Philosophy Of Thought And Logic 2010 - 2011

Welcome

Welcome to Philosophy of Thought and Logic

Understanding the world through experience and reason.

Everyone has to think in order to function in the world, and this course will equip you with the tools to reason effectively in your pursuit of reliable beliefs and useful knowledge. Whether you are a budding philosopher searching for ultimate truths, a science student grappling with the nature of scientific proof, a new parent weighing conflicting childrearing advice, or a concerned citizen making up your mind about today's issues, the lessons you learn in this course will help you cut through deception and faulty reasoning to get closer to the essence of a matter.

This is equally a course in argument and in reasoning. While you will learn how to reason, you will also learn how to persuade others. And it teaches how to judge and answer the arguments of others and how they will judge yours. This is the very center of a well-educated mind.

Dr. Michael Thompson

Thinking

Scott Jones

Thinking




What is thinking?

The highest mental activity present in man. All human progress is due to thinking, new ideas, evolution of culture, art, literature, science and technology. Thinking can result in action one pictures it in his mind and is more likely to do so in further actions.

Why do we think?

The purpose of thinking, paradoxically, is to arrive at a state where thinking is no more necessary at all. In other words, thinking starts with a problem and ends in a solution. Thus, thinking is a tool for adapting ourselves to the physical and social environment in which we are in.

Improvement on thinking

Dr. Edward de Bono says that thinking CAN be improved just like any skill because thinking according to him is a skill. He has developed many useful techniques for training thinking skills.

Errors in Thinking

1. Parallelism -
This error occurs when the thinker observes the problem through one perspective only. That is, the thinker examines only one or two factors of the problem and arrives at a premature solution.
2. Adversary Thinking
-This is a "you are wrong. So, I should be right." type of reasoning. Politicians are the masters in this type of thinking and they use it to their advantage.
3. Time Scale Error -
This is a kind of partialism in thinking in which the thinker sees the problem from a limited time-frame. It can be likened to short-sightedness.
4. Initial Judgment -
Here, the thinker becomes very subjective. Instead of considering the issue or problem objectively, the thinker approaches it with prejudice or bias.
5. Arrogance and Conceit -This error is sometimes called the "Village Venus Effect" because like the villagers who think that the most beautiful girl in the world is the most beautiful girl in their village, the thinker believes that there is no better solution other than that he has already found. This blocks creativity. Not only individuals but societies and even the whole mankind sometimes fall prey to this error. For example, before Einstein, the whole scientific community (and thus the whole mankind) believed that time was absolute.

Scenario Planning

1. Identify the focal issue or decision.
2. Identify key "local" factors influencing the decision.
3. Identify driving forces, predetermined elements, and critical uncertainties in the macro environment.
4. Rank the factors and trends by importance and uncertainty.
5. Select the logics of the scenarios.
6. Flesh out the scenarios (that is, actually write out the stories for participants to ponder).
7. Identify the implications of the scenarios (for present and perhaps future action).
8. Select leading indicators and signposts (to be able to guess, at a future point, which scenario, or combination of scenarios, is "happening").
Steps two and three, and perhaps part of four, typically involve some data gathering by the management team. The rest of the process is group conversation, perhaps even utilizing a dialogue approach. The written scenarios appear to be the tangible output of this process, but the more significant outcome is nontangible and similar to that obtained through strategic dialogue, namely, altered and more flexible mental models. A reasonable guess is that the meeting time would be about three to five business days, spread out over a couple of months, along with consultant time in between. 


Strategic Dialogue

1. Speak to the center — don't address your comments to specific others (this is easier to do as a group gains experience with dialogue)
2. LISTEN!!
3. Postpone judgment
4. Suspend certainties
5. Inquire into assumptions
6. Listen to yourself (speaking and thinking)
7. Balance advocacy and inquiry (this means to go ahead and speak your mind advocate but keep an open mind and truly try to understand other positions inquiry)
8. Check out (same format as check in, only with less emphasis on answering strategic questions)

Strategic dialogue is not about agreement or consensus. It is about listening for deeper understanding and insight. It is important to emphasize that what is sought here are not action plans (although they may be outgrowths of the process) but understanding of and greater insightinto the mental models of the participants (usually the management team) and how they influence strategy. The outcome of the process is not a tangible product but an alteration of and different understanding of both personal and collective mental models. If mental models affect action, then strategic action after dialogue should also be different. A good guess for the total length of this process is about three days, with at least two being consecutive.

Matt Edwards
Critical Thinking
Thompson
Thinking

The thinking process consists of sensation-eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin provides our bodies with sensations which they pick up from the outside world. These are transmitted from nerves to the biological structures which will translate them. Some of the other types of the thinking process are biological, psychological, cognitive and communications.
The critical thinking process starts out with knowledge. All thinking starts with knowledge, whether a little bit or a good understanding of your thinking topic. For example, if you were thinking about how to fix a machine, you would want a good understanding of how it works and what the problem is.
The next step in the process is comprehension. It is the understanding of what you think about. If you can't comprehend what you're thinking about, you can't think about it effectively.
Another important step is application. If you can't apply your thoughts and knowledge to anything, what good is thinking about it? Find something useful to think about.
The next step that you need to do is analyze what you're thinking about. Divide information up into categories and subcategories. Select things that are the more important aspects, and solve them first.
The second to last step of the critical thinking process is synthesis. Syntheses is organizing, constructing, composing, and creating your finished result.
The last step is evaluation. See if you like your finished product. If not, go back through the process with different objectives and goals, keeping in mind what you didn't like. If it comes out to your liking, use it!
9 Tips to become a better Critical Thinker
• € Be open-minded to new ideas.
• € Know that people have different ideas about the meaning of words.
• € Separate emotional and logical thinking.
• € Question things that don't make sense to you.
• € Avoid common mistakes in your own reasoning.
• € Don't argue about something that you know nothing about.
• € Build a strong vocabulary to better share and understand ideas.
• € Know when you need more information.
• € Know the difference between conclusions that could and must be true.
The Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes were initially developed to enable manufacturers to methodically identify and overcome the Policy Constraints that inhibited them from continuous, rapid, order-of-magnitude performance improvement.
Dr. Goldratt, the originator of the Theory of Constraints, has the ability to view complex problem situations in an unconventional manner – and find the inherent simplicity in the system.
Frustrated at seeing organizations improve rapidly and dramatically using one aspect of the Theory of Constraints, only to stagnate because they were unable to identify and deal with the obvious policy constraints blocking further improvements, he set out in the late 80’s and early 90’s to document and then teach the “Thinking Processes” that enabled him to analyze and plan so effectively.
Eli and his team worked for several years to develop and document the Thinking processes; then to learn how to teach them; then, how to teach the teachers. Steve Jackson, one of the Principals in Synchronix, was a member of this team.
More than 15 years later, these processes still have no equal or equivalent in planning or analysis in any other body of knowledge.
They do not form part of a "typical" Theory of Constraints implementation. Most TOC users have little or no awareness of these tools.
Five separate processes comprise the full suite of Thinking Processes.
Today, these Thinking Processes have proven to be far more powerful than probably anyone (perhaps including Dr. Goldratt) expected. They have also been refined and modified over the years, and they are used today in a variety of ways and for a variety of purposes.
• As a suite, to perform what is known as a “full analysis,” starting with a list of symptoms of a major problem area and concluding with a full solution and an implementation plan.
• As individual processes to perform specific types of analysis or planning, with or without use of the other processes. For example, to ensure that a “Good Idea” is developed into a “Good Solution” with a high degree of likelihood of achieving the intended outcomes of the idea, and a low risk of creating negative side effects.
• As a suite or as individual processes used in a more limited way for day-to-day communication purposes by management. The word “limited” here does not imply “less powerful” – simply that the full power of the processes do not need to be brought to bear to achieve great results in enabling managers to be better at dealing with day-to-day issues.
A manager might use one process to resolve a conflict in a win/win manner. Or, a different one to plan a way through, or around, obstacles to coordinate a team to achieve a successful outcome. He/she could use a third process to help a person working for him/her see flaws in their plan and strengthen it without suspecting criticism, or a fourth to plan a conversation in such a way as to gain a buy-in from another party to some course of action. In this form the processes represent day-to-day management skills.
• As the basis for breaking “External Constraints” – for example, causing customers or markets to buy more product or pay higher prices, or causing vendors to provide better service levels. The Theory of Constraints Marketing Solution is an example.
• As superb communication tools. In analyzing a situation or planning a course of action every major assumption is surfaced and opened for challenge. There is no room for ambiguity, and use of the Thinking Processes routinely gains 100% consensus as to the nature of a problem or solution among people who may have started at polar extremes in terms of their opinion.
• As tools specifically for Gaining a Comprehensive Buy-In from anyone as to the correctness in principle and detail of a course of action.

http://library.thinkquest.org/29248/ctproc.html
http://www.synchronix.com/about-theory-of-constraints/thinking-processes/

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Thinking
Gina Gultom

Thinking, it’s something the mind does. Whether or not you’re actually trying to think, you’re already doing it. It’s something you can never get away from no matter how hard you try. Even when you’re just sitting there, you’re thinking. Thinking is a thought or a judgment about something or anything for that matter. Thinking can be both negative and positive. Thoughts that are registered into the brain have an effect on how you think about things. This can be anything from the people you surround yourself with, the music you listen to, the environment you live in, and a bunch of other things.

There are different types of thinking. The first type is critical thinking, this is convergent thinking. It assesses the worth and validity of something existent. It involves precise, persistent, objective analysis. When teachers try to get several learners to think convergently, they try to help them develop a common understanding. The second type is creative thinking, this is divergent thinking. It generates something new or different. It involves having a different idea that works as well or better than previous ideas. The third type is convergent thinking; this type of thinking is cognitive processing of information around a common point, an attempt to bring thoughts from different directions into a union or common conclusion. The fourth type is divergent thinking, this type of thinking starts from a common point and moves outward into a variety of perspectives. When fostering divergent thinking, teachers use the content as a vehicle to prompt diverse or unique thinking among students rather than a common view. The fifth kind is inductive thinking; this is the process of reasoning from parts to the whole, from examples to generalizations. The sixth kind is deductive thinking, this type of reasoning moves from the whole to its parts, from generalizations to underlying concepts to examples. The seventh type is closed questions, these are questions asked by teachers that have predictable responses. Closed questions almost always require factual recall rather than higher levels of thinking. The eighth type is open questions; these are questions that do not have predictable answers. Open questions almost always require higher order thinking. These are just a few different types of thinking, but of course there is a lot more than just this.
Thinking is everything to do with anything. Without it, we’d be brain dead… literally.

Work Cited
www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/thinking
www.ves.wpsb.org/focus/typesofthinking.html

Critical Thinking

Josh Jurado
Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. Under this view, critical thinking is relevant not only to the formation and checking of beliefs, but also to deciding upon and evaluating actions. It involves creative activities such as: formulating hypotheses, plans, and counterexamples; planning experiments; and seeing alternatives.

Furthermore critical thinking is reflective — and reasonable. The negative, harping, complaining characteristic that is sometimes labeled by the word, "critical", is not involved.

This presents a rigorous, comprehensive, and detailed approach to critical thinking at various levels of student development and sophistication, and is addressed to a variety of audiences including teachers, parents, students and educational policy makers.

There are many reasons why it is worth teaching critical thinking. The most fundamental is that good thinking skills are essential for making appropriate decisions about what to believe and do, whether for personal decisions or civic ones, such as voting or serving in a jury.

Like many skills, critical thinking can be improved through education. Yet in a classical education designed to produce a well-rounded individual capable of acting reasonably in many different situations, surprisingly little time (if any) is devoted to teaching practical and general thinking skills.

The actual teaching of critical thinking is a function of many situation-specific factors: teacher style, teacher interest, teacher knowledge and understanding, class size, cultural and community backgrounds and expectations, student expectations and backgrounds, colleagues’ expectations, recent local events, the amount of time available to teachers after they have done all the other things they have to do, and teacher grasp of critical thinking, to name some major factors. I here suggest some general strategies and tactics gleaned from years of experience, research, and others’ suggestions. They are guidelines and must be adjusted to fit the actual situation.

Strategies

1. Use a defensible conception of critical thinking with which you feel comfortable.

2. Continuously emphasize alertness for alternative hypotheses, conclusions, explanations, sources of evidence, points of view, plans, etc..

3. Also emphasize seeking reasons and evidence. Frequently ask, and invite your students to ask, "Why?" in a non-threatening way. Ask this question when you agree with your students as well as when you don't — and of course when you are unsure yourself — or are trying to find out what they mean. "Why?" is sometimes threatening, but is the most concise way to draw out the reasons. A less aggressive question is, "Would you say a little more about that?"

4. Emphasize their seeing things from others' points of view and being open minded — that is, willing to reconsider, should other reasons and evidence be discovered.

5. Assess (test for) what is important in critical thinking – and do it validly; incorporate the results in the course grades, or other report that matters to the students; and discreetly make sure that students are aware of this incorporation. Lastly, make sure that the assessment procedure fits the critical thinking instruction; this often requires thinking about assessment well in advance of its use.

6. Students do not need to become subject matter experts before they can start to learn to think critically in a subject. These things can proceed together, each helping the other. Students will learn best the subject matter they use (e.g., in making decisions). But ultimately, of course, familiarity with the subject and/or the situation calling for critical thinking is essential for critical thinking.

7. In a subject-matter course, the time required for infusion of critical thinking is usually justified, not only for the critical thinking learned, but also for an enhanced understanding of the subject. (Consider how much you have retained of the subject matter to which you were merely exposed as a student.) Note: “Infusion” here refers to the embedding of critical thinking in subject matter instruction that ensures that the principles of critical thinking are explicit, whether stated by students or the teacher. “Immersion” refers to the embedding in which critical thinking principles are not made explicit. Of course some cases lie in between. Infusion is more likely to succeed than immersion.

8. For infusion, arrange it so that either you or the students make explicit the principles of critical thinking involved.

9. Assuming that one of your goals is having your students apply critical thinking principles learned or used in your course or class to everyday life as well as to your and other subjects, teach for this transfer of learning by giving much practice with examples, some of which call for transfer. Call students’ attention to how the critical thinking principles apply in the transfer situation.

Tactics

10. Frequently give explicit positive feedback and recognition for efforts and successes in learning or applying critical thinking principles.

11. Sometimes ask students to address questions to which you do not know the answer, or that are controversial. The question should seem significant to them and be interesting

12. Give students time to think about questions and situations. If you wait long enough, someone will offer an answer. In other words, provide “wait time”.

13. In a discussion, label a student’s statement (or thought, answer, hypothesis, position, point, objection, question, etc.) with the student's name, so that the student receives attention and assumes some responsibility. Write the statement on the board, or screen. (Don't worry that you might be wasting time doing this. It gives students a chance to think about the statement or thought.) Invite them to help formulate what you write. Encourage them to speak to each other's positions, giving reasons. Budget extra time.

14. Have students write down their positions, giving reasons to support what they think, showing awareness of opposing positions and the weaknesses of their own positions. Limit the length to a few sentences, one page, or two or three pages, etc., depending on their maturity and the time available.

15. Provide a set of criteria for judging papers, reports, letters, proposals, or statements in which they take positions. The criteria should reflect the critical thinking principles that you have been telling them are important.

16. Have students read each other's written statements or position papers, applying these criteria and making suggestions. Then get them to revise — and revise again, in the light of still other comments or further thought.

17. Be ready to postpone an assignment, if the content of the previous assignment is not understood.

18. Have students work on issues or questions in groups, with each group reporting to the entire class, and each person showing the others what he or she has done. Students are eager to do well in the eyes of their peers (just like us).

Robert H. Ennis
Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois
Last revised February 22, 2011

Nationwide Testing of Critical Thinking: Vigilance Required, Teaching Philosophy, 31:1 (March, 2008), pp. 1-26. Also see Critical Thinking Education and Assessment: Can Higher Order Thinking be Tested?, edited by Jan Sobocan and Leo Groarke; London, Ontario: the Althouse Press, 2009.

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Thinking Critically
Stephen Dinkel

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes — is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.
Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. It is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills ("as an exercise") without acceptance of their results.
Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in service of one’’s own, or one's groups’’, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish use.

Critical thinking is a very important quality that one should continuously work to improve. Thinking critically allows for people to solve problems on their own and not only helps in school but throughout all aspects of your life.

Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on , among other things, the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor.
Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.
Critical thinking has been around for almost as long as humans have been here. It has grown throughout all of the years and will continue to grow as the world goes forward. It has helped shaped the world into what is it today.
Works Cited-Critical Thinking as defined by the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987 <http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutct/define_critical_thinking.cfm>

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Critical Thinking
David Kinderknecht

Critical thinking is a concept that most people implement over and over again throughout their everyday lives, but few rarely place underneath the magnifying glass of questioning. Critical thinking is an absolutely necessary skill to master in order to make it in not only the business world but in everyday life. K. Shoesmith outlines the problems with the current school systems with regard to critical thinking. More and more, teachers are “spoon feeding” their students the necessary information required to pass various exams, without allowing them to come to the conclusions through reasoning. This, in turn, hinders their critical thinking skills. Shoesmith argues that this should be taken as an alarming trend, one that we should hope doesn’t continue.

