Living in a major metropolitan area as I do, I'm often surprised at the sharp contrasts I see between the people here and those in the more relaxed Midwestern community where I grew up. Some of these are positive:
a higher level of awareness of and respect for other countries and cultures
widespread interest in physical fitness and nutrition
more motivation to succeed
However, one troubling thing I have noticed is the abject lack of humility in Washington, DC, and the rather egotistical tendencies of the people who live here. Whether in a professional or social setting, I'm always floored by how quickly people will flash their business card, mention the Ivy League school they attended, or nod and smile during someone's story and then interrupt them to talk about themselves. But I don't think these people are hard-wired to be egomaniacs, instead I think they've made choices that have caused them to think single-mindedly about their own success.
Indeed, "no man is an island," and that single-mindedness isolates the career-driven person from genuine social interaction, a phenomenon of which they are probably not even aware.
The operating assumption this sort of person is making seems clear: "in order to be a success, to achieve great things, I need to act like I'm that impressive, and make sure everyone knows it." And of course, when you get more than a couple of these people in a room, inevitable one-ups-manship ensues, to everyone's disadvantage...
...So what are these hard-working go-getters missing out on?
New horizons. The more you talk about yourself, the less open you are to hear about others' experiences, and thus you close yourself off to new information and new experiences
Personal mystery. By runn...
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...t point, they're really listening, and likely ready to be your advocate.
If you want to live a successful life that is also personally fulfilling, then you need to be wary of the superficial and always search for the deeper meaning and purpose in everything. You know yourself better than anyone else, therefore talking about yourself equals zero progress. Say no to egomania and open yourself up to the world around you.
If you remember nothing else:
Ego isolates you from the community around you and brings out the worst in others
You can be confident and proud of yourself without being arrogant
Bragging gets you nowhere, as it makes you like everyone else
Humility separates you from the pack, is easier on you, and it makes others like you more
Developing real connections with people is more rewarding, both personally and professionally than "networking"
The wild is a place to push yourself to the limit and take a look at who you truly are inside. “Wilderness areas have value as symbols of unselfishness” (Nash). Roderick Nash’s philosophy states that the wilderness gives people an opportunity to learn humility but they fight this because they do not have a true desire to be humble. Human-kind wants to give out the illusion that they are nature lovers when in reality, they are far from it. “When we go to designated wilderness we are, as the 1964 act says, "visitors" in someone else's home” (Nash). People do not like what they cannot control and nature is uncontrollable. Ecocentrism, the belief that nature is the most important element of life, is not widely accepted. The novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer depicts a young boy who goes on an exploration to teach himself the true concept of humility. Chris McCandless, the protagonist, does not place confidence in the universal ideology that human beings are the most significant species on the planet, anthropocentrism.
Society has evolved culturally since the 6th century. The simplistic and barbaric lifestyle of the Middle Ages, as portrayed in the epic poem Beowulf (Heaney, 2000), contrasts with the complex and civilized lifestyle of a modern day society, as depicted in the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson, 2005). The flat characters of the epic poem exhibit little to no knowledge of the concepts of humility as well as compassion, whereas the characters of the film utilize these concepts to give each of the main characters a sense of depth as well as realistic personas that allow the audience to connect with them on a much deeper level.
“Bitterness keeps you from flying. Always stay humble and kind.”- Tim McGraw For most of my life so far, there has always been one word that has stood out the most to me. It is a word that has always followed me and will continue to follow me forever. “This word is humble”.
