Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology - Essay Example The broad shoreline in Greece, which contains inlets, for example, the one of Corinth and Thessalonica, which stretches out towards the ocean, gives an association as a methods for correspondence with the neighboring zones. This additionally has empowered the inside regions of the Balkans to add to the social offices in the Mediterranean (Smith and Anthon 990). The ocean likewise acted like a wellspring of worry on security matters. The seaborne right of passage from the north, west, and south through the Black ocean ingrained Greece, Peloponnese inclined to assault, and disarticulation (Larned and Reilly 1010). The Greece position on the Mediterranean Sea assumed a pivotal job in changing the climatic conditions therefore making its populace practice porch horticulture. The ocean additionally gave a safe situation to exchanging, making it a rich center for exchanging grapes and olives (Larned and Reilly 1010). The nearness of the mountains assumed a noteworthy job in Greek folklore. The legends in the antiquated served to divulge how the world was framed and controlled. The Greeks accepted that the essential divine beings made of Twelve Gods, or dodekatheon dwelled in mount Olympus (Smith and Anthon 990). Smith, William and Anthon, Charles. .Another old style word reference of Greek and Roman memoir, folklore, and topography: Partly dependent on the Dictionary of Greek and Roman life story and folklore. Chicago, CA: Chicago University Press, 1850, 976-1030.

Six Sigma Processes an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Six Sigma Processes by Expert Jayjay1 | 23 Dec 2016 Presentation Today, business situations request that arrangements settle explicit issues as well as that they be replicable in different situations and yield similar outcomes. Created by Bill Smith for Motorola in 1986 to diminish blunder edges underway, Six Sigma rehearses have been embraced by ventures and experts as a standard of greatness (Keller, 2004). In spite of the fact that the essential inspiration for embracing Six Sigma is in the improving the productivity of procedures and cost decrease, Winkler (2007) calls attention to that it can fundamentally improve the expert and specialized viability in an association. In any case, Dusharmes (2001) that there is additionally a need to assess chiefs Six Sigma experience. His study demonstrates that Six Sigma rehearses have had the most huge effect on assembling and specialized tasks yet didn't have a similar degree of effect on enhancing fulfillment evaluations. Need paper test on Six Sigma Processes subject? We will compose a custom paper test explicitly for you Continue As a supervisor in a gadgets organization, the acknowledgment that business arrangements, anyway stable or demonstrated they are, can not be basically acknowledged or expected to have similar outcomes in each association. Hurricanes (2003) evaluation of a few utilization of Six Sigma as guidelines for ventures and associations shows that the center of viable outcomes is significantly needy not really as in applying the standards yet adjusting what parts of it are utilized. The goal of this paper is to survey the essentialness of Six Sigma practices to my experience as a supervisor and how this experience can be assessed with Six Sigma practices and results in different businesses. In doing as such, the investigation will bolster the recognizable proof of key variables to be considered in the advancement of Six Sigma structures, distinguishing proof of undertakings were the principals can be applied and how to decide the pace of accomplishment of applying Six Sigma rehearses. Six Sigma Experience As indicated by Harry and Schroeder (2002), one of the principal presentations any director gets around Six Sigma has experienced the Motorola experience, along these lines, the positivist responses to the practices. There is a supposition that Six Sigma practices will improve tasks, especially creation, in all cases, a practically oversimplified see on the practices. Looking back, my enthusiasm for Six Sigma was centered around the outcomes that have been cultivated by Motorola Honeywell International and General Electric to give some examples instead of to the outcomes it will bring to my own association. However, there is no uncertainty that Six Sigma results are replicable, little did I comprehend that the level of inpidualization of activities or Six Sigma applications expected to make similar outcomes. Particulars My inclusion with Six Sigma process included the meaning of jobs and duties, venture sanctions, venture choice, DMAIC forms and the pareto choice strategy. My cooperation was a piece of my regulatory capacities in the organization and included fundamentally needs ID, meanings of systems and parameters and labor instruction. To encourage the usage of Six Sigma rehearses, obligatory direction and training programs were expected of center to upper administration officials. Simultaneously, center gathering conversations were composed to study how Six Sigma can be embraced by the association. I went to the entirety of the compulsory directions and partook in two of