I do not feel that I should participate in the “Pay it Forward” assignment. This assignment is telling us to go be nice to people and we will get a good grade. If we don’t do anything nice, we will not receive a good grade. I do not feel like anybody should be forced to do something nice, if they have to be forced, they shouldn’t do it at all. If it is not done for the correct reasons, it doesn’t mean anything. I do nice things for people. If I am in the mood and feel that I should help somebody out, I will, but I will not give them a paper and turn it in to the teacher for a grade. How impersonal is that? If I receive a paper from somebody during this project, I will not feel grateful that they performed an act of kindness for me because it is not for the right reasons. Their act of kindness is for a grade in religion class. Besides the “Pay it Forward” project has almost nothing in common with the movie.
In the movie the little boy, Trevor, decided that he should change the world. His idea about how to do it is a good theory, but it will never work as well as anyone would hope it would. In the movie he saves a homeless man, and he took him home and gave him some money, food, and a place to sleep. He did not have to do anything at all. If I remember correctly, that assignment in the movie was for extra credit. Today we received an assignment that is worth a very healthy sum of points for the second nine weeks. Why should we have to be given grades to be nice to each other? Has the world gone that bad? Having to basically bribe or force people to be courteous to others. That, in my opinion is wrong. This project has a good purpose but I don’t feel that it is the right thing to do.
People should be nice to each other all the time, not just when we get points for it. I feel obligated to go and do good and be the nicest person I can be, but I would rather be nice to someone and feel the gratification that would follow that act. I do
185). I was shown early on that doing for others is satisfying. Unfortunately I believe this is a dying virtue. Every year our 4-H club has a brat and hamburger fundraiser for our club at the local grocery store. I encourage the children to go and ask patrons if they can help them with their groceries. We encourage community service and have several projects yearly to encourage stronger moral acts and virtues among our members. Kyte states, “A family, a business, or a community that is concerned about ethics would be well advised to focus first on building a culture of good relationships by focusing on character” (2012, p. 211). That character building is what we need to build in our children and in ourselves.
What is religion? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion. Others may say Taoism is not a religion. However, one argument can be made. All three of these “religions” share “features.” Huston Smith, author of World’s Religions, says “six features of religion appear so regularly as to suggest that their seeds are in the human makeup.” These six features discussed in World’s Religions are as follows: authority, ritual, explanation, tradition, grace, and mystery (World’s, Page 67). First is authority, Smith argues religion is so complex that people will need assistance or guidance from those held in a higher light, or of a higher authority. Next is ritual, which can be happy (a wedding) or sad (a funeral), rituals are shared between people of the same religion in many forms as a sign of common beliefs. Following rituals, some explanation is required. Many of a religion’s followers ask for explanations, some ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Others may ask, “Who is God?” Depending on one’s religion, the questions or
The film Pay it Forward is an exceptional example of how one person, can do even one small positive thing that can create a ripple effect on the world. The main character Trevor, is a young boy that has a vision to make a difference in the world by with a small idea. The movie shows that his idea can effect many and go farther than intended when it is contingent upon people doing the right thing. This concept exemplifies many Christian messages in doing generous acts for others, while expecting nothing in return.
For as long as I can remember I’ve heard the saying, “Be the change you want to see.” While I understood what it meant I never really grasped why it was important to do so. If we don’t take the initiative to instill in our children the morals that our society lacks then the cycle will continue of disregard for others. We need to teach our children to seek who they are, and what they want out of life. Once
I believe that the people who show generosity every day to everyone and the people who make mistakes and feel guilt are both good at heart. It may be hard to constantly be nice to everyone around you and you will mess up and have regrets. It’s life. But I just admire a little girl who was the only one to realize that, despite everything, all people are really good at heart.
There has always been a predominant belief in my household that it is important to help others- whether it be volunteering at a food pantry or just keep an elderly neighbor company when no one else is around to do so. The main takeaway from this was that one couldn’t receive good in their life if they never gave any. I have been more eager to follow this through, not necessarily in the spirit of receiving some good in return, but because it gave me a good feeling to know that I was impacting someone’s life in a positive manner. I wanted to be able to foster this feeling and incorporate it into my everyday life, so I could carry that feeling with me wherever I go.
