2013), and also it is also very measurable comparing to traditional media like television, radio or out of home media in terms of awareness, consideration, favorability and purchase intend (Feather 2010). Hence fore, companies are moving towards social media then traditional media due to its free, fast and measurable. Risks With much benefit of social media in hand, it is surely good to introduce social media to any organization way of knowledge sharing and also marketing strategies. However, there are also several risks that come with the technology that organisations need to be cautious of. Risks like identity frauds, viruses, potential risk of negative remarks and information leakage. Companies that use social media are easily exposed to them (Esola 2010). The risk of identity fraud will pose a great threat to the organization as you are not aware if the receiver that you are sharing information with is the actual person when communicating over social media. For example that the receiver is impersonating the actual person, important information of the organization may be leaked to them. It is therefore a must for organization to establish and manages policies on the type of information can be addressed when using social media. In addition, when sharing information with social media, the organization may employ methods such as providing details for verification purposes. Potential risks of negative remarks and comments will also be another key factor organizations should take note of. Because of social media, a negative remark will go viral overnight and tarnish the company’s reputation. Just like the recent saga of Miss Amy Cheong, she casually tweet on her twitter account on how weddings of a particular is being carry out. Soon, her comment went viral and the next day her service with NTUC as an Assistant Director in the partnership alliance section (Holdings 2012). Paid, Owned, Earned Media Social media can be further segmented into Paid, Owned, and Earned media. Due to the current marketing trend of using social media to improve knowledge sharing, build social capital, create innovation and aid in problem solving, social media have evolve into these three segments (Silk 2012). Paid media means good, old-fashioned advertising, the buying of airtime or space on someone else’s TV channel, website, printed page, supermarket shelf or out of home bus shelter. Owned media on the other hand is personal or corporate websites, blogs, that showcases the individual’s or company’s profile and information. Earn media are websites or even blogs, Facebook pages that necessary work to earn coverage of their issue or battle are the ones who will get their story out to the public (Sunshine 2011). Over the years, the media landscape has been ever changing, altering the way how organizations and individuals share knowledge and market themselves. Owned media can be easily shifted to earned media when it is being effectively managed. Earned media also provide another avenue of income to the organization and also benefits the organization in better measuring of popularity, awareness, consideration and favorability of the organization. Conclusion In conclusion, social media has a lot of beneficial aspects which organization can used to share knowledge, build social capital, foster innovation, aid in problem solving and the best will be to be used as a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors. Using social media to better communication amongst employees, it can bring individual employees closer and better facilitate cooperation and collaboration, leading to more effective knowledge sharing and generating of innovative ideas that is beneficial to the organization. Having a knowledge organization with intangible assets will be one of the key aspects to maintain successful in our current fast paced and ever-changing environment. With all the infinite benefits that social media can bring to the organization, it also comes along with great risks and threats that cannot be overlook. Viruses and malwares in our computer systems can greatly affect the day to day operations of the organization and the information that is being processed. Furthermore with the risk of consumers or employees using social media to create negative publicity for the organization, it is sure that organization needs to be cautious in handling social media as a tool. For small to medium companies that will like to integrate social media into their whole organization structure, it is the upmost important task to establish policies and develop strategy plans to efficiently manage the risks and threats that the organization may be exposed to. Planning ahead and risk forecast is needed to be done in order to gain more benefits from the implementation of social media. Effective marketing opportunities can also be gain from social media when used correctly. Using social media as an owned and earned media, organization not only can capitalize on business relations development, but can also aid in generating another avenue of income for the organization.

