Explain what Jesus taught his first followers about the meaning of discipleship Essay Example

Explain what Jesus taught his first followers about the meaning of discipleship Essay We learn from Marks Gospel that there are several elements to discipleship: the call, the task and the cost. The word disciple means pupil or one who learns. A disciple tries to mould their lives to be like the teacher, in this case Jesus. The first thing we learn about discipleship is the call. The call was when Jesus sought out his disciples and called them over to him. There was an immediate response, showing that discipleship means to follow without second thoughts. Jesus called his chosen disciples and they left everything to be with him. Like when Jesus called over the two fishermen, Simion and his brother Andrew (Mark 1 vv 16-20) Jesus disciples were not rich or clever. Most were poor and uneducated. This shows another meaning to discipleship, everyone is welcome, anybody can be a disciple. The disciples were just ordinary working men showing that Jesus message is for all. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain what Jesus taught his first followers about the meaning of discipleship specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Explain what Jesus taught his first followers about the meaning of discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Explain what Jesus taught his first followers about the meaning of discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not only did the disciples follow Jesus physically, they followed him spiritually as well. This means they were taught a new way of thinking and followed Jesus teachings. This is also another meaning of discipleship; to follow the teacher, Jesus, spiritually. An example of this is when Jesus speaks to James and John about being great (Mark 10 vv 35-45). The next thing we learn about discipleship is the tasks- mission (Mark 6 vv 7-13) and commission (Mark 16 vv 14-18). Their basic task was to preach the message as far and wide and to as many people as possible. The disciples were to do three things: 1) preach repentance 2) cast out devils 3) they were to cure the sick. Firstly the disciples were sent out on the mission. Jesus sent out his disciples two by two and they were to preach the word of God far and wide. They were sent out in twos, this shows that discipleship is dangerous and not to be taken for granted. They were given staffs to keep safe with, again outlining the danger of discipleship. The disciples were told by Jesus to wear sandals, normally they would have gone bare footed but they were to protect their feet from the long, rough roads. This shows that discipleship is a long and bumpy journey, with ups and downs. They were not to waste their time on the people who would not listen and therefore should move on somewhere else, this is because discipleship includes an immediate response and there should be no excuses. The disciples had to show faith that all their needs would be provided for. This shows that discipleship means showing faith. Next the disciples were sent out on the commission. Jesus sent out his disciples throughout the whole world preaching the word of God to everyone. This shows that discipleship means travelling and accepting orders. The disciples are assured that they will be able to perform miracles and speak strange tongues, this is important as it shows discipleship is for everyone. Next, we learn about the cost and rewards of discipleship. The job of a disciple was very difficult and very demanding so therefore came at a great cost. Disciples would give up their jobs and families just to be with Jesus. This shows another meaning of discipleship, to put God first. As a result, all the things they had given up, the disciples would receive one hundred times more in heaven, as a reward. One of Jesus phrases was to carry cross; this could mean either to death or just to put up with things that you may not be satisfied with. This shows that discipleship means to death or to the end. The disciples were to put up with all of the things they were not happy with and therefore would be rewarded in heaven. Another of Jesus phrases was follow me; Jesus meant for the disciples to follow him right to the end no matter what costs. This could also have meant for the disciples to stick by Jesus when he was being trialled and tortured. Jesus was teaching his disciples that the meaning of discipleship was to be loyal. Discipleship is a very difficult thing and some disciples were not happy by it, for example Peter was not happy and confronted Jesus and said he had given up everything follow him (Mark 10 vv 28-31). This story teaches that Discipleship is not easy but will be worthwhile at the end. Part 2 Describe and explain how Christians today can put this teaching into practice. (14 marks) Christians still attempt to follow what Jesus taught In the Bible. They have a call, a task, and the cost. An important part of discipleship is the call; many Christians today have a call. Some receive an actual voice from God informing them on how to lead their lives. But most receive a feeling or more of an instinct which can be described as a call. Anyone can be called, anyone from famous people to ordinary people, this shows that discipleship is for everyone. An example of a famous person is Mother Teresa. Missionaries, Priests and Vicars all claim to have been called at one point. A call needs an immediate response there must be no excuses. Modern Christians follow Jesus physically and spiritually. Christians today follow Jesus physically by going to church and giving to charity. They follow him spiritually by following his teachings and setting a good example. They are willing to learn. They should put others first, a good example of this is marriage because you start to put your partner and children before you. Just like how the first disciples had the mission and commission Christians today have a task. They spread the word of God as far and as wide as possible. This can be achieved by printing Bibles in different languages or by preaching in different languages, similar to how the first disciples spoke in strange tongues. The first disciples drove out demons, today Christians help heal the sick, and an example of this is the Samaritans. They educate the young on Jesus and his teachings either through Sunday Schools or Church Schools. Some people, like missionaries, feel their task is more vocal and try to spread the word of God all over the world. Jesus taught us to put God before possessions and nowadays people like missionaries like to carry as little as possible. The cost is the hardest part of discipleship, but will be worthwhile in the end. Missionaries give up their families and homes in order to go and preach the message. Charity workers give up their time and effort in order to do well and follow Jesus teachings. Most Christians give up their Sunday mornings to visit church and maybe a few pounds to the collection or charity box. Even today, in the 21st Century, Christians in foreign countries die for their belief. Christians today get called for their beliefs or for going to church or a church school. A part of Christian belief is Lent and Christians give up items. Although the cost is extremely difficultly it is more than repaid for by its rewards Missionaries and Vicars can sleep at night with the relief and satisfaction of knowing they have done good. Even when ordinary Christians donate a little money to charity a sense of self pride is achieved which can match up to any amount of money achieved by working. After a Christians life on Earth is over their rewards continue in heaven. Part 3 Every Christian should be ready to die for their faith Do you agree or Disagree. I believe Christians should be ready to die for their faith because Jesus died for Christians and Christians should follow in his footsteps and die for their faith too. Jesus warned his first disciples that they may have to die for their faith in Mark 8vv34 9vv1 and many did go on to do so like Peter, James and Paul for example. Jesus tells his disciples to take up their cross and follow him. This means to spiritually pick up a cross as if all ready knowing the consequences of their belief. In foreign countries like Pakistan or Sudan Christians are murdered and persecuted, people in more civilized areas of the world should use this as a role model and be prepared. Christians believe in the resurrection and feel they will encounter one also. If this is the case then if a Christian dies for their faith it is not the end and will be worthwhile and if all of the Christians decided against dieing for their faith then this shows that Christianity doesnt mean much and there will no longer be any faith. They live their lives for their faith by going to church and giving to charities and surely if all of this is worth living for it must be worth dieing for. Christians should not be ready to die for their faith because religious wars and battles over time and that still go on today see innocent people killed. All of the bloodshed and anger that is caused is not part of Christian belief and surely was not taught by Jesus. Jesus meant for a Christian to die spiritually not physically. He wanted them to give up all their old ways of living and make way for a new way. The followers of Islam have been taught to not fear death. If they are not showing respect for life and death this is a bad thing and we dont want Christians to be in the same situation. Dieing for ones faith produces nothing but trouble and needless deaths. This point is proven when we look at the situation in Northern Ireland when people are killing for their belief, and murdering is not in the bible. All the killing and crime produced only creates a feeling that religion is bad and should not be bothered with. Jesus is not saying you have to die but just to be prepared. Jesus taught us to live in peace and to spread the word. The word cannot be spread if youre dead. Jesus died for the future of Christianity. Why should Christians die for the same reason? In conclusion to this I feel Christians should NOT be prepared to die for their faith. I feel it achieves nothing but anger and heartache and leads to more needless deaths. Christians should follow their religion in other ways like going to church and spreading the word and should not be ready or preparing to die for what they feel is right.