Indisputably, all too many families find themselves making the difficult decisions to place their loved ones in a nursing home facility. In that stressful atmosphere, family members may be tense, and conflicts may arise. Occasionally, patients and family members can be burdensome and may place their frustration toward the nursing staff. Consequently, some nurses seek to suppress such tension, only to find that it spills over into other areas of life. Others even suffer emotionally, giving way to frustration and despair. The concept of cultural humility will be discussed throughout this paper as an open and aware mentality, the quality and knowledge necessary for the nursing staff to
Cultural humility was a film based on opinions and reactions to the concept itself. The film started out with two females describing “Cultural Humility” as a “multi-dimensional concept”, where it begins as a life learning and critical self reflection process where we need to understand that each one of us is a completely different individual, who is unique in its own way. They also talk about recognizing and challenging power imbalances to create better partnerships. This part of the film starts out by talking about those who lack power are the ones who are denied the ability to challenge their human rights. They give an example of the Chinese Progressive Association, some Universities, and how San Francisco’s Health Department
Egoism is a view that states that what a person wants is somewhat relevant to what humans actually do. There is two main types of egoism: psychological and ethical. These two views are very similar; because of this they can easily be interchanged. It is important to be able to recognize the dissimilarity of these two views.
If one wishes to be a psychological egoist, then one needs to explain why people do certain actions that appear to be genuine acts of altruism.
When the average person thinks about an egomaniac they usually think about a materialistic person who relentlessly and always bragging about themselves. There is this connotation that overly self-confident people must strictly be self-confident whether it be about their looks,money, or power. However, the novel Cloud atlas tackles these falsehoods that egotism is a simple black and white deal. In Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell uses informal diction to show how an individual’s egotism ironically deteriorates their self esteem and how these individuals are compassionate towards others, contradictory to their usual self centered traits.
Before beginning this class, I had never heard of the terms cultural competence and cultural humility. So when the question ‘What might the benefits be to utilising a cultural humility approach when engaging with people we intend to work with as colleagues or clients? Do you think you have any personal challenges to overcome in practising cultural humility amongst people who you believe to be different to you in some way?’ was asked it was rather confusing at first. After attending this week’s learning circle I became familiar with the ideas and the differences between the two terms. The video “Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices”, also clarified the terms even further and gave me a greater understanding of what cultural humility
Ego-centrism – West’s need for discussions and attention to be solely focused around his accomplishment, abilities and aspirations.
Author Ralph Ellison once wrote, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ellison’s statement is highly agreed upon. Being yourself can establish identity and build up self confidence. Also, every person is unique.
The most important aspect of determining your idea of personal fulfillment is you. You must ask yourself, “Why am I here?” What do you believe is your purpose in life? Many people live several years and make many wrong decisions before they truly realize what is right for them. Others may never realize their true potential. An individual’s highest desires are not true personal fulfillment. Owning a mansion and driving a Rolls Royce after becoming a celebrity is personal fulfillment as portrayed by society and the media. However, this is not your idea of personal fulfillment. You must accept the fact that these materialistic things have nothing to do with being content in life. By assessing your talents, acquisitions, and potential, you will be able to achieve your individual goal.
Imagine having to choose to reside in one place for the rest of your life. Which would you opt for? Some people would argue that the hyperactive lifestyle that a big city has to offer has more benefits than living in the country. However, others would contend that the calm and peaceful environment of the countryside is much more rewarding. Several people move from the city to a farm to get away from the hustle and bustle. Likewise, some farmers have traded in their tractors and animals to live a fast paced city life. Of course, not all large cities are the same nor are all of the places in the country identical. Realizing this, ten years ago, I decided to hang up the city life in Indiana to pursue a more laid back approach to life in rural Tennessee. Certainly, city life and life in the country have their benefits, but they also have distinguishable differences.
Shakespeare once said, “Life is but a stage and men merely players on it.” In order for us to become main characters on this stage, instead of mere extras, we must be able to truly identify who we are as individuals first. After this has been accomplished we can find out how we can benefit our society. When complete self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-confidence, and self-respect are reached, than you can truly “know thyself.”
Loving yourself is the key to a happy life. When you love all that you are, unconditionally, life reflects that back to you. When you learn to love yourself, fully, you create a happy, loving environment to flourish in. When we lose sight of what’s most important—loving self—we lose sight of our goals and dreams and being happy and healthy. Ultimately, to live a fulfilling life, first and foremost, requires that you love all that you are and trust that life loves you in return.