Part of last week and Monday of this week, our class watched a documentary titled "Born Into Brothels". This documentary was a little hard to watch, but at some points it made me happy. The children that this movie revolved around are such strong children and I can't believe they were put through such awful things. If I was called even one of those names and it wasn't meant as a joke, I would break down.
Watching this documentary really made me realize how much I truly do have. I have a good life in comparison to the kids in this movie that were, unfortunately, born into brothels. If I were their age and I lived in a brothel knowing that my mother was selling her body, I wouldn't be able to function normally. After watching this documentary, I have a slightly better outlook on my family situation. If I was born into a brothel, I feel like I would have run away, or at least tried to. But if I did, I would have nothing. Although I may not enjoy my situation as much as I could, I still have it better than those children.
Schooling usually isn't an option for those children, either. Yes, I have an option to finish schooling, but I know that if I don't finish, I would be able to fulfill my dreams. I have a choice on what I want to do and I have the opportunity to do it. Those children born into the brothels know they have dreams, but don't have the opportunity to do what they want. Watching this documentary gives you hope as well as it makes you happy to see that some of the children are successful and are enjoying the paths they took. At least, it gave me hope and it made me happy. I can only hope it made the rest of the class the same way.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Connection: Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein
Alan Alda is a very talented writer whose inspiration comes from his hero, Richard Feynman. We already know that Feynman has a brilliant mind and is considered to be second when compared to Einstein's, but that simple, little connection that exists is not the only reason I chose to write about Feynman and Einstein. After reading this story about Alda's experiences with Feynman, I realized how much I truly honor Einstein. I can consider him a hero of mine.
These two men are very brilliant and creative who have many different parts of life mixed into one being. When Alda and Parnell were trying to write the QED about Feynman, they found it nearly impossible to do because Feynman was such a complex man and had many views on the world. He is known for some work in the formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the physics of the superfluidity of liquid helium, as well as in particle physics. He also helped in the development of the atomic bomb. Einstein is, obviously, very complex as well.
These two men are very brilliant and creative who have many different parts of life mixed into one being. When Alda and Parnell were trying to write the QED about Feynman, they found it nearly impossible to do because Feynman was such a complex man and had many views on the world. He is known for some work in the formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the physics of the superfluidity of liquid helium, as well as in particle physics. He also helped in the development of the atomic bomb. Einstein is, obviously, very complex as well.
Einstein developed the general theory of relativity and is known as the father of modern physics. He's best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc2 , and received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". ( "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1921 Nobel Foundation.)
Both Einstein and Feynman have studied physics and have shaped the world as we know it in some way. These two men are the same, yet different in so many ways. When hearing Feynman talk, he talks about how beautiful the world is and how deeply he thinks through things. In a video of Einstein speaking, he says "a country becomes really a soul only in consciously serving the intellectual life." Einstein believes that a country will become when when they act intellectually or think intellectually. I'm not the smartest person, but Einstein has me trying.
Einstein is one of my hero's and I'm proud to admit it. Just like Alan Alda finds Feynman fascinating, I find Einstein to be even more so. The way he thinks and acts shocks me and has me looking up to him as a person and a teacher, if you will.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Captured Thought: Full-blast Living
In class, we read "The Creative Personality" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. At the top of the page, it reads "Of all human activites, creativity comes closest to providing the fulfillment we all hope to get in our lives. Call it full-blast living" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). After reading this, it really made me think. To me, Csikszentmihalyi is saying that creativity leads us to what we want in life. It provides us with a different perspective and it will end up carrying us further than living an average life.
Creativity, as the article explains, is shown in many different ways. Whether you are an actor, a writer, a scientist or an artist, you are creative and your mind, being an out of the ordinary mind, helped you get to the place you are currently in. Csikszentmihalyi takes his time to explain why creative people have gotten far in life. He states that with creative people, "instead of being an 'individual,' each of them is a 'multitude.'" This confused me at first. How could one person be many people? Then Csikszentmihalyi started his reasons for believing so.
Csikszentmihalyi made many contradictions in describing the creative, such as being energetic, yet quiet and at rest. Being smart and yet naive, extroverted and introverted, and being passionate about their work, but they are often objective about it, too. The one thing that captured my attention most was when he states "Creative people, to an extent, escape rigid gender role stereotyping." No gender? How does that work? After reading, I understood that creative people don't want to be compared to others of the same gender, or ones of the opposite. They want to feel equal to others, regardless of gender. That made more sense.
Reading "The Creative Personality" made me think more than I have in a while. It made me realize that I can be creative in whichever way I please and maybe it will take me farther in life than I have ever imagined. I can be contradicting and it will make sense. Most of all, I can do work and not be judged based on gender, because to creative people, your work is great just because it's your own. We are creative in a special way and Csikszentmihalyi made me understand creativity more clearly; and thanks to him, I will carry that with me for the rest of my life. It's in my mind forever.
Creativity, as the article explains, is shown in many different ways. Whether you are an actor, a writer, a scientist or an artist, you are creative and your mind, being an out of the ordinary mind, helped you get to the place you are currently in. Csikszentmihalyi takes his time to explain why creative people have gotten far in life. He states that with creative people, "instead of being an 'individual,' each of them is a 'multitude.'" This confused me at first. How could one person be many people? Then Csikszentmihalyi started his reasons for believing so.
Csikszentmihalyi made many contradictions in describing the creative, such as being energetic, yet quiet and at rest. Being smart and yet naive, extroverted and introverted, and being passionate about their work, but they are often objective about it, too. The one thing that captured my attention most was when he states "Creative people, to an extent, escape rigid gender role stereotyping." No gender? How does that work? After reading, I understood that creative people don't want to be compared to others of the same gender, or ones of the opposite. They want to feel equal to others, regardless of gender. That made more sense.
Reading "The Creative Personality" made me think more than I have in a while. It made me realize that I can be creative in whichever way I please and maybe it will take me farther in life than I have ever imagined. I can be contradicting and it will make sense. Most of all, I can do work and not be judged based on gender, because to creative people, your work is great just because it's your own. We are creative in a special way and Csikszentmihalyi made me understand creativity more clearly; and thanks to him, I will carry that with me for the rest of my life. It's in my mind forever.
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