Comparing Levine Conservation Model And Neuman System Model

Comparing Levine Conservation Model And Neuman System Model Introduction Since Florence Nightingale introduced Nursing profession, it is continuously evolving in order fit in modernized world. The outgrowth profession propels it into scientific enquiry, and diverted towards evidence base practice. All these artistic ideas draw bases for using theatrical framework. Although first theoretical framework was introduced by Florence Nightingale entitled as environmental theory to promote health of individual after the experience solders care during Crimean war (Florence Nightingale, 1860). Utilization of theories becomes more common, since nursing professional practice as it expand towards higher educational degrees, and get enrolled in administration and research fields. Up to date many theories are introduced. This paper presents the LCM perspective including the assumption, characteristic of concepts, sub concepts, and their statement of relationship. This paper then gives a brief review of NSM. Following this the paper will present compares and contrast for LCM theory and NSM perspectives including main concepts, nursing intervention and outcomes with practical application of interventions of each model. I select Levine Conservation Model as its nursing goal focus to achieve health for person using careful assessment and nursing intervention and matched to Neuman system model. Moreover this model was used in variety of setting including hospital and community. Few applications of LCM includes: Promotion for preterm Infants (Mefford, 2004), Ostomy wound management (Leach, 2009). Levines Conservational Model (LCM) perspective Myra Levine was the nurse to whom Loyola University president awarded the title of renaissance woman as an appreciation for using vast knowledge in nursing care (Alligood, 2010 Tomey). She developed conservation theoretical framework, as an attempt to teach medical surgical nursing concepts to undergraduate nursing students and to provide a new approach to associate degree students for daily nursing activities in 1973 (George, 2002; Alligood, 2010) by influencing scientific knowledge that she gained from Canon; fight and flight response, Selyes, stress work, and Gibsons, perception of environment. The goal of this theory was to promote adaptation and maintain wholeness using the principles of conservation (George, 2010). LCM framework constructed on three major concepts and few sub concepts the major concepts are explained explicitly but the sub concepts are remain implicit. Following section of paper will explain the major concepts and sub concept embedding within major concepts. The major concepts that form the basis of conservation Model are; conservation of energy, adaptation and wholeness, among these the conservation of energy considered most important. Levine (1971), describe conservation with four principles these includes; conservation of energy, conservation of the structural integrity, conservation of the personal integrity, and the conservation of the social integrity, of the individuals. Levine (1971) further says understanding of all these principles will help nurse as to keep living system together which promote wholeness. The first principle of energy conservation, depend on environmental stimuli that often become source for loss of energy consequently disequilibrium of whole. LCM talks internal and external environment. In internal environment includes physiological (temperature, blood pressure) and altered physiological process. Then she split external environment into three levels, off these three first is perceptual, take account of the individuals sense of world, second level in cooperate physical aspect such as microorganisms, and third level is conceptual and which is comprise of cultural pattern symbolized by way of life. While caring patient Levine emphasize nurse to assess individuals response and capability for adjusting with both environmental situations and help accordingly (Alligood Tomey, 2010). The second principle of conservation relates to structural integrity and focus on defense ability of the body, which nurse can recognize from functional abilities challenged by internal and ext ernal environment. Then the third principle conservation of personal integrity deals with personal protection by promotion of self actualization. The last principle; conservation of social integrity refers persons family, friends, community, and society which could be achieved using the nurses role by assisting in religious activities and using of interpersonal relationship (George, 2002; Alligood, 2010). The second concept in conservation theory is adaptation. Levine (1966) view adaptation as physiological and behavioral responses of individuals that changes as a result of internal and external environmental interaction to achieve balance in life. In Levine (1966) view a successful adaptation helps to achieve personal integrity consequently will helps person to move towards wholism. However in case of unsuccessful adaptation nurse can help individuals to achieve balance by promoting the environmental cleanliness, safety, and com-fort, both physical and mental. Furthermore George (2002) proposes three characteristics adaption process that appear implicit as sub concepts. These are historicity that focus the way of dealing life situation in past and the second specificity includes pattern of personal and genetic forces used to conserve energy The third sub concept that helps to assess adaptation is redundancy, means fail-safe bodys process available for survival. In LCM the third concept is wholeness, refers the health which is the pattern of wellbeing, and integrity. Well being is the goal of adaptive change (Alligood, 2010) All together the conservation of energy concept is viewed as an outcome, adaptation as process to achieve wholeness (see Appendix A for concept and sub concept). Neuman System Model (NSM) Review The NSM introduced by Betty in 1971, Known as identification stressors and management stress model. The aim of model was to promote the stability (health) in individual. This model is considered unique in nature as it uses the knowledge from various disciplines. The important one includes, general system theory which reflects the nature of living organism as an open system, but also incorporates knowledge from Selyes stress theory, Gestalt theory: of homeostasis, deChardin Philosophy wholeness of life and Caplans Conceptual Model of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Levels of Prevention. NSM perspective is based on assumptions that are enclosed in four nursing paradigm these are person, environment, health and nursing. NSM perspective focused to assess stressors with its degree of reaction and promote health by using three level of prevention as nursing intervention. The central view starts from wholeness of person (consist of individual, family or community group) represent within boundaries of defense circles. Of these boundaries outer one is flexible line of defense (FLD), next to this is normal line of defense (NLD) following this there is line of resistance. Each of these boundaries viewed as a composite of physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental and spiritual variables. The function of these boundaries is to protect person from environmental stressor as person is constantly interact environmental stressors consist of intra, inter and extra-personal. Then environment