An Open Mind is a Prerequisite for Learning :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

An Open Mind is a Prerequisite for Learning The difference between comfort and open-mindedness is the difference between cowardliness and truthfulness. The mind that is open is open to the truth, whereas the close mind invents whatever truth it is comfortable with, so that it may persist in its delusions. To be truly open-minded, we must renounce the religion of our parents, and deny our cherished beliefs. Comfort is seduction. Better it is to suffer the pains of uncertainty, and the insanity of lost identity, so that we might open our minds to a firmer foundation, a deeper truth. Close-mindedness is afraid of reality. We need reality. Therefore, close-mindedness is a form of death worship. It denies our needs. Open-mindedness allows us to embrace the alien and discover what others will not discover. The distinction is between fear and love; life and death. Close mindedness is not a label for people who are not knowledgeable. That is what we call ignorance. Close-mindedness is willful ignorance, the unwillingness to see what is before them, and the unwillingness to see it for what it is. Close-mindedness is a form of dishonesty and fear. So yes, the position of the open minded is so right, for they are also open to criticism, and so they will have the greatest chance of being right. Any evidence they can get, they do get. Wisdom rejoices in rebuke. So to do the open minded consider insults, criticisms, and rejoinders very carefully. A close-minded person will consider an insult. He will not entertain the notion that he is wrong. Given that we are all wrong on some issue at all times, the close-minded man makes this chronic. He is stuck in infancy. As for your argument that close-minded people are better able to act, because they are sure, you are making the assumption that open-minded people are paralyzed by their acknowledgement of uncertainty. Far from it. Where the close-minded are comfortable with self-certainty, the open-minded are comfortable with uncertainty. They enjoy the instability of growth, which gives greater stability as they mature. You said there is no greater benefit then life then to be sure of your position. This is only true if your position is correct. If you are sure there is no hell, but there is one, your so-called benefit is your doom. Only the open minded have the right to be sure about any matter, for their knowledge is based on critical thinking, vigorous analysis, thorough questioning, and the consideration of positive and negative evidence.

In Another Country Is a Story of Ironies Essay

In the story In Another Country, one of Hemingway’s greatest themes is the implausibility of war, focusing on the fate of the soldiers in the aftermath of war, when they experience the tragedies and futility of their lives. In fact, the story offers a rethinking of war-related concepts and values such as bravery, heroism, patriotism, camaraderie, etc. and a tool used to convey contrasting or unconventional views is irony. For example, irony lies in the fact that the soldiers have wounds in the very parts of the body that make what they are, the medals may be meaningless and do not have true value, and the Cova girls are considered the most patriotic people of all. Those ironies seem to reveal the author’s anti-war attitude. First, the characters ironically receive wounds in the parts of the body that make them what they are. A noble man now becomes a noseless figure, a footballer has a damaged knee, and a fencer a shriveled hand. It seems as if the war has deliberately chosen to rob them of the things that give their lives meanings and essence. In short, they are not their selves any more. To make the ironies more tragic, the boy who lost his nose had his face rebuilt, but ‘they could never get the nose exactly right,’ and the major – the fencing champion – has no confidence in the treatment. Although ‘to lose is human’, a soldier cannot avoid having to ‘place himself in a position to lose’. The soldiers’ losses cannot be recovered and are a painful blow to their bravery. The medals are also images of irony. Though supposed to be awards for deeds of bravery and thus something that hold the soldiers together, that make them ‘friends against outsiders’, the medals have become causes for injustice and discrimination. In fact, the American soldier received his medals just because he is American, without doing anything to get them. Knowing this, the others’ soldiers changed their attitude towards him. The American is well aware that he is never really one of them, would never have done brave things like the other three, and is never a hunting hawk like them. This realization causes the American to drift apart from the other soldiers and their camaraderie suffers from this discrimination and despise. Another bitter irony comes from the fact that the people who appreciate the soldiers most are not the respectable citizens of Milan but the cafà © girls at the Cova. Needless to say, going to war and sacrificing his youth, future, career, and even his life, a soldier expects to be recognized and loved by non-soldier people. However, the people in Milan hate them and yell at them when they pass by. On the contrary, the lowly girls at the Cova like and welcome them, to the point that the I-narrator ‘found that the most patriotic people in Italy were the cafà © girls’ and he believes ‘they are still patriotic.’ It is not clear whether the cafà © girls showing interest in the soldiers comes from real respect or just a means to show their hospitality but the girls’ behavior may question what makes patriotism and highlight the sense of isolation experienced by the soldiers. The three images of irony discussed above, though not exhaustive, evidence the implausibility of war and the cruel fate of the soldiers after war. We have the impression that the soldiers are betrayed by the war, which inflicts the kinds of wounds that are intended to destroy them, to rob them of the very meaning of their existence, by the medals, which widen the gap between fellow soldiers rather than unite them, and by the people, who, in return for the soldiers’ sacrifice, pay them with ingratitude and hate. Hemingway’s anti-war attitude seems to emphasize the fact that war is inglorious and life is unfair.