Dawned vs. Donned

Dawned vs. Donned Dawned vs. Donned Dawned vs. Donned By Guest Author This is a guest post by Shelley DuPont. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here.    Did you ever think you knew the lyrics to a song, only to find out later they were nothing like you thought?   I know I have. Editor’s note: There’s a word for this kind of mishearing: mondegreen, â€Å"a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing, esp. of the lyrics to a song.† Sometimes a writer who has misunderstood an expression passes it on to the reader, with unintended results. For example, I came across a guest post on how conversations can lead indirectly to gaining more business for yourself.   Anticipating a great article, I eagerly started reading. Right at the end of the introductory paragraph, I saw it. It hit me like a small flaw on an expensive piece of clothing:   It donned on me The context called for it dawned on me, meaning I understood, I became aware of. Wanting to reassure myself that I hadnt been mistaken in my own understanding of the idiom, I googled the phrase as the author used it.   There it was at the top of the page. Google was asking, Do you mean It dawned on me?' Yes! Yes! I said with some relief.   But this still didnt answer the question as to why the author chose to use donned as the verb.    Used figuratively, the verb to dawn means â€Å"to begin to appear or become visible† in the sense of mental enlightenment or awareness.   If something dawns on you, then a new understanding has come your way.   This use seems fairly obvious, especially within the context of the article.   The verb to don, on the other hand, means to put on clothing, or, in a figurative sense, to assume, or to get into.   For example, a recent headline taken from the New York Times entertainment page reads, Amanda Seyfried likely to don â€Å"Red Riding Hood† I suppose the author could have done it deliberately. I did discover a website named itdonnedonme that focuses on competitive 24 hour film making. But the blog title is a deliberate pun on the expression it dawned on me and the blog owner’s name: Evan Donn. The context of the article I was trying to read definitely called for â€Å"dawned.† Maybe the error arose from the writer’s pronunciation of the words dawn and don. dawn [dà ´n] rhymes with lawn, yawn and aw (as in â€Å"Aw, shucks!) don [dÃ… n] rhymes with on, con and Ron At this point, I can only conclude that the author, like those of us singing the wrong words for years, has simply mixed up â€Å"dawn† and â€Å"don.†   By the way, it just dawned on me that I never did finish reading that article. Shelley DuPont is a former high school English teacher who blogs for local business owners. She actively tutors online ESL students, freelance writes, and paints. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†Story Writing 101Double Possessive

Financial performance comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial performance comparison - Essay Example The ROA of Brown-foreman was better than Anheuser Bush. Return on equity (ROE) when compared to return on assets, measures the extent to which financial leverage is working for or against common stockholders (Garrison & Noreen). Brown-foreman’s ROE of 32.43% was superior to the 20.83% return on equity of Anheuser Bush. The earnings per share (EPS) metric is the portion of a company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock (Investopedia). The EPS of Anheuser Bush in 2014 was $5.54, while Brown-foreman had a lower EPS in the same period of $3.08. The current ratio shows the ability of a company to pay off its short term debt. A current ratio is considered good if is above the 1.0 threshold. Anheuser Bush had a current ratio of 0.62, while Brown-foreman had a current ratio of 1.02 in 2014. The working capital shows whether a company can pay off its current liabilities solely using its current assets. The working capital of Anheuser Bush was -$8,867 million, while Brown-forman had a working capital of $106 million. Based on these two ratios the liquidity of Brown-forman is superior of Anheuser Bush. The debt ratio shows how much leverage a company uses. In 2014 Anheuser Bush had a debt ratio of 0.62, a figure that is 0.12 higher than Brown-foreman. The desirable outcome is to have a lower debt ratio, thus Brown-foreman outperform Anheuser Bush in this financial metric. The inventory turnover shows how many times a company sold its inventory during a year. Anheuser Bush sold its inventory 6.31 times during 2014. Brown foreman only sold its inventory 1.04 times during the year. Average sale period measures the number of days taken to sell the inventory one time. It takes Anheuser Bush 57.88 days to sell its inventory, while it took Brown-foreman 352.61 days. The financial performance of both companies was good since both firms generated positive income during 2014. When comparing the

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 - Essay Example But at least, it would not jeopardize the whole credibility and viability of the business on a longer term framework. Besides, by shutting down the system, and trying to rush things into putting back normal operations within 3 or 4 days, the more that IT personnel might increase tendencies to commit mistakes and gravely endanger rushing the system back into full operations within a short time frame. One strongly believes that there is no need to disclose anything in the outside world given that IT personnel has not proven any form of intrusion, in the first place. The implications for making such a pre-emptive public announcement could cause chaos and undue stress to their customers which could actually compromise their corporate image. If eventually proven that no intrusion of any kind was actually encountered, it would be difficult to negate the previous public disclosure or announcement that was made. Barton still has a job since his overall performance as head of the IT department was in fact exemplary and extraordinary. It was really not his fault that there were chaos and security issues that emerged during his helm. His other undertakings as CIO have been commended considerably by Williams and by other members of his IT team which is indicative of his competence and extraordinary qualities and skills as a manager. As such, his strengths could be used favorably to contribute to the growth of IVK in the long run. One honestly shares the same contention that one’s immediate supervisor or boss needs to know the bad news first, even if it is just initially a hunch. Just like the strategy that was applied by Barton, he perfectly justified using this strategy to immediately relay the least palatable option in situations of problems or concerns so that the boss is evidently prepared and apprised of the worst scenario and would not be surprised that it could come to facing that particular course of action. This is consistent

