Tuesday, September 8, 2015
The Struggle Between the Individual and Society
In Collection 1 we are studying the struggles between the individual and society. What are some ways an individual may struggle to be part of society, and why? Why might it be difficult for a nation to unite for a common cause? Use specific examples in your response.
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Life is a game of musical chairs if you do not find a seat you are out of the game and that is the definition of life. It is a struggle you never know when someone is gonna replace you in life.It is difficult for a nation to support every single family but the country focuses more to the upper middle calls and the rich elite. As long you have health, money or a good education then the country will need you. " never pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure the challenging situations life throws at you ".
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point. You never really know what will happen next in life. Sometimes there are inequities that make life's challenges difficult. Please add to your assertions with specific examples or anecdotes from your own experience.
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ReplyDeleteYou pose several interesting rhetorical questions here. Please add a specific assertion (thesis statement) and directly address the prompt using specific examples related to the context of our theme.
DeleteThere are many struggles that an individual struggles to be part of a society. An individual plays various roles in a society. Some struggles include Speaking the same language. If you do not speak a common language, then you will have difficulty communicating to people. People's appearance might be different from other people's appearances. This is also another way an individual would have difficulty to be part of the society. Some people in the society, might think that a person is dressed weirdly, but for the same person, he or she might think that they are wearing appropriate clothes. An example is an employee. If an employee comes to his or her job, and wear clothes that they are not suppose to be worn, then that would be a difficulty for the employee, because he or she does not know what an appropriate clothing is for a job.
ReplyDeleteA person might have a different behavior, and they might need to change their behavior, and their behavior consists to have a better behavior. There are also difficulty as an individual in your neighborhood. If you are too loud all the time, littering, not taking care of the community, and not being nice to your neighbors, then that is bad. That can also give a horrible impression to other people that are observing that person.
People might even have different religious beliefs, and do things differently than the society does. Some schools say that uniform is allowed, and other schools say it’s not allowed. The students that do not have uniform might be dressed like what he or she wears in a cultural way, and someone else might think that the outfit is weird. So, these are some difficulties that an individual might face to be part of the society.
It might be difficult for a nation to unite on a common cause, because whatever cause you are suggesting for the nation, that cause may only benefit few people, and may not benefit few other people. For example, if banning drugs would benefit the people that do not take drugs, and helps them safe their health, but on the other side, it might be a disadvantage for the people that take drugs, and do not want to let go of drugs. People might not be happy on protecting people from crimes. That might be, because people might believe that they should have weapons with them, and that people should protect themselves, and on the other side, other people might think that crimes should not happen, and the government should protect the people.
Some ideas that people get for the nation, to make the nation better, is sometimes is a disadvantage for some people, and not everyone agrees on the same idea. If someone finds a cure for cancer, then the people that have cancer can survive, but the people that never had cancer, they might disagree for the cure of cancer. These are some difficulties for a nation to unite for a common cause.
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DeleteYou have thoroughly addressed the prompt with relevant examples. It seems you have thought about this deeply. Be sure to proofread your remarks on Word before publishing.
DeleteBecoming part of the society is difficult. Everyone is obsessed with achieving fame and fortune and receiving praise for the magnitude of wealth they possess. As a result, society forgets that materialistic riches are only temporary, whereas spiritual riches last forever. Therefore, anyone that disagrees with this is isolated from society. This mindset that everyone has, makes it difficult to “fit in” with society. People who don’t technically fit in due to wealth, race, and gender hide behind the curtain and let others voices overcome theirs.. A current, dominant example is the gay rights law. Most citizens of the US began to take the popular stand and allowing this law to be passed, while the rest who had different opinions, the people that stood out and didn’t necessarily fit in didn’t make their voices heard in the decision of this law. When people of different points of view, genders, and race practice their ability to express what they believe they are shut down and neglected. Everyone today must act the same, look the same, and believe in the same ideas which is creating a roadblock in the achievements we could accomplish but do not have the unity to.