Shoesmith outlines some ideas that could be implemented in order to curb this trend. First and foremost, he suggests expanding the various debate programs at schools across the country. Debate is a very useful exercise in the critical thinking realm. When students debate, especially in regards to problem solving, they are forced to come up with multiple solutions to a problem, and then verbally discuss, or use reasonable arguments, to justify the solution they come up with. To me this is one good viable option to integrate critical thinking exercises in schools. Rather than simply teach the students the various solutions to a problem, they are instead forced to think through the problem and come up with solutions on their own. Not only does this help to teach them invaluable critical thinking skills, but it’s also very applicable real world learning. No matter what job each student will be employed at, most jobs these days do involve social interactions among employees, and more often than not, these employees are required to come up with various solutions to problems that come up while running their businesses. Every job will come with it problems that need to be solved, and students will need to use their critical thinking skills to work through and solve these problems.

Standardized tests, it can be argued, are also a hinderence to the development of critical thinking skills. Think about it this way. If all you do to study for a test is review and memorize the answers, what are you truly learning? You are learning to memorize information and recite it when asked. This in no way teaches you to think critically. In a real world environment, your boss isn’t going to give you the answers to every question he’ll ever ask you and tell you to study them for when he asks. That would be beyond ludicrous, and nobody would every expect a real-world boss to do such a thing, so why is this the way we educate students? If school is supposed to be a preparation for the real world, and what you do in class and with your teachers is that preparation at it’s most basic level, shouldn’t we be preparing students to think and reason the way they will out in the real world? In order to do this more effectively, Shoesmith again stresses extra curricular activities such as Debate and Chess over standardized test prep classes, which arguably do more harm than good in the long run.

Throughout Shoesmith’s article and others, it is clear that there is a growing trend of thought in our school systems that is working against the overall goal of school itself: real-world preparation. The first step to combating the problem is a greater awareness of the problem itself. This means educating not only the students, but the parents of the students about the benefits of more critical thinking education throughout schooling. Hopefully, this awareness can grow, and with that growth, newer generations of students will benefit from the critical thinking skills they are taught throughout their education.

Works Cited:

Shoesmith, K. “We Must Train Young People How to Think…It’s Critical”.

skillsdevelopment.com. 2009. n.p. Web. 26 Nov. 2010.

“Students Graduating Without Basic Skills for the Workplace. Daily Telegraph [London,

England] 17 Nov. 2010: 22. B. Web. 27 Nov. 2010.

Solving Problems

Scott Jones

Solving Problems

What is Problem Solving?
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills.[1] Problem solving occurs when an organism or an artificial intelligence system needs to move from a given state to a desired goal state.

How to Problem solve

A FOUR-STEP PROCESS
Billstein, Libeskind and Lott have adopted these problem solving steps in their book "A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co.). They are based on the problem-solving steps first outlined by George Polya in 1945.
1. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

• Can you state the problem in your own words?
• What are you trying to find or do?
• What are the unknowns?
• What information do you obtain from the problem?
• What information, if any, is missing or not needed?

2. DEVISING A PLAN
The following list of strategies, although not exhaustive, is very useful.

• Look for a pattern.
• Examine related problems, and determine if the same technique can be applied.
• Examine a simpler or special case of the problem to gain insight into the solution of the original problem.
• Make a table.
• Make a diagram.
• Write an equation.
• Use guess and check.
• Work backward.
• Identify a subgoal.

3. CARRYING OUT THE PLAN

• Implement the strategy or strategies in step 2, and perform any necessary actions or computations.
• Check each step of the plan as you proceed. This may be intuitive checking or a formal proof of each step.
• Keep an accurate record of your work.

4. LOOKING BACK

• Check the results in the original problem. (In some cases this will require a proof.)
• Interpret the solution in terms of the original problem. Does your answer make sense? Is it reasonable?
• Determine whether there is another method of finding the solution.
• If possible, determine other related or more general problems for which the techniques will work.

Why is problem solving important to you?
Today's businesses want employees who can adapt to new situations rapidly and effectively.
• The ideal employee is a master of basic skills such as reading, writing, and numeracy.
• The ideal employee is also a master of learning, communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem solving.
•
• The ideal employee can respond to a problem quickly, correctly, and with little or no supervision.

If you can solve problems, you can write your own ticket to whatever job you want.
In college, research methodology is used quite a bit to discover new things and test new ideas. Most research techniques use some kind of problem-solving methodology. If you learn how to solve problems now, you will be able to approach many academic situations with the tools you need to handle them.

Where would we be without Problem Solving?
Without problem solving we would of not had any advancements in technology, culture, art, or everyday activities.
Without the ability to solve problems we would be stuck in time forever doing the same thing over and over again even though it is not working, or not working as efficiently as it could be preformed.
When do we use Problem Solving?
We as a whole use problem solving everyday, could be as simple as adding 2+2. Deciding what to wear that day. Where we are going to go, if we go to work, school, or just stay home all day.
Most of us use problem solving each and everyday without even knowing it. That’s how east problem solving is.

Solving Social Problems
by Andres Gimeno

In recent centuries humanity has made great strides in overcoming the obstacles of nature. We can house and feed and clothe ourselves better than ever. We can communicate almost instantly and travel halfway around the world in a day. We have made progress against many diseases and maladies that do much to increase our lifespan and comfort. Nevertheless, we still have war, oppression, hatred, bigotry, crime, overpopulation, poverty, and unnecessary destruction of the environment. These are not problems that can be solved by technology alone, since they require improving human behavior. Many of us have felt the frustration that humanity, despite all its enormous advances, cannot do better at solving social problems. We are held back by our inability to cooperate. Far too much of our effort and resources are wasted in conflict, and the conflict hurts even those who are not part of the fight.

Why other approaches fail
When people see a problem in the world, they often propose a solution, but usually it is a solution that involves somebody else behaving differently. "If only the government would stop catering to special interests, things would be a lot better," we might hear, or "The newspapers have a responsibility to the public - they should report more substantial issues and not so much sensationalism," or "Businesses shouldn't be so greedy." So, we should ask, why don't they change? The reasons are not hard to figure out:  Elected officials cater to special interests because that helps them get reelected. Newspapers use sensationalism because it sells papers. Businesses are greedy because that's why they exist - as a way to make money for their owners.
These things happen because people work in their own self-interest. But the problems wouldn't go away even if we could persuade some of the people in control to work more for the common good. Some good politicians may ignore the special interests and not worry about their campaign donations. But after the next election, many of them are likely to have been voted out of office as a result. A newspaper may decide to always take the high road. A couple of years later, we may find it out of business because of poor circulation. Businesses that aren't greedy may go bankrupt because they can't keep up with their competitors.
If we want the world to improve, we can't wait for other people to sacrifice their own interests to do it. We cannot count on the rich and powerful to "do the right thing". That's not how they got rich and powerful.
The key to change is to look at where these leaders get their power. For the most part they are very dependent on the rest of us in order to do what they do. The politicians need our votes. The media need us as an audience, and they need us to purchase the products of their advertisers. Businesses need us to buy their products and services. Despite this, the powerful often act in ways that are detrimental to the overall good. How can they do this? Because we are misled by their advertising and their propaganda and their sensationalism. We, the consumers and voters, elect people who aren't really working for us, buy products and use media that are not in our best interests, and support other leaders with questionable agendas because they get us to believe things that aren't true.

The Solution: Responsible Thinking
There is a factor that is crucial to turning humanity around. It is caring about truth. To the extent that the people of the world have a greater respect for, love for, and understanding of truth, we can make progress toward solving the world's problems. If we love truth, we will constantly strive to avoid beliefs that are false. We will learn why people believe things that are false so we can avoid making these mistakes ourselves. We will point out these principles to our friends and neighbors and coworkers and offspring, and teach these principles in our schools. As people get better at avoiding false beliefs, conflicts between well-meaning people will be reduced and leaders will have to work for the public good if they wish to stay in power.
We must educate ourselves and others on how to avoid believing things that aren't true. The politicians can raise all the money they want for advertising, but if we are properly educated we will ignore their ads and phony images, realizing that they are irrelevant. The media can sensationalize or otherwise distort the news but they will lose our business if we learn to use only those sources that are most accurate and impartial. Businesses can try to sell us things we don't need, but we won't buy them if we recognize their marketing ploys. Cult leaders, phony psychics, and con artists will be unable to enrich themselves at our expense. Eventually the successful businesses and media and politicians and spiritual leaders will be the ones that are serving the people's needs - not because they have become self-sacrificing and public spirited, but because they will fail if they don't.
The virtue of an effort to reduce false beliefs is that it does not require anybody to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the rest of us. People who improve their ability to recognize falsehoods should find themselves better off than they were before. We are only asking people to do what is in their own best interest. The only people who would oppose such an effort are those who profit by deception. Such people will no doubt exert their influence, but they are in the sorry position of trying to support the idea that people should believe false things.
While there are many sources of power in our society, the only one that can be expected to consistently act in the public interest is the public itself. If we, the people, do not understand what is in our own best interests because we delude ourselves or are deluded by others, there is little hope that our problems will be solved. We must engage in a serious effort to promote responsible thinking in ourselves and others if we really want the world to be a better place.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QXRm8WxqwVE/SVJEL5Vsd_I/AAAAAAAAGjU/rPSWJLohYbc/s1600-h/disagreement.jpg
http://www.truthpizza.org/vision.htm

Problem Solving
By Tyler Hayes

Individuals are faced with problems everyday in our world. Problem solvers are useful people in all workplaces. If we can’t get along as a team how are we supposed to function successfully?

The Importance of Goals in Problem Solving
As you read these definitions, I hope you noticed that they all include the ideas of goals and ideal states. Problem solving centers on thinking about goals and ideals. When a goal is met, the problem should be concluded if the goal was an appropriate one for solving the problem.
Another way of thinking about this would be to say that the goal or ideal state defines how much of a problem exists or even whether or not there is a problem.
For example, let's say you have just brought a pizza home from the pizza parlor and it is beginning to cool. If your ideal state is to eat very hot pizza, then you have a problem, whether you define it as how to keep the pizza from cooling, how to heat it back up, how to eat it quickly, or whatever. On the other hand, if you like moderately warm pizza, then you do not have a problem. Similarly, if your friend comes over an hour later and you offer him a piece of leftover pizza, only to discover that your oven is on the blink, you have a problem: how to heat the pizza up again. But if the friend says, "I really like cold pizza better than hot," you no do not have a problem.
This example demonstrates that one's goal must be considered in conjunction with one's current state in order to determine whether a problem exists and to what extent it exists. People who don't take time to think about their goals before attacking a problem thus don't fully understand the problem. You've probably heard that cracked proverb, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else."
Another important truth to derive from this understanding about goals is that as your goals change, so will the nature of the problems you face. Life operates in real time rather than in timeless theory, so that as we move through our existence, our goals are in a constant state of flux. Some goals change radically, or even reverse, while others undergo minor adjustments and refinements. Be sure that your problems and solutions stay current with your goals.
What is a Solution?
In our ordinary discourse, we often think of "solving a problem" in the sense of making it go away, so that the problem no longer exists. This indeed is one kind of solution, but it is not the only kind. Some problems cannot be eliminated entirely: we are never likely to eliminate trash, or the wear on automobile tires, or the occurrence of illness. We can, however, create solutions or treatments that will make each of these problems less harmful.
For our purposes, then, we will define a solution as the management of a problem in a way that successfully meets the goals established for treating it. Sometimes the goal will be to eliminate the problem entirely; sometimes the goal will be only to treat the effects of the problem. The possibilities inherent in the problem, together with the ambitiousness, resources, and values of the problem solver, will help shape the goals.
There are two basic approaches to solving problems, one where the cause or source of the problem is attacked and the other where the effects or symptoms of the problem are attacked. For ease of remembering, we can call these the stop it and the mop it approaches, respectively. Each of these approaches has three basic forms. As we detail these approaches and their forms, let's use the problem of a leaking water tank to illustrate each one.
Stopping a problem before it gets to extreme is the key getting over the situation. Individuals always will express their opinion and when there is a disagreement a problem will arise. These steps I discussed will always help but in the end someone wil usually have to be the bigger person and let it go.

http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook3.htm
http://www.srpublications.com/addictions/Problem-Solving_Group_Therapy.jpg

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Matt Edwards
Solving Problems
Solving Problems
Problem solving is something everyone has to do almost on a daily basis. If you use the proper steps the problem doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal. Here is a short list of the solving problems steps.
• Describe the problem
• Factors: Constructive vs Limiting
• Ownership
• Scope of Problem
• Consequence of Problem
• Alternative Solutions
• Rank Ordered Solutions

In the largest sense, American society is breaking into two classes:
• The first class are people who know how to think. These people realize that most problems are open to examination and creative solution. If a problem appears in the lives of these people, their intellectual training will quickly lead them to a solution or an alternative statement of the problem. These people are the source of the most important product in today's economy — ideas.
• The second class, the vast majority of Americans, are people who cannot think for themselves. I call these people "idea consumers" — metaphorically speaking, they wander around in a gigantic open-air mall of facts and ideas. The content of their experience is provided by television, the Internet and other shallow data pools. These people believe collecting images and facts makes them educated and competent, and all their experiences reinforce this belief. The central, organizing principle of this class is that ideas come from somewhere else, from magical persons, geniuses, "them."

The world view of these two classes is so fundamentally different that a chasm is opening between them that will soon swallow even the illusion of American democracy.
We are entering an era in history in which, if things go very badly, a small number of people trained to create ideas will completely dominate the lives of a vast sea of idea consumers, people whose lives are ruled by facts.

The belief in the authority of idea producers is the modern replacement for religion. Just like religion, this belief closes off a vast area of human experience, streamlines the equations of life and makes one's existence pathetically simple — all one need do is find out what views it is acceptable to hold.

My purpose in this article is to undermine that belief. I assert that there are no authorities in the realm of human ideas — each idea must be weighed against all other ideas, and ideas should be evaluated solely on their intrinsic merit, without regard to their source.