Spirituality in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Spirituality in Nursing - Essay Example Pragmatically though it is nurses on the ward, rather than staff who only visit occasionally, and often only when requested, who are best placed to deal with this part of holistic nursing care. This is especially so where life-threatening illness is involved and there is much one to one interaction between nurse and patient. Thompson in 1993 spoke of the way in which by maintaining a bond with a distressed patient   the nurse is making an act   'unconditional love'.Even if their own beliefs are different from those of the patient, by being both good communicators and listeners, nurses can be supportive. They are often providing spiritual care simply be allowing the patient the opportunity to express themselves about beliefs and spiritual matters. Nurses have been encouraged to care for the whole person as a spiritual being,   as well as biological and psychological beings, since the 1970’s and books appeared such those by Roper, Logan and Tierney and their ‘Element s of Nursing’ each edition of which includes a chapter about dying and such things as grief and bereavement.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spirit is someone's soul, so spirituality would be focused on the self, but focused on the self in a manner in which they can understand it more deeply than just standard cognitive thinking about it, so religion might help you understand yourself in that "higher" manner. That is, it is almost like faith to believe in yourself like that, so it is like religion. ... They are often providing spiritual care simply be allowing the patient the opportunity to express themselves about beliefs and spiritual matters. Nurses have been encouraged to care for the whole person as a spiritual being, as well as biological and psychological beings, since the 1970’s and books appeared such those by Roper, Logan and Tierney and their ‘Elements of Nursing’ each edition of which includes a chapter about dying and such things as grief and bereavement. Definitions of Spirituality Mark Pettinelli – Spirit is someone's soul, so spirituality would be focused on the self, but focused on the self in a manner in which they can understand it more deeply than just standard cognitive thinking about it, so religion might help you understand yourself in that "higher" manner. That is, it is almost like faith To believe in yourself like that, so it is like religion. Laburn ( 1988) 'That which inspires in one the desire to transcend the realm of the material', Living Words of Wisdom:- You are surrounded by spirituality every day. The definition of spirituality is that which relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Spirituality touches that part of you that is not dependant on material things or physical comforts Dictionary Definitions of Spirituality There is any number of variations on the subject of spirituality. It is defined most often as the quality or state of being spiritual. this doesn’t get you much further on unless you then look up what spiritual means. This, however, can be defined as simply to do with the spirit. It then follows that one must first of all define spirit.  

Hart Fuller Contrasting Points Positivism And Natural Law Philosophy Essay

Hart Fuller Contrasting Points Positivism And Natural Law Philosophy Essay In our daily life the law playing prominent roles. The law always prohibits, controls, regulates as how the society need to act and behave. In order to avoid from being charged from any penalty the society has to ought to follow the law or regulation by the government. Previously, the natural law which may come from morality, reason, God, or some other such source ruled the people. Whereby the natural law acts as positive law as there is existence of particular ideal principles or importance to which the positive law should be consistent if it is to be as genuine law. Moral concerns invade the law at every aspect. The inflexibility of distinction between morality and the law- even it is continue to analytical clarity-is, to natural lawyers, highly difficult to believe. The legal positivists search for a value free account of law is contradicts the claims by the natural lawyer which it is failed to do the very fundamental of law, its morality- that the act of positing lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can and should be guided by moral principles and rules; that those moral norms are a matter of objective reasonableness, not of whim, convention, or mere decision.  [1]  It is simply means that the legislators need come up with law which needs to be comply with moral concerns and need with apply to all the situations rather than it is being a passing impulse, formal agreement between the people and government. As far we concern as long we have good law does not mean we can produce a good society. The inner morality must be there in each individual so only we can develop a good society. Example, we have law shop lifting in all shops, where the shop lifters need be handed to police. The securities of the shop duties to keep on eye on shop lifters. As they catch any shop lifters they not able to touch them or scold them to put back the things as they prohibits to do so by safety and health law. The shop lifters should know that is to not good ethics, which need to come from their mind. This cannot be forced by any law. The law just being guidance for our daily life, mainly our inner morality is important to our daily life. Each individuals need to think and rationalize things which is good or not. Based on our selected perspective Hart and Fuller debate demonstrated the contrasting points of positivism and natural law. Lon Fuller found for family resemblance in different types of natural theories especially on principles of social order  [2]  . I discern, and share, one central aim common to all schools of natural law, that of discovering those principles of social order which will enable men to attain a satisfactory life in common. He also assumed that in all principles of natural law it was assumed that the process of moral discovery is a social one, and that there is something akin to a collaborative articulation of shared purposes by which men come to understand better their own end to discern more clearly the means for achieving them. Fuller claiming that the basic belief of natural law is an affirmation of the role of reason in legal ordering  [3]  . Fuller says that there is necessary for the relation between morality and law. As we can see he implies the law with practical value. Fullers initial argument that a legal system on purposive human enterprise of subjecting human conduct to the governance of rules. He simply means that the legal system had other objectives as well. In order a system of law to be qualified, the certain procedural objectives needs to be acknowledged as goals rather than being imply arbitrary force. A statute law (and other made law) were involved needs that they be sufficiently general (there must be rules); publicly promulgated; sufficiently prospective; clear and intelligible; free of contradictions; sufficiently constant through time so that people can order their relation according; not require the impossible; and be administered in a way sufficiently congruent with their wording so that people can abide by them  [4]  . These principles he described as an internal morality of law as they implyin g the concept of law. It also can be called as morality because they come up with standards for examining official conduct. If the legislators make rules which are not possible to obey by citizens it will lead to failure in making the law. In the event it will result in something bad law but not law at all. We can say that the law not reflecting a system of rules which is completely incapable of guiding conduct of legal system In order the system to be acknowledge as law it must essentially follow standard with principles of legality, and since according to Fuller he supports for particular moral values. It follows that we cannot describe the nature of law without resource to moral concepts. The concepts of legality are laws inner morality or resource to moral concepts. In Fuller point of view the Nazi Germany law can distinct from the ideal legal morality as Nazi law is created based applying things that have happened in the past. Fuller believes that if the legislators follow the procedural ideas which are create into the idea of law they more likely to provide good laws. He goes on to say that rest on the assertion of a belief that may seem naÃÆ' ¯ve, namely that coherence and goodness have more affinity than coherence and evil (Fuller, 1958, p 636). For when men are compelled to explain and justify their decision towards goodness ( Fuller,1958, p 636)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.ask lohitha. H.L.A Harts Concept of Law (1961) is made research on connection between law, coercion, and morality. it is just a trial to answer the question whether all the law may be appropriately conceptualized as coercive orders or as moral commands. There is no need of link between law and coercion or between the law and morality says by Hart. He explain that to categorized all law as coercive orders or as moral commands is to oversimplify the relation between law, coercion, and morality. He further expands that to conceptualize all laws as coercive orders or as moral commands is to enforce a deceptive existence of uniformity on different types of laws and different types of social purposes which law may perform. He claims that to describe that all law as coercive orders is to mischaracterize that purpose and function of some law and is to misunderstand their content, mode of origin, and range of application. Simply means that the law supposes to imply to all citizen according to purposes or objectives of law rather than being arbitrary force. Hart says that primary rules of obligation which is the law enforces law or obligation towards individuals. For system of primary rules to work effectively, secondary rules may also be necessary in order to provide an authoritative statement of all the primary rules. If the primary rules seem to be incomplete or inadequate there is opportunity for the legislators me by can update the law in secondary rules. The secondary rules become very important when the courts utilizes to resolves any issues arise over interpretation and application of it. The secondary rules of a legal system may thus include 1) rules of recognition, 2) rules of change, and 3) rules of adjudication. If the rules are clear, not ambiguous and understandable to all individuals then only the primary rules of legal system can be run effectively. If it not so it may create uncertainty on obligations which they imposed to individuals. In secondary rules of legal system may also leads to uncertainty where there vagueness and ambiguity as to whether courts have legal authority over disputes relating to interpretation and applications of laws. Hart asserts that primary rules of obligation are not in themselves sufficient to establish of a system of law that can be formally recognized, changed, or adjudicated. Where it means that primary rules solely not able to provide a good law which can useful for all individuals. The primary rules need to work together with secondary rules from the initial stage of legislation. The combination of primary and secondary rules can acknowledge a legal system (although Hart does not claim that this union is the only valid criterion of a legal system or that a legal system must be described in these terms in order to be properly defined). Hart divided external and internal ideas on how the rules of a legal system may be explained or judged. The external idea can be said that where an observer who does not need to follow the rules of legal system. They can able to judge the scope of the rules of the legal system cause something in usual form of conduct on the part of individuals to whom the rules apply. Contrast with internal point of view, where individual who are regulated by the rules of the legal system and who obey the rules as normal of conduct. Harts discussion can make conclusion in such way that we cannot understand law other than as a standard practice, as a practice which uses the standard vocabulary of ought to, entitled to and only legal statement are practical.

