Embrace

body, power, reputation and material possessions are outside of our control and therefore not our own. To Epictetus, this division is essential for happiness, for if we know something is out of our control, it cannot affect us. “And if it concerns anything beyond your power, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you” (216), or else you will uselessly struggle over a battle than cannot be won. For instance, if one can accept that death is out of one’s control, and it is the natural outcome of all lifeforms, then there is no reason to be scared of it—because nothing can be done to prevent it. Death, specifically, can never be avoided forever. Epictetus preaches to “remind yourself of what nature they are…if you embrace your child, or your wife, that you embrace a mortal—and thus, if either of them dies, you can bear it” (217), for their mortality is not in your control. And yet so many people are petrified of this natural progression. Thus, “the terror consists in our notion of death, that it is terrible” (218), not in death itself. For some, death is not even scary; “what hurts this man is not this occurrence itself, --for another man might not be hurt by it, —but they view he chooses to take of it” (222). Consequently, people either perceive death as scary, or not scary. Death in itself does not cause fear. In addition, Epictetus advocates that one should find the positive within every negative incident. “Upon every accident, remember to turn toward yourself and…

“Learn to embrace difference” “No man is an island” is a well-known quote from the English poet John Donne. The significance of this old saying still holds true in today’s society. But what happens when the society where a person lives in denies the person proper recognition it deserve just because of the circumstance he is born in? As social creatures we are not designed to be isolated from each other’s company just based out of the skin color, the social class standing, and other circumstances…

Furthermore, I remember in the documentary, “Embrace” the director did mention that in India women who “plumper” were desirable because that was an immediate indication that you were wealthy enough to feast; thus, a desirable partner, has now changed as well to thinner being more desirable, at least to women. The documentary, “Embrace” showed young girls in pageants and shows such as ‘Top Model’. One critique I do have for the documentary, and even the research is that when we talk about body…

I don’t always march in a straight line, sometimes I vere off in a different direction. I’ve always known I’m not your average suburban middle schooler. Whether it’s my hobbies or friends, I pursue the unconventional. I’d like to say that what my peers think of me doesn’t influence my decisions; however, that’s only partially true. Some days I love that I am unique, and I want to fully embrace my individuality. Other times, I desire to blend into the crowd, and be more like my peers. Although my…

Extra credit response #1 Out of the list of movies that was available to watch, I chose “Embrace of the Serpent” out of complete curiosity. The movie was quite unique I would have to say. The plot was about an Indian man named Karamakate who was the last shaman that survived from his tribe. His mission was to travel two scientists to find a sacred plant called Yakruna. Both these missions occurred at two different periods in Karmakate’s life and both men were out to find it out of…

Embrace Diversity, Hollywood Hollywood is American society’s guilty pleasure and the most frequent used source of entertainment. People rush to the movies in flocks for an opening premier of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster hit. Therefore the movie and television industry has become so much a part of American culture that society fails to question what is actually being broadcasted. People become sublimely oblivious and subconsciously record everything they watch on these theatrical screens, that…

As a person who greatly values structure (as it pertains to education), the idea that disorder could be beneficial to my academic career is a bit foreign to me. I must admit that I am highly organized when it comes to undertakings that will affect my future but after listening to “Embrace The Chaos” by Shankar Vedantam and Tim Hardford, I came to realize that perhaps disorder could help me after all. Obviously, there is a lot of good that can come out of planning but for me, I’ve been learning…

The argument of technology's benefit and/or detriment in an educational environment has been around since the day it came to be. This is a topic with a lot of controversy involved, which makes school administrators some what reluctant to fully include technology, such as iPads, as a permanent aspect of learning. Yes, technology can be a distraction in the classroom, but if the users are well educated on how to appropriately use technology, it can have a very beneficial outcome. Technology can be…

“Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires.” -Lao Tzu. A testament to a good work of art is one that has you questioning and attempting to reveal the ‘meaning behind the meaning’, the idea and or inspiration bethought upon the artist. The painting, Native Embrace, shows the sophistication of the world by simplicity through its color pallette, art style, and positioning. The color pallette of the painting shows more of the basic color spectrum. The colors…

In the Ted Talk “Phil Hansen: Embrace the Shake,” he discusses how he had to let go of his imperfection, the shake. While Phil was attending art school he developed a slight tremble in his hand that prevented him from drawing a straight line. Initially he viewed this as life-altering, how could be an artist if he could not draw a simple straight line. His shake essentially made him different than many artists that came before him. He thought by being different it meant he would not be able to…