Beowulf and Pride Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Beowulf and Pride - Essay Example He is thus prone too to the spiritual and psychological shortcomings that come with being human. That includes the possibility of becoming proud. In the end, one can say that it was pride that led Beowulf to his death in that combat with the dragon. He has become old. As Hrothgar probably sees in advance, Beowulf’s pride keeps him from seeing his limitations. This being so, he goes to do battle with the dragon on his own at the end of his life. In so doing Beowulf gets killed. Hrothgar’s words, therefore, ring true. At the height of Beowulf’s success, he knows that Beowulf is vulnerable too. He is vulnerable to becoming proud just like all human beings are. As Hrothgar cautions: â€Å"Ban, then, such baleful thoughts, Beowulf dearest, best of men, and the better part choose, profit eternally; and temper thy pride, warrior famous!†. This paper asserts, therefore, that as mortal and flawed, though Beowulf is the strongest and bravest warrior in all the land, he too is vulnerable to the weaknesses of all men, and in particular he is vulnerable to pride. Pride is the downfall of Beowulf. It is important to see that Hrothgar is speaking from the point of view of experience and great wisdom. That wisdom is forged from his own past success and present misfortune of seeing his kingdom devastated by Grendel. He sees that Beowulf is truly remarkable. He is able to do what his best men cannot. Beowulf is able to slay the dragon and also his mother, with his own hands. He is able to do battle with Grendel without using any arms too. Such is his power and his abilities that he is able to do all of this. Moreover, Hrothgar sees that Beowulf is also very popular. His fame has spread very far. In the midst of all these Hrothgar knows that any mortal man will become proud. When he gives out the warning to Beowulf he is not trying to diminish Beowulf’s success. He is trying to protect him in a way from his own weaknesses.

Math Anxiety Essay Example for Free

Math Anxiety Essay Math anxiety is a common attribute of many children and adults. It usually happens when a person is unprepared to be tested and when a student becomes frustrated from not knowing how to do mathematic operations. Students experience anxiety at different levels. For some, it may be a feeling of uneasiness and for others, it can consume them with feelings of a panic attack. For some people, just walking into a math class can start the math anxiety cycle. One might think that this only happens to students in public or private schools. However, even home-schooled students report that they have felt anxiety while studying math at home. Math anxiety can make a person feel as if they are paralyzed. A feeling of panic and paranoia can lead to a lack of confidence and a strong feeling of fear. A student sometimes begins to display passive behavior. The panic feeling discussed in the first paragraph is when the student feels helpless and cannot find a way to get rid of it. Paranoia is when the mind of the student tells the student that he/she will not be able to complete the math work – whether it is easy or difficult math work. Passive behavior is when the student feels as if he will never be able to understand math or feel any level of comfort when working with math. Therefore, students give up and then put forth no effort. But, probably the most common attribute of math anxiety is the lack of confidence a student feels when math is presented to him/her. When the student expects that he will never know the answer to the question, then he will probably spend most of his efforts in second guessing. Math anxiety is present in every classroom and every teacher wants to know how to get the â€Å"Math anxiety monster† out of the room. Once he is gone, math instruction can begin!

