Life Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Life Philosophy Essay The meaning of life is to give life meaning Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. Life Philosophy of John Wooden Even a fool knows you cant reach the stars, but that doesnt stop a wise man from trying. You cant make someone Elses choices. You shouldnt let someone else make yours. Life Philosophy of Gen. Colin Powell Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter. Life Philosophy of Benjamin Disraeli. When an affliction happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it Life Philosophy of Rosalind Russell A life lived in fear is a life half lived. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. It is better to be hated for what you are then to be loved for what your not There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that its easy. Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Life Philosophy of Zig Ziglar You will never achieve what you never begin The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune. Dont wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it. Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. Philosophy of Life by Andre Gide If one seeks advice, give them direction, not correction. Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can. Philosophy of Life by Richard Bach Do the things you know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know. Philosophy of Life by George Macdonald Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen,  but give us the determination to make the right things happen. Philosophy of Life by Peter Marshall It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Dont take life too seriously. no one gets out alive, anyways. Before you talk about what you want appreciate what you have. A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away. Life Philosophy from Gene Roddenberry You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action. Life Philosophy from Anthony Robbins If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you wont, you most assuredly wont. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad. Life Philosophy from Denis Waitley You can do what you think you can do and you cannot do what you think you cannot Life Philosophy from Ben Stein Find something you love to do and youll never have to work a day in your life. Life Philosophy from Harvey Mackay You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be. Life Philosophy from R. David Thomas Philosophies in Life PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study and pursuit of facts which deal with the ultimate reality or causes of things as they affect life. The philosophy of a country like the Philippines is made up of the intricate and composite interrelationship of the life histories of its people; in other word, the philosophy of our nation would be strange and undefinable if we do not delve into the past tied up with the notable life experiences of the representative personalities of our nation. Being one of the prominent representatives of Filipino personalities, Jose Rizal is a fit subject whose life philosophy deserves to be recognized. Having been a victim of Spanish brutality early in his life in Calamba, Rizal had thus already formed the nucleus of an unfavorable opinion of Castillian imperialistic administration of his country and people. Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines as late as three centuries after his conquest in Spain, with agriculture, commerce, communications and education languishing under its most backward state. It was because of this social malady that social evils like inferiority complex, cowardice, timidity and false pride pervaded nationally and contributed to the decay of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life phylosophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills. Educational Philosophy Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is clearly enunciated in his work entitled Instruction wherein he sought improvements in the schools and in the methods of teaching. He maintained that the backwardness of his country during the Spanish ear was not due to the Filipinos’ indifference, apathy or indolence as claimed by the rulers, but to the neglect of the Spanish authorities in the islands. For Rizal, the mission of education is to elevate the country to the highest seat of glory and to develop the people’s mentality. Since education is the foundation of society and a prerequisite for social progress, Rizal claimed that only through education could the country be saved from domination. Rizal’s philosophy of education, therefore, centers on the provision of proper motivation in order to bolster the great social forces that make education a success, to create in the youth an innate desire to cultivate his intelligence and give him life eternal. Religious Philosophy Rizal grew up nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family, was educated in the foremost Catholic schools of the period in the elementary, secondary and college levels; logically, therefore, he should have been a propagator of strictly Catholic traditions. However, in later life, he developed a life philosophy of a different nature, a philosophy of a different Catholic practice intermingled