Hybrid Cars :: essays research papers

Hybrid Cars There are two configurations for hybrid cars. The first configuration uses gasoline engine to run a generator. The generator supplies electricity to the motor, which drives the wheels, which allows the gasoline engine to run constantly while achieving optimum fuel efficiency. This thereby minimizes emissions owing to incomplete combustion. A hybrid car with parallel configurations uses both an engine and a motor to drive the wheels depending on driving conditions. "A hybrid car is an automotive equipped with two or more sources of motive energy" (http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car1.htm). Hybrid cars use both gas and electric. The gasoline engine is the primary source of power, while the electric motor is used at low speeds. Emissions levels are reduced because the gasoline engine shuts off at low speeds. An additional benefit of the parallel configuration is that no outside source of electric power is required because the engine itself generates the required electricity. A Hybrid Electric Vehicle known as HEV have several advantages over traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles: Regenerative braking capability, which helps minimize the energy lost when driving. Engine is sized to average load, not peak load, which reduces the weight of the engine. Fuel efficiency is greatly increased, while emissions are greatly decreased. HEVs can be operated using alternative fuels; therefore they need not be depended on fossil fuels (http://www.ott.doe.gov/hev/what.html#hev). Another great thing about these machines is the mpg; on the average, a hybrid car gets anywhe re from 55-70mpg on the hwy. This is what makes the car all worth having. Now all this sounds good, but there are some issues that must be addressed. First of all the prices must come down. The prices for hybrid cars are naturally higher because there are no existing facilities for mass production and both engine and electric motor must be installed. Another downfall is the lack of infrastructure for repair and maintenance. Many of the mechanical problems occurring with the hybrid cars may not be repairable at existing service stations.

