The first step to achieving any measure of progress in any activity is admitting the existence of an area in need of improvement and accepting the action necessary for successful development. In developing an identity and living an examined life, it is important to engage in internal reflection and evaluation for the benefit of truly knowing oneself. With this inner insight and personal identity, an individual can lead a successful and meaningful life. True personal progress can only be fully achieved through the procedural acquisition of awareness and acceptance and the performance of the action needed for improvement in regard to all aspects of individual health and prosperity.
In the intellectual dimension, the process of obtaining awareness and acceptance and performing necessary action can be observed when discussing the development of intellect and effective use of education. When developing internal intellect, an individual must be aware of his or her inner self in order to acquire meaningful knowledge through the evolution of an identity. In The Seven Vectors: An Overview, Arthur W. Chickering and Linda Reisser discuss the importance of acquiring a “sense of self in a social, historical, and cultural context,” encouraging internal awareness and attention to one’s inner self (38). Also, in his Major Decisions, James Tunstead Burtchaell displays the critical influence of education as a method used “to see beneath and beyond what is well known,” encouraging the pursuit of intellectual depth (31). Personally, through my desire to learn and experience knowledge, I have found that an attention to my internal self is required in order to be able to accept the state of my intelligence and the areas in which it needs improvemen...
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A famous quote by Martin Luther King states “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” The two articles “Hidden Intellectualism” and “Blue Collar Brilliance” both emphasis the author's opinion on the qualifications and measurements of someone's intelligence. “Hidden Intellectualism” focuses on students or younger people who have trouble with academic work because, they are not interested in the topic. Today, in schools students are taught academic skills that are not very interesting, the author mentions this is why children are not motivated in schools. The main viewpoint of this article is that schools need to encourage students
Research of literature depends on the theory or topic one is researching. Research uncovers what the author knows about his or her discipline and its practices. Augustus Napier is a family therapist with vast experience in family therapeutic processes and experiential therapy with couples. In my research of his background, I reviewed his book “The Family Crucible.” In this text, Dr. Napier chronicles the therapeutic process of one fictitious family (which is a composite of real cases) experiencing marital discord. In reviewing the case studies in this book, I gained insight into his style of the therapeutic process, which exposed Dr. Napier’s framework which leads to his assumptions about marriage. The details of this case study coupled with Dr. Napier’s added paragraphs and chapters of analyses with his conclusions on the maladaptive reasons people marry other people make this resource of great qualitative value. Additionally, useful evaluative data revealing a deeper insight into Dr. Napier’s position on irreconcilable differences can be fo...
Before one can analyze the ways in which Cronin demonstrates how an individual becomes self enlightened it is necessary to explain what the process of personal development is. Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. Many discuss the idea in great detail including ways to initiate development. One prominent figure in the field was Lawrence Kohlberg, an American phycologist. He developed what’s popularly known as Kohlberg's Three Levels and Six Stages of Moral Reasoning. The first stage is “pre-conventional” where a individual is focused on obedience and avoiding punishment and is also considered self-oriented. The second stage is “Conventional” where the individual is interpersonal and conforms to maintain a social orientation. The last stage, “Post-Conventional,” is arguably on...
In her article “College Is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird attempts to pursued her readers that colleges are overflowing with students who don’t belong there. Her article first appeared in Psychology Today (May 1975). Since this material is outdated, I find it hard to believe that most of the responses by students and parents quoted in the article still hold true. The author has set out to pursue the readers that college is a bad and unnecessary choice for today’s youth. Yet the author holds a bachelors and a masters degree from two different universities. I would think that if she thought college was really a bad choice and a waste of time and money, she would not have gone back to get her masters degree.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
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Mark Edmundson, published the essay “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here” on August 22, 2011 in the Oxford American. Edmundson received his education at Yale University and is currently a professor of English at Virginia University. In the beginning of the essay, He describes the initial feelings of a new college student and explains what is expected throughout the process. He adamantly expresses the need to find oneself, which he feels is the true meaning behind achieving higher education. He describes sources of pressure students face when trying to get an education, which include expectations from society, family, and even the university the student is attending. The institutions are pressuring students to avoid making an impact on society and only getting a degree for the purpose getting a job.
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It is not a question of self-improvement. What is being provided is a simple technique devoid of gurus, books and methods, a new kind of learning that permanently establishes us in the transcendent life for self-inquiry arises from that supreme intelligence which is the Self.
College students face strenuous workloads daily, causing them to feel more pressure about their schoolwork and academics and resulting in anxiousness. About 50% of college students today are suffering from depression, a larger number than most believe, but not all reveal that they have a depressive issue (Deroma, Leach, Leverett 325). Researchers suggest that academic stress plays a big role in a college student’s depression. Most people know that college is a lot harder than high school ...
Lindsey, Billie. 2009. "THE PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF DEPRESSION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS." College Student Journal 43 (4): 999-1014.
I realised that self-awareness is important in achieving self-improvement. The more an individual understands themselves, the better he or she is at adapting life changes that is according to their needs. The more self-aware we are, it improves the level of confidence we have on oneselves. This can be achieved through greater exposure, thus widens one’s experiences and will be more likely be more accepting of others. Self-awareness will also benefit us to be more accurate in accessing