The above position will not be a fast-breaking story to someone trained in original thought, and neither will this: all these statements are one person's ideas and are most useful when included in a much larger collection of ideas, including the reader's own.
A seven-step problem solving cycle
There are many different ways to solve a problem, however all ways involve a series of steps.
The following is a seven-step problem solving model:
Step 1. Identify the problem
Firstly you need to identify and name the problem so that you can find an appropriate solution. You may not be clear of what the problem is or feel anxious/confused about what is getting in the way of your goals. Try talking to others, as this may help you identify the problem.
Step 2. Explore the problem
When you are clear about what the problem is you need to think about from different angles. You can ask yourself questions such as:
 How is this problem affecting me?
 How is it affecting others?
 Who else experiences this problem?
 What do they do about it?
Seeing the problem in different ways is likely to help you find an effective solution.
Step 3. Set goals
Once you have thought about the problem from different angles you can identify your goals. What is it that you want to achieve? Sometimes you may become frustrated by a problem and forget to think about what you want to achieve. For example, you might become ill, struggle to complete a number of assignments on time and feel so unmotivated that you let due dates pass.
 Improve your health?
 Increase your time management skills?
 Complete the assignments to the best of your ability?
 Finish the assignments as soon as possible?
If you decide your goal is to improve your health, that will lead to different solutions to those linked with the goal of completing your assignments as soon as possible. One goal may lead you to a doctor and another may lead you to apply for extensions for your assignments. So working out your goals is a vital part of the problem solving process.
Step 4. Look at Alternatives
When you have decided what your goal/s is you need to look for possible solutions. The more possible solutions you find the more likely it is that you will be able to discover an effective solution. You can brain-storm for ideas. The purpose of brain-storming is to collect together a long list of possibilities. It does not matter whether the ideas are useful or practical or manageable: just write down the ideas as they come into your head. Some of the best solutions arise from creative thinking during brain-storming. You can also seek ideas about possible solutions by talking to others. The aim is to collect as many alternative solutions as possible.
Step 5. Select a possible solution
From the list of possible solutions you can sort out which are most relevant to your situation and which are realistic and manageable. You can do this by predicting the outcomes for possible solutions and also checking with other people what they think the outcomes may be. When you have explored the consequences, you can use this information to identify the solution which is most relevant to you and is likely to have the best outcomes for your situation.
Step 6. Implement a possible solution
Once you have selected a possible solution you are ready to put it into action. You will need to have energy and motivation to do this because implementing the solution may take some time and effort. You can prepare yourself to implement the solution by planning when and how you will do it, whether you talk with others about it, and what rewards you will give yourself when you have done it.
Step 7. Evaluate
Just because you have implemented the best possible solution, you may not have automatically solved your problem, so evaluating the effectiveness of your solution is very important. You can ask yourself (and others) :
 How effective was that solution?
 Did it achieve what I wanted?
 What consequences did it have on my situation?
If the solution was successful in helping you solve your problem and reach your goal, then you know that you have effectively solved your problem. If you feel dissatisfied with the result, then you can begin the steps again.
http://www.unisa.edu.au/counsellingservices/balance/problem.asp
http://www.arachnoid.com/lutusp/crashcourse.html

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Stephen Dinkel
Problem Solving

Problem solving is an important part of everyday life. It is important for people to be able to solve there own problems in all aspects of their own life. It is vital to be able to determine what exactly the problem is and the best way of going about solving that problem.
Definition of problem
A problem is decided by purposes. If someone wants money and when he or she has little money, he or she has a problem. But if someone does not want money, little money is not a problem.
For example, manufacturing managers are usually evaluated with line-operation rate, which is shown as a percentage of operated hours to potential total operation hours. Therefore manufacturing managers sometimes operate lines without orders from their sales division. This operation may produce more than demand and make excessive inventories. The excessive inventories may be a problem for general managers. But for the manufacturing managers, the excessive inventories may not be a problem.
If a purpose is different between managers, they see the identical situation in different ways. One may see a problem but the others may not see the problem. Therefore, in order to identify a problem, problem solvers such as consultants must clarify the differences of purposes. But oftentimes, problem solvers frequently forget to clarify the differences of purposes and incur confusion among their problem solving projects. Therefore problem solvers should start their problem solving projects from the definition of purposes and problems
Terminology of Problem Solving
We should know the basic terminology for Problem Solving. This report proposes seven terms such as Purpose, Situation, Problem, Cause, Solvable Cause, Issue, and Solution.
Purpose
Purpose is what we want to do or what we want to be. Purpose is an easy term to understand. But problem solvers frequently forget to confirm Purpose, at the first step of Problem Solving. Without clear purposes, we can not think about problems.
Situation
Situation is just what a circumstance is. Situation is neither good nor bad. We should recognize situations objectively as much as we can. Usually almost all situations are not problems. But some problem solvers think of all situations as problems. Before we recognize a problem, we should capture situations clearly without recognizing them as problems or non-problems. Without recognizing situations objectively, Problem Solving is likely to be narrow sighted, because problem solvers recognize problems with their prejudice.
Problem
Problem is some portions of a situation, which cannot realize purposes. Since problem solvers often neglect the differences of purposes, they cannot capture the true problems. If the purpose is different, the identical situation may be a problem or may not be a problem.
Cause
Cause is what brings about a problem. Some problem solvers do not distinguish causes from problems. But since problems are some portions of a situation, problems are more general than causes are. In other words causes are more specific facts, which bring about problems. Without distinguishing causes from problems, Problem Solving can not be specific. Finding specific facts which causes problems is the essential step in Problem Solving.
Solvable Cause
Solvable cause is some portions of causes. When we solve a problem, we should focus on solvable causes. Finding solvable causes is another essential step in Problem Solving. But problem solvers frequently do not extract solvable causes among causes. If we try to solve unsolvable causes, we waste time. Extracting solvable causes is a useful step to make Problem Solving efficient.
There are many different ways that we can solve our day to day problems. It is important to identify what the problem is because that will help drastically in figuring out what the best route to take for solving it will be.
Works Cited—Problem Solving: Definition, Terminology, and patterns by Hidetoshi Shibata <Stephen Dinkel
Problem Solving

Problem solving is an important part of everyday life. It is important for people to be able to solve there own problems in all aspects of their own life. It is vital to be able to determine what exactly the problem is and the best way of going about solving that problem.
Definition of problem
A problem is decided by purposes. If someone wants money and when he or she has little money, he or she has a problem. But if someone does not want money, little money is not a problem.
For example, manufacturing managers are usually evaluated with line-operation rate, which is shown as a percentage of operated hours to potential total operation hours. Therefore manufacturing managers sometimes operate lines without orders from their sales division. This operation may produce more than demand and make excessive inventories. The excessive inventories may be a problem for general managers. But for the manufacturing managers, the excessive inventories may not be a problem.
If a purpose is different between managers, they see the identical situation in different ways. One may see a problem but the others may not see the problem. Therefore, in order to identify a problem, problem solvers such as consultants must clarify the differences of purposes. But oftentimes, problem solvers frequently forget to clarify the differences of purposes and incur confusion among their problem solving projects. Therefore problem solvers should start their problem solving projects from the definition of purposes and problems
Terminology of Problem Solving
We should know the basic terminology for Problem Solving. This report proposes seven terms such as Purpose, Situation, Problem, Cause, Solvable Cause, Issue, and Solution.
Purpose
Purpose is what we want to do or what we want to be. Purpose is an easy term to understand. But problem solvers frequently forget to confirm Purpose, at the first step of Problem Solving. Without clear purposes, we can not think about problems.
Situation
Situation is just what a circumstance is. Situation is neither good nor bad. We should recognize situations objectively as much as we can. Usually almost all situations are not problems. But some problem solvers think of all situations as problems. Before we recognize a problem, we should capture situations clearly without recognizing them as problems or non-problems. Without recognizing situations objectively, Problem Solving is likely to be narrow sighted, because problem solvers recognize problems with their prejudice.
Problem
Problem is some portions of a situation, which cannot realize purposes. Since problem solvers often neglect the differences of purposes, they cannot capture the true problems. If the purpose is different, the identical situation may be a problem or may not be a problem.
Cause
Cause is what brings about a problem. Some problem solvers do not distinguish causes from problems. But since problems are some portions of a situation, problems are more general than causes are. In other words causes are more specific facts, which bring about problems. Without distinguishing causes from problems, Problem Solving can not be specific. Finding specific facts which causes problems is the essential step in Problem Solving.
Solvable Cause
Solvable cause is some portions of causes. When we solve a problem, we should focus on solvable causes. Finding solvable causes is another essential step in Problem Solving. But problem solvers frequently do not extract solvable causes among causes. If we try to solve unsolvable causes, we waste time. Extracting solvable causes is a useful step to make Problem Solving efficient.
There are many different ways that we can solve our day to day problems. It is important to identify what the problem is because that will help drastically in figuring out what the best route to take for solving it will be.
Works Cited—Problem Solving: Definition, Terminology, and Patterns by, Hidetoshi Shibata. <www.mediafrontier.com/Article/PS/PS.htm>

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Solving Problems By Chris Bailey 2011

Are you the type of person who helps solve problems? Can your friends count on you if they need help with a problem? If you have children can they bring their problem to you? Everybody has problems in their life, some people can deal with them some cant.

As a parent of two children I would like to think that my kids would come to me with their problems. Though they wont always do so nor do I want to know some things that they have problems with, all you guys with daughters understand this, I would like to think I could solve their problems. But that might just hurt them in the long run. Every child needs to learn to think for themselves, learn to solve their own problems to become well adjusted human beings. Imagine if your parents had dealt with everything for you. Not only would you not have the experiences you may have had but you would not know your limits on what you can deal with.

Trial and error is a big part of growing up. Learning to deal with your problems emotionally and financially, going through having to pay your own bills and to make the rent and all of those things prepares you for solving problems in your life. You have to have control of your life there for you have to solve problems.

This is a problem for some people so there are people out there who you can turn too. Your friends and family can offer advice. They have guidance counselors to help you deal with problems, among many other organazations out there who can help.

*Problem Solving*
By: Keesa Wright

What is Problem Solving?

According to businessdictionary.com the definition of problem solving is that it describes the process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution, and an individual seeking to solve a problem will have to identify the most important elements that influence the answer and then work through a series of operations to determine a logical solution. Problem solving may include mathematical or systematic operations and can be a gauge of an individual’s critical thinking skills.
What is a process to go about problem solving?

Through grade school and junior high we were taught to use a process called U.G.L.Y. Each letter has a meaning and stands for a certain word. U is for “Understanding the Problem” which means one needed to understand the complete problem thoroughly before attempting to try to solve anything. G stands for “Getting a Plan” which means being able to come up with a plan to solve this problem before actually performing it. L stands for “Let’s Work it out” which means that one or many needs to work out the problem clearly and decides if it is what works best for the situation. Last, is Y which stands for “Yes it makes sense” which means that the problem worked out and checking over every detail to see if it makes sense to the one/ones performing the problem solving. This is one unique way to go about solving a problem someone might come across. It works well for students in cooperative learning, however, works great for adults in the everyday life. On the other hand it probably wouldn’t work for a “mind set” problem such as: attempting to lose weight, starting to quit smoking, or if one is having medical issues with his or her body.

There is another type of problem that many have to solve while going through school. This is the Mathematical Problem. According to criticalthinking.org there are several ways to go about doing a mathematical problem as well. Some of the different ways to go about a mathematical problem are:

Finding a Pattern
Making a Table
Working Backwards
Guess and Check
Drawing a Picture
Making a List
Writing a Number Sentence
Use Logical Reasoning.

There is another way that works for many as well. This solution to solving a problem is much like the “UGLY” way of solving. According to florida-rti.org problem solving can be put in a table just like the one below. The steps explain another way on how to go about performing the problem in order to receive a solution.

1. Define the problem by determining the discrepancy between what is expected and what is occurring. Ask, “What’s the problem?”
2. Analyze the problem using data to determine why the discrepancy is occurring. Ask, “Why is it taking place?”
3. Establish a student performance goal, develop an intervention plan to address the goal, and delineate how the student’s progress will be monitored and implementation integrity will be ensured. Ask, “What are we going to do about it?”
4. Use progress monitoring data to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention plan based on the student’s response to the intervention. Ask, “Is it working?” If not, how will the intervention plan be adjusted to better support the student’s progress

There isn’t just one solution to solving a problem for everyone. Each individual might find that solving a problem a specific way could be extremely difficult for them personally, however very simple for another. Therefore, the person who had difficulty solving the situation at first might find a different route to go about solving this particular problem, and they may not have as much difficulty the second way. Problem Solving happens in every person’s life daily. However, it is how the person goes about solving or attacking the problem that can get him or her to the solution in a much faster fashion.

Works Cited

"Glossary of Critical Thinking Terms." The Critical Thinking Community. Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009. Web. 28 Nov 2010. <http://www.criticalthinking.org/page.cfm?PageID=496&CategoryID=68#top>.

"Problem Solving." Business Dictionary. WebFinance, Inc, 2010. Web. 28 Nov 2010. <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/problem-solving.html>.

"Problem Solving Process." Florida. Florida Center for Interactive Media, n.d. Web. 28 Nov 2010. <http://www.florida-rti.org/flMod/problemSolving.htm>.

By: Jose Pena-Benjamin

Solving Problems

Throughout your life, you are continually solving problems, including the many minor problems that you solve each day. Negotiating a construction delay on the road, working through an unexpected difficulty at your job, helping an upset child deal with a disappointment. As a student, you are face with a steady stream of academic assignment, quizzes, exams, and papers. Relatively simple problems like these do not require a systematic or complex analysis. For example, to do well on an exam, you need to define the problem identify and evaluate various alternatives (what are possible study approaches?), and then put all these factors together to reach a solution.

Problems are the crucibles that forge the strength of our characters. When you are tested by life forced to overcome adversity and think your way through the most challenging situations, you will emerge a more intelligent, resourceful, and resilient person. However, if you lead a sheltered existence that insulates you from life’s trials, or if you flee from situations at the first sign of trouble, then you are likely to be weak and unable to cope with the eruptions and explosions that are bound to occur. Adversity reveals the person you have become, the character you have created. As the Roman philosopher and poet Lucretius explained, “So it is more useful to watch a man in times of peril, and in adversity to discern what kid of man he is; For then, at last, words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off, reality remains.”

The quality of your life can be traced in large measure to your competency as a problem-solver. The fact that some people are consistently superior problems-solvers is largely due to their ability to approach problems in an informed and organized way. Less competent problem-solvers just muddle through when it comes to confronting adversity, using hit-or-miss strategies that rarely provide the best results. How would you rate yourself as a problem-solver? Do you generally approach difficulties confidently, analyze them clearly, and reach productive solutions? Or do you find that you often get “lost” and to break out of mental ruts? Of course, you may find that you are very adept at solving problems in one area of your life, such as your job, and miserable at solving problems in others areas, such as your life or your relationships with your children.

Becoming an expert problem-solver is, for the most part, a learned skill that you can develop by practicing and applying the principles described in this chapter. You can learn to view problems as challenges, opportunities for the growth instead of obstacles or burdens. You can become a person who attacks adversity with confidence and enthusiasm. Successful problem-solvers are highly motivated and willing to persevere through the many challenges and frustrations of the problem-solving process. How do you find the motivation and commitment that prepare you to enter the problem-solving process?? http://www.writingforyourwealth.com/wp-content/themes/Cutline%201.1-3ColumnSplit/images/header_2.jpg

SOURCES: THE BOOK

Perceiving and Believing

Religion
By Quinnlyn Woofter

Religion: “belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny” There are several different religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism. Each one having million’s follow that type of religion. Each in everyone different in their own way, but with pretty much the same concept. Christianity is the world’s largest religion. So how does someone pick a religion? Most people follow the religion that they were taught by there parents. However, most should decide mostly by their need for ethical guidance and spiritual renewal. Visit churches and experience each one for yourself. See which religion sparks an interest.
I can not lie that I’m confused about what my religion should be. I believe there is a god and I do pray to him. I’m just not sure if I need to be attending church. If so, which one: Catholic, United Methodist, Wesleyan, First Presbyterian, Lutheran, Church of Christ, or the First Christian Church. All of these Churches are located in Colby. So, do I just need to put the names all in a hat and draw one out? I’m not positive my beliefs are right or wrong, but depending on the person I ask the opinion changes. This is where I become frustrated. Who do I listen to? Who can tell me what I need to know! I am lost and confused as to what I should do. Most of this I blame on my parents for not teaching me. This was their responsibility and they most definitely failed. Though my situation has been difficult I’m trying my best to figure out what I know is right.
1)http://www.typesofreligion.com/
2) http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2006/06/how-do-people-pick-religion.html
3)Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

Perceiving and Believing
By: Dane Olofson

As you look at the picture above, your visual sense is working through a series of process to help you, as a person, decide what it is that you are looking at. This action is an unconscious action taking place in your brain referred to as perception. Perception is defined by our texts as “actively selecting, organizing, and interpreting what is experienced by your senses.” This definition is clear cut, clearly defined as your senses decoding what you see and placing into a category that your brain is able to relate to. Now that your brain has decoded what you are looking at, the next step is to organize and sift through previous experiences to form a basis of knowledge of the subject. Beliefs are integral in this process. These are defined as “interpretations, evaluations, conclusions, or predictions about the world that we endorse as true.

Beliefs have been forming since birth. But how do we create these? Scientists have identified several methods that allow for the formation of beliefs. Experience is the formation of beliefs based upon what we have done. These can shift and adapt as we go through life, depending on things such as social setting or circumstance. Experiment creates beliefs in trial and error, or just the results of a test. Beliefs may also be formed after a process of internal reflection. This can also be used to strengthen the beliefs that were already formed during an experience. Finally, scientists have identified generalization as a method of building beliefs. These may be the most dangerous of the belief forming methods however, as they make work in one situation, but not in another.

These beliefs can be filed into three different categories. Reporting is “describing the world in ways that can be verified through investigation.” These beliefs can be checked to make sure that a statement is accurate. A person may take factual information and make a statement that is not known at the current time is to infer conclusions. Finally, judging is the expressing of an idea through a personal evaluation based upon personal criteria.

As you look at the picture above, which way is the staircase going? Ascending? Descending? There is no correct answer. The person looking at the same image right before may have a different conclusion than yours. The reason for the differing views is summarized by the effect of lenses. Each person will perceive and determine their answer based upon what previous knowledge they have concerning that subject. They have had a different experience or previous belief that has shaped the way that they interpret the image. The perception of different people may also stem from a difference in skill or rooted knowledge of a certain subject.

These two processes work hand in hand with each other. As you perceive something, your brain is working on forming a belief about it. The inverse is also occurring at the same time. Your beliefs are helping in the interpretation of what you perceive. As you perceive more in the world, your beliefs become stronger or more widely ranging.

WORKS CITED

Chaffee, John PhD. Thinking Critically. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 116-162. Print

“The Formation of Belief.” March 3, 2011. Web. http://changingminds.org/explanations/belief/belief_formation.htm.

Perceiving and Believing
By: Keesa Wright

What is perception?