Consumer Behaviour Essay

Art consumers in the modern world have increased their buying capacity of art as paradigms shifts to knowledge and information based concepts. Cultural diversity and technology are developing new forms of art and ways to market these art pieces to a wider range of art consumers. However, there is no room for complacency in art managers of art galleries. It is still best to incorporate sound motivational theories that guide marketing efforts towards being robust, effective and efficient. Three motivational theories had been highlighted forming a well-rounded strategy to approach art gallery marketing. Maslow’s heirarchy of needs gives a step-by-step escalation of man’s satisfaction levels. It was noted that although art cannot satisfy physiological needs, consumers can still be motivated to buy art as objects to satisfy their needs of self-esteem, belongingness and need to self-actualize. McGuire’s advice on motivating people offers looking into the cognitive and affective factors of man’s thinking process. The more art gallery marketing efforts cater to affective faculties of their consumers, the more selling will take place. And lastly, the theory of Freud has been chosen as another guidepost in defining what makes the consumer buy. Innate biological elements found in man such as sexual desires is the most commonly known Freudian motivation that is closely related to selling art. Construction of marketing strategies to sell art does not end in incorporating concepts from these motivation theories. These motivations must further zoom in on the consumer eventually. The way to fine tune the marketing strategy is to incorporate concepts found in the five-step decision making process that all consumers go through.   As the art buyer goes from recognizing his need to gathering information that will lead him to a possible purchase, to evaluating criteria affecting his possible purchase, to his actual purchase and to coming up with insights that happens during his post purchase, the marketing strategy of the art gallery is put into a test. INTRODUCTION The art market is slowly evolving. Art has evolved into many forms and galleries have transformed to accommodate a wide range of consumers. With the entrance of innovative technology, cultural diversity and faster access to information, art galleries been challenged to study and understand consumer behavior of this widening niche. â€Å"For the last few years, the media have trumpeted contemporary art as the hottest new investment. At fairs, auction houses and galleries, an influx of new buyers–many of them from the world of finance–have entered the fray. Lifted by this tidal wave of new money, the number of thriving artists, galleries and consultants has rocketed upwards.† (Spiegler, 2006) But amidst all this buying frenzy, sellers have remained steadfast to the consumer behavior theories that guide the markets. Buying behavior theories have not changed and remained formidable in figuring out what buyers want, why they want, how they avail of these wants and the factors that affect these decisions. Consumers of art hold special focused studies. Consumers who buy art also buy gas, groceries, basic services and insurance. Though there is culture in gas, groceries, basic services and insurance, these commodities does not directly fall under art. Art products and services are born out of a cultural industry. These consumers have their own consumer behaviors. â€Å"Consumer behavior is the process involved when individual or groups select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. It is important that marketers understand consumer behavior because wants and needs are satisfied best when marketers understand the behaviors of consumers.† (Hawkins, 1998) Therefore, appropriate buyer behavior theories must be employed to so that marketing strategies to sell products in art galleries will be most appropriate, effective, efficient and economical. THE PRODUCT AND SERVICE Marketing strategies start with knowing the product or service. Characteristics of these items for sale will be essential in finding the consumers who would want to buy them. Art encompass a wide variety of products and services. Art galleries themselves have evolved into stores that sell different art genres depending on how one beholds something as art, from the flea markets selling antiques to the fine art galleries bidding by the millions. Applied and decorative art are products found in advertising, architecture and urban design. Crafts, jewelry, fashion, industrial, product and interior design fall under this art category. Entertainment art provides enjoyment services such as film, recording and TV programs. â€Å"Fine art is motivated by ‘art-for-art’s-sake’. It is the primary research and development segment of the arts industry. It generates ‘enlightenment’, i.e. it sheds light on the nature of the human condition – on the individual and society. â€Å"It is primarily in the fine arts that new talent and technique are developed; new scripts and scores created; and, new images and styles set. Results of fine art ‘R&D’, like the results of scientific research, are sometimes adopted by for-profit enterprises in and out of the arts industry. And, as in pure science, fine art is not financially self-supporting. The right to fail is an essential artistic and scientific freedom – a freedom that requires patience and risk-taking on the part of patrons, investors and audiences.† (Chartrand, 2000) Heritage art subsumes all kind of art. It feeds contemporary art and is the one that sets standards of the following generations. This art inspires creators and enriches artists through its integration of scarcity and aesthetic value while employing a sense of social relevance and cohesion.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Between 1969 and 1989, heritage art yielded the highest return of all financial investment opportunities (The Economist July 1, 1989). Furthermore, theft of antiquities is the most lucrative international crime. Ounce for ounce, an antiquity can be more valuable than drugs. It can yield a higher return, at lower risk of being caught, and generally produces less jail time if one is convicted† (Chartrand 1992a). MOTIVATIONS OF THE ART CONSUMER A person who walks into an art gallery is differently motivated compared to a person who walks into a McDonald’s burger store. A company who buys a 10 million art work does so with objectives different from its putting up a building worth about the same cost. Consumers of art are motivated differently and theories defining these motivations can help marketing strategist clear marketing goals and activities. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) has been one of the century’s great inspiration in personality theories. The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as illustrated in Figure 1 has helped both researchers, scholars, scientists and most specially marketing executives on how to motivate clients and consumers. Maslow believes that man is motivated based on the level of satisfaction he can achieve at a particular time when the product or service is offered him. And the levels of satisfaction starts from getting his physiological needs, then his safety needs and subsequently his belonging needs, esteem needs until he arrives at his self-actualization. Figure 1. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs (Boeree, 1998) â€Å"Maslow suggested the intuitively appealing notion that humans must satisfy the most basic objectives before they can move onto â€Å"higher level† ones. Thus, an individual must satisfy physiological needs (such as food and liquid) before he or she will be able to expend energy on less fundamental objectives such as safety. Only when basic objectives have been met will a person move on to seek such objectives as love and belonging, and only a small minority of people make it as far as seeking self-actualization.† (Boeree, 1998) Art consumers at the art galleries are motivated to satisfy a certain level of need as illustrated in Maslow’s diagram. Art definitely cannot be eaten and cannot quench physical thirst. Consumers who are still struggling to satisfy their physiological needs in the normal circumstances will not buy Art. Art buyers are usually motivated to consume art to satisfy safety, belongingness, need for self-esteem and to perform their self-actualization. A person will buy art to safeguard savings. Certain works of art appreciate in value as the artist becomes more popular or when he dies. More than once, the cultural scene has witnessed these value increases and rich people have coveted owning these masterpieces not for their artistic magnificence but more for their financial value.   A person will buy art to satisfy belongingness especially if he or she finds himself trying to get into company of art buyers. Belongingness would sometimes overpower physical hunger especially in these modern days when people have gone towards the limits of individualism isolating themselves from social groups that provide comfort in belongingness. In the early years of high art, kings and queens would have their portraits painted by in house artists such as Michael Angelo and Da Vinci. These portraits help a person increase his self-esteem. Coffee shops, banks and other commercial establishment hang works of art in their walls not so much for decorative purposes but these products increase the company’s self-esteem. Their clients are able to admire the company knowing that the company they chose is of the cultured type and can afford these works of art. Based on the Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs, the marketing strategy must realize that in order for art galleries to sell their products, it has to appeal to the motivations of the people walking into the gallery. These gallery visitors are basically interested in art and the curator must work on satisfying needs. Marketing campaigns must cater to satisfying client’s need to raise his self-esteem or need to satisfy his belongingness. Strategies such as knowing the client’s kind of groupie or the client’s thoughts of himself will be a few effective tactics towards forging a sale. FREUDIAN THEORY Though highly controversial and continuously debated upon by psychoanalysts, Sigmund Freud has been the most popular theorist of the century due to the sexual nature of his findings. Basically, he suggests that â€Å"(1) much behavior has a biological basis which is (2) often sexual in nature, and (3) that early experiences in childhood will have a profound, but unconscious effect on later life–e.g., people who are rejected in an early, â€Å"oral† phase of development may become â€Å"oral retentive† and end up as wine connoisseurs later in life.