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Many futurologists - professional (Toffler) and less so (Naisbitt) - tried their hand at predicting the future. They proved quite successful at predicting major trends but not as lucky in delineating their details. This is because, inevitably, every futurologist has to resort to crude tools such as extrapolation. The modern day versions of biblical prophets are much better informed - and this, precisely, seems to be the problem. The cluttered information obstructs the outlines of the philosophically and conceptually most important elements.
The futurologist has to divine which - of a host - of changes which occur in his times and place ushers in a new era. Since the speed at which human societies change has radically accelerated - the futurologist's work has become more compounded and less certain.
It is better to stick to truisms, however banal. True and tried is the key to successful (and, therefore, useful) predictions. What can we rely upon which is immutable and invariant, not dependent on cultural context, technological level, or geopolitical developments?
Human nature, naturally.
The introduction of human nature into the equation which should yield the prediction may further complicate it. Human nature is, arguably, the most complex thing in the universe. It is characteristically unpredictable and behaviourally stochastic. It is not the kind of paradigm conducive to clear-cut, unequivocal, unambiguous forecasts.
This is why it is advisable to isolate two or three axes around which human nature - or its more explicit manifestations - revolves. These organizational principles must possess comprehensive explanatory powers, on the one hand - and exhibit some kind of synergy, on the other hand.
I propose such a trio : Individuality, Collectivism and Time.
Individuation is the Separation principle, the human yearning for uniqueness and idiosyncrasy, for distinction and self sufficiency, for independence and self expression.
Collectivism is the human propensity to agglomerate, to stick together, to assemble, the herd instincts and the group behaviours.
Time is the principle which connects both. It is the bridge linking individual and society. It is an epiphenomenon of society. In other words, it arises only when people assemble and can compare themselves to others. This is not Time in the physical sense, which is discernible through the relative positions and physical states of physical systems. Every human - alone as he may be - is bound to notice it.
For example, in the sychronized swimming scene, many different camera angles were used. Some parts of this scene were shot from above, the side, from below which was interesting as that 's not something often seen. When Deanna Moran was coming out of the water, a bit of that scene was shot from her perspective and then cut to an above angle. This showed off the cinematography quite well and made the movie look artistic at times. The only complaint about the movie I would have is some of the editing. A few scenes were dragged on a bit too long and could have been edited to be a bit shorter. The scene where Ralph Fiennes character, Laurence Laurentz, was showing Hobbie Doyle how to say a line correctly was incredibly funny at first, but was carried on too long. The scene lasted approximately one minute, which doesn 't seem too long, but when the scene focuses on one small joke it feels like five minutes. Mysterious scenes were dimly lit, which worked sufficiently. When Baird Whitlock is kidnapped and just wakes up, he has no idea where he is and the lighting doesn 't brighten until he is told why he has been kidnapped and by who. The lighting was also cleverly used during the scene where DeAnna Moran explains to Eddie Mannix she wants to hide her pregnancy. Shadows are casted over their faces and the room is quite dark. The characters are even wearing hats that cover the top of their eyes to add to the secretive
In the article "College is a Waste of Time and Money", Caroline Bird explains why higher education may not be the best choice for high school graduates. Bird writes that students do not attend college because they want to, but because of what others expect. College is merely the trend in today's society. It is an escape from the real world. Students may be shuffled into a system that is neither financially nor academically beneficial.
The word collectivism often makes people cringe. Overall, there is a general fear of not being able to make personal decisions in America. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, collectivism can be defined as; emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity (“Collectivism”). In Anthem, Ayn Rand describes an extreme collectivist society. Although Anthem’s society seems extremely surreal, aspects of its collectivist society closely mirror today’s society.