According to John Chaffee when one perceives something he or she goes through three things: Selecting, Organizing, and Interpreting. The definition of perceive is to become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing. Another definition is to achieve understanding of; or apprehend. In other words to perceive means how someone looks at something or thinks about it with his or her own opinion. For example, look at the image below and say the color of the word as fast as you can and not the word itself.

Does everyone have a perception on something? How does each person perceive?

Every person has a specific “lens” they look through on how they think about a specific object or idea. Perceiving affects the ability for us to think because of how we personally as a person decide to “look” or “judge” it through our lens or eyes. Each person perceives in their mind what they want and pay a closer eye to what they have interest in. For example someone who lives and dies for football would probably not pay much attention or have much opinion on something with volleyball. It’s a good idea also for everyone to give others a chance to explain what they see or perceive in an opinion. It’s a good idea because every person should fully understand others point of view in order to better their own thoughts as well.

Each person has a perception on somebody as soon as they look at them. When someone looks at another they automatically “judge” who they are by looking at their clothes, hair, eyes, etc. Whether a person wants to or not they perceive without even knowing it. Just because one “judges” another doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing either.

What types of things affect our perception?

Many things through one’s life could affect his or her perception on many things very easy. One example would be just any experience through life that one person has gone through such as: losing a close family member, getting into a car wreck, drug usage, etc. Another way that one could be affected is how his or her parents chose to raise them specifically. Some parents believe in things that another set of parents might not. One more affect would be how somebody is educated in something. Someone who is just a graduate from high school may not have the same opinion as someone who just graduated with a law degree on the death penalty. Therefore, education may have changed that perception for that person. Some people have a strong perception on relationships and dating. Some people like dating much more than others who may have lost a love one or just had bad experiences with cheating, lying, etc.

What is believing?

The definition of believing is to accept as true or real or to credit with verocity. For example, if someone believes something they think as if it is true or real. When one perceives something he or she has already believed it also. Each person then has their own belief on each thing they perceive. Many people believe in religion, however, their ideas on what they believe or perceive may change over time depending on how he or she was raised by their parents.

Works Cited

Chaffee, John. "Chapter 4." Thinking Critically. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin,
2009. 118. Print.

"Perceiving." Business Dictionary. WebFinance, Inc, 2010. Web. 28 Nov 2010. <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/perceiving.html>.

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Believing and Perceiving
Gina Gultom

Believing and perceiving go hand in hand. To perceive something is to see it with your own eyes. Believing is something like faith, which is more mental than physical. Even though the two are different in their own way they are also quite similar. Some people have a hard time believing something if they haven’t had the chance to perceive it first.

Believing is confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. So many people think that believing in something means to believe in something religious, but really all it means is to believe in whatever it is that you believe in. It can be real or made up/imaginary. Anyone can tell you what to believe in but in the end it’s your own choice. The mind is a powerful thing and if you can believe in something so strongly then nothing will sway you.

Lots of people take offense when the words “what do you believe in?” are uttered. But really you can believe in anything. Just because you believe in something doesn’t mean you agree with it. For example, someone can say “I believe in ghosts.” But does that mean they think ghosts are a good thing? Well not necessarily. It’s all in your own perspective.

What does perceiving mean? It means to be aware, recognize, or even to understand. Perceptions vary from person to person. Different people perceive different things about the same situation. But more than that, we assign different meanings to what we perceive. And the meanings might change for a certain person. One might change one's perspective or simply make things mean something else.

Some people only believe once they have perceived something. Everyone is different and there really is no way to know. I do believe that everyone believes in something no matter how big or small it is.

Works Cited
www. yediah.blogspot.com
www.dictionary.com

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Perceiving and Believing

By: Jay Wessel

To perceive is to actively select, organize, and interpret what is experience by our senses. Our senses are our bridge to the world, making us aware of what occurs around us, and to become aware of the world around us through our senses is perceiving. We all have “lenses” that are affected by our past experiences and unique personalities, this is why two people can be exposed to the same stimuli and perceive different things. We need to be aware of these “lenses” to eliminate bias, and to be aware of other people’s “lenses” to better understand why they view things the way they do; and by doing these two things, we can become a better critical thinker. If we do not know about our lenses, then we can mistake our perceptions for objective truth without bothering to examine either the facts or others’ perceptions on a given issue.

When we perceive the world around us, we act as an active participant, always trying to understand the sensations encountered. As we perceive the world, our experiences are the result of combining the sensations we have with the way we understand these sensations. There are three distinct activities we engage in when we actively perceive. These are selecting, organizing, and interpreting. We select certain sensations to pay attention to, organize these sensations into a design or pattern, and interpret what this design or pattern means to us. These happen quickly, automatically, and often simultaneously, and we are normally unaware that we are performing these activities.

Our perceptions of the world are significantly influenced by tour past experiences: the way we were raised, the relationships we have had, and our training and education. Every dimension of “who” we are is reflected in our perceiving lenses. Our special interests and areas of expertise also affect how we see the world. It takes critical reflection to become aware of these powerful influences on our perceptions of the world and the beliefs we construct based on them. Perceptions, by themselves, do not provide a reliable foundation for understanding the world. Perceptions are often incomplete, distorted, and inaccurate. We use our beliefs to make sense of the world and to guide our actions.

Beliefs are interpretations, evaluations, conclusions, or predictions about the world that we endorse as true. An interpretation is an explanation or analysis of the meaning or significance of something. An evaluation is a judgment of the value or quality of something, based on certain standards. A conclusion is a decision made or an opinion formed after consideration of the relevant facts or evidence. A prediction is a statement about what will happen in the future.

Our perceptions form the foundation of many of our beliefs, and our beliefs about the world shape and influence our perceptions about it. The beliefs people have are likely to be based on a variety of perceptional experiences, but these experiences do not result in beliefs. To become beliefs, we must think about our perceptual experiences and then organize them into a belief structure. This is known as cognition, and it forms the basis of our understanding of the world.

Beliefs can differ from one another in several ways. There are three basic types of beliefs: reporting factual information, inferring, judging. Reporting factual information is to describe the world in ways that can be verified through investigation. Inferring is to describe the world in ways that are based on factual information yet going beyond this information to make statements about what is not currently know. Judging is to describe the world in ways that express an evaluation based on certain criteria. These three activities are used together to help describe and organize our world to help make sense of our experiences. They help us view the world as a complete picture.

Works Cited

Chaffee, John PhD. Thinking Critically. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 116-148. Print.

Brignall, Mary. "The Perception Process." Wisc-Online. Wisc-Online, 2010. Web. 29 Nov 2010.

Perceiving and Believing: By Kelsey Locke

What is Perceiving? One is to become aware of (something) through the senses, the sight or to recognize or observe using our five senses. For example, if it sunny outside you know that this is true. But to perceive the world, you have to have further concepts that help you represent the way you think about the world.

Some people relate with the world when they are taking in information. Whether they use the sensing preference or the instinctive preference, they are still interacting with the world around them no matter what. But when it comes to dealing with the outer world, people who tend to focus on making decisions and are more thought out on their decisions, tend to be called Judging sense, because like things decided. People who tend to focus on taking in information prefer perceiving because; they tend to stay open to a final decision in order to get more information and know all sides of the information.

Things that can change a person’s perception:

Past relationships can change the way someone looks at others relationship, depending on whether the experience was good or bad. That goes for most other experiences also. For example, if you had gotten attacked by a dog and he completely tore your hand apart; your perception of dogs might change just a little bit. From that moment on you might perceive all dogs to be vicious horrible creatures, when in someone else’s reality they know that, that isn’t true at all. Also they way you were raised can change your perception of things. It may not be exactly the same thing as when they were in childhood. So a lot of factors go into to perception and a person’s perception is constantly changing with every breath they take. People’s view of others also depends on whether you have a low self-esteem or a high self esteem. High self-esteem people tend to look at people are more open with what people think, not afraid to stick up for themselves, and are more outgoing with people. Whereas, low self-esteem people tend to be more critical of others, sensitive to others negative opinions, and find it hard to stick up for their selves.

What is Believing? It means to accept something as true (real), or it can even be thought of as an opinion. Believing in something means taking a certain side on the issue or topic at hand. (Faith) Believing could be more than just related with religion. It could be things like the tooth fairy and Santa Claus, or it could be things bigger like politics and believing in a God.

How is Perceiving and believing related?

A perceptual belief is something that is deeper than just viewing the world itself. Any creature can just simply see the world. With perceptual beliefs, you have more sophisticated beliefs that help you see the world in a different light. A good comparison for perceiving and believing is thinking of perceiving as philosophical; while believing would be more scientific. Both are very similar, but are also different in the same sense. When you perceive you see it with your own eyes, where as with believing it can also be seeing with your eyes, but it can also be in things that are unseen, such as religion.

Works Cited:

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/judging-or-perceiving.asp
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/aeldridge/communication/perception/of_others.htm
http://www.iep.utm.edu/epis-per/

Constructing Knowledge

Constructing Knowledge

The aim of action learning is to construct knowledge that is more comprehensive, valid and useful. Action Learning generally begins with insightful questioning in the light of the learners' experience which may include experience of very recent actions and recently introduced programmed knowledge

The following process outline suggests that in constructing knowledge there are several steps through which a learner may 'journey'. It is important to keep in mind that this is not linear but the steps and the processes involved are almost always iterative.

1. Insightful questioning (requires concepts and experience) regarding the situation being addressed, viz,
- what is there to know that might be of value?
- how might this knowledge be achieved?
2. Identifying likely sources of suitable 'data'
- Experience
- Actions
- Existing programmed knowledge
3. Acquire 'data'
- Identify the available data
- identify technology suitable for managing the data
- Capture the data (notes, camera, scanner…)
- Store the data (for future use)
4. Process the data into higher forms of knowledge
- data into information ( describes phenomena)
- information into knowledge (explains phenomena & enables prediction)
- knowledge into wisdom (guides judgements)
5. Use the knowledge
- apply it in one's own actions and future learning
- prepare it for the use of others, eg, use word-processing, a graphic…
- distribute it to others, eg, the phone, email, the web,

ICT and the Construction of Knowledge
From the above outline it is clear that the construction of knowledge involves considerable activity and experience. It could be informative to consider how ICT might be used to
• scaffold the activities involved and
• facilitate mediation of the learning process
at each stage of the above 'process'

From a constructivist point of view, people actively construct new knowledge as they interact with their environments.
Everything you read, see, hear, feel, and touch is tested against your prior knowledge and if it is viable within your mental world, may form new knowledge you carry with you. Knowledge is strengthened if you can use it successfully in your wider environment. You are not just a memory bank passively absorbing information, nor can knowledge be "transmitted" to you just by reading something or listening to someone.
This is not to say you can't learn anything from reading a web page or watching a lecture, obviously you can, it's just pointing out that there is more interpretation going on than a transfer of information from one brain to another.
Constructionism asserts that learning is particularly effective when constructing something for others to experience. This can be anything from a spoken sentence or an internet posting, to more complex artifacts like a painting, a house or a software package.
For example, you might read this page several times and still forget it by tomorrow - but if you were to try and explain these ideas to someone else in your own words, or produce a slideshow that explained these concepts, then it's very likely you'd have a better understanding that is more integrated into your own ideas. This is why people take notes during lectures (even if they never read the notes again).
Social constructivism extends constructivism into social settings, wherein groups construct knowledge for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. When one is immersed within a culture like this, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture, on many levels.
A very simple example is an object like a cup. The object can be used for many things, but its shape does suggest some "knowledge" about carrying liquids. A more complex example is an online course - not only do the "shapes" of the software tools indicate certain things about the way online courses should work, but the activities and texts produced within the group as a whole will help shape how each person behaves within that group.
This idea looks deeper into the motivations of individuals within a discussion:
Separate behaviour is when someone tries to remain 'objective' and 'factual', and tends to defend their own ideas using logic to find holes in their opponent's ideas.
Connected behaviour is a more empathic approach that accepts subjectivity, trying to listen and ask questions in an effort to understand the other point of view.
Constructed behaviour is when a person is sensitive to both of these approaches and is able to choose either of them as appropriate to the current situation.
In general, a healthy amount of connected behaviour within a learning community is a very powerful stimulant for learning, not only bringing people closer together but promoting deeper reflection and re-examination of their existing beliefs.
Consideration of these issues can help to focus on the experiences that would be best for learning from the learner's point of view, rather than just publishing and assessing the information you think they need to know. It can also help you realise how each participant in a course can be a teacher as well as a learner. Your job as a 'teacher' can change from being 'the source of knowledge' to being an influencer and role model of class culture, connecting with students in a personal way that addresses their own learning needs, and moderating discussions and activities in a way that collectively leads students towards the learning goals of the class.
Moodle doesn't FORCE this style of behaviour, but this is what the designers believe that it is best at supporting. In future, as the technical infrastructure of Moodle stabilises, further improvements in pedagogical support will be a major direction for Moodle development.

www.moodle.org/philosophy

www.educ.utas.edu.au/users

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Constructing Knowledge
By Andres Gimeno

Constructing Knowledge
The aim of action learning is to construct knowledge that is more comprehensive, valid and useful. Action Learning generally begins with insightful questioning in the light of the learners' experience which may include experience of very recent actions and recently introduced programmed knowledge

 
The following process outline suggests that in constructing knowledge there are several steps through which a learner may 'journey'. It is important to keep in mind that this is not linear but the steps and the processes involved are almost always iterative.
 
1. Insightful questioning (requires concepts and experience) regarding the situation being addressed, viz, 
        - what is there to know that might be of value?
        - how might this knowledge be achieved?
2. Identifying likely sources of suitable 'data'
        - Experience
        - Actions
        - Existing programmed knowledge
3.  Acquire 'data'
        - Identify the available data 
        - identify technology suitable for managing the data
        - Capture the data (notes, camera, scanner…) 
        - Store the data (for future use)
4.  Process the data into higher forms of knowledge
        - data into information ( describes phenomena)
        - information into knowledge (explains phenomena & enables prediction)
        - knowledge into wisdom (guides judgements)
5.  Use the knowledge
        - apply it in one's own actions and future learning
        - prepare it for the use of others, eg, use word-processing, a graphic…
        - distribute it to others, eg, the phone, email, the web, 
 
ICT and the Construction of Knowledge
From the above outline it is clear that the construction of knowledge involves considerable activity and experience. It could be informative to consider how ICT might be used to
scaffold the activities involved and
facilitate mediation of the learning process
at each stage of the above 'process'
http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/ilwebb/Research/constructing_knowledge.htm
http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/ilwebb/Research/construction.gif

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Language and Thought

Language and Thought

By: Destiny Mikkelson

Language is something many of us take for granted, an integrated part of our lives that is learned at an early age and rarely given much thought. Many believe that our thoughts determine what we say, but isn’t it possible that the language we use is what determines our thoughts? If we take a closer look at how language is constructed it gets complicated, and many philosophers have debated over whether language or thought came first. Though it may seem obvious that thought would have to come first as we would need thought in order to create language, recently more and more philosophers argue that language determines our thoughts much more often than we may realize. Through research on mental representation, language learning, meaning, and use we have discovered that different languages across the globe describe our world in drastically different ways. Because these languages use different genders or tenses or cases, it could alter the way people view the world.

You may have heard of the term “lost in translation”: the main concept being that some parts of language are simply untranslatable between different languages. Even people who speak the same language can have confusion and misunderstanding! In some places language is used very sparingly suggesting its importance regarding an individual’s view on the world is very small. Despite the weak influence of language in these parts of the world, the people who live there still notice and understand the same concepts other people in more verbal societies do.

One belief regarding language and thought holds that the primary function of language is to enable people to convey their thoughts to those they are communicating with. Basically the speaker verbalizes a specific thought using words they believe the hearer will be able to understand and recognize. The only way this can work is if both the speaker and hearer share the same understanding of language. This is built around the idea that there has to be a relation between what happens in the mind of the speaker and what happens in the mind of the hearer, and that the recognition of it will coincide. If the main intention of the thought expressed by the speaker does not match that which the hearer concludes to be the message, then you have a failure of communication.

According to the Language of Thought Hypothesis, thought and thinking take place in a mental language. Our mental representations are expressed using language as a means to communicate our ideas to others in a way they can understand. This suggests naturally that thought is first, language being used second as a tool to verbally express thoughts. Although if we take a closer look at the Language of Thought Hypothesis it also suggests that our mental representations are like sentences formed in our brains, a language of its own. Due to the structuring of these mental processes we can relate this content to a language that our verbalization creates a computation that is understood by others in a traditional manner.

In conclusion, there are a vast variety of different theories and ideas regarding language and thought. Though these scientific theories help us delve deeper into the mysteries of how language and thought work together and influence us in every society, they all suggest that language and thought are both integral parts of communication. As stated in Wikipedia: “upon introspection we seem to think in the language we speak”.

