In the book “The Elements of Learning” by B. Banner, Jr., and C. Cannon, the authors introduce eleven different elements that characterize the different stages a student goes through before becoming successful. Industry became the first element introduced; industry represents hard work followed by diligence and persistence. A student must be willing to work hard in order to acquisitively allow the spirit of knowledge to be retained. The second element represents enthusiasm, but such element can best be described as finding something interesting, stimulating, or even entertaining. Meaning that the things you approach must be entertaining or must have something interesting that will be able to keep you focus. The third element, pleasure, represents the small, quiet and private satisfactions that come from your own abilities, and from what you bring into your work. Having pleasure means being proud of the achievements obtained from the individual’s hard work. The fourth element is cur...
Yet, happiness is not a condition, a gift or a talent, though some people appear to have a natural knack for happiness than others. They seem to have no particular reason for being happy except that they are so. Sometimes it may lie in one’s genetic disposition to be happier than others in identical circumstances; they have inherent aptitude for happiness. They are born with it: born happy. It is the genetic factor. But, it is also a skill that can be acquired, practiced into habit. Typically, a man tends to count his misfortunes more than his fortunes. But if he counts his fortunes at the same time with the same sensitivity, he would see that for every misfortune there are so many fortunes, for every pain there are so many pleasures. If he counts it right, he will be very happy. It is a hard arithmetic, but to be master with the math, we need to welcome these blessings and recount ourselves to be happy every day, every time. We need to reconcile, recognize and appreciate what we have (good health) and what we do not have (cancer). The talent of being happy is an understanding. Intelligence starts here. It is not a huge effort; it is possible and achievable. It is some form of
Self-discipline can be defined as doing things to improve oneself. It is the ability to look past present interruptions and instant gratifications and focus on future goals and what it takes to accomplish them. According Quent (2005) self-discipline is doing things to improve yourself, not because you were told to but because you want to reach your goals. DeVore (1990) defines self-discipline as having perseverance towards your goals; it is the will power not to give up because of failure, disappointments,and setbacks and or peoples options but to draw motivation from these experiences and follow through with the goals no matter how difficult they may be to reach. As stated by Newstex (2011) self-discipline is acting the way you think instead of what you feel at that present moment. Most of the time acting the way you think involves sacrif...
Everyone wants to be “happy.” Everyone endeavors to fulfill their desires for their own pleasure. What makes this ironic is, the fact that most don‘t know what the actual definition of happiness is. “In Pursuit of Unhappiness” presents an argument, which states that not everyone will be happy. Darrin McMahon, the article’s author, explores the ways our “relentless pursuit of personal pleasure”(McMahon P.11;S.3) can lead to empty aspirations and impractical expectations, making us sad, and not happy. Rather than working to find the happiness of others, we should all focus on finding what makes ourselves happy. It is easier to find happiness in the little things
In order to succeed one needs truth. Everyone is capable of making decisions, however, truth is a key accessory to making such decisions better. One must be aware that what one believes, imagines, and desires to be true, are all different (Blackburn, 2009). Defining truth is difficult for some claim truth is concrete and can be proved in a structural manner. Others simply avoid the definition saying it is too abstract to be narrowed down into a single statement the world can agree on. For example, students have different ways of learning, thus to each student, a particular learning style is the best way to learn, and that is the student’s truth. Many have tried to tackle the definition of truth and from it came about the Correspondence Theory,
James V. Schall’s, “A Student’s Guide to Liberal Learning” wants us to understand that the nature of the universe gives us opportunities for different things. He addresses that the universe allows us to gain new knowledge in any place that we might be. In Schall’s “A Student’s Guide to Liberal Learning,” he mentions “one that is capable of altering us to intellectual riches that are almost never found in universities or in the popular culture.” From this I understood that the universe always gives opportunities to acquire and learn new knowledge. The universe allows us to learn different things. For example, things that might be facts or simply random things that are interesting.