Iago’s soliloquy at the end of Act 1 Essay

â€Å"Iago’s soliloquy at the end of Act 1; what does his language tell us about his character and motivation? How does it compare with his language in the rest of the act†? Iago seems to be presented as a Machiavellian villain; he is cunning and always seems to know what’s going to happen. In Iago’s soliloquy at the end of Act 1 Scene3, he says of Roderigo â€Å"thus do I ever make my fool my purse†. This conveys Iago’s character as superior and manipulative. Iago states that Roderigo is a â€Å"fool†; a stupid moron. He also calls him a â€Å"snipe† which is a small bird which also is used to mean unintellegent. Iago refers to Roderigo possessively, referring to him as â€Å"my fool† as if the extent of his own influence makes Roderigo his own possession (as with â€Å"my purse†; purse being an object that is owned). By saying â€Å"I even make† Iago is implying that manipulating a â€Å"fool† for their money is a usual activity for him, as if he always does this. Iago holds such little respect for Roderigo and feels himself so superior that he â€Å"should profane if [he] time expend with such †¦ But for [his] sport and profit†. He’s claiming that Roderigo is so beneath him that it is only for the money (â€Å"profit†) and the game he plays with the characters (â€Å"sport†) that he’d ever bother wasting his time with such an idiot. This seems to be revealing of Iago’s attitude toward social classes. Just because another character is richer or has higher social standing this does not mean that he has any extra respect for them. Taking into account that England in the Elizabethan era worked with strict social classes I think that Shakespeare uses Iago’s lack of respect for the system as another way of demonising him. He is the villain because he believes himself to be superior to everyone else. Iago is Othello’s ‘ancient’. However, Iago obviously feels he is superior to his master. Iago likens Othello to a donkey; a dull, stupid animal. Iago says Othello will â€Å"be led by th’ nose. As asses are†. Asses, or donkeys, are literally led by the nose with a harness. Might the harness be the society they are both part of? This implies that Othello is not free. It implies that he is tamed, obedient, dependent and without a mind of his own. It is Iago’s intention to use this harness to lead Othello to his ruin. In act 1 scene 1 Iago reveals his views on the roles of master and servant (in his case ancient) to Roderigo. Iago’s opinions show his perceived superiority in his character. Iago says how there are â€Å"many a duteous and knee crooking knave that†¦wears out his time, much like his master’s ass†. He is saying that the dutiful are â€Å"knee crooking†, meaning that they bow down, accepting their inferiority. To say that a subordinate â€Å"wears out his time much like his master’s ass† shows how he feels that they waste their lives being another’s workhorse while receiving none of the profits. In this respect Iago feels himself above Othello. By later referring to Othello as an â€Å"ass† he could be the â€Å"knee crooking knave† to the governors of Venice. This is what I feel is supposed to be conveyed by the line: â€Å"were I the Moor, I would not be Iago†. Iago is resentful of the lack of recognition he has received from his society. I would say that Iago has motivation against his society. He misses out on promotion and Cassio takes the position. He resents Cassio for being better educated and of higher social standing. From scene 1 Iago says â€Å"I know my price, I am worth no worse