Works Cited:
http://www.philosophytalk.org/pastShows/LanguageThought.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/language-thought/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_and_thought

By: Jose Pena-Benjamin

Language and Thought

Every time we use language, we send a message about our thinking. When we speak or write, we are conveying ideas, sharing feelings, and describing experiences. At the same time, language itself shapes and influences thinking. When language use sloppy, vague, general, indistinct, imprecise, foolish, inaccurate it leads to the same sort of thinking.
No one would disagree with the claim that language and thought interact in many significant ways. There is great disagreement, however, about the proposition that each specific language has its own influence on the thought and action of its speakers. On the one hand, anyone who has learned more than one language is struck by the many ways in which languages differ from one another. But on the other hand, we expect human beings everywhere to have similar ways of experiencing the world.
Comparisons of different languages can lead one to pay attention to 'universals'—the ways in which all languages are similar, and to 'particulars' —the ways in which each individual language, or type of language, is special, even unique. Linguists and other social scientists interested in universals have formulated theories to describe and explain human language and human language behavior in general terms as species-specific capacities of human beings.
However, the idea that different languages may influence thinking in different ways has been present in many cultures and has given rise to many philosophical treatises. Because it is so difficult to pin down effects of a particular language on a particular thought pattern, this issue remains unresolved. It comes in and out of fashion and often evokes considerable energy in efforts to support or refute it.
Relativity and Determinism
There are two problems to confront in this arena: linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism. Relativity is easy to demonstrate. In order to speak any language, you have to pay attention to the meanings that are grammatically marked in that language. For example, in English it is necessary to mark the verb to indicate the time of occurrence of an event you are speaking about: It's raining; It rained; and so forth. In Turkish, however, it is impossible to simply say, 'It rained last night'. This language, like many American Indian languages, has more than.

Language is like a set of symbolic building blocks. The basic blocks are blocks are sounds, which may be symbolized by letters. Sounds forms the phonetic foundation of a language, and this process explains why different languages have distinctly different “sounds.” Try having members of the class who speak other languages speak a word or a few sentences in the languages they know. Listen to how the sound of each language differs from those of the others.
When humans are infants, they are able to make all the sounds of all languages. As they are continually exposed to the specific group of sounds of their society’s language, they gradually concentrate on making only those sounds while discarding or never developing the others. People are tired of using the same old terms and words to get their point across in a most powerful way, so that's were using metaphors will make life more interesting.

SOURCES: www.oppapers.com/essays/Language-Thought/93362
“THINKING CRITICALLY”

Language and Thought

Jackie Robledo

You might think our thought simply determines what we say. But maybe the language we speak is what really determines the thoughts we can have. As Wittgenstein famously wrote, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." And Benjamin Lee Whorf held that the language you speak has a systematic influence on how you think about and interact with reality.

We begin by asking which comes first -language or thought? For a long time it seemed like thought obviously came first, but more recent philosophy suggests that language molds our thought more than previously considered. Studies point out that you can have a thought and then express it in language, but also that your language creates the world for you and determines the way you think.

When linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf asked whether the language we speak shapes the way we think and see the world. If so, then language is not merely a means of expressing thought, but a constraint on it, too. Although philosophers, anthropologists, and others have weighed in, with most concluding that language does not shape thought in any significant way, the field has been notable for a distressing lack of empiricism—as in testable hypotheses and actual data.

Language even shapes what we see. People have a better memory for colors if different shades have distinct names—not English's light blue and dark blue, for instance, but Russian's goluboy and sinly. Skeptics of the language-shapes-thought claim have argued that that's a trivial finding, showing only that people remember what they saw in both a visual form and a verbal one, but not proving that they actually see the hues differently. In an ingenious experiment, however, Boroditsky and colleagues showed volunteers three color swatches and asked them which of the bottom two was the same as the top one. Native Russian speakers were faster than English speakers when the colors had distinct names, suggesting that having a name for something allows you to perceive it more sharply. Similarly, Korean uses one word for "in" when one object is in another snugly (a letter in an envelope), and a different one when an object is in something loosely (an apple in a bowl). Sure enough, Korean adults are better than English speakers at distinguishing tight fit from loose fit.

Science has only scratched the surface of how language affects thought. In Russian, verb forms indicate whether the action was completed or not as in "she ate [and finished] the pizza." In Turkish, verbs indicate whether the action was observed or merely rumored. Boroditsky would love to run an experiment testing whether native Russian speakers are better than others at noticing if an action is completed, and if Turks have a heightened sensitivity to fact versus hearsay. Similarly, while English says "she broke the bowl" even if it smashed accidentally (she dropped something on it, say), Spanish and Japanese describe the same event more like "the bowl broke itself." "When we show people video of the same event," says Boroditsky, "English speakers remember who was to blame even in an accident, but Spanish and Japanese speakers remember it less well than they do intentional actions. It raises questions about whether language affects even something as basic as how we construct our ideas of causality."

Language is more than just a means of communication. It influences our culture and even our thought processes. The cultural environment that people grow up in can have surprising effects on how they interpret the world around them.

Work Cited:
Chaffee, John PhD. Language and Thought. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 204. Print.

http://anthro.palomar.edu/language/language_5.htm

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MVsIsubaXIE/TDsvx-SmzoI/AAAAAAAAHMg/PLbAQ2-IS4w/s1600/language___thought7186.JPG&imgrefurl=http://chetana0208.blogspot.com/&usg=__RCjr2fMRw2_AIGVP9-Q4zL6E0Q8=&h=620&w=450&sz=44&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=9DbyKUbu4ySi1M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlanguage%2Band%2Bthought%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D607%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=703&vpy=63&dur=2083&hovh=264&hovw=191&tx=110&ty=110&ei=gvHpTLX-MIKknQf03tH-DA&oei=gvHpTLX-MIKknQf03tH-DA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

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Language and Thought

This chapter is mostly about the evolution of language, how it is used and the differences among itself. Considering the length of the chapter I will be going over the key points, with short synopsizes. The subject matter is as follows; Language, Semantic, Perceptual, Syntactic, Pragmatic. Also we’ll be discussing how to use language effectively, clarify thinking, and to influence people.
The book defines language as “a system of symbols for thinking and communicating”. These symbols we use everyday come in two primary forms, spoken words and written symbols. The book uses the example of sailboat, a sailboat is a sea going vessel that is powered by the wind using its sail. Someone would not be able to understand this symbol unless they too agree to the fact it is a sea going vessel. If they do, you conveyed the symbol correctly and you two (or more) are communicating with one another. Language is probably the best tool that we have; it is essentially able to “represent various aspects of our experience”.
The semantic meaning is what articulates the meaning between two things; a linguistic event and a nonlinguistic event. The term for semantic meaning is denotative meaning, it basically tell the general properties of the word, which then is used to tell how it is to be used in the language system. The perceptual meaning is what articulates the relationship between the linguistic event and the individual’s consciousness. This also means that it will include the individual’s positive and negative feelings toward the word. That is why it is sometimes called connotative meaning, essentially the basic and literal meaning with everything that relates to the word or what it happens to connote to you.
The syntactic meaning is large part of a words total meaning, it conveys three “relationships among words”; Content-words that express the major message of the sentence. Description-words that elaborate or modify the major message of the sentence. And Connection- words that join the major message of the sentence. It essentially defines the relationship between itself and to all the other words in the sentence. To clarify further it extends to all spoken and written words along with all words yet to be spoken and written. The final part of the words meaning is the pragmatic meaning. It encompasses the individual talking and the situation in which the word is spoken.
To use language effectively for writing or speaking, you must understand how it functions when it is used properly. There are several methods you can use, one being read books and novels, the essential works of well-known and recognized authors. To read widely and to communicate fully and effectively using a wider range of words then just a few common words. Then probably the best example and strategy to use is too simply write something and have someone critique it. To clarify thinking is rather simple, to speak clearly, once must think clearly. The English language has deteriorated over the years, with things such as slang, if we just took the necessary steps to clear this up, things would be much more clear in the language we use thus so too would the writing. The two, language and thinking, are intertwined together.

Using language to influence others is done for the explicit reason of controlling ones behavior. Most ways of doing this are through two main types of languages; Euphemistic and Emotive. Euphemistic language is simply using many words to express one thing that may be a bit tough to say. The book uses the example of “death”, using expressions like “passed away”, “went to a better place”. Emotive language can be used in a range of ways, but it all comes back to being able to stir feelings in ones’ self and others to persuade someone to act in a certain manner. The book uses, the perfect example, of politicians.
We covered everything stated in the introduction to this paper, however briefly. I hope this gives a general understanding of how Language, Semantic, Perceptual, Syntactic, Pragmatic and using language effectively, clarify thinking, and to influence people, function and how they can be used and what they are used for.
By Matthew Espinoza
Chaffee, John. "Language and Thought and Relating and Organizing." Thinking Critically. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Heinle, 2009. Print.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2MaA4DJpCLU/TOHLrBLGaQI/AAAAAAAAAEU/RFxvXMSAuZA/s1600/ketuanan_top.jpg

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Concepts

Concepts

By: Destiny Mikkelson

A concept, or “unit of knowledge”, is traditionally defined as an abstract idea or mental symbol built from other units that act as a concept’s characteristics. Concepts are applicable to almost any aspect of life, and is a much more complex understanding of normal ideas and thoughts. Self-concept is just one example of a concept that is based in cognitive thinking that relates to how we see ourselves. Our self-concept is often shaped by what we learn as we grow and develop, and influenced by the people we associate with along the way. Your self-concept changes throughout your life and your behavior shaped by the roles we play within society. These roles not only affect our self-concept but also help others recognize us. These roles can also define what is expected of us in certain situations.

The concept that we are “stuck” in these roles however can be detrimental to our progress as a human, restricting us. Although it is helpful to understand what is expected of us in a particular role, I believe it is also important to know that you can live outside of the box . There is a great deal of importance placed on how other people see you, what they think of you, and in some ways that can serve to motivate an individual to be better and possibly help them correct any bad characteristics. It is important to not let other peoples’ opinions and ideas about oneself to affect you in a negative manner as that would only serve to make things worse.

Comparison is another trap that leads to unhappiness with oneself. If your self-concept is poor, comparing yourself to those that appear to be happier, richer, smarter, or more attractive can lower your confidence within yourself. Realizing that every person is unique and has their own distinct individual characteristics can help a person see their value. The accumulation of knowledge we have about our own personality, physical characteristics, goals, and abilities all form our self-concept.

Culture also greatly affects our self-concept, especially in collectivist societies where most perspectives are generally the same. In Western cultures, their individualism societies make it harder for people in those societies to understand people from other cultures. Research on the differences between these two very different types of societies shows that it is much harder for people in individualistic societies to see another’s point of view, as the self-concepts in individualism societies tend to be defined by individual goals and ideas.

The psychology of concepts has been studied consistently , and research on concepts in psychology and neuropsychology show that it would be a mistake to attempt classifying all into one single theory of concepts. As our knowledge about the mind progresses, our understanding of the cognitive influence upon concepts will evolve.

Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept
http://social.jrank.org/pages/554/Self-Concept.html
http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/07/13/culture-influences-perception/1011.html

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CODY MEAD

Jeet Kune Do, The Way of The Intercepting Fist

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, add what is essentially your own”. This is one of the primary concepts of the hybrid martial art style created by Bruce Lee in the late 1960’s. Lee was trained throughout his childhood in several combat styles, including: wing chun, kung fu, boxing and fencing. He implemented many things from these styles into Jeet Kune Do when developing it. Now, when you think of martial arts styles you probably think about a diligent, dedicated set of actions and movements and this how one differentiates between each style. This is quite true for typical styles of martial arts.

Bruce Lee, however, had a very different view of martial arts. He did not believe in having a certain style, he believed that people should (rather than becoming dedicated to a specific style) express themselves freely through martial arts. Lee thought styles separated people, rather than uniting them as martial artists. “Man, he is constantly growing and when he is bound by a set pattern of ideas or way of doing things, that’s when he stops growing.”

Lee believed that the martial arts system should be as flexible as possible. He would often use water in analogies to describe the importance of being flexible, for example: “Be formless, shapeless…like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. If you put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, or it can crash…be water.”

An idea Lee utilized that I believe is extremely important to remember is similar to the old “teach a man to fish” saying. Lee said that you could teach someone a certain block (of any style) and you would then know that block, but if you teach someone the concept of blocking, then you have given them an area of thinking behind what blocking is and they can develop their own style of blocking.

Jeet Kune Do seeks to waste no time or movement, teaching that the simplest things work best. Economy of motion is the principle by which Jeet Kune Do practitioners achieve:
• Efficiency: An attack which reaches its target in the least amount of time, with maximum force.
• Directness: Doing what comes naturally in a discipline way.
• Simplicity: Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.
This is meant to help a practitioner conserve both energy and time; two crucial components in a physical confrontation. Maximized force seeks to end the battle quickly due to the amount of damage inflicted upon the opponent.

I believe that all the ideas and concepts that Bruce Lee put into Jeet Kune Do are very influential and useful to try to incorporate into your everyday life.
• Being able to easily adapt, like water.
• Stand out and be different, by developing your own style.
• Teach someone the concept of an idea, so they can develop their own interpretation of the idea.
• The simplest things work best; I think this is very often true.
• When a person is bound by a set of ideas or a routine, they stop growing or stop learning

Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Brandon Lee. Legacy Productions Limited, 1995.

Lee, Bruce. Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Estate of Bruce Lee. 1975.

Organization

Organization by
Austin Russell

Organization is an important part of the human life. It is vital to achieve success in every part of life. Organization can keep your daily activities in order and make daily life simpler.

1. Use a calendar. A calendar helps you keep track of upcoming events and items to remember. Another thing a calendar does is let you cross off the days. This gives you a sense of accomplishment knowing that everything for that day has been done, and that you are ready to move on to the next day’s tasks.

o It should be placed where you will see it every day during your regular routine.
2. 2
Use a planner. A planner is similar to a calendar, and should not replace it, but be used along with one. A planner is basically a portable calendar. You can take it with you wherever you go. A planner allows you to put more information and details in each day.
3. 3
Make lists. The minute you start to feel overwhelmed, write them. Try to do this at least once a week in a kind of "brain dump" – put everything on your list that you've thought about, made other lists about, or has been taking up your mental or physical energy.
o Order the items on your list in matter of importance. If there are large items or projects, make a separate list with the steps for each of those projects.
o Then, order them in the time it will take to accomplish (from the most amount of time to the least amount of time).
o Be sure to set a timeline for each of your tasks. Having a time slot for each item on the list helps you know that there is no need to rush to finish things. Just take the time that you have granted yourself and do the job well.
o Get moving! A list is just a list unless you implement the actionable items on those lists.
4. 4
Take care of every single piece of paper you come across as soon as possible.
Carry a pen and paper with you at all times. Everyone should write things down, even if they have a great memory. You are going to forget some things, and if you write it down, there is no possible way you can forget them. Writing things down and then saying it out loud is another way of helping you remember something.
When you need to tackle a large organization project that could become overwhelming, use a timer to reduce stress. Set the timer for 15 minutes and get as much of the project done as you can before the timer runs out. When your time is up, take a break to avoid mental overload.
Create a chore chart for yourself. Once you have organized your space, make a list of a few small chores to do each day to help you keep up with your organization.
5. 8
Always keep your room clean and tidy.
6. 9
Be consistent and follow through. You need to discipline yourself to follow through with the things listed on your to-do list. Stop procrastinating and get doing.

TIPS
Listen to music - classical, trance, tribal drums, thunderstorms… the idea is to allow yourself to become relaxed and allow a clear mind to allow you to focus on what is important.
Allow thoughts to come and pass; do not dwell on them, as they may return to you in time…
Work in fifteen minute chunks if you're having trouble motivating yourself. You can do anything for fifteen minutes — even those list items that seem really daunting or unpleasant. Just get started.
Separating tasks into "like" lists can help, too. All your business stuff on one list, all your stuff for a particular hobby on another…that kind of thing.
Keep your lists in one location; a calendar works well, but only keep one calendar. That way your lists and important events stay in one place. Keep an ongoing blank calendar or sheet with the months on it with important dates and add to it from year to year and check this list each month. You'll never miss an anniversary or birthday again. How thoughtful you are!
If you keep losing things, try using boxes. Make sure you label them, for example, a collection of toy cars. Write "Car Collection" on the box.
www.wikihow.com/Organize-Your-Life

Organization
By Tyler Hayes
When dealing with a lot of numbers or people organization is key to being successful. Schedules must be made to keep everyone’s times in order but that is just the start. A clean workspace is always an effective work space things must be kept in top shape to manufacture at a maximum capacity.