center gathering conversations as contact for quality norms. The directions went on for about a month and a half which were then trailed by center gathering conversations that went on for about two months. Following a month, an operational and the executives plan was introduced for assessment and remarks. The report was practiced by a chose to group of the companys supervisors working with an autonomous organization of advisors. The underlying stage concentrated on coordinations and conveyance and was scheduled for a fourteen day trial to follow an assessment by chiefs. Endless supply of the necessities that will be required for full usage, the structure was then received by the assembling division. Reflection and Observation One of the primary I understood was that Six Sigma isn't just about improving practices or achieving wanted results: it is likewise about conceding existing inadequacies in tasks, practices and staff that have been forestalling the achievement of the objectives. Simultaneously, I saw that the meaning of these variables varies from each inpidual which thus challenges the advancement of cooperative points of view about what must be finished. For instance, on the off chance that one is to concentrate on creation, at that point yield is the at last objective however different viewpoints are similarly as significant. From a budgetary point of view, cost is the essential concern while activities center around creation turnover. Despite the focal point of the worries, they all affect the organization and the viability of Six Sigma forms. Another perception that I made was that there is as yet a need to advance information with respect to Six Sigma procedures and systems. This involves not just teaching ones self on rehearses inside ones own industry yet in addition the utilization of Six Sigma standards in different ventures and fields of intrigue like wellbeing or administrations. At the point when I actualized the Six Sigma systems to my area of expertise, I for one understood the need to make community stages to assess the effect of the structures among staff and chiefs. Thus, I additionally was astounded at the degree of knowledge that could be created and it happened to me that Six Sigma isn't just about achieving creation or operational objectives. All the more significantly, I found that it had the capability of upsetting the association in general just as inpidually, expertly and by and by. Conceptualization My experience shows the inclination of individuals to need to adjust to patterns without first understanding the necessities or ramifications of doing as such. On account of Six Sigma, there is no denying it its incentive as an administration practice however there ought to likewise be acknowledgment that like some other technique, it involves research and study before any application can be made successful (Kang et al, 2005). The center goal of the work on, diminishing yield and procedure difference, advancement of quantifiable business forms and supporting improvement and improvement are not one of a kind to Six Sigma. These goals are regular to all key administration practices such all out quality administration (TQM) and lean creation (Heuring, 2004). What eventually Six Sigma does, I understood, is to cut down these targets into a compact model, for example, in the utilization of procedure ability considers, the associations operational and execution destinations. Keller (2004) reasons that Six Sigma isn't an administration a fix everything except is a methods for building the abilities to distinguish what requirements restoring, how it tends to be done and how the viability of such endeavors can be estimated. Essentially, Dusharme (2001) advocates that there is a requirement for chiefs to proceed with their training in regards to Six Sigma or to carry Six Sigma into the associations culture rather than basically utilizing it on a case to case premise. To my understanding, this implies there is a need to interpret the theoretical establishments of Six Sigma into all administration rehearses: Six Sigma isn't to be simply the board practice, however ought to be its way of thinking. Simultaneously, there ought to likewise be an acknowledgment of scrutinizes and restrictions to Six Sigma. In light of the review done by Morris (2006) on organizations utilizing Six Sigma forms, Six Sigma standards permit limit the capacity to react with deftness in changes to business sectors especially in the passage of new item and substitutes. This lord of shortcoming can end up being lethal as most markets are focusing on progression or globalization. The acknowledgment is that as much as possible improve viability or limit, it can not guarantee seriousness or benefit (Keller, 2004). Experimentation To approve the board standards, one system is to utilize it outside the first settings that it has been created. On account of Six Sigma, this is to bring it outside of the hardware fabricating industry. Another system I accept is to expel from the assessment results which it can not be utilized as a determinant. In light of these requirements, I have decided to assess the effectivity of Six Sigma standards in clinical wellbeing testing, for