viewed as internal, external and created. Health is denoted as stability, con sidered as dynamic in nature which can be achieved by successfully adjusting to environmental stressors. On other hand system is challenged by environmental situation despite of using energy in other means the three types of defense lines that exist around client, considered as protective barriers fails to protect system from stressors. The state then recognized as illness, which can be reconstituted by using of three level of prevention as nursing intervention that are used to strengthen the three lines of defense (George, 2002; Alligood Tomey 2010). For further understanding of concepts (see NSM in Appendix B). Compare and Contrast for NSM and LCM Completing the review of LCM and NSM, now this section will compare and contrast these models from the perspective of background, nursing goal, major concepts including nursing intervention. Starting from the background, both the models are developed by American nurses who had different background. Levine was from medical surgical and Betty Neuman belonged to psychiatric nursing. Both model published in 1973. And both used the knowledge from various disciplines, in which Selyes stress work is common. Including all above, both model set to achieve goal of health for individuals, families, communities, and populations at large using some similar and some different concepts, pattern of assessment and nursing interventions. Coming towards major concepts it is observed from literature (George, 2002; Alligood, 2010; Alligood Tomey, 2010) that LCM consist few simple concepts (see Appendix A) but NSM comprise of many complex concepts (see Appendix B). Upcoming few paragraphs will present co mpare and contrast for few major concepts that are common and take central place in each theoretical model. Wholeness Both, NSM LCM uses the concept of wholeness very explicitly attaching with component of person, environment, health, and nursing. Within NSM wholeness in connection to person viewed in link of five variables physiological, consist of structure of body and its function psychological, comprise of mental processes and internal and external environmental effects, socio-cultural, and include cultural aspects developmental, seen with stages of ages and spiritual beliefs and influences. In contrast LCM considers person as complete whole in the view of physiological variable only. But also includes patho-physiological condition as an assessment indicator. Following this Neuman and Levine both also see wholeness as a product of internal and external environmental interactions. This means all individuals are constantly interacting with internal and external environment and adjustment with its challenges, keeps person integrated whole, and failure takes person towards illness. As Alligood Tom ey (2010) state wholeness is viewed as oneness and described as integrity of person Furthermore Alligood (2010) Wholeness is health (p. 214). Next wholeness with nursing component is emphasized as an approach of assessment and consider for promotion. Assessing wholestic approach suggests including client variable in assessment. NSM include five variable, therefore it is believed that this model allow for comprehensive assessment. Opposite to this LCM focus on physiological including path- physiological condition, seems simple but set limitation and may leaves gaps in assessment. Coming to promotion of wholeness NSM include nursing intervention with three level of prevention. Reverse to this LCM model use conservation principle As Mefford,(2004) show example by health promotion for preterm infants. Conservation NSM take energy conservation concept viewed as a process of helping in promoting wholeness but presented in an implicit way using the term negentrophy and does not stand as central idea. In NSM energy and conservation of energy refers persons genetic makeup, strength and weakness and maintained in view of line of defense. Neuman 2002, 1995, 1989, 1982) cites negentrophy [is] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a process of energy conservation (Alligood, Tomey 2010, p.312). The characteristic of variable can boost the energy sources. But it could deplete if line of resistance fail to protect the basic energy resources, which may cause illness consequently death. Comparing to this in Levine model conservation concept appear as central phenomenon and it forms bases for its framework. Todaro-Franceschi (2001) state Levine defines conservation as keeping together. She use these words as she see person as patient who requires help to store energy. Furthermore Levine (1967) cites that all of fundamentally lif es processes dependent upon the production and expenditure of energy (Todaro-Franceschi, 2001). Furthermore Levine believes safeguard of energy sources is necessary to maintain the integrity of individuals and consequently health. To make its implication simple Levine gave four principle of conservation; these include conservation of energy, structural integrity, personal integrity, and the social integrity (George, 2002). Although both the model sees conservation of energy in deferent way, do invites nurse to study the characteristic of energy provide guide to plan appropriate activities for its conservation. Adaptation Again NSM talk about adaptation process implicitly embedded with wellness and illness concepts. Which in NSM depend upon the level of penetration of environmental stressors (Alligood Tomey, 2010) As George (2002) says when client interact with environment produce response to stressor help to adapt or control stressor. Adaptation is process which occurs with the help of line of defense. There are three level defense network laid around the person to protect the penetration of stressors. Among these first outer line is called flexible line of defense (FLD), which provide protection to normal line that is second outer line in case of stressors attack. Lacks of nutrition, fatigue or daily stress are the circumstances that make FLD to come in action. The second line is normal line of defense (NLD) that lies under the protection of FLD symbolize the normal wellness level of the client system. This line is consisting of coping patterns, lifestyle factors, developmental, spiritual, and cult ural matter influences. If the NLD is been attacked by environmental stressors, the LOR are activate to protect the basic structure. (Alligood, 2010). On other hand in Levine model the adaptation is second most central phenomenon of LCM and Levine (1966) states any processes that ascertain stability for life are regard as adaptations and George (2002) highlights that the conservation depend of process of adaption. Successful adaptation promotes health whereas failure of adaption introduces illness. For this situation LCM considers nursing to play role to promote adaptation (Alligood, 2010). Conclusion By comparing the perspective of NSM and LCM it has been learnt that both theorist focus on achievement of health through using uniqueness methodologies. Despite using different concepts and framework, these theories guide for nursing assessment and intervention. Moreover this comparison explains that the NSM is broad and provide rich content for comprehensive assessment and nursing care. On other hand LCM appear with energy conservation focus. From all this it is gained that nurse needs to understand explicit and implicit concepts of theoretical framework to assess and plan efficient nursing interventions.

Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Guilt in The Scarlet Letter What is guilt? We all have guilt about something. Maybe forgetting something, lied about something, or even did something that shouldn't of been done. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne we saw guilt fester in the minds and outward appearance of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. When you hear the word guilt what do you think it means? Guilt means remorseful awareness of having done something wrong or of having failed to do something required or expected. Does that sound about right? Guilt is something everyone has. Its this mental manifestation that lets us know when we did something wrong but no one knows it yet. Guilt is very powerful. Some people after awhile give in to this guilt and confess what they did. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale commit a great sin. Because of this great sin, it causes them immense guilt and sadness though out the rest of the book. One of the main character's that is affected the most is Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale handles it in a different way though, to him its more of a "concealed sin." A example of this is, "It may be that they are kept silent by the very constitution of their nature. Or - can we not suppose it - guilty as they may be, retaining, nevertheless, a zeal for God's glory and man's welfare, they shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men; because, thenceforward, no good can be achieved by them; no evil or the past be redeemed by better service." Dimmesdale also has another reason for his concealing, he wants to remain silent so that he can continue to do God's work as a minister. Hester Prynne handles her guilt in another way. Instead of worrying about it day after day and letting to fester, she makes it outward. At the beginning of the book she wears the most awesome clothes and shows the world she's not guilty for what she has done. An example of this is, "And never had Hester Prynne appeared more lady-like, in the antique interpretation of the term,

The Powerful Use of Tone in John Colliers The Chaser :: John Collier The Chaser

The Powerful Use of Tone in John Collier's The Chaser  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Alan Austen, as nervous as a kitten, went up certain dark and creaky stairs in the neighborhood of Pell Street . . ." From the very outset of John Collier's "The Chaser," the protagonist, Mr. Austen, appears to be very apprehensive. While it may seem that a young man who is venturing into a strange old man's house to buy some sort of love potion is actually quite fearless, it is made clear through Collier's use of tone that Alan is anything but brave. Interestingly, while his situation pertaining to his sweetheart, Diana, never changes, Alan is so taken with the old man's words (which are really nothing more than a sales pitch) that he actually allows himself to let down his guard and be taken advantage of. Collier drastically alters Alan's demeanor over the course of his brief visit; in fact, by the end of the story, Collier's use of tone has changed he who was once "nervous as a kitten" into a man "overwhelmed with joy." He achieves this transition through his physical description s of Austen, as well as Austen's own words, and his fading skepticism surrounding the old man and his goods. The very first line of the book provides the most powerful and captivating image of Austen: "nervous as a kitten," slowly walking up "creaky stairs," "peering about for a long time on the dim landing." Collier is creating a clear sense of apprehension right away. This makes the contrast all the more striking when Mr. Austen relaxes later on. For now, he is very nervous. "He pushed open the door, as he had been told to do," Collier writes. This gives the impression that had Austen not been instructed to open the door, he may have just taken the opportunity to turn around and head home. It is clear that Austen is not really sure if he even wants to enter the tiny apartment, let alone do illegal business with the complete stranger inside. Nevertheless, he continues on, as if driven by necessity. Once inside, his attitude begins to change quite rapidly. Though his initial apprehension is evidenced by his stuttering and his incomplete sentences, this quickly evolves into a keen interest, almost an infatuation, with the old man's goods. While he tries to avoid discussion of the poisons ("I want nothing of the sort," he states with an ironic air of finality,) he is consumed with the powers of the love potion.

