TOW 24

Based off of my IRB, How to Live, I am going to discuss my own perspective on how one should live their life. Living involves three general principles, they can be applied to most decisions but also disregarded, whenever one so desires.

First, realize that we all will die eventually...and then decide to live anyway. This realization should be applied to every action you do. Never think yourself better than anyone else because in the end, we all share the same fate. Knowing you will die eventually, go out and try to reach what you want. Don't waste your days sitting in the house while the sun smiles outside. Run, jump, play, sing, scream, cry-- anything is better than wasting time.

Second, spend your time wisely. Figure out what it is that you want. Find yourself in the process of achieving your dreams. Make some good friends and some good memories on the way. If you live your dream, the benefits that result will astound you. Don't search for companions, relationships, soul-mates. Work on yourself, for yourself, and the rest will fall into place.

Third, live and let live. Although this is a common saying, do we really know what it means? Once you recognize and accept the two facts listed above, you must acknowledge that these principles will mean different things to different people and will therefore be applied in different ways. Do what is best for you and don't force your opinions onto other people's ways of living. Live and let live. Love and don't ask for anything in return. Don't foster hatred, arrogance, or anger-- they will eat you up and waste your time (the most deadly offense), taking away from the time you have to achieve the ultimate goal: happiness.

Deep down, we all want the same thing. We all want to live before we die. We all want to live out our dreams and be so scarily, amazingly happy while we do it. So, in order to do these things, we have to adhere to the above principles and by following these rules, we will liberate ourselves to live the life we should be living.

TOW 23

     I just had ACL Reconstruction surgery and my brother almost had to have shoulder surgery. In this age, as more and more pressure is put on getting a college education, I have noticed many kids specializing in sports much earlier so that they will have a greater chance of being recruited by colleges. The effect of this is a whole lot of injuries from repeatedly overusing the same muscles. Baseball, specifically, is injuring too many young players.
     Baseball is America's national sport. It embodies the truest and best elements of American culture: food, people, yelling, and more food. However, this great sport has been a detriment to many young players. A study conducted by the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that from 2007 to 2011, about 57 percent of Tommy John surgeries were performed on 15-19 year olds. The teen years are often the ones where student-athletes really focus on one sport and play it all year round. A result of this is a decreased emphasis on resting muscles, and specifically, resting arms. This leads to increased injuries of shoulders and elbows, taking the joy out of the great American game of baseball. A common mindset when dieting is "everything is okay in moderation." This should be applied to everything in life, not just sugary treats. Relationships, homework, food-- even baseball.

TOW 22- visual

     I recently received my driver's license. Upon passing the test, my parents sat me down and gave me a lecture about safety while driving. I was reminded of the rules of the road and the statistics about crash rates of teenage drivers. A recent emphasis has been put on "No texting and driving," as well as "No drinking and driving" campaigns. A recent BMW-endorsed ad focused on the latter. Employing deductive reasoning, this ad effectively communicated that drinking and driving could have more dire effects than a simple DUI.
     The unstated major premise is that people who drink and drive often crash. Then, as supplied by the image, a minor premise is that the result of a crash can be a serious injury, maybe even the loss of an extremity. Another minor premise is that the parts needed to replace these extremities are not nearly as good as the "real thing." Yet another is that people would prefer to have a fully-functioning and intact body. The ad communicates all of these premises in order to come to the conclusion that if you want all of these things, you shouldn't drink and drive. The logical order of the argument effectively communicates and proves the ad's message. Also, to go one step further, because the BMW logo is on the bottom, proving that BMW supports this message, it may persuade some people to shop for BMW cars because it shows that BMW cares. This subtle appeal to pathos will leave BMW in the back of consumers' minds so that when they do shop for a new car, maybe they will consider shopping at BMW.

TOW 21

Are rights equal between all genders, races, and ages yet? Although some may say so, the truth is that there is still a great deal of inequality. Women have made major progress in society: it is more common for women to have a job than to stay at home, our rights are protected by the constitution, yada yada yada. But it is not enough. Things are not equal until society, as a whole, acknowledges the worth of EVERYONE and lets go of stereotypical thinking. As pointed out by Tamara Shopsin in her article Emoji Feminism, even our phones have the mindset that women are inferior.

The women emojis are a Flamenco dancer, three playboy bunnies, a princess, and a “normal” woman with her hands in various positions. This is not nearly enough. There is enough room for a robot, a cake, a four-leafed AND three-leafed clover, yet there isn’t enough room for the woman lawyer, construction worker, scientist, etc. The emojis fail to recognize women doing anything besides conforming to age-old gender roles and stereotypes. This shows the disparity between women and men, and shows just how much work is still left to do. We often are content to sit back on our laurels and be content with the progress that has been made so far. This issue, although may seem trivial, is but one piece of the puzzle, one instance in a much greater issue. Tackling an issue that is so wide-spread and large is extremely difficult. We must start small, we must ensure emoji equality.