example, on account of picture documenting and correspondences framework (PACS) utilized in radiology. In the investigation, the principle concern is the improvement of a financially savvy database of radiological pictures utilized for clinical examinations. Simultaneously, the database framework needed to decide, list the nature of pictures. The scientists built up a reason impact graph as premise of the Six Sigma structure to be actualized. Inventoriing the sigma level prerequisites with assets of every component of the PACS, the exploration had the option to figure out what components were using a lot of the frameworks assets. The exploration presumed that in view of Six Sigmas low resistance for blunder, the components that needed to experience retooling were distinguished successfully and has been instrumental in accomplishing a degree of zero imperfections in PACS quality and to smooth out the framework assets and thusly, the expense and necessities of the database (Kang et al, 2005). End I accept that like all administration ways of thinking, standards or suspicions, there is a need to qualify the adequacy of Six Sigma. This isn't to decrease its worth but instead to value its genuine worth: it takes into account the advancement of explicit answers for guarantee profitability and effectivity

Belk

Assets and the Extended Self RUSSELL W. BELK* Our assets are a significant supporter of and impression of our characters. An assortment of proof is introduced supporting this straightforward and convincing reason. Related streans of research are recognized and drawn upon in devetopJng this idea and suggestions are determined for buyer conduct. Since the build of exterxJed self includes customer conduct as opposed to purchaser conduct. It apjpears to be an a lot more extravagant develop than past definitions setting a connection between self-idea and purchaser brand choice.Hollow hands fasten unbelievable belongings since they are interfaces in the chain of life If it breaks, they are really losLâ€Dichlsr 964 W e can't would like to comprehend customer conduct without first increasing some comprehension of ihe implications that buyers join to assets. .†¢ key to understanding what assets mean is perceiving thai, purposely or unconsciously, purposefully or inadvertently, we view our assets as parts of ourselves. As Tuan contends, â€Å"Our delicate feeling of self needs backing, and this we get by having and having things in light of the fact that, to an enormous degree, we are what we have and possess† (1980. . 472). That we are what we have (e. g.. Van Estcrick 1986; Feirsiein 1986; Rosenbaum 1972) is maybe the most fundamental and amazing faci of shopper conduct. The reason that we see our assets as parts of ourselves isn't new. William James (1890, pp. 291-292), who established the frameworks for present day originations ofself, he! d that: a man's Self is the whole of all that he CAN call his, his body and his mystic forces, yet his garments and his home, his better half and kids, his precursors and companions, his notoriety and works, his Jands, and yacht and bank-account.All these things give him similar feelings. On the off chance that they wax and thrive, he feels triumphant; in the event that they lessen and decrease, he feels cast down,â €not essentially in a similar degree for every thing, except similarly for all. ‘ If we characterize assets as things we call our own, James was stating that we are the aggregate of our assets. The motivation behind this article is to look at the connection among assets and feeling of self. It is put together not just with respect to the reason that this relationship is †¢RusscK W. Belk is the N. EJdoa Tanner Professor of Business Administration.Graduate School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84060. The creator wishes to express gratitude toward Melanie WaUendorf, Floyd Rudmin. furthermore, Grant McCracken for their commenis on a prior form of this anicle. of imponance to understanding shopper conduct, yet in addition on the reason that understanding the all-inclusive self wi]] assist us with figuring out how customer conduct adds to our more extensive presence as people (Belk ! 987a). The main area considers different confirmations that assets are a significant segment of feeling of self.The most direct type of proof is found in the idea of self-recognitions. Extra, particularly striking proof is found in the decreased feeling of self when assets are accidentally lost or taken. More proof ofthe job of assets in feeling of self originates from anthropological examinations ofthe way assets are dealt with customarily and in the afterlife. Since broadened self is such an expansive theme, a few unreviewed zones of proof on the degree and nature of the connection among assets and feeling of self likewise are recognized. In this manner, the extension ofthe present treatment is likewise defined.The question of what works the all-inclusive self serves is tended to in the subsequent area, which starts with abrief survey of the fundamental conditions of our reality: having, doing, and being. These states are applicable to the topic of how we characterize what our identity is. Next, the