with the use of Truth and Reason. Why the change? It could have been the result of contemporary contact, companionship, observation, research and the possession of an independent spirit. Being a critical observer, a profound thinker and a zealous reformer, Rizal did not agree with the prevailing Christian propagation of the Faith by fire and sword. This is shown in his Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was only for Catholics and that outside Christianity, salvation was not possible even if Catholics composed only a small minority of the world’s religious groups. Nor did he believe in the Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in the sale of such religious items as the cross, medals, rosaries and the like in order to propagate the Faith and raise church funds. He also lambasted the superstitious beliefs propagated by the priests in the church and in the schools. All of these and a lot more are evidences of Rizal’s religious philosophy. Political Philosophy In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country like the Philippines should not be taken advantage of but rather should be developed, civilized, educated and trained in the science of self-government. He bitterly assailed and criticized in publications the apparent backwardness of the Spanish ruler’s method of governing the country which resulted in: 1. the bondage and slavery of the conquered ; 2. the Spanish government’s requirement of forced labor and force military service upon the n natives; 3. the abuse of power by means of exploitation; 4.the government ruling that any complaint against the authorities was criminal; and 5. Making the people ignorant, destitute and fanatic, thus discouraging the formation of a national sentiment. Rizal’s guiding political philosophy proved to be the study and application of reforms, the extension of human rights, the training for self government and the arousing of spirit of discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness and self love. Ethical Philosophy The study of human behavior as to whether it is good or bad or whether it is right or wrong is that science upon which Rizal’s ethical philosophy was based. The fact that the Philippines was under Spanish domination during Rizal’s time led him to subordinate his philosophy to moral problems. This trend was much more needed at that time because the Spaniards and the Filipinos had different and sometimes conflicting morals. The moral status of the Philippines during this period was one with a lack of freedom, one with predominance of foreign masters, one with an imposition of foreign religious worship, devotion, homage and racial habits. This led to moral confusion among the people, what with justice being stifled, limited or curtailed and the people not enjoying any individual rights. To bolster his ethical philosophy, Dr. Rizal had recognized not only the forces of good and evil, but also the tendencies towards good and evil. As a result, he made use of the practical method of appealing to the better nature of the conquerors and of offering useful methods of solving the moral problems of the conquered. To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal: 1. censured the friars for abusing the advantage of their position as spiritual leaders and the ignorance and fanaticism of the natives; 2.  counseled the Filipinos not to resent a defect attributed to them but to accept same as reasonable and just; 3. advised the masses that the object of marriage was the happiness and love of the couple and not financial gain; 4. censured the priests who preached greed and wrong morality; and 5. advised every one that love and respect for parents must be strictly observed. Social Philosophy That body of knowledge relating to society including the wisdom which mans experience in society has taught him is social philosophy. The facts dealt with are principles involved in nation building and not individual social problems. The subject matter of this social philosophy covers the problems of the whole race, with every problem having a distinct solution to bolster the people’s social knowledge. Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with; 1. man in society; 2. influential factors in human life; 3. racial problems; 4. social constant; 5. social justice; 6. social ideal; 7. poverty and wealth; 8. reforms; 9. youth and greatness; 10. history and progress; 11. future Philippines. The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment, explaining for the most part human behavior and capacities like his will to live; his desire to possess happiness; the change of his mentality; the role of virtuous women in the guidance of great men; the need for elevating and inspiring mission; the duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of practicing gratitude; the necessity for consulting reliable people; his need for experience; his ability to deny; the importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s abilities and possibilities; the ability to think, aspire and strive to rise; and the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of these combining to enhance the intricacies, beauty and values of human nature. All of the above served as Rizal’s guide in his continuous effort to make over his beloved Philippines.