TOW 20- IRB

            I was recently assigned a paper in my AP English course, which instructed me to describe the relationship between certainty and doubt. With this in mind, I began reading my IRB “How to Live,” a biography of French Philosopher Montaigne and the questions he considered throughout his life, all of which seemed to combine to form one all-encompassing question: How to live? As humans, the only thing we can be absolutely sure of is that we will live until we die. In this book, Sarah Bakewell attempts to answer, through Montaigne’s life and his essays, how we behave and think in the small period of time we have before we reach our impending death. There are no “rules” to living, and because of this, we all must decide how we should live.

            There are a series of questions that, when compiled, form the sub-categories of the uber-question: How to live? Death, attention, birth, literature, love, loss, trickery, questioning, privacy; all themes that appear in Bakewell’s “How to Live.” The beauty of this book is that each reader brings something different to the table: different experiences, perspectives, and opinions; therefore, each individual will come to their own conclusion. The contradictory nature that is inevitable in the answering of these questions leads me to the conclusion that life is truly whatever we want it to be, however we want to live it, whatever we choose to do with it. This is seen most prominently in Bakewell’s description of Montaigne’s struggle with his mortality. When contemplating how he would die, Montaigne hypothesized that if he knew all the possibilities of how he would die, he would feel more at-ease because he would be prepared. His brainstorming actually had the opposite effect; it made him paranoid and constantly anxious. Yet after an essay of struggling with this mindset, he finally concludes that death is simply a few uncomfortable moments at the end of life and is therefore, in the grand scheme of things, not worth spending time thinking about. This is a prime example of how a simple shift in perspective can immensely change how one lives their life. Once we realize this, we will be freed from the question of How to live? and we will simply live!

TOW 19

            One of the most frightening things about growing up in times like these is the ever-present threat of terrorism. Terrorism has grown, like a tree, setting roots in obscene places and growing, ever-more quickly, enveloping and encircling the world with the help of social media. In his article To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare, Michael V. Hayden argues that Drones are the solution to our terroristic threats. Although drone strikes can help in erasing lead terrorists, they are largely ineffective for a multitude of reasons and should therefore not be an acceptable tactic.

            By killing the leaders of the movement, we are simply adding more fuel to the fire and potentially pushing more people to become recruits. The drone strikes are known to be from America, so by continuing to do it, we are actually pushing terrorists to become even more anti-American rather than anti-Western culture, making us more of a target; so, we are actually bringing more danger to ourselves by attempting to “save” America. Additionally, drone warfare doesn’t address the terror that undoubtedly resides within America’s borders. What will happen when a terroristic group is found within America? When will the drone strikes stop? If fired within our borders, how can American citizens’ protection be ensured? Drone strikes is simply a more acceptable version of total warfare. And why is it acceptable? The reasons are beyond me. The simple fact of the matter is that it is impossible to be able to tell whether or not you will kill innocent civilians as well as the “target” when you push a button—and often, innocent people are killed from these drone strikes. Killing children, mothers, and fathers can push an abandoned loved one to join the terrorist forces in the fight against America—actually having the opposite effect than intended. War becomes exponentially more dangerous when the concept of killing a HUMAN is reduced to a “target” and the push of a button—it simplifies a matter that should remain complicated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/opinion/sunday/drone-warfare-precise-effective-imperfect.html?_r=0

TOW 18

Caroline Paul has been a journalist at the New York Times for a number of years. Previously a college athlete and a firefighter, she discusses why fear is linked with females. In her article Why Do We Teach Girls That It’s Cute to Be Scared?, she uses personal anecdotes and strong facts and statistics to prove that females should not be taught to avoid danger.

            Caroline’s pride was always bruised when people were shocked to find that she was a firefighter, and she was even more hurt when they would ask, “aren’t you scared?” She grew up challenging herself physically and mentally and believes that it contributed a great deal to her self-esteem and confidence. Her personal anecdotes show the reader that for a girl, taking risks and stepping out of one’s comfort zone is just as important, if not more important, than for boys. It teaches girls self-confidence, independence, and not to fall into society’s expectations. Caroline also shares a number of helpful facts and statistics, one of which showing that parents are exponentially more likely to tell their daughters to be careful than they are to tell their sons. This gives the audience hardcore evidence of the topic, beyond her personal anecdotes, adding more credibility to her argument and making it more concrete. In general, society believes that it is natural and good for boys to be daredevils and to explore and challenge themselves, while expecting girls to remain conservative and follow directions. This double standard is not only a disgrace to all the progress that women have made, but it shows how much work still needs to be done. Girls are not inferior, but when parents treat them differently than they treat their sons, they involuntarily send the message that they are not as brave, capable, smart, or strong as their brothers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/opinion/sunday/why-do-we-teach-girls-that-its-cute-to-be-scared.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

TOW 17 visual

Can words hurt as much as, or even more than, physical pains? As a victim of bullying, I truly believe they can. An image I found on Google depicts an arm protruding from the gaping mouth of a man and punching a woman in the face. This clearly sends the message that words can, indeed, hurt just as much as physical violence; verbal abuse is just as damaging as physical abuse.