† (Hawkins, 1998) For Freud, people are motivated by their sex drives. Though some sectors of the scientific communities do not believe this, advertising, film and marketing have used the Freudian theories and have remained successful in the promotion and selling of their products. Cars, cigarette, alcohol and other vices have used sex at one point or another in their commercials, posters or corporate IDs. MTV’s have evolved into using pretty boys and sexy girls to get the maximum buying power of teenagers and young adults. Even new generation anime features voluptuous heroes, heroines and villains. Wonder Woman has never been as seductive and Superman has been redrawn to sport more muscles that spell musk. Though Freud never really thought sexuality in the new millennium context, evolutionists understands this kind of sexual motivation due to the inherent nature of human beings to help the species survive and sustain power over the natural kingdom. The only way to keep from extinction is to continue procreation. In Darwinian logic, motivation to procreation is as sensible as breathing. Sex has always helped sell art. Art from ancient Greece such as sculptures Adonis or Venus were sometimes seen as pornographic. Though these artworks of nudity became monuments of great cities and tourist destinations that earn millions of dollars, parent of little children still become uneasy explaining nudity in these kinds of art works. Marketing art with tactics from the Freudian theories that sex sells would make marketing of art forms planned in a way that it attracts sexual motivations from the buyers. Art galleries, when opening an exhibit usually employs wine, beautiful ladies in little black dresses and music that appeals to the possible clients. This type of marketing style that is guided by Freudian motivation theories supports art works that have sexual undertones already in them. Bar owner Schrager narrates the reason for buying an artwork. â€Å"According to Schrager, the decision to commission Clemente for the ceiling mural and lamps was an easy one. â€Å"I love Clemente’s work, and I thought a ceiling mural would be appropriate for the place and location. For me, a lot of Clemente’s work has sexual undertones, and I thought it would fit in perfectly in the bar.† (Silberman, 2001) MCGUIRE THEORY OF MOTIVATION McGuire’s psychology of motivation stems from his cognitive and affective experimentations. Thinkers are seen to carry out directed-thinking tasks. These thought systems in people illustrate their motivations.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Five dimensions that together provide an inclusive description of thought systems were identified. Two dimensions are cognitive: (1) size; and (2) cognitive-affirmational bias. Two others are affective: (3) affective desirability bias; and (4) people-favorability bias. The fifth dimension is (5) cognitive-affective congruence.† (McGuire, 2006) McGuire believes that affective stimulus influence the cognitive aspect of human motivations more. Men and women have different thought patterns since they react differently to stimulus. Knowing this, it is important for art galleries to note who has the buying power when couples walk into the gallery to purchase the artwork. At culturally diverse markets, art managers need to address what could stimulate affective motivations in their clients. Sometimes, talking to an art manager who understands the client’s affective stimulus like race or culture is effective. â€Å"More buying power translates into more art-buying ability. Art dealers and publishers are keenly aware of this. But what they also need to understand is that while African Americans are looking to buy more high-quality art, they’re also looking to buy from dealers and publishers who understand them and will cater to them.† (Hagan, 2004) 5 STAGES OF DECISION MAKING PROCESS Equipped with the three motivational theories above, the next important part of the marketing strategy is integrating the promotional or advertising activities to the five stages of the decision making process that each art buyers goes through whenever they are in making a decision whether to buy, to buy later, or not to buy. Source: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/ Problem recognition is the stage where the buyer becomes aware of his need. Awareness of needs does not happen like magic. Need is stimulated. The client must be aware of his need from its unconscious state to the conscious and articulate status. Commercials that stimulate problem recognition are effective because they can visually show what the client does not have and therefore, just by looking at advertisement, the client realizes his lack of that product thereby moving towards the process of coveting the product for himself. A blank wall will stimulate a need to buy art. An empty corner can stimulate a person to acquire a statue. Occasions and celebrations from birthdays to monthly anniversaries to grandmom or grandpop days and other more outlandish occasions can also create the rationale to make the consumers think of buying art. The second phase is where the client begins to look for information that will lead him into being able to find the product or the service that can quench his need. In the case of art galleries, a person must be able to find the art gallery. This ease of art gallery access will be attained with proper promotions and advertising. Art gallery accessibility geographically will also be essential in attracting buyers who are currently looking for information so satisfy their needs. The Internet is the latest virtual shop where buyers from around the world can be tuned in at the same time. With the Internet platform as marketing tool, selling is definitely without borders and without pressure of time. The buyer from spread of mouth information can also acquire details on how to locate the art gallery. Employers had always stressed good service because positive feedback is the gateway of businesses. With the information at hand, the consumer goes to the third stage of the decision making process which is the evaluation stage where alternatives are ranked. â€Å"This stage establishes the criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, indian gets highest rank. If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by â€Å"framing† alternatives.† (classnotes, 2006) Art galleries’ marketing strategy must make sure that the criteria set by its consumers are achieved. After product characteristics, price is usually the next criteria that the client considers. For art, the prices depend on a flexible standard. Other pieces are â€Å"priceless† while other art products are set by how the community valuates the artist. This is where the talent of the art manager or the curator comes in. Framing the art product, literally and figuratively spells putting on more weight on the piece or turning the off the client’s needs which will surely fail selling the product when the fifth decision making process starts. The fourth stage is the purchase stage. The buying value is affected by three possibilities as the client decides from whom to buy, when to buy or if the client decides not to buy. Purchase from art galleries will be affected by the terms of sale, credibility of the establishment and return policies. Tax information on artwork is an important information that will tip the scales towards the sales. A news clipping shows reaction of buyers and galleries on impositions of added tax to art pieces. â€Å"Paying an 8.8 percent tax on art doesn’t discourage him or his wife, Virginia, from buying, but he said he could imagine â€Å"it would slow some people down.† That’s what worries the Seattle Art Museum.† (Hackett, 2005) The atmosphere of the art gallery, and happiness of the shopping experience influences the time of sale. Some galleries maintain calmness in the gallery depicting unstressful experience for the buyer. Especially with purchases of millions of dollars, the atmosphere must be as much stress free as possible. The last stage of the process is the post purchase stage where the client reflects on the purchase that he did. The buyer usually compares the purchase with his expectations based on the need he originally formed. In the post purchase stage, either the art consumer is satisfied or unsatisfied with the purchase. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is affected by his value perceptions. Art buyers know there is inherent value in art works. Physically, art is just a piece of paper or canvass with pigment but the images and visualization that the artwork shares to the consumer is what is of value that have been purchased. For artwork, one piece may create more value to another person depending on the level of beauty value he gets from the work of art. His satisfaction therefore depends on the value that the art product or experience in buying the artwork communicates to the buyer. Art galleries are cultural venues where patrons are soon established. The repeat-purchase behavior found in the art galleries must be high and excellent because these repeat buyers are also automatic promotional agents of the art gallery. Appreciating an art piece in a hotel lobby, an interested consumer would normally ask where the piece was bought. And that is first lead of the art gallery that happens outside the gallery. Patrons of the art help in lessening the cognitive dissonance of art consumers. When there is a feeling of anxiety after purchase, the consumer looks for elements outside his decision that would help him be assured of his purchase and publicity of the art gallery’s success or social responsibility or how famous people patronize the gallery helps in relieving cognitive dissonance in post purchase stages of consumer decision making process. CONCLUSION Everyone buys art at one time or another. The time and cost of art that an individual buys depends on his motivations as incorporated in many studies in consumer behavior backed by psychological discourse and experimentations. With the need for the art industry to profit and keep the industry afloat, marketing strategies benefit from these motivational theories. It is safe to note that whenever a painting or a piece of art lands in a hotel lobby, or a financial establishment, a museum or simply in a living room wall, much human activity has been put into it that basically further increases it s social and cultural value. References Boeree, George. 1998. Abraham Maslow. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html Chartrand, Harry Hillman. 2000. The Public Life of the Arts in America†¨Joni Cherbo and M. Wyszomirski (eds),†¨Rutgers University Press, April 2000 Classnotes. 2006. Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt6.html Silberman, Vanessa. 2000. Results of Consumer Survey Shed Light on Art Buying Behavior. Art Business News, Nov, 2000 Hagan, Debbie. 2004. Black buying power shows strength in art: growing incomes and more national exposure of African-American art translates into a widening base of art buyers – news. Art Business News, Jan, 2004 Hackett, Regina and Michelle Nicolosi. 2005. Art collectors fault state agency on tax issue. Seattle Post – Intelligencer Reporters. Friday May 27, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/226106_reactart26.html?source=rss Hawkins, Del I., Roger J. Best, and Kenneth A. Coney (1998), Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, 7th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill. McGuire, William J. & Claire V. McGuire, Yale University. 2006. Cognitive versus affective aspects of phenomenal thought systems focused on persons. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au/1999/abstracts.htm Spiegler, Marc. 2006. Time to Reform the Art Market? The Art Newpaper. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.forbes.com/collecting/2005/05/30/cx_0530conn_ls.html