Middlemarch by George Eliot and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy Essay

Middlemarch by George Eliot and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy The Victorian era brought about many changes throughout Great Britain. Man was searching for new avenues of enlightenment. The quest for knowledge and understanding became an acceptable practice throughout much of the scientific community. It was becoming accepted, and in many ways expected, for people to search for knowledge. Philosophy, the search for truth, was becoming a more intricate part of educating ones self; no longer were people holding on to old-fashioned ideas. Central to the story lines of Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, and Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy, is the theme of ambition and the tempering of expectations both to social difficulties, and on a broader scale, human frailty. Dorthea Brooke and Sue Brideshead display elements of the â€Å"new woman† and both are driven to accomplish what each desires. Both are intelligent and educated women. The contrast in the two comes from the different motives each has to separate themselves from the norm. Sue is self-centered in her â€Å"independence,† while Dorthea is an ardent spokeswoman for social reform and justice. Both women follow different paths, neither ending up at a position they once knew they would attain. Dorthea is depicted early in the novel as having an intimidating presence; however, at a dinner with the supposedly learned and intelligent Mr. Casaubon, she feels quite uneasy. He is an older man with an unattractive appearance which goes completely unnoti ced to the â€Å"lovestruck† Dorthea. Her sister Celia comments, â€Å"How very ugly Mr. Casaubon is!† Dorthea responds by comparing him to a portrait of Locke and says he is a â€Å"distinguished looking gentleman.† Later, after dinner, Casaubon and Dorthea discuss religious matters and she looks at him in awe because of his supposed superior intellect. â€Å"Here was a man who could understand the higher inward life†¦a man who’s learning almost amounted to proof of whatever he believed!†(p. 24). As intelligent as Dorthea is, she failed to see Casaubon for the man he really is, and will be, in marriage. Casaubon proposes to her and she accepts. She sees this as an opportunity to further advance her own intellectual abilities and help a great man complete his studies. Later she would realize her husband has very limited intellectual abilities and is not a suitable companion for... ... the money, even though she should be entitled to it. She was always faithful do Casaubon, despite not loving him. They marry and have two children with a â€Å"house full of love.† Will does become a member of Parliament, but he never makes a fortune. Dorthea lives a happy life because she followed her independence. She made choices she regretted, but overcame them with her strong personality. She never accomplished all the goals she had set out to, but she did find love with Will. The money she gave up could have helped her establish the knowledge and training she wanted to achieve, but her love of Will was more important to her than her academic endeavors. She was indeed an independent woman with a strong sense of moral values. Sue was the exact opposite of her. Sue never wished to help anyone but herself. She did whatever made her happy or secure. Her independent nature came from her own self-absorbed sense of life. She never really loved Jude, or anyone else. She just enjoyed the idea of someone loving her. She was dependent on this in order for her to feel a sense of belonging. Both women followed patterns of being a â€Å"new woman,† but neither one followed the pattern completely.

Where is God When it Hurts?

In this book Yancey is out to find out the root and any likely rationale to pain. He refers to pain as a gift that everybody rejects. However, he views pain as an alarm system that God has provided to us to help us keep to our senses. He discusses pain in term of physical, emotional and spiritual pain and assists us to comprehend why we suffer and how to deal with our own pain and that of others. He does this by answering five important questions as discussed below; Why is there such a thing as pain? Pain is not a later addition, God initiated it soon after Adam and Eve rebelled against Him. Yet, God did not make a mistake by introducing pain as it serves an important role in our body and spiritual health. Pain is crucial to a normal life as without pain our live would be laden with danger and devoid of many basic pleasures. Pain is a vital element of our most fulfilling experiences. Pain and pleasure are entangled as they work closely and are almost inseparable. Hence, despite being unpleasant, pain has some good and useful purposes. Pain and sufferings are there to teach us a lesson when God is displeased with our actions. God uses circumstances to warn and punish us in cases of wrongdoings (Yancey, 2003). Is pain a message from God? Pain and suffering are God’s means of waking up our senses when we have done something wrong. We should not view pain as a punishment but rather as a wake-up call for us to revive our purpose in life. Yancey tells us that when we see problems coming our way we should reexamine our action to see whether they conform to God’s requirements. God uses pain to convey the message that we are doing something the wrong way and to show us thus we need to adjust our course of action. How people respond to suffering? Most of the times, people question God when faced with pain and suffering by asking hard questions that men have always asked for thousands of years. As we encounter pain, we are confronted with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Majority of the people feel desperate and unable or ill-prepared to deal or