Full disclosure: I've lived my entire life wanting to be an engineer. My father is a manufacturing engineer. My grandfather was an electrical engineer. My girlfriend is currently studying at Iowa State in mechanical Engineering. I am an engineer at heart.
The conditions under which any one understands me, and necessarily understands me--I know them only too well. Even to endure my seriousness, my passion, he must carry intellectual integrity to the verge of hardness. He must be accustomed to living on mountain tops--and to looking upon the wretched gabble of politics and nationalism as beneath him. He must have become indifferent; he must never ask of the truth whether it brings profit to him or a fatality to him... He must have an inclination, born of strength, for questions that no one has the courage for; the courage for the forbidden; predestination for the labyrinth. The experience of seven solitudes. New ears for new music. New eyes for what is most distant. A new conscience for truths that have hitherto remained unheard. And the will to economize in the grand manner--to hold together his strength, his enthusiasm...Reverence for self; love of self; absolute freedom of self.....
The philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” This famous quote compels people to question the significance of their joy, and whether it truly represents purposeful lives they want to live. Ray Bradbury, a contemporary author, also tackles this question in his book, Fahrenheit 451, which deals heavily with society's view of happiness in the future. Through several main characters, Bradbury portrays the two branches of happiness: one as a lifeless path, heading nowhere, seeking no worry, while the other embraces pure human experience intertwined together to reveal truth and knowledge.
Conversely, vocation should only be seen as a means to free us to pursue a life of reflection that enables us to come to the knowledge of what is true. For education to be successful, educators must understand what constitutes truth. C. S. Lewis wrote, "Truth is always about something, but reality is that about which truth is, that truth is important might seem obvious, but in today 's society truth is seen as malleable and relative. If we are going to be able to navigate the quagmires of standards and assessment, we need to clearly understand what it means to say something is true, and how this enables us to arbitrate between a student 's correct and incorrect beliefs. The truth is the engine that drives inquiry. The pursuit of the truth involves a desire to understand what is real and avoid what is false (Pettifor, Audrey E., et al). Education enables students to come into contact with what is
According to the Dalai Lama, the value of self-discipline is interconnected to the value of contentment. Self-Discipline is rarely effective when imposed by fear by external stimuli, such as religious and work institutions. The value must be embraced at one’s will. By having a healthy sense of self-discipline, we can maintain the determination and motivation required to live in contentment.
One question that may come to mind is, “What is liberal education?”. The answer is simple, liberal education is an approach to learn, that teaches people the ways of life. Liberal education has come to be a “necessity” in our world today. According to Huffington’s Post. “All successful careers require critical thinking, teamwork, sensitivity to cultural, demographic, economic and societal differences and political perspectives” (Ray). It is with our understanding that people who choose to obtain a liberal education already have this advantage over the people who choose not to obtain a liberal education. Although, in some cases this isn’t entirely true. Charles Murray’s states in his argument that only a small number of students have the ability or the interest to successfully pursue a liberal education. The issues of liberal education are debatable. This is the reason why Newman and Steffens would have different views on Murray’s statement.
The article “What True Education Should Do” written by Sydney Harris caught my attention the most out of all of the readings we were given. In his article, Sydney J. Harris, a writer for major Chicago newspapers, is defining what he thinks true education is. There are two different ways of being educated according to Harris. One of those is that students are stuffed with information and the other is eliciting information from inside of the students’ minds. He gives us a quite honest analogy to support his ideas. He states that students are like empty sausage casings and are being “stuffed” with information by our educators.
Self-discipline is that of an individual to choose the hard right over the easy wrong when nobody
Whether it concerns your relationships, work ethic, fitness or diet, self-discipline is the principal attitude required among the several virtuous qualities of an individual. More than that, it is necessary to reach goals (as oft repeated to you), pursue a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately, let you become contented and happy. With all these favorable benefits of acquiring self-discipline, you beget long-term and sustainable success in all areas of your life.