Prayer Is Central To Our Lives As Christians Religion Essay

Prayer Is Central To Our Lives As Christians Religion Essay Prayer is central to the Christian way of life, just as Jesus always prayed to his Father in Heaven, so he taught his followers to pray. Two statements in the Gospel summarise the entire development of our prayer life: the request of the Apostles Lord teach us how to pray and the complaint of Christ could you not watch one hour with me. In understanding prayer we must be able to distinguish two things: the obligation to pray and the desire to pray. The desire for prayer is that internal attraction towards prayer. It is not a question of attitude being I ought to pray but a question of I want to pray. There is a midway stage where people say I want to do what I ought to do, this is fair and proper but is it insufficient? There has to grow within us a desire for prayer, nostalgia for prayer, a taste for prayer. For me, prayer is a surge of the heart: it is a simple look turned towards heaven, it is a cry of recognition of love, embracing both trial and jury St Therese of Lisieux. My ow n understanding of prayer is a way of communicating, talking to God. It is having a one to one relationship with God. Others see it as listening for the prompting of the Holy Spirit (www.Kaldu.org) Nowadays, we are all very busy and our minds are pre-occupied with many things, people experience the difficulties life presents to our prayers. Some prayers are spontaneous such as the Hail Mary. There are litanies which are repetitive prayers such as Mother of God pray for us and there are traditional payers. Prayer is engaging in conversation with God and his Saints and can become as natural as talking to our family and friends. Prayer is central to our lives as Christians; it can and should touch every moment of the day. Catholic prayer must and should be part of your normal life and not something extra that you add onto it. What you practice each day youll do for eternity (www.beginningcatholic.com) Some people choose to only pray in a formal way, together with others in a church. Many also pray at home, alone in the privacy of their rooms and their own quiet thoughts. Prayers said in the morning will help you to face the challenges of our day and the prayers we say at night help us to review the events of the day and we can beg for Gods forgiveness. In the past morning prayers were said during battles, to help them face the day as they were not sure if they would survive and then said prayers in the evening to say thank you. We can pray before meals, in the car and when trouble disturbs our lives. We can pray when joys lift our minds and we can say thank you to God and we can also pray for others. Just like family and friends, we depend on God for everything so it is in prayer we are able to acknowledge that dependence on Him. In the Old Testament there are psalms, these are expressions of praise and lamentation, of thanksgiving and petition. Psalms are meant to be sung and a tambourine or harp was used in the past to accompany them. Today, the psalms form the basis of the Liturgy of the Hours which is the official prayer of the church. Psalms are written about everyday emotions, there is a psalm or scripture that represents or shows what we are going through or facing in life. In our weakness we go to God and we pray, just like in the garden, when Jesus was facing his passion, He went off from them about the distance of a stones throw and knelt down and pray. Father, he said, if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me (Luke 22. 41-44). This showed the humanity and weakness of the three disciples when they fell asleep. Prayer should never be divorced from life, nor a bolt on to the life of the school but it must underpin all we do and who we are. It is to the extent that we are rooted in prayer, both communal and solitary, that we will be able to discover our mission and have the strength to carry it out. A Catholic education provides children with academic excellence enhanced with traditional Christian values. Catholic schools set out to guide and encourage children to explore Gods creation and to discover something of the creator, so prayer and worship give children the greater understanding of the teachings of Jesus; give them a greater understanding of the life of Jesus; it develops a sense of curiosity; a sense of joy and fun; encourages forgiveness; helps them to come to terms with sorrow and how to engage in symbolic action. As teachers, we model respect for all and on acceptance of each childs talents, abilities and personal challenges. We create a safe loving environment that encourages ch ildren to believe in their capabilities and to work toward their potential. From birth, children try very hard to communicate so the first and most powerful influence on our childrens prayer life will be our own. Prayer is a gift of God Gift is a good word to describe prayer because praying is not something we can do of ourselves, we do not know how to pray as we ought, prayer is a gift God must give (www.cptryon.org/prayer/child) It is our job to help children use this gift and connect faith to life so that prayer informs practice and is integrated into practicalities of our everyday lives. How we pray and the words we use will be the role model that can either liberate or sadly also inhibit the children. We need to help young children entrusted to our care develop and grow in their own understanding of prayer. Even though we are role models for prayer, modelling does not mean we should dominate or talk too much; we must also listen and invite them to participate. Prayer in the classroom can give children firsthand experience of the different roles of communal prayer. Class assemblies are an ideal method of encouraging children to pray. A bible story is a good beginning, the story is read followed by a class discussion on what the story means for us. The children can try and act out the story in small groups and they can choose the most effective bits from the acting that they would like to include. All children are encouraged to participate in speaking. Children can write their own prayers in relation to the bible story. Some children can use puppets to show the audience the story. Parents and children in the school are invited to watch the assembly; this shows the importance of how the children are part of a bigger family, not just at home but of church and prayer life. When children pray they: Give glory to God Celebrate all that is good Say thank you for life Provide opportunities to reflect upon what is meaningful, significant concern for them. Doing prayers in lots of different creative ways can be fun and has its place in childrens work. We know children flourish best where there are safe boundaries within which they can relax. A safe place allows them the freedom to experiment and express themselves in prayer. Prayer should always be appropriate to the age of the children. To lead children into a habit of prayer is to have a simple focus; this could be a song, music, a lighted candle, a cross. It could be a piece of craft which has come out of the days work. A picture is always a great focus, especially a global picture as it reminds the children they are talking with the creator of heaven and earth. It is important to make a sacred place in schools for prayer; it doesnt have to be a place where we all go together. If there are images these need to be selected carefully, not too many otherwise they could distract the children from their thoughtful time. When planning prayer with children we need to keep it short and simple. When they are composing their own prayers they need to know what they are praying about. Prayer creates community unity between people unity of purpose. It is important to listen carefully to childrens prayers and to learn from them. It is also crucial to listen to their silences as these are of course also prayers. Like with many things, the simplest way is very often the best way. There are so many activities we can do in school that will encourage and develop prayer. Daily assemblies, regular visits to the Cathedral, altars in class, singing hymns, prayer books made by the children, these can be sent home so they can share their prayers with families. We could have a prayer box where children, when old enough, write their prayer down and place it in the special box, other children can draw their prayer. A variety of colours of paper can be used to express the moods of prayers. In our school, we are lucky enough to have a prayer garden, the children can tie a ribbon to the tree and take a moment to say a prayer or have some thoughtful time. Our staff meetings begin with a reflection or prayer so it is not just the children who are encouraged to pray in a school environment. Circle times allow all children to participate in prayers, passing a cross or special object around in turn. In school it is vital to teach the children to pray also to saints. Our children need to know who St. Joseph is, what his beliefs were, why is our school called after him. They will realise what an important man he was as over half the schools in our diocese are called St. Joseph. They will learn that he is the protector of the Holy Family and the importance of him. Children are novices at life in general and find many tasks and demands they do in school full of uncertainty. They are more limited than adults in how much they can attend to and memorise. Prayer develops the spiritual lives of the children but has to be achieved at their pace and understanding. We all need to pray for an increase of faith. When life goes smoothly we do not see a need to pray but when things go wrong we realise the importance of them. Prayer is a very intimate and personal experience. The good habit of prayer that is nurtured and encouraged will help children later on in their adult journey of faith. Number of Words 1836