commuters waste 38 hours per year stuck in traffic. In Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, the situation is even more serious with drivers squandering 67 and 61 hours, respectively, staring at the license plate of the stationary vehicle in front of them” (Keeping, n.d.). Henceforth, it is my speculation that a negative response to the issue of car congestion will generate some serious consequences for the foreseeable future. It is my prediction that a refusal to resolve this dilemma, will spawn complete chaos and anarchy upon the globes highways and byways. Therefore, it is vital that some type of action is taken beforehand in order to alleviate this issue before it gets out of hand. By and large, this final phase of this paper drives this assignment to its conclusion. Ergo, the ensuing portion of this case assignment will elaborate on highlights of this
“Sonnet Eighteen” was one of the first of the Sonnets to become very well known. It “sets a fearful problem in turning it into prose”, because it is so straight forward and easy to comprehend (Rowse 39). Throughout this poem, the reader will acknowledge that Shakespeare “finds the human beauty “more lovely” and more lasting than nature’s” (Kastan 10). In the Sonnet, Shakespeare is comparing a woman to a summer’s day. He uses imagery to differentiate the harshness of summer and beauty of the woman. The audience can see the speaker’s perspective of youth and beauty throughout the lines in the
In the article “Are too many People Going to College” by Charles Murray a W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, argues that our educational system needs improvement and that too many people are attending college. Some of Charles arguments on why too many people are attending college are obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree gives you a high paying job, college requires classes that are unnecessary, skill/talent may not need a degree and because they do not want to be labeled as dumb or lazy. Charles Murray makes a lot of good arguments on why too many people are going to college and I concur with his arguments.
...Once someone chooses to pick up a bottle or can of alcohol and takes a swig there’s no going back. They may have made a decision that will impact the rest of their lives. It’s not right for advertisers to use people and things we admire and hold dear to our hearts in order to pass on these false perceptions about alcohol, but they still do it anyway. Advertisers are part of the reason why people not only suffer from alcoholism, but obesity and improper nutrition. They’re suggesting that we are weak and their products could make us feel better, look better, or even be better people, but the only person who can determine that about us is ourselves. Although they’re not the one to put the bottle in our hands it’s always good to be knowledgeable about what we purchase and put into our bodies. As the ancient Latin’s would say, “Caveat emptor, or, “Let the buyer beware.”
Kast, Verena (1996). The process of individuation. Retrieved June 17, 1997 from the World Wide Web: http://www.jungnet.org/cgibin/dispatch
This is an enjoyable sonnet that uses nature imagery, found extensively in Petrarca, that Shakespeare uses to get his point across. Not much explication is needed, aside the sustained images of nature, to fully understand its intent, but I would like to point out a peculiar allusion. When reading line 3, "the violet past prime" has made me think of Venus and Adonis. In the end, Adonis melts into the earth and a violet sprouts where his body was, which Venus then places in her heart, signifying the love she has for him. Reading this into the poem makes the few following lines more significant. Having Adonis portrayed as the handsome youth, Shakespeare is alluding to the death of youth (in general and to the young man) through the sonnet. In the next line, it is not certain if "sable" is an adjective or a noun and if "curls" is a noun, referring to hair (which is plausible) or a verb modifying "sable." Invoking the allusion to Adonis here, Shakespeare portends that if Adonis did live longer, he too would have greying hair; thus, Shakespeare sees ["behold"] an Adonis figure, the young man, past his youth.
Abel, Donald C., ed. Theories of Human Nature: Classical and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992.
futures. What may happen in the future is controlled by a power far higher than
Human nature is characteristics that generally apply to all people. It is our natural habits such as being impatient, wanting to be accepted, and so on. It is within human nature that peopl...
Sonnet Eighteen is written in iambic pentameter form using the succession of alternating stressed syllables in which the first is unstressed and the second is stressed. These stresses are used to embody meaning. Therefore, when Shakespeare breaks from iambic meter, he adds variety and emphasis. This change in the regularity of the rhythm adds force to descriptions and draws attention. In Sonnet Eighteen, a change is marked with the use of the word ‘but’ at the beginning of the third quatrain. The final couplet does not simply affirm or contradict the speaker’s main idea, but extends it: the subject is indeed everlastingly young and beautiful, but only if Sonnet Eighteen lives on.
“Sonnet 73,” published by William Shakespeare in 1609, reveals through symbolic imagery and metaphors mans promised fate, death. The theme of “Sonnet 73” is that, as life draws to an end, it becomes more valued. In a melancholy mood, the narrator concedes that many years have passed by and that the end of his life draws ever near. He reflects through imagery, and with a sense of self-pity, the loss of his youth and passion to the ravages of time. In this essay I will detail the use of symbolic imagery and metaphors in “Sonnet 73” and how it portrays the author’s experience of aging.
As each day goes by the beauty of our vibrant youth decays and diminishes. In "Sonnet 15" Shakespeare refers to youth as life at its peak, however this precious point in our life is short-lived. Shakespeare speaks of youth as a single moment of perfection. He glorifies youth and alleges to immortalize it through his poetic words. He uses metaphors, imagery, and rhyme in a way to enhance the beauty and perfection of mans youth while in its prime. Through this he demonstrate the love and richness of youth despite the tole time takes on it.