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Free Allegory of the Cave Essays and Papers Essay The transition from ignorance into knowledge in the pursuit of truth is neither a simple nor easy process. Both Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, and Plato’s philosophical dialogue, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† use dark and light imagery to explore man’s struggle to leave an illusory life of comfort in search of absolute truth. Although Oedipus and the prisoner parallel in their challenges to seek reality, they differ in their reactions to it. Where Oedipus is unable to handle the harshness of the truth, the prisoner accepts it. By associating dark with benightedness and falsehood, and light with sight and truth, both narratives depict that man must not only discern illusion and reality in his quest for knowledge but recognize his own ignorance before he can acquire insight of the world around him. Both Oedipus and the prisoner begin in a state of ignorance, one that is falsely believed to be the reality. Thinking he has avoided fate, Oedipus firmly believes that he is in control of his life, though the reader knows that he is indeed, not. The darkness in his life is represented by his inability to see and understand the truth, as Oedipus’ hubris makes him unaware of the true circumstances of his life. He is a man so self-assured that he is not able to accept the truth when told by Teiresias. Oedipus, blind to the illusion that he is living, \ can not see the evil\(Sophocles, 354) of the crimes he has committed, and cannot view the truth for what it actually is. Teiresias, though blind in both eyes, has true knowledge and understanding of the truth, yet he is mocked by the ignorant king for his lack of sight. In Plato’s Allegory, the prisoner too, lacks knowledge and understanding of the world around him, albeit in a different matter. Where Oedipus is prevented fr om seeing the truth by his own hamartia, the prisoner is restricted by chains that hold him captive within the cave. Plato theorizes that since the cave setting is all the prisoner knows, he would believe and accept that there are no â€Å"realities† other than the â€Å"shadows of handmade things† (2). The absence of light in the cave represents the boundaries of the prisoner’s ability to see; he is unable to achieve true knowledge, as doing so would require him to â€Å"perceive the forms themselves†(1) instead of illusions cast by an artificial light. Dark symbolism clearly demonstrates the parallels between falsehood and illusion in both works, but to achieve true insight, one must pursue a state of knowledge through a strenuous application of insight and reason. The journey to leave the shadows to follow the light is not as favorable as one may be, as true knowledge is harsher and more difficult to accept that the comfort of darkness. Oedipus is relentless in his pursuit of truth in order to catch Laios’ murderer and save his city of Thebes from the plague. Still stuck in his life of illusion, he is determined to â€Å"bring what is light to dark† (135), unaware that his persistence will only cause more problems. He curses the murderer of Laios in his ignorance, wishing the culprit’s life to be consumed in â€Å"evil and wretchedness† (Sophocles, 235). Unbeknownst to him, the sufferings he wishes for do come true, though not in the way he believes. In contrast, The prisoner, having spent his whole life in imprisonment, does not wish to look at what is bright. Too â€Å"dazzled† by the light of the fire to see clearly, he has to be dragged out â€Å"by forceinto the light of the sun† (Plato, 2). He sl owly adjusts to his new environment, and once turned to what is more â€Å"real,† the prisoner realizes that the shadows in the cave were only images of â€Å"foolery,† cast by real objects (2). It is here that the prisoner is seen transitioning from illusion to reality Absolute truth is harsh, and both Oedipus and the prisoner struggle to accept it. Though he strived to do good by himself and his city, Oedipus, unfortunately, brings about his own tragic end by relentlessly pursuing the truth and ignoring warnings of how â€Å"dreadful† (Sophocles, 305) knowledge can be. His quest to find answers does eventually lead him to the absolute truth, but at a heavy cost. Finally realizing the consequences of his actions, and unable to face the evil and horror of his â€Å"blind wrongs† (404), Oedipus looks upon the â€Å"Light†(1037) one final time before gouging out his eyes. Here, light imagery represents truth and knowledge, and although the truth is what Oedipus has so relentlessly pursued, in the end, it is too harsh and he instead chooses to return to the dark. To him, The prisoner, though initially reluctant to explore reality, ultimately achieves enlightenment, represented by his ability to â€Å" look on the sun itself† (Plato, 2). There is a great divide between reality and falsehood. Through the use of contrasting imagery, both Sophocles and Plato illustrate the plights of humanity in the journey to achieve enlightenment and explore the trials man must go through to achieve a similar goal. Through the journeys of Oedipus and the prisoner, the reader understands that however easy one may believe the quest for truth to be, it is often not so, as to achieve absolute truth, man must realize his own unenlightenment before he can perceive things in their true forms.