The Arguments Surrounding Media Bias Essay -- Communication, Fairness

Whether it is through a newspaper, television, magazines or talk radio, people will always communicate through some type of medium. Now, whether or not the mediums are tainted with bias is a question of beliefs. Some people argue that journalism today is rather fair and balanced, while others would vehemently oppose that view by saying that bias is definitely prevalent in news media and other mediums today. In some instances, there lies the belief that the fairness doctrine should be reestablished in order to mend the problem of bias; however, many would strenuously fight that by arguing that such an act would destroy the freedom of the press guaranteed under the first amendment. Another argument surrounding this issue is the expectation of journalists to be as objective to each issue as possible. Contrary to this, people argue that it isn’t possible to be completely objective. Many arguments surround the issue of media bias. Today, many argue for the return and enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine. The doctrine was established in 1934. It required that anyone who had a broadcasting license had to present both sides of an issue. Broadcasters, however, had the opportunity to decide how long they would cover the â€Å"other side† (â€Å"The Broadcasting Fairness Doctrine† 3). Dave Johnson, a columnist for the Huffington Post, argued back in 2009, for the revival of the fairness doctrine. In his column, he writes that the fairness doctrine would reintroduce the idea that the public owns the resources of the country, the laws, and has the power to tell corporations what to do instead of them telling the public what to do (Johnson Par. 4). Alan Sears, a former federal prosecutor for the Reagan administration and current president and CEO ... ...n nearly enough. Media Bias may be considered either a serious problem or no problem at all. Some may feel that it is the Journalists responsibility to assure that no bias makes it into the news and that they should be as objective as possible. However, there are those who argue that journalists should not be expected to be as objective as possible because it is not realistic to believe that it can be accomplished. Then there is the argument to revive the Fairness Doctrine, or to keep it abolished forever for fear that the freedom of speech will be threatened if it is brought back to life. The media is an entity of its own. It is controlled and operated by a few people. The journalists under them willingly reflect the beliefs of their bosses into their works in order to keep their jobs. The harm in all of this depends on the influence it has on each individual.