a place† when telling Roderigo of being passed over for promotion. I think that Shakespeare has Iago say this because he’s supposed to be resentful of the lack of recognition he’s received. By saying â€Å"I know my price† he is also saying that no-one else perceives his worth. Iago mentions that Cassio is â€Å"a Florentine† while disrespectfully describing him. That Shakespeare has Iago mention this means that it is relevant. Perhaps that Iago disapproves of a Florentine being promoted in a Venetian army shows he has a kind of respect for the society he’s in. If he is ambitious then he is ambitious toward the higher roles/accomplishments of his own society; Venice. Iago may also feel he has not been duly acknowledged for the fighting he has done for the causes of Venice â€Å"at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and Heathen†. By not being advanced he may have felt the sacrifices he made were not appreciated, as if he’d been cheated, which may explain why he cheats so much in the conventions of his society. Iago is presented as being a very effective user of language. He seems to know exactly the right language to use in order to affect the decisions of the other characters. When bating Brabantio he uses course language about his family to infuriate him. Instead of merely informing Brabantio of his daughter’s whereabouts and who she is with Iago tells him that â€Å"your daughter and the moor are now making the beast with two backs†. â€Å"Making the beast with two backs† is a crude euphemism for having sex. â€Å"Beast† implies that the sex is ugly and savage. Iago uses the word ‘moor’ instead of his name, Othello, to bring attention to his race as opposed to his high rank and standing in Venice. Iago knows how to offend. He immediately starts referring to Brabantio’s family in animal terms; â€Å"you’ll have your nephews neigh to you; you’ll have coursers for cousins and jennets for germans†. In the Elizabethan era it was probably a taboo to have a mixed race marriage probably because people of African origins would have been considered inferior. This is a reason why Iago refers to Othello as a horse (â€Å"coursers for cousins†). As a further example of Iago’s ability to alarm through his seemingly perverted perception would be â€Å"you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse†. Iago alarms him by conjuring bestial imagery. Bestiality is sacrilegious, which a few hundred years ago was more important than it is now. Perhaps this sacrilegious imagery influenced Brabantio to rationalise his daughter’s behaviour as witchcraft. Shakespeare presents Iago as an effective liar. This must be the case as Othello refers to him in Act one as â€Å"Honest Iago†. He also describes him as â€Å"a man he is of honesty and trust†. Despite Iago keeping Roderigo’s presents to Desdemona for himself he still can convince him of his trustworthiness. When reassuring Roderigo he says â€Å"I have professed me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness†. By claiming that he is Roderigo’s ‘professed’ friend and that he’s prepared to help him with everlasting strength he convinces of his honesty. Iago also successfully manipulates Roderigo by repeatedly suggesting (instructing really) to â€Å"put money in thy purse† so as he can take it from him. Iago repeats this six times. Iago also convinces Roderigo to do his biddings by distracting him with his philosophies; â€Å"Our bodies are our gardens, to which are wills are gardeners†. In this speech Iago basically turns Roderigo’s loss into his own gain.