elements of assets in human improvement are thought of. Four phases are recognized: (1) the newborn child separates self from condition, (2) the baby separates self from others, (3) assets help teenagers and grown-ups deal with their characters, and (4) assets help the old accomplish a feeling of congruity and groundwork for death.Finally, the job of assets in making or keeping up a feeling of past is thought of. The third area inspects a few procedures engaged with self-augmentation. One procedure is the underlying joining of items into our all-encompassing selves. Various consolidation forms are examined, not all of which include ownership in the feeling of individual possession. A specific procedure of self-augmentation ‘James calied his content a reference book of brain science and quolcs Hcrr Horwicz's Psychologische Analysen (no date or distributer given)asasourceof a significant number of his thoughts on self. 39 ? Diary OF CONSUMER RESEARCH †¢ Vol. 15 †¢ September 1988 140 THE JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH that is considered in some detail is sullying. In defilement, both great and terrible parts of articles are believed to join to us through physical contact or closeness. A last procedure guessed is simply the upkeep of different degrees of oneself, for example, seeing our family, city, and country to be a piece of what our identity is. The fourth area ofthis article centers around various exceptional classes of assets that are regularly fused into the feeling of self.These classifications are assortments, cash, pets, others, and body parts. For each situation, look into is evaluated supporting the conflict that this class' of articles is a piece of the all-encompassing self and is along these lines treated uniquely in contrast to objects not viewed as a piece of self. The last segment talks about suggestions ofthe expanded self definition for buyer look into. The territories of suggestions delineated incorporate blessing giving, vicarious utilization (for the most part through other rel atives), care of assets, organ gift, item manner, and the commitment of stretched out self to characterizing importance in life.The last point hoists the focal point of shopper conduct inquire about xo a degree of more noteworthy hugeness than fulfillment with item execution. Following the last area, the definition ofthe expanded self is investigated quickly and ends are advertised. Confirmations Possessions in Self-Perception Research The term broadened self has not been applied beforehand to the origination of self-in addition to assets, yet Rochberg-Halton (1984, p. 335) approaches: Valued material belongings. . . go about as signs ofthe self that are basic n their own ideal for ils proceeded with development, and thus the universe of implying that we make for oursleves, and that makes our selves, expands truly into the goal environmental factors. One contrast in the current view is that the all-inclusive self is seen not to be constrained to outside items and individual belongin gs, yet in addition incorporates people, places, and gathering assets just as such belongings as body parts and essential organs. The idea of broadened self is a cursorily manly and Western illustration including not just that which is viewed as â€Å"me† (oneself), yet in addition that which is viewed as â€Å"mine. As James (1890, p. 291) takes note of, the two ideas are interlaced in the manner in which we think about our selves: The Empirical Self of every one of us is all that he is enticed to call by the name of me. In any case, obviously between what a man calls me and what he basically calls mine the line is hard to draw. We feel and act ahout certain things that are our own particularly as we feel and act about ourselves. Our popularity, our youngsters, crafted by our hands, might be as dear to us as our bodies seem to be, and excite similar emotions and similar demonstrations of retaliation whenever assaulted. Also, our bodies themselves, are they basically our own , or are they us?Certainly men have been prepared to abandon their very bodies and to see them as minor vestures, or even as jails of dirt from which they should sometime be happy to get away. Albeit earlier hypotheses and research on shopper self-idea (see Sirgy 1982 for a survey) are respectably strong of the conflict that assets are joined into self-idea, this exploration most likely significantly thinks little of the degree to which this is valid. One explanation is that earlier research strategies for the most part endeavor to discover a correspondence between saw qualities of these items and saw attributes ofthe self.But, one can hold an article like the Statue of Liberty to be a piece of one's personality without holding a self-idea made out of qualities credited to this sculpture. Second, as contended by Belk (1984b), the focal point of these examinations on brand pictures preceding procurement is excessively restricted. Both nonbrand pictures (e. g. , cigarette smoker, wine expert) and post-securing object holding (e. g. , with one's pet) may contribute emphatically to the feeling of self. Third, as contended by Belk (1984b) and Solomon and Assael (1988), as opposed to a