Hurting

Challenging or contradicting the opinions of others is not an easy task. Some people decide to remain silent through the outburst of racist or sexist comments made by people who don't have a good moral judgment. A lot of times, a person is exposed to a situation where someone is saying something they disagree with, and instead of causing a scene and starting a discussion, with fear that it will escalade due to the differences of their opinions, they choose silence. When I was younger, I remember being put in a situation like this. My best friend at the time happened to be African America, and we were inseparable, she was like my sister. One day some kids from our school said something racist to her, making it seem like being African American meant the same thing to being poor. I remember she didn’t say anything and she continued to walk.
I was very upset because I did not know kids were that mean. After time went by I heard one of the kids who said those mean things say his parents said African Americans were bad and that he shouldn’t talk to them. I understand now that the history of this kid was not a good one when it came down to racism. His parents were setting an example for him to follow and it so happened to be a bad one. Since he didn’t know better, he didn’t feel the sting in his words as much as my friend did. People who aren’t exposed to this type of hate speech don’t know what its like, so when they talk they don’t feel like they are doing anything wrong making the other person feel less. The problem with this is that people are hurting innocent individuals without even noticing the mental damage they are causing.
This is were common sense should kick in for people. All we have to hope for is that people start to begin to place themselves in situations like this to be able to understand and know not to make rude comments. If people are not reminded to do so they might not ever take the initiative which is why I believe this should be talked to at school. Hate speech can be very hurtful specially for young kids who are beginning the process of forming their personalities and individualism. This could affect them for the rest of their lives, but what can school do if their parents are not enforcing these beliefs and actions? I believe schools should be very open with parents about this topic so that they can both come up with a solutions that works best for both.
Ignorance can play a big role in this to. When someone knows it’s bad and they continue to do it to be mean and hurtful they become ignorant and show they are uneducated. Nobody wants to be viewed this way so it’s best if we are open about this subject so people will stop doing it.

Freedom

Freedom in today’s society is considered a right and not a privilege. Even though it is a natural right that should not be able to be taken away by anyone, there are many ways that the authority of our nations could take that away from us. Freedom is taken for granted when we stop to think about other third world countries. In those countries, there is no democracy. People are not allowed to voice their opinion and are harshly prosecuted if they do. For example, citizens in Egypt began to revolt when their request for a new government was denied. Internet and telephones lines as well as airlines where blocked. People were dying by the thousand by their leader. Over in the United States, we are self righteous to think that those events could never happen to us. That we could say anything we want, whenever we feel like expressing ourselves. We take our freedom of speech and our other freedoms for granted because we don’t know what it is like to live with fear. In our country we can speak out against the government for any reason, when done properly and without harming others. The ideal concept would be for anyone to voice their opinions for a chance to be heard. Throughout our countries history, many important things have changed by someone speaking out and taking a chance. Martin Luther King fought for African Americans and it might have taken him a while for his voice to be heard and understood by all of the country but he got there and accomplished his goal. Because of him and many other people like him, African Americans are able to do things people never imagined back in the say and get treated correctly.
Freedom of speech is one of the most important rights I believe we have that we take for granted, People just don’t appreciate what we are entitled here living in the United States. Americans get everything handed to them in the best was possible and we still continue to not value what we have , even when we know that there are places out there that are not as privileged as us. We just don’t think about that when we do things. I hate noticed that people who are grateful and have the best manners here in America, are immigrants who have come here to better themselves as well as their family. They are grateful because they don’t have such things in their country to help their situation. Even though we like to help others in need we still lack the ability for be thankful for everything we have and get for free, something we were born with which are out rights in this country. If the whole world was to change in the blink of an eye and controlled by someone who restricted everyone from our natural rights, I think America would be the most vulnerable place. This just means something bad has to happen for everyone to be grateful.

When Behavior Gets Heavy

Nonverbal behavior s influenced by many things, but one of the biggest things is gender. Men and women have different ways to express themselves, ways that are only created through time and that goes with the way we are. Not all the time, but most of the time you can see the huge difference between the attitude of a man and a woman. Men tend to be more masculine, showing less emotion when holding a conversation, and don’t get as excited as women do when talking about something interesting. I believe that the delivery of any word and the effect it has on someone is more clearly shown y gender. Women also tend to be more delicate when handling conversations. Most like to talk gently and nicely to get their point across, while men are known for not being able to show their true feelings by words but by getting frustrated and not being able to deliver what is on their mind. Gender plays a big part in nonverbal behavior as well as other things that separate men from women, it’s mostly all in our genes.
In a conversation, words are just one part, but the other part is how you express yourself while delivering these words and the expressions you have when doing so. I believe that in a conversation words are only half of the message. The other half consists of the tone, facial expressions, and the gestures you make while talking. A person could say something very important and interesting, but if their gesture and delivery is dull, then it clearly shows how uninterested they are in the subject, maybe even changing the perspective of their audience.
For example, lets say a boy and a girl are in a relationship. They are having an argument in which the girl got really affected and after everything is said and done, they guy might think everything is ok, because they talked about the problem. Now, the next day when she is not replying to his texts or not answering his phone calls, he might try to look for her and try to talk to her but she might seem distant or not want to talk. In this situation she is obviously showing she is still bothered. This is an example of how nonverbal behavior also has a huge effect.
Nonverbal behavior is what shows how a person really feels about what they are talking about. It delivers a vibe that could lead to positive feelings or negativity. These factors can end a conversation. Many people prefer not to speak to people who have bad vibes and bad kinds of nonverbal behavior. It could make people feel awkward or neglected. It’s very simple to speak but to have a good mood while doing so could be difficult for some people. Nonverbal behavior affects our everyday life and will play a big role in the relationship people have with one another. The best thing to do about this issue is to stay true to yourself and your feeling about certain things, so you can express how you truly feel without confusing others about your feelings.