Mass Extinction

Mass Extinction Definition: The term extinction is a familiar concept to most people. It is defined as the complete disappearance of a species when the last of its individuals dies off. Usually, complete extinction of a species takes very long amounts of time and does not happen all at once. However, on a few notable occasions throughout Geologic Time, there have been mass extinctions that totally wiped out the majority of species living during that time period. Every major Era on the Geologic Time Scale ends with a mass extinction. Mass extinctions lead to an increase in the rate of evolution. The few species that manage to survive after a mass extinction event have less competition for food, shelter, and sometimes even mates if they are one of the last individuals of their species still alive. Access to this surplus of resources to meet basic needs can increase breeding and more offspring will survive to pass their genes down to the next generation. Natural selection then can go to work deciding which of those adaptations are favorable and which are outdated. Probably the most recognized mass extinction in the history of the Earth is called the K-T Extinction. This mass extinction event happened between the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era and the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era. This was the mass extinction that took out the dinosaurs. No one is completely sure how the mass extinction happened, but it is thought to be either meteor strikes or an increase in volcanic activity that blocked out the suns rays from reaching the Earth, thus killing the food sources of the dinosaurs and many other species of that time. Small mammals managed to survive by burrowing deep underground and storing food. As a result, mammals became the dominant species in the Cenozoic Era. The largest mass extinction happened at the end of the Paleozoic Era. The Permian-Triassic mass extinction event saw about 96% of marine life go extinct, along with 70% of terrestrial life. Even insects werent immune to this mass extinction event like many of the others in history. Scientists believe this mass extinction event actually happened in three waves and were caused by a combination of natural disasters including volcanism, an increase of methane gas in the atmosphere, and climate change. Over 98% of all living things recorded from the history of the Earth have gone extinct. The majority of those species were lost during one of the many mass extinction events throughout the history of life on Earth.