1
Evaluate your current organizational strategies. Whether your task is to organize your closet or to organize a new file system for a business, first you must determine what, if any, system already exists. Perhaps your predecessor established a system that is no longer optimal for how your office works so no one takes the time to utilize it. A meeting with all the people who use the system can be scheduled at which you can brainstorm the features that a better system should contain. If your organizational task is more personal, such as your own desk or closet, for example, start by making a list of the things that must be organized there.
1. 2
Recognize whether you think more linearly or more globally. Linear thinkers will do best with a system that is numbered or alphabetized, while global thinkers will do best with a more conceptual approach. Create labels or a diagram that will help you to determine the categories of items which you must organize. Write this down because it will become a plan for you to follow as you establish the initial system of organization. Save it in case you forget where you put anything or if you need to train others to maintain the system. If your organizational task involves other team members, show them the plan before making it final because their input will perhaps provide even better suggestions.
2. 3
Buy items that will make organization easy such as hanging files, shelves, cabinets and storage boxes. Put labels on them so that you can easily remember where everything goes. Create the same files on your computer so that you will be able to store electronic documents using the same system as you use with hard copies if you are organizing papers for either the home or the business context.
3. 4
Chunk the tasks so that they are achievable within the time that you are able to set aside for organizing. Start with the smallest chunk because even a small amount of progress will function as an encouragement for you to continue. Budget enough time to implement a new organizational system so that you do not become overwhelmed or frustrated. A great habit to develop is only to handle something once, before making a decision about whether it needs to be acted on, discarded or filed. Then do what is indicated. Should a future action be indicated, place it on your calendar or task list. Set a reminder and file the paper so that you can find it when you will actually need it.

Without organization everything in the workspace would be chaotic. How can people expect to get any work done when nobody knows what’s going on? These steps are minor pieces of the large puzzle called organization.

Read more: How to Develop Organizational Skills | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4794956_develop-organizational-skills.html#ixzz1FNMKdrIR

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Organizing

By: Jay Wessel

As active participants in composing our world, we need to organize our world into meaningful patterns that will help us figure out what is going on and what we should do. There are three basic ways of organizing: chronological and process, comparative and analogical, and casual relationships. Chronological is relating events in time sequence and process is relating aspects of the growth or development of an event or object. Comparative is relating things in the same general category in terms of similarities and dissimilarities, and analogical is relating things belong to different categories in terms of each other. Casual is relating events in terms of the way some event is responsible for bringing about other events. These thinking patterns play an active role in the way we perceive, shape, and organize our world to make it understandable to us.

Chronological and process relationships organize events or ideas in terms of their occurrence in time. Chronological organizes them into a series of events in the sequence in which they occurred. Process organizes them into a series of steps necessary for reaching a certain goal. The simplest examples of chronological patterns are logs or diaries, where people record things that occurred at given points in time. The oldest and most universal form of chronological expression is that narrative – a way of thinking and communicating in which someone tells a story about experiences they have had. To perform a process analysis, you need two steps. The first is to divide the activity to be analyzed into two parts or stages. The second is to explain the movement of the process through these parts or stages from beginning to end. This helps give people a step-by-step instruction in how to perform an activity, or to simply give information about a process, not to teach them.

Comparative and analogical relationships focus on the similarities and/or dissimilarities among different objects, events, or ideas. Comparative relate things in the same general category in terms of their similarities and differences. We use comparisons to make a choice and this process can provide information on which you can base an intelligent decision. Analogical relate things in entirely different categories in terms of their similarities. These are known as analogies, and the goal is to clarify or illuminate a concept from one category by saying that it is the same as a concept from a very different category. Identifying similarities between very different things can often stimulate us to see these things in a new light, from a different perspective than we are used to. This can result in a clearer and more complete understanding of things. Within analogies there are also similes and metaphors. A simile is an explicit comparison between basically dissimilar things made for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared. A metaphor is an implied comparison between basically dissimilar things made for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared.

Casual relationships involve relating events in terms of the influence or effect they have on one another. This would be like a cause and effect relationship. A cause is anything that is responsible for bringing about something else, thus an effect. We make casual statements all the time and we are always thinking in terms of causal relationships. Much of our goals in our thinking is to figure out why something happened or how something came about. There are three forms of cause and effect: causal chains, contributory causes, and interactive causes. Causal chains are a situation in which one thing leads to another, which then leads to another, and so on. Contributory causes are when causes act simultaneously to produce an effect. Each cause serves to support and reinforce the action of the other causes, all contributing to bringing about the final effect. Interactive causes are causes that can relate to one another through reciprocal influences that flow back and forth from one to the other.

Thinking patterns or relationships are the mechanisms we use to relate and organize concepts so that we can make sense of our world. Each of the thinking relationships helps us figure out what has happened in that past, what is occurring in the present, and what will happen in the future. We use these patterns to reveal the way the world is and also to impose our own interpretations on the vents of our experience.

Works Cited

Chaffee, John PhD. Thinking Critically. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 279-300. Print.

http://www.philosophypages.com/lg/e14.htm

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/downloads/articles/analogies-criticalthinking.pdf

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/organization.htm

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Relating and Organizing
In this paper of Relating and Organizing we’ll discuss Chronological and Process Relationships, Comparative and Analogical Relationships and Casual Relationships. The amount of detail of each of these topics will vary due to the fact that I must condense this paper to 600 words. We will start in order with Chronological and Process Relationships, then Comparative and Analogical Relationships and then Cause Relationships.
Chronological is “relating events in time sequence”. Process is “relating aspects of the growth or development of an event or object”. These two seem to differ on emphasis, but work well together. While the chronological view is taking events in a time sequence the process view organizes the steps of an activity in order, to reach a goal. The examples to consider for Chronological relationships are diaries, logs and possibly the best, narratives. The narrative is the best because it is used in every culture has used it, it has a purpose, and focuses on a plot, and expresses a meaningful point of view. The process approach “focuses on relating aspects of the growth and development of an event or experience.” In other words it breaks down an event into two steps, the first is to break up the event into steps or stages and the second is to explain how to move between those steps. The goals behind the process view are to show people step-by-step instructions and to give information about a process, but not to teach them how to do it.
Comparative is “relating things in the same general category in terms of similarities and dissimilarities”. Analogical is “relating things belonging to different categories in terms of each other”. The examples in the book for comparative views are akin to shopping for a car. You compare the similarities and differences among the vehicles you are looking at, such as the make, model, year, color and probably the most important, cost. The book uses the same example for the analogical view, comparing a used, beat up car, to a lemon. The view brings out the similarities, not the differences, between the two through an analogy. Though you may not always be aware of doing things such as a systematic process of comparison. Whether you are buying a car or a sandwich, you are holding factors of comparison more than others. The analogical view is all about analogies, trying to explain a complicated concept.
Casual is “relating events in terms of the way some event(s) is/are responsible for bringing about the other event(s)”. The books example is extremely simple, pinching your arm. Casual relationships are simply a cause and effect relationship, thus the books example of pinching your arm is perfect. The act of pinching your arm is thus creating the effect, pain. You are constantly thinking in terms of casual relationships, cause and effect, “how did this come to be?”, “how was this made?”, if you can figure out how these came to pass, you can try to predict what may happen in the future, based on those accounts.
I hope the brief overview I gave of each of these topics gave you some insight into Relating and Organizing. Each technique is vital to our daily understanding, whether we are aware of it or not. Please keep what you learned from this paper in mind throughout your day and see what all your doing in just one conversation, event or experience.
By Matthew Espinoza
Chaffee, John. "Language and Thought and Relating and Organizing." Thinking Critically. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Heinle, 2009. Print.
http://thinkingcriticallypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/critical-thinking.jpg

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Not thinking Literally
Alyssa Mustard

We don’t think literally as much as we think with visuals, analogies and metaphors. Thinking with visuals such as using pictures to help solve problems, help us think about complex issues as well as communicate more effectively. We also use analogy which is a comparison between two things, it points out two things that might be different in all other aspects. By providing a child with practice in identifying analogies, will not only help improve their IQ but also improve the childs analytical thinking, problem solving, perception, spatial skills, memory and creativity.
• Thinking analogically requires learners to:
o Actively process information
o Make important connections
o Use information and skills to identify relationships
o Construct relationships and generate new knowledge
o Improve understanding and long term memory

We also use metaphors because they’re better than facts because they engage our whole brain. Thinking with metaphors is good because it gets you involved. “Humans tend to or prefer to use metaphors. Much of it is laziness, and some of it is how our brain tries to work efficiently.”

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/12524-Thinking-in-metaphors.html

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Organizational Behavior as Seen Through a Taoist Lens
Cody Mead

Organizational behavior has to do with studying how people act within organizations to help people understand how to make their companies run more efficiently. We all know that businesses don't work without people on each side of the spectrum, the product/service provider and the consumer. We know that a business will most likely fail if it has good employees but the manager lacks the necessary skills and knowledge to oversee the operation and visa-versa. Each needs the other to coexist. This is where we can begin to look at the organizational behavior concepts through the eyes of a taoist. Tao can be described as the ultimate principle of the universe, this meaning balance. Some may know this concept better as Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang are used to describe how contrary forces are interconnected to interdependent in the natural world. Nothing exists that can escape this duality of positive and negative, masculine (yang) and feminine (yin). These two forces exist in dynamic balance when there is harmony. Imbalance of Yin and Yang causes discord and dysfunction. Note that yang does not mean male, nor does yin mean female. Both parts are in all individuals, with different proportions of each essence.

Having and not having arise together.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short contrast each other.
High and low rest upon each other.
Front and back follow one another.
(Feng and English, 1972, verse 2).

These same principles hold true to concepts of organizational behavior. When the yang essence and yin essence are in balance with each other there will be harmony within the organization. Yang is the assertive, rational, function oriented part of the organization, Yin is the structured, nurturing element of the organization. If an organization cannot provide a supportive environment, employees will not produce results. An organization requires two kinds of people to function efficiently:
• Internals (yang) – people suited to positions requiring higher levels of initiative and independence of action.
• Externals (yin) – people that work better in structured and routine type environments where success depends on direction of others.
As mentioned earlier, without willing people to work, an organization would go nowhere; likewise an organization with poor management will eventually fail. Depending on the organization, they may operate better with a more dominate yin attitude, or visa-versa.

There are 7 characteristics that capture the essence of an organization. This list more or less can be represented by yin and yang. We have innovation and risk taking, attention to detail, out-come orientation, and aggressiveness representing a yang essence. Then we have people-orientation, team orientation, and stability suggestive of a yin essence. An organization may be predominantly yang (result-oriented) or may be predominantly yin (people-oriented). The dominance of yin or yang in an organization may also shift at times; this is also true of different departments or units within the organization.

Different types of organizations my dictate their balance of yin and yang as well. For example, a health service provider would naturally have a stronger yin essence because its primary purpose is helping people. Car lots however have a stronger yang essence, the primary concern of employees is to be aggressive and manipulate the customer into buying a car. Human resources departments need to be nurturing and people oriented. Marketing needs to be aggressive and convincing to sell a product.

The true goal however is to have a balance of yin and yang in yourself and within an organization’s culture. The yin qualities (people/team orientation and stability) provide a foundation while the yang energies push forward and get results. An excellent statement of this comes from an investigation of Japanese management practices in the 80’s when Pascale and Athos (1981) concluded that excellent organizations balance the hard S’s (strategy, structure, and systems) with the soft S’s (style, skills, staff and superordinate goals). Many companies tend to excel in one area while neglecting the other.

Viewing principles of Taoism along-side concepts of organizational behavior we can suggest a general balance of yin and yang is essential for optimal performance and harmony of an organization. This may prove to be a useful general guide for managerial problem solving.

Works Cited

Durlabhji, Subhash. 2004, The Tao of Organization Behavior. (Kluwer Academic Publishers).

Feng, G. and J. English: 1972, Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching (Vintage Books).

Pascale, R. T. and A. G. Athos: 1981, The Art of Japanese Management (Simon and Scuster).

Moral Issues

Sex Before Marriage: Is it morally right or wrong?
By Quinnlyn Woofter
In today’s society it seems that saving yourself for marriage is outdated and prudish, however, back in the day you were shun upon for having premarital sex. So, who’s decides whether or not its morally right or wrong. Who do we give the power to make this decision? Who are we to judge someone on if they have had sex before marriage, shouldn’t it be their choice? We need to step back and look at this topic from every angle. It does not make someone a bad person just because they lost their virginity before the big night. It probably wasn’t the best decision someone could make, but it happened and there is nothing they can do about it. Sex before marriage isn’t the worst thing someone could do! However, the more wise decision would be to wait till your wedding night. Waiting till your wedding night is a prized tradition, that more should take into consideration.

It is probably a good idea to save yourself for the one you plan on marrying one day. Its giving your partner a gift that you can only give away once. It helps stop the possibility of spreading STDs and AIDS, or having a child before being committed to someone else. Even more, it’s the lesson so widely preached by so many. Its morally wrong to have sex before marriage because it’s god’s purpose and design of sex to save yourself. Sex is designed to be a beautiful experience between you and your partner, only you two can share. The purposes to “be fruitful and multiply,” not just have sex for fun. Sex is suppose to develop intimacy between the couple, bring them closer together and keeps a marriage working. This kind of intimacy cannot be experienced if being shared by other partners.
On the other hand, sex before marriage lets you get to know someone on a whole different playing field. It lets you explore yourself and find what you like in the opposite sex. In today’s society it is much more widely expected, being the center of most conversations and television shows are based on just that. It natural for people to feel for the opposite sex, we are just acting on our feelings that most desire. Sex is fun and interesting exploring both bodies of partners, not just for the purpose of reproducing. It has been said that sex can be healthy and even help people sleep better at night. Sex before marriage should be okay just make sure have “safe sex.” Be cautious and enjoy the experience.

http://www.troubledwith.com/LoveandSex/SexBeforeMarriage.cfm
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-sum/sum-f001.html
http://www.realtruth.org/articles/090907-004-society.html

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Moral Issues By Chris Bailey 2011

Moral Issues are apart of everyday life. You find a wallet full of money on the ground, do you keep the money and toss the wallet, or do you hunt down the owner and return it? You see someone stealing from the local Wal-mart, do you just overlook it and go about your business, or do you notify a store employee? You see someone getting jumped in the back alley, do you keep on walking or do you intervene? We will look at the moral dilemma of these issues and see which you would do.

If you are a religious believer the bible tells you that you should treat others as you would want to be treated. So morally you have a duty to yourself and god to return the wallet, help the citizen and confront the shop lifter . The wallet isn’t yours, the citizen needs help and stealing is wrong. But what if you are not religious? Everybody is raised with different sets of morals so everybody choice may be different. Maybe you are too scared to help the citizen or too timid to confront the shoplifter and so down on your luck that you really need the money. Those are issues that a person would have to look into themselves and decide what should I do?

What about a stronger issue such as abortion? Do you believe that is wrong to have a baby aborted? Is it you murder and taking another life? Or do you think that it is the mothers choice and no one but her has the right to decide what she does. There are many groups, pro abortion and anti abortion out there that think that both ways. You yourself have to decide how you feel about the issue and what is moral to you? Though there are many people and resources out there to tell you what is moral and not moral only you can decide in your own mind was is moral too you.

Food Waste and Poverty
by Kristania Besouw

United States of America is one of the most developed leading countries in the world. According to Annoki.com, U.S. is the richest country in the word based on GDP. Economically, the U.S. has been excellent compared to other countries. The American societies are well known with its’ abundant food. Numerous famous American food and drink brand and merchandise spread all over the world.

The advanced American technology plays big part of the successful of the food production in U.S. It allows food production to increase with minimum prices. Aside from food production, the U.S. also has rich societies. The majority of U.S. citizens can afford to buy enough food, and often too much that they waste it.
Wasted food in America

-According to America’s Second Harvest, over 41 billion pounds of food have been wasted this year.
-According to a 2004 study from the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, on average, American households waste 14 percent of their food purchases.
-Fifteen percent of that includes products still within their expiration date but never opened. Timothy Jones, an anthropologist at the UA Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology who led the study, estimates an average family of four currently tosses out $590 per year, just in meat, fruits, vegetables and grain products.
Nationwide, Jones says, household food waste alone adds up to $43 billion, making it a serious economic problem.
- Official surveys indicate that every year more than 350 billion pounds of edible food is available for human consumption in the United States. Of that total, nearly 100 billion pounds - including fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, and grain products - are lost to waste by retailers, restaurants, and consumers.
-“U.S.-Massive Food Waste & Hunger Side by Side” by Haider Rizvi
-According to a 1997 study by US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) entitled "Estimating and Addressing America's Food Losses", about 96 billion pounds of food, or more than a quarter of the 356 billion pounds of edible food available for human consumption in the United States, was lost to human use by food retailers, consumers, and foodservice establishments in 1995.

However, there is still poverty in the U.S; According to the US Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America, including 12.9 million children.

How could there be people facing poverty in a country that is rich and wastes lots of food? This comes to the moral issues where there should be more donations for the poor. The government should anticipate and come up with a solution where food waste will be reduced, so does poverty.