Human Nature: a Contested Concept Essay

Are we inherently good or bad? Are we driven by reason or emotions? Are we selfish or altruistic? Is the human mind malleable or predisposed? These questions are highly contested and the answers to them far from clear. This is due not only to the array of different perspectives on human nature, but also to seemingly contradictory evidence. We need only scratch the surface of history to find confirmation that humankind is capable of incredible cruelty and violence. In Ancient Rome, for example, entertainment was provided by forcing people to fight animals and other human beings – often to the death. If this seems barbaric in the extreme, we thankfully also find tales of tremendous bravery and what would seem to be altruism. Today, unsung heroes risk their lives every day to save those of complete strangers. In short, the picture is a mixed one: â€Å"We seem to be part angel, part demon, part rational, part animal, capable of great glory and great tragedy†. 1 Indeed, the notion that human beings are part angel, part demon echoes Aristotle’s (384-322 BCE) conclusion that he who is content with his solitude must be â€Å"Either a beast or a God†. 2 Whether we are by nature good or bad is a central question in the debate on human nature. Philosophical as well as religious and spiritual traditions have answered the question in different ways. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) believed that humankind is driven by the passions or instincts linked to self-preservation. 3 Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), by contrast, argued that human beings are by nature good and that any vices that they may have are attributable to the corrupting influence of society. What makes human beings distinctly â€Å"human† is their capacity for reason. In the Old Testament, humankind is portrayed as created in the image of God and, thus, inherently good. However, both Jews and Christians are in agreement that human beings fell from grace by failing to refrain from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which left them adrift, alienated from God and in need of salvation. 4 12 NAYEF R. F. AL-RODHAN Another question that recurs in discussions about human nature is whether we are driven by emotions or rational thought. A major concern here is whether reason plays a role in our moral judgements. If so, do we engage in conscious reasoning before pronouncing a judgement or after the fact? David Hume (1711-1776) was the first modern philosopher to argue that we make moral judgements on the basis of emotional responses to situations or scenarios. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) held a different opinion. He argued that we make moral judgements through a process of conscious reasoning. 5 In Kant’s view, the evolution of humanity had followed a progression from being motivated by animal instincts to being driven by reason. For Aristotle, too, human beings are capable of living a â€Å"good† life by employing reason. Plato (427-347 BCE) held that human beings are driven by both passion and reason. How can we reconcile these seemingly contradictory faculties? Those who place greater emphasis on passion and survival instincts, such as fear, greed and sympathy, regard our biological heritage as more important than the environment in which we grow up, whereas those who give greater priority to our capacity for reason tend to attribute greater significance to culture and education or innate capacity – those things in the social world that shape the way we think and behave. Whether we are primarily motivated by basic survival instincts or by the environment is central to conflicting views on the question of free will and determinism. The question of how free humanity is to change its nature appears time and again in discussions. According to John Locke (1632-1704), people are free to conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of nature. In this view, nurture is more important than nature in shaping our behaviour. As is mentioned above, Plato occupied the middle ground. While human beings were believed to be the product of their biological heritage, the environment was thought to play a predominant role in influencing behaviour. Existentialists, such as Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) argued that human beings have a radical free will – according to Sartre, â€Å"Man is condemned to be free†. 6 At the other end of the spectrum, Hobbes holds that it is nature that is the driving force. 7 Others would argue, however, that although we may feel as though we are endowed with free will, this is illusory. Proponents of this position argue that because our desires and reactions are not always something that we can control, we cannot be considered truly free. Sigmund Freud’s (1856- EMOTIONAL AMORAL EGOISM 13 1939) theory of pansexuality holds, for instance, that while people may think that they are making conscious choices, they are driven by subconscious motives. 8 Sociobiologists, such as, for example, E. O. Wilson regard human beings as products of evolution. 9 This distinction is important: if we are radically free to choose, we ought to be fully aware of what we are doing. However, if our genetic heritage shapes our mind and behaviour we ought to take this into consideration. 10 How we answer the above questions determines how we answer whether humankind is capable of moral behaviour. In this context, moral behaviour is defined as behaviour consistent with a system of rules of correct conduct. Does true altruism exist or is all altruism based on self-interest? According to Hobbes, human beings are egoists, incapable of acting altruistically. This view would appear to be consistent with situations such as a mugging that takes place in broad daylight where bystanders look on but fail to intervene. This fundamental question has elicited different responses. For Kant, morality is the result of reason. Evolutionary approaches to human psychology and behaviour provide a very different answer. Altruism presents the Darwinian theory of natural selection with a problem, given that this theory is premised on the pressures of competition. Acts of altruism would appear to have no obvious advantage. Prairie dogs, for example, warn others of approaching danger by calling to them, thereby alerting a predator to their own presence and placing themselves at greater risk. 11 How is it possible to watch on television a group of young men being rounded up and summarily shot in the back of the head and take no direct action to bring genocide to a halt? Some sociobiologists, such as Wilson and Frans de Waal, argue that morality has developed from our social instincts. 