solitary item or brand speaking to the entirety of one's selfconcept, just an omplete group of utilization articles might have the option to speak to the different and conceivably indiscernible parts of the all out self. For these reasons, the current spotlight on expanded self is significantly not quite the same as earlier customer self-idea investigate. For investigate applications inside the point of view upheld here, see Belk (1987b, 1988) and Belk and Austin (1986). This progressively far reaching view ofthe broadened self can be analyzed considering a few earlier conceptualizations and studies concentrating on distal components ofthe self.McClelland (1951) recommended that outside articles become seen as a major aspect of self when we can practice force or authority over them, s imilarly as we may control an arm or a leg. On account of apparatuses, instruments, and weapons, imagining the reason for the all-encompassing self illustration is simple. The more prominent the control we work out, the more firmly aligned with self the item ought to turn into. This rule drove McClelland to theorize the accompanying chain of command of most to least intently self-united

Business Research Methods Essay

Hierarchical Dilemma Starbucks developed as it pulled in numerous individuals, prompting significantly increasing its stores around the world. It turned out to be a piece of each area, showing up on each road, in air terminals, grocery stores, and side of the road rest stops all over America. This is when objections started to surface that Starbucks is changing into a drive-thru eatery and not a café. The espresso business was not, at this point ruled by Starbucks, for contenders started to squeeze the business. What's more, the greatest predicament to hit Starbucks was the 2008 monetary emergency. This negatively affected the shopper who saw Starbucks as an extravagance and looked for increasingly moderate other options. Accordingly, Starbucks’ the board was confronted with the need to produce the correct administration question that would be the string to settling on the best choice through its examination structure. A hierarchical difficulty can start an examination question. When an association decides a circumstance exists, inquire about techniques begin to devise and in the long run test structures are actualized. When individuals consider Starbucks, do they consider incredible client support, quality items, clean store, or extraordinary espresso? The authoritative predicament is: in what manner ought to Starbucks approach keeping steadfast clients while defeating the old discernments and changing with the occasions. As indicated by Howard Schultz, â€Å"We are not in the espresso business serving individuals; we are in the individuals business serving coffee† (Starbucks Board of Directors, 2008). Research Design Marius Pretorius (2008) inquire about construes Starbuck’s authoritative quandary, regardless of whether key or operational isn't reduced when utilizing Michael Porter’s (1985) conventional methodologies for upper hand. Declining deals require a turnaround arrangement that address key causes and cost relationship pressures that administer request determinants. Which are â€Å"highly helpless to outer impacts that are not plainly noticeable to the choice makers† (Pretorius, 2008, pg. 21). Planning a two-phase exploratory examination to distinguish the premise of misery and the key determinants is basic to a turnaround vital arrangement. An exploratory investigation gives adequate adaptability to address look into costs, courses of events, and advancement of clear builds to address needs and operational definitions (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). The main phase of the investigation will hope to discover the causation of the authoritative predicament and hypothesize the lopsided connections in declining deals by looking at both inside and outer free and ward factors. This exploration will order discoveries into four relationship types as improvement reaction, property-air, mien conduct, or property-conduct. This will refine the second phase of research and investigate affecting variables inside and out. Attributes and Operational Definitions The exploration configuration will create easygoing derivations whereupon a reciprocal procedure will result. â€Å"Although they might be neither changeless nor widespread, these derivations permit us to construct information on assumed causes over time† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011, pg. 154). Thusly, it is imperative to recognize directing or intelligent variable conditions. To guarantee information legitimacy operational definitions will provoke information to fulfill explicit guidelines. These definitions may not show the organization’s use however will build up a way to characterize unmistakably an occasion. The fundamental concern is to set up noteworthy data in which contributory or unexpected impacts on the first autonomous to subordinate variable (IVâ€DV) relationship will give exact ends. References Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (2011). Business examine strategies (eleventh ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Doorman, M.E., (1985). Upper hand: Creating and continuing predominant execution. New York, NY: The Free Press Pretorius, M., (2008). When Porter’s nonexclusive methodologies are insufficient: Complementary techniques for turnaround circumstances. Diary of Business Strategy 29(6): 19â€28. Starbucks Board of Directors. (2008). Recovered 2 2013, February, from Starbucks.com: www.starbucks.com/aboutus/environment.asp Starbucks, (2011) Our Company: Mission Statement. Recovered from http://www.starbucks.com