Works Cited
http://www.aneki.com
http://www.soundvision.com/Info/poor/statistics.asp

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How Teenagers Are Raised Now VS. Then
Alyssa Mustard
As a teenager today we are raised differently compared to back when our parents or grandparents are going through. Our morals as teenagers today are different because of we were raised and the society that we have been raised in. In the 1930’s families were poor, lower class was the greater population. Middle class was small but strong population. Parents then had little to no education. Mothers stayed home and fathers went to work, as husband and wife bound together for life. Even though there was parental presence at home, the teenager was the one who learned and taught their elders. Most teenagers didn’t finish high school; they would work and bring their pay home for their families. In the 1980’s parents were reasonably educated, in many cases both parents worked. A significant number of parents are not bound by marriage; many are not together or have been divorced and have step parents. Although the two times have their differences the two have their similarities; teenagers have been teaching the parents since the 1930’s and probably before. In the 1930’s parents weren’t as educated and now in the 21st Century were still teaching our parents the new technology that comes out.
How teenagers dress today is different than the 1950’s as well as how we teenagers present ourselves. In the 50’s they dressed not as revealing, woman back then wouldn’t show their stomach or cleavage. Men you wouldn’t see their butts or underwear, everyone was dressed properly. Today teenagers are more revealing; woman will wear short skirts, skin tight shirts and even strapless shirts. Now a day’s getting tattoos and piercings are a normal thing to have on your body but back in the day having tattoos and piercings was more unheard of.

[[http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102277776.html]]

[[http://www.dianedew.com/teens.htm]]

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Moral Issues
Gina Gultom

The meaning of moral means pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. Has the people’s morals changed? People talk about moral and all the different kinds of issues that go with them but everyone’s morals are different. What someone believes in and what they think is right is their own personal opinion so who are we to tell them otherwise. If of course we tell people to do what they want and that everyone should be able to express themselves in their own way, why do we look down upon people doing something we don’t like or want to see?

We say people shouldn’t care what others think, but why do we frown upon PDA (public display of affection)? People are free to express themselves in the way they dress. Fashion is evitable. So why do we look down upon girls that show cleavage or their stomachs or hike up their skirts so high it disgusting. How do we know what’s right and what isn’t? The answer is that, we don’t. There aren’t any official rules stating that we can’t wear certain things or act in a certain way. I mean so what if I want to burp in a restaurant. Is there a sign saying that I can’t? I think that the morals of this country is something that we all should know. There is a time and place for everything. But can we really get mad at someone that doesn’t know?

A lot of the morals that people practice are swayed because of experience and or exposure to something. The way you are raised and your culture can alter how you think and what you think is appropriate or not. To say what is right and what isn’t is hard determine.

Works Cited
www.dictionary.com
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/linguistics-and-philosophy/24-00-problems-of-philosophy-fall-2005/lecture-notes/moralrelativ.pdf

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Moral Issues, Homosexuality
David Kinderknecht

Morality is one of the simplest and yet most complicated concepts imaginable. On paper it’s, to put it simply, the idea of what is right, or just, versus what is wrong, or bad. To some, there is no gray area when it comes to morals or ethics, just the stark contrast of black and white. This, however, is rarely the case when observing morality as a whole.

Case in point, the tumultuous battle currently raging over whether or not homosexuals should be given the right to marry. Each side presents what they feel are strong moral arguments in regards to their cause, even though the arguments are conflicting in and of themselves. This debate alone is proof enough that while on the surface morality seems simplistic in it’s concept, it is all in the eye of the beholder.

On the one hand, you have the side firmly in opposition to gay marriage. Their moral argument is that the marriage or union of two men or two women goes against nature, against the teachings of the bible, and damages the sanctity of marriage. The theological argument is a very interesting one. While it is easy to write it off as personal views conflicting with what should be an unbiased decision from our government, it is a much, much deeper issue than that. This isn’t simply a hobby or activity these people have taken up in their spare time, this is an entire ideology by which these people live their lives. They very firmly believe that everything that happens in this life has repercussions on a life they will live eternally once they die. They do not just entertain the possibility of this concept, but believe and live it every day of their lives. By asking them to condone the marriage of homosexuals, you are asking them to compromise some of the very foundations and morals of their belief system, a system believed until death. This, in turn, could lead one to argue that it would be immoral to force these people to condone homosexual marriage.

On the other hand however, are the many people in firm favor of legalizing homosexual marriage across the entire country. Their argument can be more easily viewed through the morality lens. They feel that they as human beings are entitled to the pursuit of happiness just as anyone else is, and to them that means being allowed the right to marry whomever they chose, whether that be persons of the same sex or otherwise. Outside of the five states (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont) and the District of Columbia, homosexual marriage rituals are not performed. This means that by law, members of a same-sex relationship are not recognized by law as family members. If one member were to say, get into a severe car accident and receive intensive care at a hospital, their partner might be denied visitation because they are not recognized as a family member. Is it moral to keep loved ones from their dying partners to uphold the legal definition of family, or should that definition finally be changed?

Through this vivid and real-life example, it is crystal clear to me the complexity of morality in human society. While some feel that there are clear sides to everything, that you can look at most situations and point out the right and wrong, I feel inclined to believe otherwise. Morality is like a living being, a constantly evolving organism who’s face changes with the seasons, who must constantly be given a second thought.

Works Cited:

Bidstrup, Scott. “Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives.” Bidstrup.com. n.p.

n.d. 2000. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Cline, Austin. “Common Arguments Against Gay Marriage: Moral and Religious

Arguments.” About.com. New York Times. n.d. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Arguments

Arguments
By: Keesa Wright

What is an argument?

According to criticalthinking.org the definition of argument is “A reason or reasons offered for or against something, the offering of such reasons. This term refers to a discussion in which there is disagreement and suggests the use of logic and the bringing forth the facts to support or refute a point.” The definition of argue is “to argue in the sense of to fight or to emotionally disagree.”
In other words when people give reasons to a conclusion they are constructing an argument. The more people understand what an argument is they understand how to argue better as well.

What king of arguments are there?

There are two different kinds of arguments, and they are inductive and deductive arguments.

Inductive Arguments

An inductive argument is when the premises are intended to be strong, however, then it’s most likely that the conclusion is not true. In an inductive argument is when the thought premises is provided with reasons supporting the truth of a conclusions.

Deductive Arguments

A deductive argument is when the thought from the premises provides a truth to the conclusion. Saying that also means that if the premises are true then the conclusion has no possible way to being false.

How should people argue?

People that want to sound intelligent should learn how the construction of arguments works best. When arguing, one should have reasons to support his or her argument. If they do have a reason supporting it, then they should have no problem making the arguments successful. However, if they do not provide reasons for his or her conclusion, then the argument is considered “invalid.”

Another thing that people should understand about arguments is the opposing side. It’s very important to not only understand what they other person is saying but to understand his or her reasons to their conclusions as well. Only understanding your side of the argument is not something that will allow you to go far with an argument. Understanding another side of the argument also strengthens these three things:

1. How accurate and comprehensive the previous observations are
2. How strong the causal link seems to be
3. How similar the two cases really are

Some may find that when arguing to one side of the topic and understanding the other will not only help them but to also help them understand how related the two different arguments are actually alike.

It is also a good idea to stay calm when getting into a strongly disagreed argument. Usually the person who stays calm without “attacking” the other person in a personal way tends to “win” the argument. It’s always the one that gets up from the table and stomps out that loses the argument most of the time. In conclusion staying calm always for an argument will definitely help that person “win.”

Works Cited
Chaffee, John. "Chapter 4." Thinking Critically. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin,
2009. 118. Print.
"Glossary of Critical Thinking Terms." The Critical Thinking Community. Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009. Web. 28 Nov 2010. <http://www.criticalthinking.org/page.cfm?PageID=496&CategoryID=68#top>.

Arguing Nicely
by Kristania Besouw

“Argument” is often associated with tense and stressed conversation. Some people think that argument is to be avoided because it causes tense, fight, etc. These cause unnecessary problems in lives, which could be avoided if we understand what Argument really is.

Definition of argument:
• A discussion in which disagreement is expressed; a debate.
• A quarrel; a dispute.
• Archaic A reason or matter for dispute or contention: "sheath'd their swords for lack of argument" (Shakespeare).
• A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood: presented a careful argument for extraterrestrial life.
• A set of statements in which one follows logically as a conclusion from the others.

Having an Argument is normal between two people or more. In fact, it shows how unique and different we all are. Everyone has their own believes and preferences.

Sometimes we cannot avoid argument, but we can always avoid anger, hatred, and other negativities that can occur after the argumentation:
1. Positive thinking: thinking positive gives us self confidence and makes us better person by being positive toward everybody and everything.
2. Words and tones: avoid using harsh words that would hurt others. It will be remembered even after the argumentation is solved and finished. Use low tones to keep yourself calm and to keep your persona.
3. Tolerance: keep in mind that everybody is different. Others do not have to agree with us, or vice versa. There is only one of you in this world versus billions of other people.

Argument can be done nicely

Works Cited:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/argument
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/argument

By: Jose Pena-Benjamin

Arguments

The sentences composing an argument are referred to as being either true or false, not as being valid or invalid; deductive arguments are referred to as being valid or invalid, not as being true or false. Some authors refer to the premises and conclusion using the terms declarative sentence, statement, proposition, sentence, or even indicative utterance. The reason for the variety is concern about the ontological significance of the terms, proposition in particular. A deductive argument is one which, if valid, has a conclusion that is entailed by its premises. In other words, the truth of the conclusion is a logical consequence of the premises—if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. It would be self-contradictory to assert the premises and deny the conclusion, because the negation of the conclusion is contradictory to the truth of the premises. Logic seeks to discover the valid forms, the forms that make arguments valid arguments. An argument form is valid if and only if all arguments of that form are valid. Since the validity of an argument depends on its form, an argument can be shown to be invalid by showing that its form is invalid, and this can be done by giving another argument of the same form that has true premises but a false conclusion. In informal logic this is called a counter argument. When you construct arguments, you are composing and relating to the world by means of your ability to infer. This is usually what you do when you construct arguments. You work from reasons you know or believe in to form conclusions based on these reasons. The type of thinking that uses argument reasons in support of conclusion is known a reasoning, and it is a type of thinking you have been doing throughout life. For example, the reasons someone offers may not really support the conclusion they are supposed to. These difficulties are illustrated in a number of the arguments contained in the dialogue on marijuana. Nevertheless, whenever we accept a conclusion as likely or true based on certain reasons or whenever we offer reasons to support a conclusion, we are using arguments to engage in reasoning even if our reasoning is weak or faulty. Consider political speeches, where the speaker seems to be following a logical chain of thought but somehow you know that the final conclusion is wrong but cannot quite put your finger on where it started. Or perhaps you are listening to another person and disagree with one point but they keep making other points and by the time you get to speak you have either forgotten the wrong point or it seems impolite to go back so far. Most material you learn in college is or has been debated by someone, somewhere, at some time. Even when the material you read or hear is presented as simple "fact," it may actually be one person's interpretation of a set of information. Instructors may call on you to examine that interpretation and defend it, refute it, or offer some new view of your own. In writing assignments, you will almost always need to do more than just summarize information that you have gathered or regurgitate facts that have been discussed in class. You will need to develop a point of view on or interpretation of that material and provide evidence for your position.

SOURCES: WIKIPEDIA, “THE BOOK”
PICTURES: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sonnycable.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/argument-296x300.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sonnycable.com/2009/02/19/behind-closed-doors/&usg=__4nuzG6jfoanwCqcS9mEoWtmVcXY=&h=300&w=296&sz=35&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=2VpEKDyEbvTOAM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3DARGUMENT%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D607%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=572&vpy=246&dur=3689&hovh=226&hovw=223&tx=100&ty=118&ei=nwDrTMe4H8ejnQf50IDyDA&oei=nwDrTMe4H8ejnQf50IDyDA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0

Constructing Arguments

CODY MEAD

Tips For Winning Arguments

Arguments are part of everyday life and whether they are friendly or unfriendly arguments, no one likes to lose. If you know you’re going to have an argument, it’s smart to be well prepared, right? Well I’m going to present you with some interesting tips to assist you in constructing arguments. With these tips, hopefully you will be able to win your future verbal battles, or at least if you can’t win, you can skew the topic until there’s little chance the opposite person can actually “win.”

I came across two books that I found quite interesting. The first, “Art of Controversy” by Arthur Schopenhauer has a portion called “38 Ways To Win An Argument” and the second, “How To Win Every Argument” is by Madsen Pirie. Both of these books basically contain lists of examples to use and abuse during arguments, with “How To Win Every Argument” focusing primarily on the use of fallacies. A fallacy is a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning. What I would first like to do is just list some examples from each book.

“Art of Controversy – ’38 Ways To Win An Argument’ “

-Carry your opponent's proposition beyond its natural limits; exaggerate it.
• The more general your opponent's statement becomes, the more objections you can find against it.

• The more restricted and narrow your own propositions remain, the easier they are to defend.

-Ignore your opponent's proposition, which was intended to refer to some particular thing.
• Rather, understand it in some quite different sense, and then refute it.

• Attack something different than what was asserted.

-Use your opponent's answers to your question to reach different or even opposite conclusions.

-Make your opponent angry.

• An angry person is less capable of using judgment or perceiving where his or her advantage lies.

This Author makes a lot very good points throughout his book from the sections I’ve read, but I will just list four of the points that this passage touches on. As you can see, using these effectively could be very beneficial to you in an argument. Most of the points seem to keep to a similar pattern of skewing the opposite persons words or beliefs to your advantage. If you find yourself on the losing end of an argument, being elusive and vague can a very effective way to level the field. It’s hard to control anger sometimes in a heated argument, but doing so can put you at an advantage over your opponent.

Now I would like to list a few examples from the other book. All these examples are types of fallacies. Some you may find yourself guilty of using from time to time.

“How to Win Every Argument”

-Abusive Analogy
• The fallacy of abusive analogy is a highly specialized version of the ad hominem argument. Instead of the arguer being insulted directly, an analogy is drawn which is calculated to bring him into scorn or disrepute. The opponent or his behaviour is compared with something which will elicit an unfavourable response toward him from the audience.

• Smith has proposed we should go on a sailing holiday, though he knows as much about ships as an Armenian bandleader does.(Perhaps you do not need to know all that much for a sailing holiday. Smith can always learn. The point here is that the comparison is deliberately drawn to make him look ridiculous. There may even be several Armenian bandleaders who are highly competent seamen.)

• The analogy may even be a valid one, from the point of view of the comparison being made. This makes it more effective, but no less fallacious, since the purpose is to introduce additional, unargued, material to influence a judgement.

-Accent

• The fallacy of accent depends for its effectiveness on the fact that the meaning of statements can change, depending on the stress put on the words. The accenting of certain words or phrases can give a meaning quite different from that intended, and can add implications which are not part of the literal meaning:

• Light your cigarette.
(Without accent it looks like a simple instruction or invitation.)

Light your cigarette.
(Rather than the tablecloth, or whatever else you feel in the mood to burn.)

Light your cigarette.
(Instead of everyone else's.)

Light your cigarette.
(Instead of sticking it in your ear.)

The author goes on to give about 50 more examples and explains the five classifications of fallacies, but I will only list these two examples because they are quite lengthy in explanation, but hopefully you get the idea of what a fallacy is and how they can be used. I feel the two that I listed are common fallacies used today. I know I’ve used these on people before, whether seriously or just to be humorous. I think many people probably use analogies a lot more than they are aware of and with the increased use of the internet and cell phones, everyone has had experience with deciphering the true intent or implications behind an email message or a text message.
Anyway, I think if you take note of some the examples listed here and even research your own then you can have a lot more fun fooling with someone in your next argument.

Pirie, Madsen. How to Win Every Argument. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006.

Schopenhauer, Arthur. The Art of Controversy. University of Adelaide, 2007

Reasoning

Reasoning

By: Destiny Mikkelson

Being reasonable is a valuable tool in social interaction as well as being useful when trying to solve problems or participating in an argument to get an important point across. Being considered “reasonable” or logical may simply be a single person’s perception of your character, and not necessarily based in reality. In truth, I do not believe most people understand what it is to be reasonable or rational in any given situation. I would hazard to say in fact that many people are simply following their own observations and ideas on what it is to be reasonable without actually understanding what reasoning is.

Is being reasonable simply having reasons to explain actions or words regardless of whether or not the reasons are incorrect, even irrelevant to the subject? Maybe being reasonable is actually just a way to influence other people into agreeing with your point of view, or changing their perspective. When attempting to persuade others using this type of reasoning the truth is often left to the wayside. Reasoning simply becomes a way to convince others to believe despite the possible invalidity of the claim. There would be absolutely no distinction between valid and invalid objections to the case they are presenting; only black and white persuasion techniques are considered.