12 Some evolutionary psychologists, such as Marc Hauser, have gone so far as to argue that human beings have evolved an innate moral instinct. 13 This is interesting because it suggests that some basic moral criteria must be universal across divergent cultures. Yet, it also raises the question of whether, or the extent to which, human beings are deliberating moral agents. 14 1. 1. The Structure and Aims of the Book This book sets out to do two things: first, it strives to reach an understanding of human nature, which ultimately offers the promise of liv- 14 NAYEF R. F. AL-RODHAN ing a â€Å"good† life. Specifically, I ask the following questions: What motivates humankind? What is humankind capable of under certain circumstances? Do human beings possess an innate morality? In so doing, I engage with common points of reference in the debate on human nature. Drawing on insights from philosophy, psychology, sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, I put forward a more comprehensive view of human nature. However, discussions of human nature would be incomplete without considering the findings of neuroscience. I therefore use recent research in this rapidly developing field to go beyond the approaches to human nature in the above disciplines. Second, this book explores some of the global and security implications of human nature as I conceive it. The way in which we approach security issues inevitably contains assumptions about what motivates human beings in particular circumstances, and how we attempt to address these issues is circumscribed by those assumptions. It is essential that we get these assumptions right. The cost of getting them wrong is paid in lives. I therefore set out some ways in which we might better facilitate political and moral cooperation, based on our present knowledge of the neuro-psychological impact of our neurochemistry. In order to set the context for my own theory and to give the reader a sense of the main conceptions that influence thinking on the question of what makes us what we are, we begin by exploring some major theories of human nature. The book first sets out the main approaches to human nature. I refer to theories of human nature in a broad sense that includes philosophical, religious and spiritual, psychological and evolutionary approaches. Here, the main contours of the debate on human nature – are human beings good or bad, driven by passion or reason, constrained or radically free, moral or immoral – are addressed in greater detail. I then present my own theory of human nature, which I call â€Å"Emotional Amoral Egoism†. I argue that the human mind is not a tabula rasa, or a clean slate, as Locke suggested. Instead, the human mind is what I call a predisposed tabula rasa, with predilections stemming from its genetic make-up that later will be influenced by the environment. Humankind’s genetic make-up is essentially a code for survival. Survival instincts are emotionally based and neurochemically mediated. I therefore take issue with those who argue that human beings are primarily motivated by reason. This does not, however, mean EMOTIONAL AMORAL EGOISM 15 that we should favour nature over nurture in the nature/nurture debate, or that we should conceive of human beings as prisoners of their passions. Even though we are in part motivated by our basic survival instincts, our environment – which broadly comprises our personal state of affairs, upbringing, education, and societal, cultural and global state of affairs – plays an important role in shaping our psyche and behaviour. Moreover, what distinguishes humankind from other species is our capacity for reason. We are therefore driven by both basic survival instincts and rational thought, although, alas, less frequently by the latter than we might like to imagine. As is indicated, whether human beings are inherently selfish or capable of altruism is hotly contested. In my view, humankind is neither always moral nor always immoral, but can be either at different times. Human nature is governed by general self-interest and affected by genetic predisposition, which implies that there are likely to be limits to our moral sensitivities. In my view, altruism is in the final analysis driven by survival motives that are emotionally based. In this sense, my approach supports Hume’s thesis. Recent neuroscientific findings confirm that we are primarily driven by our emotions rather than reason. Yet, since the human psyche and human behaviour are also the product of the environment, under the right circumstances and with deliberate effort, we are capable of acting morally, beyond the margins of what our genetic coding has primed us for. In addition to considering who we are, I also briefly consider where we are going. Here, I look at how we can and are likely to be able to modify our psychological and physiological profile through biological and technological means. At some point in the future, we may have to deal with â€Å"the line between the human as a product of nature and the human as a fabrication of technology†. 15 Not surprisingly, this has generated heated debate. â€Å"What distinguishes modern technology from all other types, both pre-modern and non-Western, is its exclusive focus on the perfection of technical procedures and processes that had historically been subordinate to technological norms and standards, usually of a moral, political, and religious nature. †16 Will technological advances alter what it means to be human? Box 1 provides a summary of my general theory of human nature, â€Å"Emotional Amoral Egoism,† and briefly outlines some of its universal security implications. 