There are religions everywhere regardless of where a person goes in this world. A person could experience many different religions if they were to travel the world; however, many religions can be practiced within one country, especially within the United States. The diversity of religion is very common in many countries and usually all religions are pretty accepting of others. Christianity is one of the most widespread religions that are practiced throughout the world, especially in the United States; although, Christianity was started in another country. This particular religion may be widely practiced but some may still not quite understand what Christianity actually is. By going through the central themes, this religion can be understood a little bit better by many.
Christianity is defined as, “A major religion, stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century AD.” (Shelton) It has become the largest of the world’s religions. Yet in Ancient Rome in the first century A.D. they were not welcome. Christians were burned and tortured, and persecuted for just over three hundred years because of their beliefs. Why? We may never fully know, but I believe it was mostly out of fear. Fear of the new, and fear of change.
Whether it be mentoring, helping the homeless, giving blood, holding a charity event or helping support those in need. No matter what the type of work you do is, it matters as long as it helps the community become a better place. The act of kindness that you perform today can save a life tomorrow. Every person isn’t born with ethical thoughts, or thoughts at all but they learn them as they grow. For example, if you see your parents or someone that you admire do good things such as giving back, and help people who need it or just doing right by the religion that they follow, then there is a split chance, that you will follow in those same exact footsteps and fill them just as well as you were taught. Not saying you have to go out of your way to give money to help someone pay for groceries and do things for the less fortunate, but put yourself in their shoes. What would life be like from the other side? Could you still have everything you have now? Everybody can’t be financially stable all the time and you never know when the tables could turn and you can be in their place. It doesn 't take much time to make a difference in your community or any community rather. Give what you can and be that change you want to see in others. We have to learn to work together, rather than despising one another or not getting along with each other for no reason logical. “Two minds are greater than one”. If we stop working against each other and start
...esult, the more directly one sees their personal efforts impact someone else, the more happiness one can gain from the experience of giving. Sometimes generosity requires pushing past a feeling of reluctance because people all instinctively want to keep good things for themselves, but once one is over this feeling, they will feel satisfaction in knowing that they have made a difference in someone else’s life. However, if one lives without generosity but is not selfish, they can still have pleasure from other virtues.
Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs and worships which includes a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. Well over 90% of the world 's population adheres to some form of religion. The problem is that there are so many different religions. What is the right religion? What is true religion? The two most common ingredients in religions are rules and rituals. Some religions are essentially nothing more than a list of rules, dos and don 'ts, which a person must observe in order to be considered a faithful adherent of that religion, and thereby, right with the God of that religion. Two examples of rules-based religions are Islam and Judaism. Islam has its five pillars that must be observed.
Remember your mother telling you that life was not fair? That a person who is less deserving than another will be rewarded for something that should not have been theirs in the first place, but for us to learn how to deal with it; cautioning our behaviors before scolding us if we did not react adequately. As children, we were being taught manners and to be courteous to others. Because both parents work outside of the home anymore, teaching manners and moral to our children is a lost practice. With that said, herein lies the problem, people have gotten so wrapped up in their lives that they have forgotten they are not the only thing that inhibits this earth, forgetting that people
The very first time I read the topic of the essay, it reminded me of a movie I watched when I was around 13. “When someone does you a big favour don’t pay it back, pay it forward” is what little Trevor says in the movie “Pay it forward”. Being at the age of 13 I took it as a lesson of life and it gave me additional incentives to help who the most needed me. Most of the times I received the satisfaction of seeing a smile in the face of someone else, and half of the times I was let down realizing that I was just used by someone else. But I decided not to care; I wanted to do something that would have changed that conservative community I lived in.
It's not about giving people things, but more so about one’s daily gestures and what one says to everyone each day. Being kind might be tough at times but in the end avoiding a rude comment is much better than saying one. There are so many ways to show others that being kind is important so don’t be afraid to try some out. Looking into it further, if everyone in the world was kind, we could avoid conflicts from small fights on the streets to world wars because everyone would be able to communicate and compromise with one another in a civilized
Aesop once stated, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” In this time period, many people around the globe only focus on their life, and they do not focus on lifting others up. Kindness is one word that can change lives, even when the person that shows kindness doesn’t even know the impact they are making. One act of kindness does not appear to be very important, but every act makes an impact. The world is full of hatred, war, and terrorism, but anybody can start to make a change. Some reasons that any act of kindness has an impact include other people needing positivity, the start of a chain reaction, and the benefit of other people in the world.