handle the situation. However, we should find strength in Jesus. He gives us the grace we need to counter pain and suffering. How can we cope with pain? It is not easy to go through pain even for the greatest human beings. Anyone can break under pressure as Job did. However, we have a perfect example of Jesus Christ who successfully went through pain. Yancey is quick to point out that Jesus Christ is the only head of the church or Congregation that appeared on earth and experienced suffering as we do. We are encouraged by the fact that Jesus understands what we are going through and He knows that we can prevail over pain. Also, when we reflect at how Jesus suffered on the cross, it gives us the courage and power to bear the pain we are suffering. Jesus also left us the church in order we may help each other during times of pain (Yancey, 1996). How Does Faith help? Having faith in Christ is very important when it comes to suffering and pain. For example incase we are sick, we can be healed if only we trust that God is capable of healing us. Faith can make us move a mountain which means we can conquer any kind of pain if we exercise faith in Jesus Christ. So, incase of pain we only need to gather enough faith and this will give us the power to move on. Faith is as a critical quality we must manifest if we are to face the problems ahead of us. We should allow our faith to grow deeper through prayers and bible readings to enable us to face up pain and distress (Gaines, 2007). Personal Application Caregiver need to learn to listen, care and love their patients. Most caregiver no longer show any care for their patients. Pain and agony sometimes lead to discouragement and these people need someone to talk to and who can listen to them. Listening is one form of caring to such individuals. Listening to those in pain can lead to curing of emotional pain. The course of healing is involves a humble and challenging task of generating and presenting a friendly environment where those in pain can reflect on their pain and distress without fear and create in them the confidence that makes them search for new ways to solve their problems. The listener acts as a reflecting mirror to the sufferer. This allows the person to spot his or her feelings which mean that he/she is able to understand her/his problem better and he/she is in a position to starts the process of solving the problem. The patients have many piled up emotions which need to be expressed and listened to by a caring and humble person. Those in pain cannot hear the listener unless the listener first listens to all their pain (Chapman, 2006). We have always asked ourselves, where is God when it hurts? But I think the most appropriate question is where the church is when it hurts? The church must understand its followers and know those who are under pain and to comfort those who are affected. The church should be there for them for example visiting them in hospitals, sharing with them consoling scriptures from the bible and even most importantly listening to them. We need to praise God not only for the good things He does to us but also during hard times. We only seem to praise God in times of joys and happiness but blame him in cases of problems some of which maybe of our own creation.

Essay on The Legacy of President Ronald Reagan - 1141 Words

During the 1980s, the legacy of Ronald Reagan was reflected upon the Iran-Contra affair, the fall of communism, and the impact of illegal drugs. The Iran-Contra affair jeopardized the very legacy of the president. Reagan was appraised for and credited for the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the global threat of communism. Another form of threat to the legacy of Reagan and his administration was the threat of illegal drugs in the United States. Thus proving how much the 1980s was an era of both turmoil and triumph that could have affected the outcome of the presidents legacy. A situation known as the Iran-Contra Affair arose, which altered his legacy and the public opinion which casted a shadow over Ronald Reagans presidency.†¦show more content†¦Soon the Arms for Hostages divided the Reagan administration, although the plan went into effect as Reagan supported the plan. After the sale of over 1,500 missiles went to the Iranian government, only three hostages were re leased from Lebanon and soon three more were put into the same place was the previous hostages (PBS). Soon after the Lebanese newspaper released the news of the affair to the public in 1986, fourteen members of the Reagan administration were tried and eleven were arrested(PBS). The aftermath of the affair resulted in the constant news hounding from the press and then Reagan was deemed innocent as no evidence was found that linked him to the affair. As a result, Reagans image suffered and he lost some public support. Reagans legacy is credited with the fall of communism and the fall of Soviet Union. When Reagan was elected president in 1980 beating out former president Carter by a vast number of votes. While Congress called for a dramatic decline in the defense budget, Reagan wanted to the complete opposite and increased military spending to challenge to the Evil Empire known as the Soviet Union. He spent his time researching the Star Wars theory which was deemed to intercept Sovie t Missiles and destroy them using lasers shot from satellites in space(Barrons Book). Also Reagan initiated the program known as the MXShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy of Ronald Reagan: The Fortieth President of the United States716 Words   |  3 PagesThe fortieth elected president of the United States is none other than the great Ronald Reagan. Reagan left a legacy behind him and still to this day is considered one of the best presidents to serve our nation . 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