Personal Narrative: Why I Chose the Legal Studies Major :: essays research papers

Selecting a major has been the most difficult challenge I have faced as a student at UC Merced. While many students select their major based upon statistics and ideals, I base my decision primary on my strong commitment and my passion. Furthermore, while maturing the last two years, I have learned that a major should encompass your love, talents, and desire for success in that subject. As stated in my application, my first job was tending to young children in an after-camp day care environment held at my community camp during the summer time, which had led to my interest in psychology and human development. I have worked there on and off now for several years. It seemed that as each year progressed, I realized my love for working with kids and for adults had increased as well. I even pursued this into UC Merced where I joined the UCM Mentor Program supplied by the Police Department because I liked having the responsibility of helping the children with their studies and problems, giving advice and support to the parents and adults, and even interacting with students from my university. At first, I thought I was made for being a child psychologist but I realized my love was to improve the lives of the people, bring morality and peace to the environment around them. So I realized psychology wouldn't utilize all of my talents and complete my yearning for success, altho ugh it would fulfill a love in the subject of bettering others' lives. I wanted more and my next step was discovering a different occupation, or major besides human development. This awareness came to me while talking to my role model, my uncle. My uncle had spent all of his life as a detective in Russia and when he visited me several years ago he gave me good advice about my future plans. He encouraged me to look into a couple areas of the law enforcement field and I immediately fell in love with the idea. After doing some research, I set my goals on becoming a distinguished lawyer, one that could help people in need of legal advice, fight for them legal battles and maybe even save their futures. I believe this noble goal is worth any hardship and I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Job Interview Speech Outline