English All Around

There are many advantages as well as disadvantages when it comes to one global economy being dominated by one particular language, English. It might sound good to us, because it is our fluent or first language, but imagine having to learn a new language in order to be aware of different important issues like global economy for instance. Everyone probably feels like global economy should be dominated by their own language, but things can’t be this way. For their own convenience and their benefit, they wish to be able to communicate about something so important in a way they feel comfortable. This is completely understandable, but the point is that it is English the language that in dominating and it will remain this way for a while.
Nonnative speakers have many different challenges to overcomes. When having the interest and necessity to be familiar with global economy, they must learn the language most of the people know. Learning a new language is always a challenge. To other cultures, one thing in their language might mean something completely different in another one. The most important things in these situations is to get the message across very clearly and straight forward, which is hard for a nonnative speaker to get. If everything was handled in different languages, things around the world would get hectic. There would be more confusion then what there already is and things would not always come out according to plan. Having the same language has opened many more doors for our people, as well as for people all over the world. The great thing about communicating in one language is that at all times, communication between one another will never be scarce. We will be able to contact each other and understand what is going on.

Global economy is very important to everyone around the world. To be able to fully understand it in one language is already good enough, regardless of the fact that people are upset that it is in English. Just because of the simple idea that it is not their native language they get upset, but I believe they should be relieved. Many people other there have given much thought to the easiest languages to learn, and English is one of them. English is common and it is easy to learn, so it benefits everyone in the way that they will be learning it faster. Different cultures need to start to cope with the idea of keeping English around as the global economy language.
In my opinion we should all just be happy that we at least already have picked out one language to represent our global economy. Good things come from understanding each other even if it take more effort to some than others. It is an easy language, and most people know it because it comes from a big country. English is a necessity to know, and I am aware that in some countries it is a requirement for kids to learn this language in class, giving us the understanding that other countries are aware that English is important.

A Conversation With Paper

To many people their work seems unique and it sure is. Every writer has their own way of writing that has been developing since they first learned how to write. There are many different styles and tones people use when they write, but the way I write and my word choice sets my writing style apart from others. Up to this point in my life, I have always wrote my essays a certain way. I like to speak out loud while I write, I believe it helps me to get on a roll without stopping. My essays usually consist of my personal feelings and thoughts, unless I’m asked to do otherwise. The words I choose to write with, are words I use on a regular day basis. I have this little process I follow, it helps to get my audience to relate with my work and to have a clear understanding of my message.

At first I sit there and stare into space thinking about the subject I’m going to write on. Then I jot down some random words that might help me write if I get stuck. After I’m done thinking, I get a little conversation going on in my head, or out loud if I’m alone, to get my paper to come out as if I was just speaking and everything I said was getting wrote down. I feel like this gives it my personal touch, specially when I get lost in my words. The words I choose are words I use every day. I might use new words I recently have learned, but I will not go out of my way to use a word I am not comfortable using. My paper are 100 percent me, no if or buts. If I’m going to get credit for something it will most definitely be for my work and my words.

I write how I speak. Sometimes to make my essays sound more formal, I have to go back and edit. At times, when I read my papers it sounds like I’m having a conversation with someone and I just wont stop talking, but this is the way I feel like I get a connection with my audience. This is great way to make my audience feel like they are in my paper because it’s talking to them. I can tell my papers and similar papers apart from others. When I read a paper, and I feel like I’m stuck in a conversation, I know that the author and I have similar writing styles. I feel like I can just put my opinion it somewhere, and it will still be talking back to me without any problem. It’s truly amazing to have a connection with some random persons writing. These authors word choice, like mine, help to get a better understanding of the message in an essay. The easy-going and flowing word choices help to visualize and influence the reader while keeping them interested on your paper. Books with my writing style, get me hooked!