ReplyDeleteYou have generalized some of the major concerns that are part of the current public debate. I commend you for bringing out such difficult issues to discuss. What are some reasons you believe people become obsessed with materialistic wealth? What are your ideas for solutions to these issues?
DeleteFitting in has become more and more important to people in any society that they may be a part of, especially with media depicting what the “ideal body type” should be, especially for young men and women. This is hard for young men and women that do not fit those standards, for they feel like outcasts and are put down by their peers. This is leading to many side effects as well, like depression, anorexia nervosa (not eating o the point of starvation), cutting one’s self, and many more outcomes of wanting to look like all the models they see every day. People are also put down based on their religion, culture, and beliefs. For example, if a person speaks up for what their religion says on a certain issue, and then they are considered selfish and inconsiderate of others rights and beliefs. Power hungry politicians also use this tactic of making people feel below them to gain power. This causes rifts between people, groups, and even nations. Many countries split because of religious beliefs or who should rule the people. Fitting in is becoming harder and harder with beauty taking a more important role in our society, and is tearing up people, groups, and nations.
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent issues to think about, because they affect a very large number of people. Why do you suppose some of these problems occur? What should we do about it?
DeleteThese problems occur because people feel that they are alone in their sadness, and that no one else knows how they feel. Studies show that suicide occurs more in countries that are acclaimed to be "happier" because people in "sadder" countries are surrounded by people that are also going through hardships, and find it easier to communicate about their feelings. However people in "happier" countries are around people who do not show their hardships and difficulties, especially on social media, and feel alone with no one to help. These problems can be fixed if people where properly educated on how to deal with depression before it hits you, so when the tie comes, you know what to do. People also need to realize life has its up and downs, but just like an arrow, the farther you get pulled back, the stronger you fly out, so just stay strong and aim.
DeleteEverybody comes to a point in life as to where they may struggle to be part of society. Some people may struggle to be a part of society because they have a different culture than others. True, everyone comes from different cultures - like immigrants. Many of those people manage to cope with society better than others. If an immigrant teenager was to come to the US, then he/she may be tempted to be like the people surrounding him/her because of well, society. Some immigrants would want to stick to their heritage, but find themselves being influenced by society. This can be a problem for some people, because it would not be an intended influential change by society. Ones culture can come in the way of being part of society, making fitting in more complicated than others. Also, everybody has their own perspective on things. Having a different perspective on things causes a person to have his/her own way of doing things, making him/her seem different compared to others, therefore causing the person to somewhat be struggling to be part of society- because of his or her’s differences.
ReplyDeleteIt may be difficult for a nation to unite for a common cause, because not everybody agrees on the same thing or idea. When a group of people does not agree on something, things usually end with conflict. For example, the government decided to ban stores from selling twinkies. Everyone who thought that twinkies were fatty and oily would not have a problem with this change, infact they would very much prefer and promote it. On the other hand, the people who love and cherish their wonderful twinkies are heartbroken because it would feel as if a piece of them is missing..a piece of twinkie. Since everybody agrees on different things, only half of the people would be satisfied, while the other half was not. This would cause conflict, and prevent a nation from forming because of situations like banning twinkies. Therefore, that is why it may be difficult to unite for a common cause- because not everybody thinks the same.
Immigrating to a new country is definitely a major challenge for most individuals as they try to fit into an unfamiliar society. You also bring up some very interesting ideas about banning products and its affect on individual freedoms. Why do you suppose some products are banned, but not others? Should any products or items ever be banned?
DeleteJ. William Fulbright, former U.S. senator, once said that, “The rapprochement of peoples is only possible when differences of culture and outlook are respected and appreciated rather than feared and condemned, when the common bond of human dignity is recognized as the essential bond for a peaceful world.” It tends to be hard for people to look past the surface, whether it be different ethnicity, religion, or culture. When something new or unfamiliar appears in front of people conditioned to living a life of conformity, people have a tendency to condemn or harbor feelings of fright towards it, because it is easier to criticize than to try to understand. There are a plethora of factors that contribute towards an unrelenting struggle to trying to unite a nation with a common cause or an individual struggling to be part of society.