Google in China

Google entered China in 2006 with high hopes of taking over the Chinese internet market. In order to become a major player for internet search engines in China, however, they had buckled and filtered search results according to the Chinese government. When Google. cn was launched, a loud public outcry over its giving in to the Chinese government on censoring and filtering search engine results, the company faced a communications crisis. Since Google had always been known for its free thinking, this seemed a vast contradiction. From a communications standpoint, Google’s greatest vulnerability in this crisis lay with a tarnished public image.Since the company’s inception, Google had enjoyed a reputation for ingenuity and creativity. Google had changed the way people use and search on the internet that was free from pop up advertisements and organized information. They promoted different and radical ideas for development in the workplace to foster the creative atmosphere a t the Googleplex in California. The corporate public image is â€Å"the sum total of perceptions of the corporations personality characteristics. † (Spector, 1961 p. 47) Google’s had an outstand public image evidenced by the fact that it was one of the most popular search engines in the world.When Google decided to enter the Chinese market, the company was forced by the Chinese government to impose self-censorship if they were to operate within the boundaries of China. Though executives disagreed with censoring, they â€Å"grudgingly agreed that this is the ethical price they have to pay to place servers in mainland China. † (2006 Jan) If an internet search engine did not filter search results, the government would use its own, which highly slowed down the rate at which the servers could process the request. â€Å"The filtered results would remove any reference to a number of subjects. This policy in China did not align itself with the public image that Google had established and sought to maintain. This new policy brought about harsh criticism, â€Å"Google’s statements about respecting online privacy are at the height of hypocrisy in view of its strategy in China, said groups like the RWB in January of 2006. Google’s policy of self-censorship in China did not sit well with the public or human rights organizations. Though Google seemed to promote free-thinking and free speech on one hand, they were censoring and filtering with the other.Google lost credibility with the public, thus tarnishing its public image and â€Å"loosing 1% of the U. S. market in one month,† as reported in The Business. (2006, Aug) â€Å"Image credibility is based on the constituency’s perception of the organization† (Argenti, 2009, p. 39). When the public image of a company has been compromised it â€Å"can make a huge difference in determining the success or failure of the organization† (Argenti, 2009, p. 40). When the p ublic looses confidence in a company and what they stand for, they no longer wish to use its product.In response, executives at Google attempted to convince the public that they could handle the balancing act between censorship and providing information, and gain back public trust and confidence. Google’s greatest vulnerability in the ordeal with China was damage done to its reputation because we should, as stated in the Bible, â€Å"Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. †(Proverbs 3:4) When running a company it is highly important to preserve good standing because when â€Å"good will or trust is lacking, the organization will fail at achieving its objectives (Argenti, 2009, p. 40).

Enders Shadow essays

Ender's Shadow essays Throughout the novel, Bean has demonstrated his defiance to lose heart over Poke, the first person to die that he had formed his first social bond. In the streets of Rotterdam Bean fought to stay alive. He eventually relied on Poke the captain of her crew. Even though Bean faced hard times surviving his life up to the point where he meets Poke he does not give up. His philosophy to not hold grudges allows him to easily pass through hard times of his life. Bean and Poke meet and decide upon a plan to protect Pokes crew. This plan eventually fails and winds up having Achillies, a bully, taking over Pokes crew and turning the crew into his family, and Achillies himself, the papa. Achillies eventually visously murders Poke at a fishing dock. Bean witness Achillies actions but can not think of a way to avoid her death. Bean feels guilty but he refuses to hold a grudge against Achillies and wait for revenge. In Battle School Bean path once again falls upon Achillies. Bean suspecting his serial murders lures him into a trap and makes him confess his murders. Unlike Ender who decided to permantly end his problem, Bean the hoodlem from the streets of Rotterdam hands Achillies over to the authorities. Atticus is a man whom greatly values moral actions and like Bean does not lose hope during gloomy times. When he is asked to defend a black man in a small racist town in Alabama, he excepts because as a lawyer he feels that it is his duty for justice. He contains a moral fiber inside of him to defend Tom Robinson. In this racist town, Atticus and his family are looked down upon. Scout brings home news of the kids and school calling him a Negro lover as well as many other racist comments. Atticus is able to survive the hardships of defending Tom Robinson because he believes that increasing the court supplying justice to the Town will decrease the racisism within the town. He believes that ...