16 NAYEF R. F. AL-RODHAN Box 1 Summary of â€Å"Emotional Amoral Egoism†: A Neurophilosophical Theory of Human Nature and its Universal Security Implications The enduring assumption that human behaviour is governed by innate morality and reason is at odds with the persistence of human deprivation, inequality, injustice, misery, brutality and conflict. In my theory of human nature, which I have termed â€Å"Emotional Amoral Egoism†, I argue that human behaviour is governed primarily by emotional self-interest focused initially on survival and, once achieved, domination. These facets of human nature are a product of genetically coded survival instincts modified by the totality of our environment and expressed as neurochemically-mediated emotions and actions. Reason, reflection and conscious morality are comparatively rare. The human mind is therefore a predisposed tabula rasa, resulting from both an in-built genetic code for survival and the environment. In my view, most human beings are innately neither moral nor immoral but rather amoral. They are driven by emotional self-interest and have the potential to be either moral or immoral, depending on what their self-interest dictates, and will be influenced in their choices by emotions and socio-cultural contexts. Circumstances will determine the survival value of humankind’s moral compass in that being highly moral in an immoral environment may be detrimental to one’s survival and vice versa. Indeed, our neuronal architecture is pre-programmed to seek gratification and â€Å"feel good† regardless of the reason. All apparently altruistic behaviour serves self-interest at some level. This insight has profound implications for the re-ordering of governance mechanisms at all levels with a strong emphasis on the role of society and the global system in maximising the benefits of what I term measured self-interest, while minimising its excesses, because human beings cannot be left to their own devices to do the â€Å"right thing†. Such reform offers the best chance of facilitating political and moral cooperation through the establishment of stringent normative frameworks and governance structures, that best fulfil the potential of human beings to exist and evolve in peace, security, prosperity and possible serenity. Further, humanity must never be complacent about the virtues of human nature. Therefore, everything must be done at all levels to prevent EMOTIONAL AMORAL EGOISM 17 Box 1 continued alienation, inequality, deprivation, fear, injustice, anarchy and the loss of the rule of law. History has shown repeatedly that humankind is capable of unthinkable brutality and injustice. This is often a result of what I call fear(survival)-induced pre-emptive aggression, which may occur no matter how calm the situation appears, although it is not necessarily inevitable. Moreover, where there is injustice that is perceived as posing a threat to survival, humankind will do whatever necessary to survive and be free. In such instances, â€Å"might† (military or otherwise) may not prevail or be the optimal solution. Human nature as we know it is, nevertheless, malleable and â€Å"manageable†. It may be radically modified as a result of advances in bio-, molecular, nano- and computational technologies. It will therefore be essential to establish a clear code of ethics regulating the use of these technologies sooner rather than later. In 5 to 5. 6, I discuss some of the global and security implications of my theory of human nature. This final part of the book first explores how prominent approaches to International Relations (IR) conceive of human nature and then outlines how my own theory may be situated in relation to them. I explain that my proposed general theory of human nature collapses the nature/nurture and free will/constrained dichotomies that tend to characterise the conceptions of human nature that inform major IR theories. I then discuss the relevance of my own conception of human nature to a number of issues: identity construction and globalisation, xenophobia and ethnocentrism, ethnic conflict, moral cosmopolitanism and governance structures. In the era of globalisation, the transnationalisation of production and finance, as well as the development and spread of new technologies, have helped to bring about changes in collective identities and inter-civilisational relations. There is a growing discrepancy between major collective identities and traditional political and cultural boundaries. 17 Since a main driver of human behaviour is ego – understood as that which negotiates between inner needs and social contexts, making humankind require a positive identity and a sense of belonging – this development has a number of implications. If ego may be considered to be a basic human need,18 then cultural disorientation is likely to negatively affect the human condi- 18 NAYEF R. F. AL-RODHAN tion and human security at various levels. While wide-reaching cultural change as part of globalisation is having positive effects in terms of increased exposure to and awareness of other cultures, as well as better access to knowledge, thereby bringing about a greater degree of interconnectedness, the cultural dimension of globalisation is sometimes perceived as generating cultural homogenisation. In the latter case, people may feel that their traditional culture is in danger of being eroded. Since fear is another central and very powerful driver of human behaviour, responses may take the form of intolerance, xenophobia and extremism. It is therefore important to view the needs for belonging and a positive identity as basic human needs, and to develop appropriate policies and institutional structures to ensure that these needs are met. At the state level, for instance, this means promoting an inclusive society that is underpinned by institutions that make effective representation possible. Globalising processes are also affecting and politicising intercivilisational relations. The increased dispersion of people from diverse cultural contexts, instant connectivity due to new technologies, and the existence of economic and political inequalities mean that issues can be transnationalised more easily than in the past. Some issues may be perceived as an act of aggression against collective identities that define themselves as part of a broader civilisation. This can cause inter-civilisational tension and provide ammunition for those who wish to exploit such fears for their own purposes. Changes in the global political and economic environment in the past few decades have also resulted in new waves of migration as people seek employment and greater opportunities outside their home country. In some regions of the world, the presence of newcomers has generated negative reactions from some factions in society. Exposure to negative stereotyping in the mass media, for example, may increase public support for policies targeted at minority groups in societies and for discrimination against them, which may be subtle or involve physical violence. In Europe, migration has been securitised (i. e. , raised to the level of a security issue) since the mid-1980s, when migration became subsumed in a broader security continuum including other issues such as terrorism and transnational organised crime. The securitisation of migration is sometimes accompanied by xenophobia. Those exposed to xenophobia suffer from a reduction in security and do not enjoy a positive identity, at least in terms of the way in which EMOTIONAL AMORAL EGOISM 19 others define them. This means that a basic human need goes unmet, again with potentially avoidable consequences. 