ReplyDeleteThe fault shouldn’t be placed entirely on people. The media bombards people with all sorts of distorted and misleading information. The media picks and chooses what information to send out to the public. Thus, having this tool, the media chooses the unfavorable aspects of a culture or religion or gives only one side of the story about a situation. This, in turn, results in people having a hostile perception of a certain race or culture, so when people from that race come to America they are segregated, whether it be subtle or blatant. It can be difficult to change people’s perception, because they are constantly harassed with deceptive information. This is why it is challenging for individuals to be part of society, or for a nation to unite under a common cause. Many people have a set mindset on certain things, which makes it tough to alter their mindset and see past the lies.
You have highlighted some very important points of discussion here. The quote you have included is a very thoughtful way to begin your analysis of the topic. I also appreciate your use of vocabulary here. What are some specific examples of issues in society that illustrate some of these concerns?
DeleteNobody said being a part of society was easy. It’s very difficult in many different ways. People it the present day have problems fitting in because either of fear, religion/belief, or not being as wealthy. For example, take 9/11, this is one of the biggest turning points for Muslims. This was harder for Muslims to fit in with society. A lot of people most of the time committee suicide because of not being able to fit in.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for a nation to be united for several reasons. One reason is because of difference in religion and belief. For example, if you take a Muslim and an atheist. They have so many differences in belief. This is why it makes it harder for us humans to work with people that we don’t feel comfortable working with. Another is because of racial profiling. This is major in today’s world because people not being able to work with someone because he suppose is Jew or Black.
That is a good point. Religious and ethnic differences do sometimes create divisions in a society. The desire to overcome these differences will lead to social change.
DeleteI used to live in Egypt away from my family and no one supported me rather than my mom and dad, i really couldn't fit in society just cause i am Lebanese. I talk differently, words are different than the Egyptian language. So i used to be out of society most of the time. As they made fun of me and the way i used to talk .It was difficult but i had a way to fight it is by creating and listening to music and reading books about my role model in life "Muhammad Ali". At the end "Struggle now and have an easy life later".
ReplyDeleteI think that is very interesting especially since the Lebanese and Egyptian accents are really different, so it must have been hard for you but i think you were smart to just ignore them and stand high.
DeleteThat sounds like a very difficult time in your life, but it seems to have made you a stronger, more compassionate person.
ReplyDeletePutting aside aversive racism, [proposed by Dovidio and Gaerener in 1991, where we tend to avoid contact with ethnic/racial minorities, (hence the name)], in psychology, there is also the notion of ambivalent racism, which was conceived by McConahay in 1986, in which an individual’s evenhandedness and sympathy to the oppressed, conflicts with his/her belief that individuals are responsible for what happens to them, (once again, hence the name).
ReplyDeleteFor instance, I was on my way back home after another hectic day of one-hundred plus degrees fahrenheit, when I espied a middle-aged, African American man, with a sale sign in which he had quickly positioned against the traffic-light pole by which he was “dancing.” Seeing that, my first thought, (which came almost shoulder-to-shoulder with the second), was of how unfortunate he must be in the midst of the heat with nothing but pants, a half-sleeve shirt, and sunglasses to protect him from the sun; It was mostly a feeling of pity for the man that placed him into the cohort of poor people. Then I thought to myself ‘well, conceivably it was his fault after all; Perhaps if he were keener as of an earlier age he would’ve been in a better state right now.’ And the conversation between myself and me lasted until, due to my boredom, I decided to draw the conclusion that, ‘although it may have been his fault for not doing well, (I assume), in the past, the fact that he is standing there, burning himself out in the sun just to get $10/hour, while others of both, younger and older ages, could be sitting in the shade with a piece of cardboard nearby, yet making more money, makes my respect for this man skyrocket into the air.
The issue occurs, however, when other fellow Americans would glance at the same man, and their negative emotions toward him overwhelm the positive, and where each man thinks he is superior to the next, and those who think they are inferior end-up committing suicide.
But, wistfully said, that seems to be the more prevalent scenario. Our competitiveness__ Each of our American identities__ kills us. . . both, figuratively and literally speaking.