Challenges in International Business

GunungRapatHiongPiahSdn. Bhd. (579801-M) PHYSICAL CHALLENGES Since the Gunung Rapat Hiong Piah Sdn. Bhd. is responsible for the food manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and export of Yee Hup products, it is facing physical challenges in international business on products, workforce and even physical distribution challenges. For the products challenge, it may face the problem on warranty since there are no warranty available for this products. Everyone is know about the Yee Hup is a local business in Malaysia and it needs to spend certain of time to export such products to oversea such as Southeast Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Eastern Asia and Western Europe. When the products are on the way shipping to the particular country, it may has the probability to encounter damage such as crushes because of the unpredictable cases and it is unrealized since the biscuits are packaging in a package, but even in a carton size. The Yee Hup biscuits are selling to the customers without realized that the products are crushes and the customers are not available to get the warranty or compensation after they bought the products. It considered a challenge of this company because on the customers’perception, no warranty offered is bring the meaning that the company has no confident on their own products. Since the ‘customers are always right’, Yee Hup may lose the sales because of the products deficiency. For the workforce challenge, although the company is almost full automated in the production process, skilled staffs are still needed. For example, retail assistants as Yee Hup required such retail assistant with previous retail experience because the full trainingis not necessary will be provided. In this case, Yee Hup is facing the shortage of workforce although the labor market is enough large. Moreover, the number of R&D staff is merely less than five people. It becomes the stones in designing products since people are more pay attention in packaging nowadays. And lastly is about the physical distribution challenge. It is talking about what transportation is using by the company to move a large volume of products to other countries. It simple means that handling, movement, and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption or use, via various channels of distribution. Since one of the responsibility of GunungRapatHiongPiahSdn. Bhd. is wholesaledistribution and export of Yee Hup products, if the products failure to reach the destination within a fixed time, the company have to blamed for it. SOCIAL CHALLENGES How Yee Hup going to expand its target market consider as a social challenge. For example, age and gender. Since ‘HiongPiah’ is a famous products of Yee Hup with a long established reputation, majority of youth in local still do not know on this famous products,even thoughin global market. Yee Hup has to solve the problem on difference age group. How Yee Hup is going to change the youth customers’ perception since they feel that‘HiongPiah’ is traditional Chinese snacks, no tasty and the outlooks are not attractive? For the old generation, how Yee Hup is going to attract them to buy such sticky products? COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES Khong Guan and Mr. Christie are the main competitors to Yee Hup. Khong Guan is one of the most well known Malaysian cookie brand in Canada. The Khong Guan organization spans South East Asia and exports its cookies around the world. Khong Guan manufactures a wide range of cookies and as a result its products have become a popular demand in supermarkets. Khong Guan would pose a risk to Yee Hup’s product lines because Khong Guan is a well established brand which means they have established a mass market clientele. Mr. Christie is a well known Western brand in Canada which poses a risk to Yee Hup’s product lines. Many customers might consider eating a Western cookie rather than an Asian cookie since some consumers are not familiar with this type of product and might be hesitant to try something new. This could lead to less sales of the product.

IFRS .IFRS and US GAAP Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IFRS .IFRS and US GAAP Comparison - Essay Example Firstly, income statement captions are not required in the case of US GAAP while IFRS prescribes minimum caption in income statement. In addition, the US GAAP treatment allows either single step or multiple steps format for income statement captions. According to the US GAAP treatment, classification of extraordinary items is permitted under certain circumstances and it can also be segregated within operating income; in contrast, IFRS bans classification of unusual items although it permits segregation of such items (Deloitte). The US GAAP provides a broader definition for discontinued operations while IFRS sets a narrow definition. Under US GAAP, restructuring costs are recognized only when it becomes necessary but IFRS recognizes restructuring costs when it is announced. Limited guidance on offsetting of assets and liabilities is a characteristic feature of US GAAP; however, IFRS insists specific guidance on offsetting of assets and liabilities. In case of IFRS, financial position’s classified statement is essential unless liquidity ordering is more meaningful. In contrast, such a statement is not required under US GAAP. Exclusion of long-term debt from current liabilities is a specific feature of IFRS. The US GAAP treatment refinances the exclusion of long term debt. The IFRS treatment states the minority interests as a component of equity while US GAAP guidelines restrict the presentation of minority interests as equity (â€Å"IFRSs and US GAAP†¦.†). As per the US GAAP balance sheet format, entries are presented as total assets balancing to total liabilities in addition to shareholders’ equity. In contrast, IFRS entries include current and non-current assets and current and non-current liabilities. While US GAAP presents items on the basis of decreasing order of liquidity, the IFRS presents the items in the increasing order. â€Å"IFRSs and US GAAP: A pocket comparison.† An IAS plus Guide: Audit, Tax, Consulting and Financial