50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment

50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips At some point, you’re going to be asked to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is exactly what it sounds like- an essay in which you’ll be making an argument, using examples and research to back up your point. But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal. Not only do you have to structure your essay right to have a good impact on the reader, but even your choice of subject can impact how readers feel about your work. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of writing argumentative essays, including what argumentative essays are, how to write a good one, and how to pick a topic that works for you. Then check out a list of argumentative essay ideas to help you get started. What Is an Argumentative Essay? An argumentative essay is one that makes an argument through research. These essays take a position and support it through evidence, but, unlike many other kinds of essays, they are interested in expressing a specific argument supported by research and evidence. A good argumentative essay will be based on established or new research rather than only on your thoughts and feelings. Imagine that you’re trying to get your parents to raise your allowance, and you can offer one of two arguments in your favor: You should raise my allowance because I want you to. You should raise my allowance because I’ve been taking on more chores without complaining. The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings. The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. The Toulmin model is the most common, comprised of an introduction with a claim (otherwise known as a thesis), with data to support it. This style of essay will also include rebuttals, helping to strengthen your argument by anticipating counterarguments. The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each. Both essay styles rely on well-reasoned logic and supporting evidence to prove a point, just in two different ways. The important thing to note about argumentative essays as opposed to other kinds of essays is that they aim to argue a specific point rather than to explain something or to tell a story. While they may have some things in common with analytical essays, the primary difference is in their objective- an argumentative essay aims to convince someone of something, whereas an analytical essay contextualizes a topic with research. If all goes well, your essay could be in a book like this! What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay? To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research. An Argument Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea- you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking. You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up. Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind? A Strong Thesis The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis. This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings. Research A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it. Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible. How to Come Up With an Argumentative Essay Topic Sometimes you may find yourself arguing things you don’t necessarily believe. That’s totally fine- you don’t actually have to wholeheartedly believe in what you’re arguing in order to construct a compelling argument. However, if you have free choice of topic, it’s a good idea to pick something you feel strongly about. There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose,you'll have an easier time findingevidence to supportit, but it's the evidence that's most important. So, to choose a topic, think about things you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively. You can make a list of ideas and narrow those down to a handful of things, then expand on those ideas with a few potential points you want to hit on. For example, say you’re trying to decide whether you should write about how your neighborhood should ban weed killer, that your school’s lunch should be free for all students, or that the school day should be cut by one hour. To decide between these ideas, you can make a list of three to five points for each that cover the different evidence you could use to support each point. For the weed killer ban, you could say that weed killer has been proven to have adverse impacts on bees, that there are simple, natural alternatives, and that weeds aren’t actually bad to have around. For the free lunch idea, you could suggest that some students have to go hungry because they can’t afford lunch, that funds could be diverted from other places to support free lunch, and that other items, like chips or pizza, could be sold to help make up lost revenue. And for the school day length example, you could argue that teenagers generally don’t get enough sleep, that you have too much homework and not enough time to do it, and that teenagers don’t spend enough time with their families. You might find as you make these lists that some of them are stronger than others. The more evidence you have and the stronger you feel that that evidence is, the better the topic. Of course, if you feel that one topic may have more evidence but you’d rather not write about it, it’s okay to pickanother topic instead. When you’re making arguments, it can be much easier to find strong points and evidence if you feel passionate aboutour topic than if you don't. 50 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started! Science Should fracking be legal? Should parents be able to modify their unborn children? Do GMOs help or harm people? Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school? Should world governments get involved in addressing climate change? Technology Should Facebook be allowed to collect data from its users? Should self-driving cars be legal? Is it ethical to replace human workers with automation? Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving? Has the internet positively or negatively impacted human society? Sports Should college athletes be paid for being on sports teams? Should coaches and players make the same amount of money? Should sports be segregated by gender? Should the concept of designated hitters in baseball be abolished? Should US sports take soccer more seriously? Religion Should religious organizations have to pay taxes? Should religious clubs be allowed in schools? Should â€Å"one nation under God† be in the pledge of allegiance? Should religion be taught in schools? Should clergy be allowed to marry? Health Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent? Should the US switch to single-payer healthcare? Should assisted suicide be legal? Should dietary supplements and weight loss items like teas be allowed to advertise through influencers? Should doctors be allowed to promote medicines? Government/Politics Is the electoral college an effective system for modern America? Should Puerto Rico become a state? Should voter registration be automatic? Should people in prison be allowed to vote? Should Supreme Court justices be elected? Ethics Should sex work be legalized? Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Should the death penalty be legal? Should animal testing be allowed? Should drug possession be decriminalized? Economic Should unpaid internships be legal? Should minimum wage be increased? Should monopolies be allowed? Is universal basic income a good idea? Should corporations have a higher or lower tax rate? Education Are school uniforms a good idea? Should PE affect a student’s grades? Should college be free? Should Greek life in colleges be abolished? Should students be taught comprehensive sex ed? Arts/Culture Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism? Should books with objectionable words be banned? Should content on YouTube be better regulated? Is art education important? Should art and music sharing online be allowed? Speaking from authority is great for enhancing your argument- as is being a cat. How to Argue Effectively A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart. One of the most important things you can do in writing a strong argumentative essay is organizing well. Your essay should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, better known as the introduction, body and opposition, and conclusion. This example follows the Toulmin model- if your essay follows the Rogerian model, the same basic premise is true, but your thesis will instead propose two conflicting viewpoints that will be resolved through evidence in the body, with your conclusion choosing the stronger of the two arguments. Introduction Hook Your hook should draw the reader’s interest immediately. Questions are a common way of getting interest, as well as evocative language or a strong statistic Background Don’t assume that your audience is already familiar with your topic. Give them some background information, such as a brief history of the issue or some additional context. Thesis Your thesis is the crux of your argument. In an argumentative essay, your thesis should be clearly outlined so that readers know exactly what point you’ll be making. Don’t explain all your evidence in the opening, but do take a strong stance and make it clear what you’ll be discussing. Body Claims Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own- you need evidence to support it. Evidence Evidence is the backbone of your argument. This can be things you glean from scientific studies, newspaper articles, or your own research. You might cite a study that says that weed killer has an adverse effect on bees, or a newspaper article that discusses how one town eliminated weed killer and saw an increase in water quality. These kinds of hard evidence support your point with demonstrable facts, strengthening your argument. Opposition In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either- figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments. Demonstrating that you not only understand the opposition’s point, but that your argument is strong enough to withstand it, is one of the key pieces to a successful argumentative essay. Conclusion Conclusions are a place to clearly restate your original point, because doing so will remind readers exactly what you’re arguing and show them how well you’ve argued that point. Summarize your main claims by restating them, though you don’t need to bring up the evidence again. This helps remind readers of everything you’ve said throughout the essay. End by suggesting a picture of a world in which your argument and action are ignored. This increases the impact of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Key Tips A strong argumentative essay is one with good structure and a strong argument, but there are a few other things you can keep in mind to further strengthen yourpoint. Focus When you’re crafting an argument, it can be easy to get distracted by all the information and complications in your argument. It’s important to stay focused- be clear in your thesis andhone in on claims that directly support that thesis. Be Rational It’s important that your claims and evidence be based in facts, not just opinion. That’s why it’s important to use reliable sources based in science and reporting- otherwise, it’s easy for people to debunk your arguments. Don’t rely solely on your feelings about the topic. If you can’t back a claim up with real evidence, it leaves room for counterarguments you may not anticipate. Make sure that you can support everything you say with clear and concrete evidence, and your claims will be a lot stronger! What’s Next? No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey! Brushing up on your essay format knowledge to prep for the SAT? Check out this list of SAT essay prompts to help you kickstart your studying! A bunch of great essay examples can help you aspire to greatness, but bad essays can also be a warning for what not to do. This guide to bad college essays will help youbetter understand common mistakes to avoid in essay writing! Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Melissa Brinks About the Author Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Condense position papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Condense position papers - Essay Example And even if he chooses the former, who are we to blame or persecute him Whatever he does to himself is for his own good. In the same way that an ordinary heterosexual person aims for the betterment of himself and of the others as well, so do the homosexual. I believe that is not for us to judge a person, a homosexual at that, based on sexual preferences. I firmly believe that if ever the homosexuals are given the chance to choose whom to love or admire, they would choose the normal choice - a male for a female and vice versa. They would never want to be put in such humiliating situations that could earn the ire of their parents, family, friends, and even the government. Indeed, not a single crime may be imputed directly to the homosexual preference of an offender. "Coming out can sometimes lead to a life crisis, which can elevate to suicidal thoughts or even committing suicide."1 So, let us leave them alone, or we might end up becoming worse than the persons whom we thought are secon d-class individuals. As previously stated in the essay, "acceptance is the key and fear is the originator of all things 'immoral.'" In relation to the matter of choices, I also agree with the idea of abortion.

Childhood Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Childhood - Personal Statement Example The character I developed in those days is to be good to all whatever happens. Never turn your face to others. I could not exactly say who was my inspiration to this. But my parents, my brothers, my friends, my relatives all have a part in this either in a positive way or the other. Its not that we are only inspired by a good person what should be done. The real thing must be from a bad example what not to be done. In that way even during those earlier stages of my life, when someone behaves rudely to me I know how it hurts me. So I used to think, if I behaved in the same way to someone else, he too will feel the same, will be hurt in the same way as I was hurt. So I stopped being harsh and started being good to all. I would say this quality of mine has carried me all through the life till now and it will in future too. I have had many experiences in my life in which the people I trusted the most have betrayed me, have outdone me. But even in that stage I never said a word harsh to them. Instead I still felt them close to me, wished for their betterment. Many of my friends said am a fool to be still being good to the ones who are hurting me and they are taking advantage over me. But I believed this would change them and it did indeed. They realized their mistakes and I believe never again would they be against me. I believe that being good to those who hurt us is the best way to respond.