19 Understanding the central dimensions of human nature may contribute to responses to migration that do not feed xenophobic reactions in society. Both the environment and our genetic coding are implicated in xenophobic reactions. Evolutionary approaches to human nature would attribute xenophobia to how we evolved from our ancestors. The argument is that human beings, like animals, have a tendency to be hostile towards strangers. Some argue that xenophobia may be something that people have developed to protect themselves against transmittable disease. A stranger might also represent a threat to a place or hierarchy and, therefore, be treated with hostility and suspicion. In both instances, fear of strangers may allow individuals and groups to thrive genetically. While the emphasis here is on genetics, culture is nonetheless recognised as influencing this genetic predisposition. 20 If we are better equipped to comprehend the drivers of human nature, we might also stand a better chance of preventing and alleviating conflict. Ethnic conflict, for example, is often perceived as the result of timeless hatreds. Viewed in this way, there is little that can be done to alleviate its causes. Preventing ethnic conflict from occurring may seem an impossible task. Thus, considering purely biological factors in a narrow way limits the degree of the possible. While humankind may be weighed down by its biological heritage, and we should not dismiss this out of hand, the environment has an important impact on the human psyche and human behaviour. Fortunately, we are capable of influencing the environment and, therefore, conflict. If we recognise that both our genetic predilections and the environment affect how and whether tension degenerates into violent conflict, we may be able to develop policies to prevent this from happening. A better understanding of human nature may also help humankind to promote cooperation and moral behaviour at the global level. For centuries, politics has been shaped by the concept of state sovereignty, and allegiance to the political unit of the state has been shaped by nationalism. Today, however, national borders are more porous and, for many people, allegiances are not limited to the state. Globalisation is creating a â€Å"transnational social space†. 21 Increased human mobility and interconnectedness mean that many people have to negotiate between multiple identities. The global society that is emerging is composed of great diversity and greater inequality, which 20 NAYEF R. F. AL-RODHAN makes mutual recognition and respect imperative. Moreover, international norms have evolved in such a way that requires moral cosmopolitanism, which assumes that individuals belong to a single moral community. Yet, all too often, there appears to be a disparity between the moral principles we have developed and what we actually do. Biologically inherited behavioural traits may play a role in explaining this apparent gap. 22 We need to find a normative arrangement that will better equip us to address together political, socio-economic and cultural issues. One of the difficulties that evolutionary theories highlight is the difficulty that we may have in acting morally towards â€Å"distant others†. This is by no means to suggest that we wish to justify people’s indifference to difference or the challenges to acting altruistically towards others with whom they have no direct contact. Culture may be able to cultivate a more altruistic attitude towards strangers, which is essential if we are to respect the dignity of others. If, as sociobiologists suggest, there may be limits to our moral sensitivities, then it is important to know about this because it will require a deliberate effort to promote moral cosmopolitanism, rather than assuming that we can rely on individuals to behave in an ethical way. We need to find a common basis on which we can cooperate. Since the human brain is quite malleable, public policies and governance structures can influence the human condition and, as a result, the likelihood of insecurity and instability. What kind of governance structure would be required to enable humanity to prosper and to enhance global stability? Since our survival instincts inform a great deal of our behaviour, it is essential that people’s human rights are vigorously upheld. While there is a general consensus that human beings should not be subjected to torture or degrading treatment, basic human rights ought to extend to basic needs such as shelter and food. This means that human security, which is defined as the freedom from want and fear, ought to be promoted at all levels. Political processes and structures should be inclusive. Multilateral institutions, for example, ought to be more representative so that the evolution of the global order is the result of an inclusive and collective effort. Chapter 6 offers some concluding thoughts on the implications of â€Å"Emotional Amoral Egoism† and makes some policy recommendations based on my general theory of human nature and my specific theory of human motivation contained therein. Some may object to the claims that I make in the text. They may, for a variety of reasons (i. e. , upbringing, experience, education) EMOTIONAL AMORAL EGOISM 21 see themselves or others as more rational, or more moral than my conception of human nature allows. However, my theory is intended to apply to the majority of human beings, not the minority. I have also kept the discussion of neuroscientific and philosophical issues general in order to avoid overwhelming the reader with technical detail and nomenclatures.