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco Essay

Various Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco - Essay Example Two senior officials were given the task to get ready for the changes, bringing about an arrangement marked â€Å"Next Generation.† To produce a flexibly of potential pioneers, specialized experts, and others, NOV needed to expand its enlisting procedure past the typical oil-based states, for example, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Mill operator additionally requested that outside competitors be thought of, due to the extending worldwide oil advertise.  A explicit focal point of NOV enlisting endeavors included remote understudies at U.S. colleges who had high English relational abilities and other significant capacities. Up to 40 people at 10 colleges were met, and afterward the essential applicants experienced two additional meetings by NOV center directors. Those up-and-comers who â€Å"passed† this stage went through two days in Houston experiencing extra meetings and determination implies. At last, the people chose were extended employment opportunities at NOV. This procedure has kept during the previous quite a long while.  Once the chose people go to work at NOV, they go through one year in work pivot, with four assignments of a quarter of a year for each in various business zones. This turn gives the people a more extensive perspective on NOV and its tasks. During the pivot, up-and-comers take part in different endeavors, including improvement programs and tutoring by different division administrators.  A remarkable piece of NOV’s ability the executives procedure is that after the people total their one-year work revolution, they become â€Å"draft candidates.† Modeled after the NFL draft, every specialty unit recognizes which people they need on their â€Å"team.† After finishing the draft, people land positions in the distinctive specialty units.  NOV’s â€Å"Next Generation† program has been fruitful. The consistency standard for the drafted competitors is over 90%, higher than typical in the business.

Faith and Philosophy in Flannery O’ Connor’s “Good Country People” - Literature Essay Samples

Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"Good Country People† mocks modern philosophy and those who follow it by suggesting that those who turn away from God will be taught, in one way or another, that God is real. The story, which takes place in the south, follows a girl who favors modern philosophy and how she is taken down by what seems to be the divinity of God. Through the characters presented in the story, O’Connor’s beliefs about Christianity and modern philosophy are revealed. At the beginning of the story, Hulga is introduced as an arrogant girl with a belief in nothingness. She has a PhD in philosophy and sees herself as better than the people around her. The narrator describes her through the eyes of her mother, Mrs. Hopewell; â€Å"She was brilliant but she didn’t have a grain of sense. It seemed to Mrs. Hopewell that every year she grew less like other people and more like herself – bloated, rude, and squint-eyed† (1343). Hulga believes in existentialism and philosophy, which is exercise in the denial of God, and she takes arrogant pride in believing that she knows far more than her mother, or any other country person does, because she does not follow God. Flannery O’Connor, having a traditional conception of God, represents all those who believe in modern philosophy through Hulga, and she makes Hulga appear to be a horrible person. Hulga’s birth name is Joy, but she chooses not to go by it. The narrator says,  "Her name was really Joy but as soon as she was twenty-one and away from home, she had had it legally changed. Mrs. Hopewell was certain that she had thought and thought until she had hit upon the ugliest name in any language†¦. Her legal name was Hulga† (1342). This is important because Hulga was given a beautiful name by her mother, who is of the Christian faith. But when Hulga becomes involved and interested in philosophy and the nothingness of the world, she changes her name to something ugly. Her name was chosen by herself, representing the denial of God and the acceptance of something ugly. Hulga, a philosopher who believes in nothingness, represents the way Flannery O’Connor saw those who turned away from God. During the story, a bible salesman, Manley Pointer, works his way into Hulga’s life. Hulga, being arrogant and full of self-pride, believes she can show Manley the absolute truth, or at least the one she believes. When Manly invites her on a picnic, she agrees because she believes she can turn him away from God. Hulga keeps making it very clear that she does not believe in God throughout their time together. Hulga, when asked if she was not saved by God, says, â€Å"’I’m saved and you are damned but I told you I didn’t believe in God’† (1350). Nothing seemed to destroy Hulga’s confidence in her denial of God. Finally, near the end of the story, it is revealed that Manley is not a bible salesman but a fraud who steals from people. When he takes Hulga’s fake leg, she yells at him that perfect Christians like him do not do things like this. He replies by telling her he was never a Christian; â€Å"I been believing in nothing ever since I was born!