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how to effectively use verbal and nonverbal communication in a job interview. Organizational Pattern: Time Introduction Attention- Getting Opening: If you had a job interview tomorrow, what’s going to be the main thing running through your mind? For most people, it’s the questions they are going to ask. Job seekers spend most of their time rehearsing questions and answers in advance to not get caught off guard; but in reality, the difference between getting the job or not can be not from what you say, but how you say it and what your body is communicating.You can say many wonderful things about yourself, but your body language or speaking style may say otherwise. Preview: These are the three key points to effectively using verbal and nonverbal communication in a job interview. 1. You must show confident, calm, and moderate body language. 2. You should use a professional and well-mannered speaking style. 3. You should dress appropr iately and moderate. Transition: To begin with†¦ Body I. You must show confident, calm, and moderate body language. A. First Impressions 1. Make a calm and confident entrance a.Over 90% of our communication is nonverbal, according to body language expert Susan Constantine (6) b. You never know who is watching. c. The interview starts even before you get to the interview room 2. Waiting a. Sit up straight and chest open b. Don’t have too many things on your lap 3. Handshake a. Don’t overdo the death grip. Moderate but assertive. b. Slightly submissive c. Prepare belongings to your left to easily shake with right hand. B. Starting the interview 1. Use â€Å"open† body language a. Sit up straight, displaying your neck and torso. b.Avoid seeming closed off. c. Job search expert Amanda Augustine says to avoid overcorrecting as leaning back can be seen as boredom or lack of interest, but leaning too forward can be seen as threatening (2) 2. Hand gestures a. Natur al and open hand placement b. Don’t seem closed off by putting them in pockets, behind your back, or crossing your arms. c. Above desk and below collarbone to appear calm and not frantic. 3. Eye contact a. Locking eyes for too long can be seen as creepy and aggressive. b. It’s okay to break eye contact when appropriate. C. Departing . Gather yourself calmly and smoothly 2. Shaking hands Transition: Now that we’ve talked about body language, let’s see how the way you say things is just as important as what you’re saying II. You should use a professional and well-mannered speaking style. A. Speaking style 1. Pace a. refers to the speed of delivery b. speak at a brisk pace that is neither too fast or slow c. sound comfortable and relaxed like a normal conversation. 2. Volume d. Maintain comfortable volume e. Match the interviewers volume f. Sound authoritative confident 3. Enthusiasm g. efers to the energy and passion in your voice h. show your intere st 4. Variation i. Don’t sound monotone or boring j. Change the speed and tempo, or even volume. 5. Pronunciation k. Be articulate l. Don’t mumble and pronounce all words clearly 6. Pausing m. Brief gaps when you speak allow the interviewer to absorb what you say and give them the opportunity to ask additional questions without interrupting you. n. Avoid vocal fillers. B. Listening 1. Don’t interrupt 2. Let the interviewer lead the interview 3. Ask for clarification Transition: Now on to the easiest part.Look good! But don’t overdo it. III. You should dress appropriately and moderate. A. Conservative 1. Limited jewelry 2. Solid colors 3. Conservative tie, blouse, shoes, etc. 4. According to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55% of another person's perception of you is based on how you look. (3) B. Presentability 1. Neatly ironed and pressed clothing 2. Fits properly 3. Grooming a. Hair b. nails Transition: Now instead of worrying only on what you’re go ing to say, I you’ll all remember how nonverbal communication, the way you speak, actually play a bigger role than you thought.Conclusion Summary: Today we have learned how to effectively use verbal and nonverbal communication in a job interview. 1. You must show confident, calm, and moderate body language. 2. You should use a professional and well-mannered speaking style. 3. You should dress appropriately and moderate. Memorable Concluding Remarks Now, I hope we’ve all learned and realized that what you say is only one of the many factors in getting the job and that body language, speaking style, and how you dress is just as important, if not even more so.Next time you get a chance at a new job; don’t spend so much time creating the perfect answers to those tricky questions. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Remain calm, confident, and let your body do the talking. References Cited 1. Ordona, Robert. â€Å"Email to a Friend. † Eff ective Body Language in a Job Interview. Monster, xxxssssxn. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. 2. Casserly, Meghan. â€Å"10 Body Language Tics That Could Cost You The Interview. † Forbes. sssssssssForbes Magazine, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. 3. Doyle, Alison. â€Å"Dressing ForA Success. † About. om Job Searching. About, n. d. Web. 20 eeeeeeeeFeb. 2013. 4. Potthit, Carma. â€Å"Verbal Communication Skills Interview Tips. † Resume. Lifetips, n. d. Web. dddddd20 Feb. 2013. 5. Jones, Adwoa. â€Å"Making Your Verbal Communication Count In The Job Interview. † Crystal ssssssssClear Interviews Job Interviews How To Interview For A Job Job Interview ssssssssQuestions Answers and Tips RSS. Crystal Clear Interview, 28 July 2012. Web. 20 ssssssssFeb. 2013. 6. Roney, Luke. â€Å"7 Signals to Send During Your Next Job Interview. † US News RSS. US 222222News, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

Pros and Cons of De-Suggestopedia - 2099 Words

CONTENTS 2 INTRODUCTION 4 SUGGESTOPEDIA - KEY ELEMENTS 5 THE FOUR STEPS OF DE-SUGGESTOPEDIA 5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 8 PARA-CONSCIOUS 8 EXTEND 9 RELAXATION 9 MUSIC 10 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH 11 COMMENTS 12 PROS 12 CONS 14 CONCLUSION 16 Work Load Introduction Literature Review Conclusion Reference INTRODUCTION Desuggestopedia – definition and method Regarding its terminology â€Å"desuggestopedia† stands for a special approach and a process of specific teaching where the mentors take in consideration the children emotional state as a precondition for a suitable learning environment. Because of this, desuggestiopedia is also called an affective-humanistic teaching method. This particular method originates from suggestology, which is a discipline that contains the systematic research of non-conscious and non-rational impacts that human beings constantly respond to, including the loading of memory banks with enabling and desired recollections. With this in mind, we can identify the process of desuggestion as a special way of directing the unloading of unwanted or blocked memories or memory banks. In order to fulfill this, a special suggestive atmosphere is required, with pleasant baroque music, soft lighting design, and cheerful decorations, as well as comfortable seating accompanied by dramatic techniques which the teacher practices when presenting the material in the classroom. SUGGESTOPEDIA - KEY ELEMENTS The