            While I have never been “abused,” I have been bullied and I know that sometimes, if phrased ever so eloquently, words can sting just as much as a slap from a cold hand. I liked to eat when I was younger; it was my favorite pastime. My schoolmates didn’t seem to share the same love and appreciation for the magnitude of my girth that my family did and kids can be brutal. I experienced everything from name-calling to exclusion and gossip. To this day, I still work to be comfortable with my body and to remain confident in myself and my abilities. If someone had punched me, they would have been punished immediately because it was clear that violence would not be tolerated in my elementary school; however, because they were hitting me with words, my persecutors were able to hide behind saying “it was a joke!” and the comfort that I was “a tattletale” and “a crybaby.” Although bullying is not necessarily the same as abuse, they have similar affects. In a world where gender equality is constantly evolving, abuse is ever-present and we must remind ourselves that it exists in many forms and be on the lookout for warning signs. The form of abuse is irrelevant; the disastrous effects that result are inevitable, unless we take a stand and protect those in need.

IRB Intro #3

This marking period I decided to read How to Live by Sarah Bakewell. I chose this book mostly because Mr. Yost recommended it for me. When I previewed the book by reading the summary and the questions posed and answered by it, it sparked my interest and I became very excited to start reading. Written by Sarah Bakewell, How to Live is a biography of Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, a Renaissance man. In my ninth grade history class I became very interested in the Renaissance period so when I learned this information about Montaigne, the book caught my attention even more. It has been given a number of stellar reviews and it poses philosophical questions, many of which I have tried to address on my own time. I am excited to begin reading and am interested in exploring my sense of self and the way I view the world around me/my experiences, with the help of this book.

TOW 16- IRB

            The one thing that every single person on this planet has in common is our mortality. We will all die one day, regardless of our profession, wealth, or morality; we all share the same mortality. John Gunther explores our human instinct of fending off Death in his memoir Death Be Not Proud, which shares the story of his son’s relationship with Death. This boy, against all odds, survived and thrived while fighting a malicious tumor that threatened to hijack his most prized possession: his brain. His father, John Gunther, speaks in bursts of descriptive anecdotes and in the first person in order to give his audience much-needed perspective on the reality of the “problems” that they face.

            Gunther spends the first half of the book sharing the early stages of the tumor; the early sacrifices Johnny and his family made; the early struggles Johnny faced and the profoundly optimistic spirit he maintained. By the second half of the book, Gunther’s audience is already in love with his son. Johnny is a truly amazing individual, as we learn through Gunther's touchingly detailed anecdotes. When Johnny briefly got his full-vision back, Gunther describes Johnny’s face to have “the most beautifically happy expression…ever seen on a human being” (108). The loving, descriptive way with which Gunther continually describes Johnny maintains the audience’s admiration of the young boy, making them more susceptible to Gunther’s message that one must address their obstacles with a fierce determination accompanied by an optimistic mind. Gunther’s first-person narration gives his audience a front-row seat to Johnny’s struggle, allowing them to struggle alongside Johnny. This, combined with their love for him, makes the audience hope, pray, and yearn for Johnny’s recovery. Our attachment to him makes us admire him for all of his remarkable qualities; we put him on a pedestal; we want to be like him. This provides us with perspective; makes our problems seem petty and trivial and our complaints seem bratty and horribly unnecessary compared to Johnny: someone who is dying but rarely complains, and, if he does, insists that he be punished for it. Someone who never once puts himself first, someone who encompasses all the traits of considerateness, kindness, brilliance, stability and courtesy even in the face of his impending doom. Gunther’s detailed anecdotes and strikingly honest first-person perspective gives Johnny the characterization necessary for his audience to strive to be just like him while facing their problems; after-all, as anyone who has read this book can attest to, the world would be an exponentially better place if we all had the qualities of Johnny Gunther.

            

TOW 15: Political Cartoon

 

While browsing the web, I found a political cartoon that depicts a belief held by many regarding Obamacare. Published in US News, this political cartoon protests Obamacare on the grounds that it takes away jobs. A contrast of colors and facial expressions communicate the artist’s feelings in an effective way.

 

Set in a largely brightly-colored room with white and pink walls lies a man, obviously sick, in bed. Standing by his bed is Obama, directing the man’s attention towards an “Obamacare doctor” standing at the door: the grim reaper, the one object in the room with a stark dark coloring. The stark difference in the coloring of the room contrasted with the darkness that the grim reaper brings symbolizes the lousy effect that Obama’s Obamacare has had on jobs, the man lying on his deathbed. Yet another effective rhetorical device used is the difference in facial expressions. The man, jobs, lying in bed, has a perplexed and anxious look on his face, whereas Obama is bright, sunny and encouraging, and the grim reaper’s face is not shown at all. This depicts Obama as manipulative because he is endorsing something that will ultimately bring harm to jobs. The artist of this cartoon does an amazing job of conveying his message in a simple and clear way, allowing his audience to easily grasp and contemplate the sincerity of his claim.