† (1353). Manley was the deliverer of God. He was there to give Hulga slap in the face, to show her that only people who deny God with arrogance the way she did end up in pain. When Manley leaves after stealing Hulga’s leg, she watches from where she is stuck; â€Å"When she turned her churning face toward the opening, she saw his blue figure struggling successfully over the green speckled lake† (1353). The way he is described as a blue figure walking over water suggest not that he is God, but the presence of God. Like academics and philosophers, Hulga wants to be in control and always wants to be right. When she is with Manley, she believes he is just another Christian who follows along with everything. She tries to control him and push her beliefs on him. When he turns out to be just like her, she loses her control and gets punished. Manley and Hulga are not good country people because they turned their backs away from God. A belief in God is w hat makes one seemingly good. Manley being a terrible person, and Hulga having something horrible happen to her both supports Flannery O’Connor’s view of modern philosophy and those who follow it. â€Å"Good Country People† thus mocks modern philosophy and the denial of God. By representing those who do not believe in God in Hulga and Manley, O’Connor is portraying the idea that those who deny God are either terrible people or will be punished. Hulga’s arrogance and belief that she is better than anyone else in her small town made her the perfect target for such cruel behavior. Manley, in being the deliverer of God’s message to Hulga, took away her leg and left her stranded. Flannery O’Connor’s traditional conception of God is presented through Hulga’s tragic tale; according to what O’Connor would believe, she got what she deserved.

Actions and Sense of Self - Literature Essay Samples

In The Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, a skilled warrior, faces a dilemma in the midst of battle. He ceases to fight and admits that he could not live with himself if winning this battle meant conquering his own family. He turns to his charioteer, Krishna, for advice. Through their dialogue, one learns how the external war Arjuna faces is irrelevant compared to the internal war within himself. The following will argue the validity of Krishna’s advice, and suggest that by following these principles, one can discover a happier and more successful life. This paper will discuss three key elements of wisdom contained in Krishna’s words. First, I will analyze the idea of detaching oneself from the results of one’s actions and how doing so can help the individual. Next, I will discuss the realization of Self and why this is so crucial for Arjuna. Lastly, this paper will analyze the key role that meditation plays in this process and that although the mind is difficult to tame, it is not only possible, but vital to a life of happiness. In a fast-paced world, people are often thinking ahead and worrying about what is to come. Decisions and actions, even the smallest of such, have a grand impact on the future. Therefore, it makes sense that so many individuals, from an athlete to a businessperson, cling to the results and possible repercussions of their actions. However, by overwhelming oneself with thoughts of the future, a person only faces detrimental consequences. When Arjuna drops to his knees in the middle of battle unable to accept the action he must take to succeed, Krishna tells him, â€Å"Fulfill all your duties, action is better than inaction† (105). The fact in life is that we cannot escape our duties; things must be done in order to survive that one cannot avoid. The key for Arjuna is the he must perform these duties â€Å"without selfish attachment to their ‘fruit’, or outcome† (101). In other words, he must be disconnected from his expectations and not be affected by the resu lt, whatever it may be. I admit that expectations are a natural occurrence in the mind. As a golfer, I expect or at least hope to shoot a good score. But oftentimes, I get so worried about what could go wrong that my round becomes a train wreck of angst and uncertainty. Instead of having no expectations for my results and just playing, I get so caught up in anxiety about the result that I feel similar to Arjuna collapsed in the middle of an important event. Just the simple act of worrying about a result can have catastrophic consequences. If an individual can live without a connection to the results of what they do, that individual will feel peace and freedom, embodying the clichà © â€Å"live in the moment.