If you have ever heard the expression “there are two sides to every story” then perhaps you believe that being reasonable means seeing both sides of any issue. In this case the person doesn’t necessarily even understand the points on either side of the issue and only recognizes that they are different viewpoints made by different people. If this isn’t reasoning then maybe our rules, traditions, culture, beliefs, and accepted norms are what determine what being reasonable is. After all it is noted that reasons are often given as an attempted justification of an action that was sanctioned by societies laws.

If relevant information is considered on an issue and you use that information to make a decision instead of disregarding any ideas that may not coincide with your personal beliefs, then I believe you have a much better chance of being reasonable. Trying to make sense of an issue can be difficult especially if you choose to ignore facts. Basically you must have beliefs and views that have evidence to support them in a satisfactory manner. It is impossible to have a mistaken belief if your evidence is valid, and showing evidence prevents others from being able to challenge you. Just remember, being right doesn’t always mean you are reasonable just as being reasonable doesn’t mean you’re right.

Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasoning
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/types_reasoning/types_reasoning.htm

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Reasoning, Religion
David Kinderknecht

Human beings, it can be argued, are the only beings on the planet that, rather than solely rely on instincts, have the innate ability to reason through various problems. Reasoning can be described as a logical cognitive procession of thoughts in order to come to what is believed to be the correct conclusion. When most people hear the terms reasoning and religion, they rarely associate the two with each other. Can such terms coexist in some form or another, or should they even? Most people who believe in a god of some kind use the term “faith” quite often. The concept of faith in and of itself is almost the polar opposite of reasoning or logic. To believe in something not because it can be proven but because you have the faith that it is true.

Using reasoning, or logic, it is easy to disprove God and religion. It could be easily reasoned that once humanity evolved to the point of a written language, and once we began to question our existence and come up empty, the next logical step would be to determine that an unknown, all-powerful entity created the universe and us included. This ideal, some would argue, has then been replicated throughout various religions across the world. Using science as a firm back brace, it’s easy for Atheists to show that there is no empirical evidence of any kind to prove that god exists. Science shows us that evolution is in fact a reality, that you can date the universe, and that the human mind is more than capable of creating a god in place of true understanding of the universe. Some would argue through reasoning that the world would and will be a better place when people accept that there is no God. More people have been killed in the name of God than for any other reason in the history of the planet.

Religion, in the realm of reason, has barely one leg to stand on. It is impossible to prove through hard scientific evidence that a god does in fact exist, that miracles do happen, that when we die our eternal soul travels on to the next world. However, one could logically deduce that while science cannot prove religion to be true, it also cannot disprove it either. Reasoning would tell you then that religion, while less proven than other scientific facts, is just as plausible as any other concept. While it is arguable whether religion has had more of a positive or negative effect on the world, it has definitely given many people a moral compass to live by, and enriched countless lives over the centuries. It can be logically assumed or reasoned that human beings want to live the longest, fullest, and happiest lives they possible can. If believing in a God gives you more peace of mind, happiness, and less stress, which in turn prolongs your live and improves the quality of it, then couldn’t it be argued that religion is a logical choice for many people.

While logic and reasoning cannot be used to prove without any shadow of a doubt that God does exist, there is a place for it in the realm of religion. If people are better off believing in God than not, whether reasoning is on the side of your religion or not, it is the logical choice to believe that.

Works Cited:

“Basis of Church Doctrine.” Churchofreality.com Church of Reality. n.d. Web.

29 Nov. 2010.

Larson, Jan A. “The Dilemma of Religion.” Matrixbookstore.biz. Matrix of

Mnemosyne. 10 Oct 2001. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Living Creatively

Living Creatively
Alyssa Mustard

“The creative process shrivels in the absence of continual dialogue with the soul. And creatively is what makes life worth living,” said by Marion Woodman a feminist. Accomplished creative visionaries often talk about these ideas of doing creative work you are truly passionate about, and not censoring yourself in the process. People need to act upon their creative impulses; we recognize and align ourselves with the Holy Spirit. We try to give life to our own understandings and experiences through our creative minds. A passion for creativity may come from something beyond us, creativity can also be come from a spiritual creative mind. It can be an effective tool for enhancing our spiritual growth. Adapting to creativity in different ways it can provide opportunities to shift our consciousness in ways you wouldn’t think of. Creativity is also a mystery, the creative process is known, and we can use it to live a more fulfilling life. “Creativity flows through us as a universal life force, called many names throughout the ages: chi, prana and the Holy Spirit. It is energy of love flowing through us that also gives life to our creation,” said by Lucia Capacchione. We all have our own ways of being creative, it’s how we interrupt our own creative minds. Living creatively is not a part-time position, which means we cannot turn our creative minds on and off when we feel like it. Its who you are not what you create.

The link below is a video of Marion Woodman and it gives you an idea of who she is and what she thinks of our civil world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3h4n-_NEgU&feature=related

[[http://www.soulfulliving.com/divinecreativity.htm]]

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Living Creatively

By: Jay Wessel

Living creatively means to develop ideas that are unique, useful, and worthy of further elaboration. We need to live a life of purpose and meaning, with respect and devotion to those around us, to have success and fulfillment in our chosen endeavors, and to have a secure sense of who we are - a person with the courage and vision to accomplish great things.

There are three reasons to live creatively: because it feels good, because it is useful, and because it will improve your world. When you are creative you are more apt to own and declare who you are, by expressing it in tangible ways in your world. Creativity is the artist’s trademark. It’s what makes us different, and draws other to us.

But how can we live creatively? First, just stop, open your eyes, and take a breath. When you can do this, creative possibilities can float up through the cracks, creating opportunities. This also allows you to take a time-out to just relax or play. This helps rejuvenate some of that creativity, keeping you fresh and thinking strong. Some other ways to start living creatively is to try something new, ask question often, find new inspiration, and expand your horizons. Creative thinking and creative action start with a new decision about how you're going to spend your time. When you can broaden your horizons, you can then really start to dream big, without any limits, no matter your talent, your circumstances, or where your life is headed. There are no limits to what you can achieve if you don’t hold yourself back. And free yourself. Creativity can grow once you’ve thrown out some of the old thoughts and habits you’ve always carried. Creativity grows when you are not restricted, which allows you to achieve more in your life. And most of all enjoy the little quirks in life. Why restrict yourself only to the obvious and necessary in life? Those little things in life is where creativity can be found most bountiful. Never restrict your life to the mundane and necessary; open your life up to change and spontaneity, then creativity will truly be in your life.

John Chaffee has this to say about living creatively, “Creativity is a powerful life force that can infuse your existence with meaning. Working in partnership with critical thinking, creative thinking helps transform your life into a rich tapestry of productivity and success. When you approach your life with a mindful sense of discovery and invention, you can continually create yourself in ways limited only by your imagination. A creative lens changes everything for the better: Problems become opportunities for growth, mundane routines become challenges for inventive approaches, relationships become intriguing adventures. When you give free rein to your creative impulses, every aspect of your life takes on a special glow. You are able to break out of unthinking habitual response and live fully in every minute, responding naturally and spontaneously.”

We are the artist of our own lives. The brush strokes represent our philosophy of life, which is a vision that incorporates our most deeply held values, aspirations, and convictions. We need to make this image coherent, which expresses who we are as well as the person we want to become. This image helps guide our actions and enables us to understand the value of our experiences, the significance of our relationships, and the meaning of our life.

‘Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people's lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.’
— Stephen Covey

Works Cited

http://creatingminds.org/quotes/living_creatively.htm

http://emptyeasel.com/2006/12/13/living-creatively-every-day/

http://www.howtoadvice.com/LiveCreatively

http://www.zen-moments.com/3-reasons-and-7-ways-to-live-in-creative-joy.html

Chaffee, John PhD. Thinking Critically. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 430. Print.

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Living Creatively
By Dylan Woofter

Living creatively is what everyone does. Being creative by definition means “resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative” So everyone is creative in there own way because everyone does things there own way. Some people live more creatively than others. Some people work an office job while others embrace their creativity and become painters or sculptors. Some jobs are what people love to do while some people don’t embrace what they love to do and take the job that makes them more money. Some people have more creative minds and express things in different ways. Someone may draw in there free time while others like to organize things.
Some people may think alike or do the same things but everyone expresses things differently even if its only a little bit.

For example, two people paint, the difference is what they like to paint. Someone may paint scenery while someone else may paint different abstract paintings that the scenery painter may not understand. Either way they decide to express their creativity, it’s how they like to do it, therefore making it creative.
I am an example of living creatively, as is everyone. In my spare time I like to sketch and play video games and hang out with friends. Someone else may find another way to express themselves and spend there spare time. Even if someone does the exact same things, it’s still creative because they may do the same things but there may be completely different reason why or how they do them. I play video games and examine the art that is put into the graphics and characters. I look into the storylines and see all the tiny details someone might miss. When I get bored and sketch, I sometimes draw little people or shapes that come to my mind and tie it all together.
Everyone is different and everyone lives creatively, even if there life has not turned out how they wanted it to. No matter what everyone is living creatively because even their daily schedule differs from others even if it has a lot of similarities.

Works cited
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/creatively
http://www.keithgarrow.com/

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Living Creatively
David Kinderknecht

As most students and educators are well aware, the current methods of teaching are getting closer and closer to becoming obsolete altogether. The problem lies in the fact that the schooling system seems to be the slowest to change, wherein most would argue it should be the fastest. There are, however, beacons of light in otherwise dreary examples. The United States isn’t the only country where education needs to evolve in leaps and bounds.

In Great Britain, in the city of Tyne and Wear, at Monkseaton High School, a new form of learning is being implemented. This new form of education is known as “Space Learning“, which is just one of many creative examples teachers are coming up with to better educate the young people of the world. The concept is rather simple, short sharp lessons are interspersed with an entirely different activity and repeated at regular intervals.

What is proving to be a most surprising benefit is something teachers have been striving for since the beginning of education. This new, high speed teaching technique is not only showing students to be vastly improving their concentration versus traditional techniques, but the yard stick with which we measure all student success, their grades, are also improving. Some teachers say their student’s grades have improved by as much as two entire letter grades, just because of the implementation this new teaching technique.

The biggest problem facing teachers is getting the students interested in the material they are teaching. They can be the calmest, most thorough and patient teacher there is, but if the students don’t care, it makes it very difficult to teach them. So while the teachers are loving this new technique, and seeing many positive results, what about the students? What do the students think of this new, creative teaching concept?

The votes are in, and it seems that like the teachers, the students are on board for “Space Learning.” Not only is it faster paced, which helps many students whose attention spans are shorter than that of their parents, but frankly, it just more fun. When students can not only have more fun, but get better grades, and even learn better in the process, there are no complaints from them. Students also responded that they remembered what they learned for a much longer period of time than with the older teaching techniques.

This high school is just one of many beacons of hope for the future of the education system. The future of the world is in the hearts and minds of children, and if we cannot adjust to their educational needs, the future would seem more and more bleak. We need creative minds diligently working for solutions to the various problems that come up throughout society. With the demands and problems growing bigger and bigger every year, more and more creative solutions are necessary to combat such problems. It’s great to know that there are still people out there willing to look at problems through different lenses in order to find the best solutions.

Works Cited:

Hawkins, Robert. “10 Global Trends in ICT and Education.” Edutech.com. 11 Jan. 2010.

Web. 9 December 2010.

“Revealed: new teaching methods that are producing dramatic results.”

TheTelegraph.com. 17 April 2009. Web. 12 December 2010.

Living Creatively

Jackie Robledo
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“Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you are doing. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself.”
-Alan Alda

Creativity is a powerful life force that can infuse your existence with the meaning.

Creative thinking helps you transform your life into a rich tapestry of productivity and success. When you approach you life with a mindful sense of discovery and invention, you can continually create yourself in ways limited only by your imagination. Living creatively in my own terms is to create your personality because “what you do defines who you are as a person” if you don’t accomplish much in life or do a few great and crazy / extraordinary things; in others eyes that may not say a whole lot about you.

A creative lens changes everything for the better : problems become opportunities for growth, mundane routines become challenges for inventive approaches, relationships become intriguing adventures.

Everyone should know when you give free rein to your creative impulses, every aspect of your life takes on a special glow. Everyone can choose freely to take different paths in their lives. Your “self” is, in its essence, a dynamic life force that is capable of thinking critically, creating and choosing freely. Without the ability to think critically; you wont be able to function very well in most challenging careers. You will be an impractical dreamer, condemned to a life of frustrated under achieving.

When one lacks the ability to think creatively, then their thinking abilities may enable you to perform in a solid, workmanlike fashion, but your work will lack imagination, and you will fear to try original approches because because of the risk of failure. When a person lacks the ability to choose freely, then their abilities to think critically or cretively cannot save them from a life dissapointment.

Everyone is they're own artist of life, and their brush strokes express their philosophy of life, a vision that incorporates their most deeply held values, aspirations, and convictions.

I have found 101 ideas for creative living and i will list a few:

really listen to music
see something new everyday you look out the same window-
go to nature and rest
read poetry
write poetry
go to art galleries
take a day to wander in the city
spend day in the country
order something in a restaurant you never ate before
wear a different kind of clothes
go someplace foggy
spend time with someone who is deaf
try new subjects in your reading
travel
spend a day in someone else’s shoes — even in your imagination
do something that scares you
take the train
keep a dream journal for a week
try yoga
meditate
dance
calendar a new experience
finger-paint
work with clay
no plan day with a kid
stop and actually smell the rose, or the lilacs, or the lily of the valley
spend one day no talking
draw sounds or smells
put sketchbooks and pencils in odd places
get new colour tools — like a box of crayons
take a drawing course
sketch your friends
throw a party
bake a pie
swim
walk
make bread
build a fire
sign up for a course alone
go out to lunch alone
go to a concert alone
do an activity you don’t really like
say no
say yes
no rules
break the rules
learn to love lavender
paint your toe nails a different colour
massage a friend’s shoulders
invite someone you don’t know well to an impromptu lunch
go to church
walk a labyrinth
plant a pot or a garden
plant pot
go to a farm
change the part in your hair
change your hair colour
get a tattoo even henna
try a new road
a new recipe
cook for a week
don’t cook for a week
listen to new CD’s at the music store
go without TV for a week
teach a group old or young
sit by the sea
visit a cemetery
architectural tour
talk to older family members
write down their stories
wear high heels
look at old photos
don’t spend money one day
decorate your flip flops
wear scarves in your hair
put a flower in your hair
buy a big broach
hang your clothes on the line
kiss your lover
buy a present/give it just because
write a poem to someone you love
write a poem to someone you don’t like
burn it
just be yourself — say what you really think
sort out what’s you and what’s influence
cut out pictures from magazines
put your fridge door on the art pages
move the pictures in your house around
paint a room
make a studio
lay outside and sunbathe, get a book
bury your feet in the sand at the beach

These are a few ways to live creatively…everyone should try it in their lives. :)

Work Cited:
Chaffee, John PhD. Living Creatively. 9th Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 430. Print.

http://www.creativity-portal.com/articles/deanne-fitzpatrick/101-ideas-living-creatively.html

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Living Creatively: By Kelsey Locke

Creativity is the artist’s trademark. It’s not only what makes them different it also makes people who they are, and draws others to us. As for artists, it’s our livelihood as well as their way of life. One of the greatest fear for a artist is losing their sense of creativity. If they aren’t able to come up with anything it leaves them stumped, not evening knowing where to start. But artists shouldn’t be the only ones that live and breathe their creativity; we should also take part in it. So here are some ways that should help living creatively should start becoming natural.

Try to find ideas around every corner, and to be spontaneous in order to make as many new choices as you possibly can. I think it will help bring your mind to places you would have never thought to have been in the first place in your normal daily routine. Daydreaming is also something that can open up your mind. It helps you get away from all the stress, and even though it can sometimes get you in trouble it can also help you too. Also looking at artwork can help open up your mind to new things.
You can even take your creativity a little further by changing you same old habitual routines. Like try taking a different way to school or work. Or just by going outside and enjoying the weather or you could even call an old friend that you haven’t talked to in awhile. See where these take you, because it could even make you appreciate the things that you have even more.

I mean, why should we restrict ourselves from enjoying the little things in life by just doing the same thing every single day? You shouldn’t because that would make our lives boring. This should be one of the normal things that everyone should do. I think that it living creatively is one of the core things that should be practiced everyday. How else would you be able to discover who you really are? Even the least creative people, have a little of it in their lives. It isn’t a bad thing to have and I think that it should be expanded and practiced daily. This will only help you, because in the end you will learn new things from it.

Works Cited for Living Creatively:
http://emptyeasel.com/2006/12/13/living-creatively-every-day/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/creativity

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Digital Stories

Student Projects - Digital Stories

Rodney Douglas

Joshua Weed

Christine Leth

Sherry Martin

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