The Art of Sugarcoating

In the essay written by William Lutz, named Doubts About Doublespeak, the author describes doublespeak to be "a language which pretends to communicate but doesn't." To me, doublespeak means the same thing as sugarcoating. In this essay I learned that the four main kinds of doublespeak are euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook or bureaucratese, and inflated language. Some of these are harmful while some are useful and could be for the best.

He describes emphemism to be "a phrase designated to avoid a harsh or distasteful reality." In my opinion this is a good type of doublespeak. The reason being because this kind of doublespeak is used to not hurt people's feelings when being criticized. Some people are sensitive when dealing with certain issues and euphemism might help cope with that bad feeling of other people's bluntness. A perfect example of this doublespeak would be to say "I think we should take some time apart" instead of saying "I don't want to be with you anymore." It means the same thing but in a nicer way.

The second type of doublespeak he describes is jargon. Jargon means "the specialized language of trade." Lutz informs us that this allows people who work together to communicate with each other in a faster and more efficient way. The examples he provides for us are doctors and lawyers who have a certain codes t communicate with each other in their fields and if they were to speak to anyone outside of their working groups is where the jargon would take place. By speaking to someone in a way they do not understand. An example of this would be trying to speak to someone about something they don't know much about and assuming they had some kind of knowledge about it, because they might feel lost. It might be easier to work better using jargon, but when it comes to the real world, normal and easier ways to communicate would be more efficient so no one has to feel awkward, but I believe this type of doublespeak is harmless.

Gobbledygook or bureaucratese is the third type of doublespeak. The authors describes this doublespeak as "a matter of overwhelming the audience with words." This is when you load up a sentence of a phrase with many words in order to loose your audience in the procedure. This is often done in long documents or speeches with meanings that don't fully describe what they are about. This is a dangerous type of doublespeak because it can make you lose track and acquire false information because of the simple fact that you got lost in transaction.

And the last kind of doublespeak which I believe is also harmless is inflated language which is designed to make the ordinary sound extraordinary. This type of doublespeak isn't necessarily a bad thing but it is not the best thing, it depends under what circumstance you are using it under. For example, you might think it is okay when people use it to elevate their job title because that does not harm anyone, but when stores put out sale advertisements that sound really great but in reality are not, this becomes an issue to some people. I do not like going to a store where they are promising me great deals but I end up walking out with only a 10 percent discount.

This doublespeak to me sounds like a bunch of sugarcoating but that is what our world consists of. In our nature there is the dominant trait of being hypocrites, liars, and two faced even if we don't want to admit it. This is were sugarcoating comes in as part of being ourselves.

Knowledge in Knowing

What keeps this world together is the art of communication, and the key concept of communication is literacy. To be literate is to know how to read and write in order to express yourself. According to some psychologists, our population would be much less than what it is today if people were still illiterate. Literacy has helped us as human beings progress in life, live longer, get along, and most importantly become more knowledgeable.

Literacy can open many doors for you. Whether it’s to get by in this world, open your mind to more ideas, become educated, or be able to have your own thoughts about situations by analyzing, reading and writing is knowledge.

In an essay I read called Learning to Read and Write, by Fredrerick Douglas, he explains his journey to learning how to read and write as a slave. He discusses that gaining the knowledge of literacy was to finally be aware of what was happening around him. What he learns in his readings are the reasons to why they were keeping slavery around. He also explains to us that while he did something good, which was learning to read and write; he discovered horrible things that made him angry like reading about the slave situation. Douglass felt angry about the truth that surrounded him, but without knowing to read and write, he would have never figured out any of this. The concept I got from his story is that the more knowledge I gain, is the more I think, and the more I think is the more I contradict things in this world.

When you begin to wonder what is going on around you, and you finally come to an understanding of why certain things take place; you individualize yourself from other people and come up with your own conclusions and perspectives on situations. You gain more knowledge by doing this, and most knowledge comes from reading.

I have read all kinds of things from religion to scientific methods, giving me lots to think about. I start to contradict many ideas and make up my own conclusions. In history class, reading about the past has opened my eyes to why we do things the way we do today. It explained to me why we have so many laws and so much security where we live. Reading about past events, has helped me to see the right from wrong. When knowing the rules or laws, it is harder to break them. It also explains why we have education, freedom, and many more things we are guaranteed. In Political Science I learned many different political views. Only by reading what they stand for, and I have made a choice of which one I am closer to. I may not like to read and write, but I have gained a great amount of knowledge from it.

Of course people learn through experiences and observations, but the most common and the most used way is through reading. Being illiterate would have a huge impact on anyone’s life in today’s world, specially a teenager. We would not be able to e-mail, text, or be on these website that allow us to chat with friends and family in different countries, such as facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. Without reading one can not educate themselves or have the ability to progress in life. Success if mostly brought by education and to be educated, is to have gone to school and learned to read and write correctly. The key to succeed in life is education and literacy plays a big role in this stage of life.