Intro legal writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intro legal writing - Essay Example This had the effect of changing the entire society as people intermarried and adopted the ways of the Europeans. So instead of native tribal dynasties, a feudal system was established to facilitate payments where previous commercial transactions were conducted using only the barter system. The Normans were able to introduce certain legal concepts such as prison reforms for common criminals only in areas under their control. The Norman legal and political systems was at best patchy, uneven and confusing. Like most other areas of Northern Europe, the Irish legal system prevailed in the areas not controlled by the Normans. This Irish legal system was known as the Brehon Law (brehon means judge in the Irish language) and co-existed with the Normal system after the invasion, took a resurgence during the thirteenth century and went on until around the seventeenth century. Early Irish law during this period was a collection of statutes and these were not written down but in oral traditions governing everyday life. Laws were more inclined towards civil aspects rather than a criminal code to regulate inheritance, property and contracts in a hierarchical society but they also provided fines for the criminals. Early Irish traditional laws reflected pre-Christian practices and beliefs which were often in conflict with Canon Laws during the early Christian period. In other words, it was an odd mixture of secular laws existing in parallel with Christian influences with one odd feature which was the use of surety to compel compliance with a legal decision. It is generally agreed among historians that old Irish law was often inconsistent due to the mixing of old laws with the dictates of the Church as well as forced adaptation and innovation during that time into the legal system. However, there were two recognized schools of thought as far as Irish laws were concerned and these are the Bretha Nemed and the

Carrefour in Indonesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carrefour in Indonesia - Essay Example Carrefour, with it’s headquarter in Levallois-Perret, Paris, France, is a chain of retail business, having more than 12,500 outlets, serving 100 million customers over 30 countries worldwide. Carrefour was created by Marcel Fournier and Denis Defforey on 3rd June 1959 when they opened the first Carrefour (means crossroads in French) retail outlet at the convergence of five roads in Annecy, near Paris. Over the past 40 years, Carrefour has grown into the largest retail group in Europe and China and second in the world in terms of revenue and sales figures after Wal-Mart. It has built a reputation as a retailer that offers the most variety and freshness at reasonable low prices rather than bargain – basement value. It is currently operating in four main grocery store formats: hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience and hard discount stores (Current News: Indonesia-Opening of the 35th Hypermarket, 2007). In 2000, Carrefour, Sears and Oracle created the first worldwide onli ne marketplace called GlobalNetXchange for retailers connecting 50,000 suppliers, partners and distributors (Duran, 2005, pp.1-5). Carrefour was the first international retailer to establish its presence in Asia in 1989, when it entered in Taiwan through a joint venture with Uni President Enterprises Corporation. Gradually, Carrefour extended its distribution network in thirteen Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Hong-Kong, Korea, Singapore and Japan. and Japan. The retail giant, Carrefour, entered in Indonesian retail market in October, 1998 when it opened its first retail unit in Cempaka Putih, a sub-district of Central Jakarta (Duran, 2005, pp.1-5). Carrefour entrance in Indonesian retail market involved a number of factors. The following few section briefly discusses the factors which resulted Carrefour operation. It also highlights the progress made by it since 1989. Important Factors Involved in Carrefour Operation in Indonesia Following are few important factors that had played major role in setting up of Carrefour operation in Indonesian retail market. 1. The liberalization of retail trading: Indonesia offers a good market potential for modern retailers. In March, 1998, the Indonesian government issued the SK Meninvest/No. 29/SK/1998 and Keppres No.99/1998 policy letters and effectively opened its wholesale and large-scale retail trade to foreign investment, lifting most of its restrictions. Although some retail sectors were reserved for small-scale enterprises under another 1998 decree yet large and medium scale enterprises that wish to invest in these sectors, were given the option to enter the market through a partnership agreement with a small-scale enterprise, although this may not require a joint venture or partial share ownership arrangement. Since Carrefour already had its presence in Asian market hence it took the liberalization step as an advantage started to expand its retail network by setting first retail outlet in Cempaka Putih a subdistrict of Central Jakarta (Indonesia, 2005, pp. 73-76). 2. Carrefour Strategy and Indonesian Potential Market: Carrefour follows very specific strategy before entering a new market. It assesses few parameters of target market before launching its operation. In doing so, it follows a few criteria including: - Small-scale retail rationalization and reorganization has not progressed. - Large-scale chain supermarkets are absent from the market. - Potential competitors that carry specialty items like household electrical appliances and clothing are absent from the market. - Large amounts of retail space can be attained at low cost. - Laws and regulations governing large-scale retail operations are "developer friendly". Carrefour followed the same market entering strategy and made all assessment