† This is Krishna’s first advice to Arjuna. He then professes that in order to do so, Arjuna must realize Self. Krishna tells Arjuna that â€Å"actions do not cling to your real Self† (113). He tells him that those who have discovered Self â€Å"have nothin g to gain or lose by any action† (106) and are satisfied in every way. Therefore, Arjuna’s ability to detach himself from actions lies in his ability to discovery his true Self. Each person is unique and possesses a distinct Self, but when one obtains the knowledge of Self, the results are universal. Those who realize Self â€Å"are free, without selfish attachments; their minds are fixed in knowledge† (119). According to Krishna’s advice, detaching oneself from actions and discovering the true Self go hand-in-hand, meaning one cannot exist without the other. If one is detached from actions, then one has found Self; if one has found Self, then one is free from attachment. It is incredible to think that despite the differences between people, every individual is capable of attaining the same peace and satisfaction through the discovery of Self. A person who seeks wisdom above all else will â€Å"enter into perfect peace† while â€Å"the ignorant†¦waste their lives† and â€Å"will never be happy in this world or any other† (121). According to Krishna, knowledge fuels one’s path toward Self-realization, while the u nenlightened remain unhappy and distracted by selfish desires. Krishna reveals to Arjuna that they have all faced many births and rebirths and in realizing this, they are unified in knowledge. He says that by having this knowledge and realizing Self, one has â€Å"found the source of joy and fulfillment, they no longer seek happiness from the external world† (106). The source of joy is turned within oneself. Instead of searching for happiness in the material world, one can find happiness beyond original expectations by gaining the knowledge of Self. As humans, we often embody the mantra â€Å"find your purpose in life† with the idea that purpose can be found in external things. But according to Krishna, â€Å"Only knowledge of the Self†¦can fulfill the purpose of his life and lead him beyond rebirth† (125). Once again, the answers Arjuna seeks are internal, and once he has the knowledge of this, the external will become obsolete. Now that Arjuna understands the connection between his true Self and detachment from results, the last issue that remains is how does he reach this ultimate goal? Krishna transitions into a discussion of yogis and how â€Å"Those who aspire to the state of yoga should seek the Self in inner solitude through meditation† (140). Krishna’s last piece of advice to Arjuna is to seek Self through the practice of meditation. Krishna emphasizes that meditation is the first step â€Å"to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness† (139). He gives Arjuna basic guidance, such as where to do it and how to begin. He says, â€Å"Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified† (141). Meditation holds the key to finding fulfillment through internal peace. In the modern world, success, fulfillment, and happiness are sought through material things. These things lose novelty, expire, and will never create true peace within ourselves. Meditation is constant and unchanging, and gives people the ability to find purpose and contentment through practice. A form of meditation that has been gaining popularity over the years is Transcendental Meditation (TM). Krishna tells Arjuna that â€Å"Wherever the mind wanders†¦lead it within† (142) which is a basic principle of TM. This type of meditation is strikingly similar to the meditation that Krishna encourages. The benefits include productivity, clarity, health improvements, and a general feeling of peace and control over one’s life. Krishna admits that â€Å"the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be conquered† (144). Anyone who meditates can reach Samadhi, which is when the â€Å"sensory and emotional tides have ceased to flow† (126). It is a feeling of stillness within the mind, where one is restful, yet alert, and the mind is at peace. After learning TM this past summer, I can confidently say that this feeling is unlike anything else. No material thing can replicate it, and I can only attain this sense of freedom and fulfillment by turning my mind inward through the practice of meditation. Krishna’s advice to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita outlines principles for a happier life. By detaching oneself from the results of actions, one becomes free and no longer feels tied to the external world. In doing this, one realizes the true Self and how it allows for selfless service and overall purpose in life. In order to be successful in these two things, meditation must be practiced. It seems complicated, but is actually very simple. Through meditation, an individual discovers realms of life they never imagined. A world where happiness is obtained through internal realization is a world freed from greed and material attachment. Arjuna is just a metaphor for any individual feeling overwhelmed by attachment. The message is that any person can discover Self and become detached. Doing so is not only suggested, but crucial to a fulfilled life.