James Vandermey's 'Remarks On Habit'

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Whether they are positive or negative, our habits are an integral part of our lives. Because of this, when Professor James VanderMey addressed the 33rd annual Honors Convocation at Mid Michigan Community College, he decided to speak on the topic of habit. In his speech, entitled “Remarks on Habit,” VanderMey (argues against Sartre’s point of view by) discusses the advantages of having good habits, especially the habits represented by the Diploma Qualification Profile, a series of proficiencies that students learn as they are educated at Mid Michigan Community College. First, he shows that good habits lead to creative problem solving. Then, he argues that our habits make us who we are. Finally, he shows how good habits may grow and multiply. Habits, especially DQP habits, are positive and useful, because they allow one to think creatively, become a better person, and find innovative ways of doing. …show more content…

He calls this idea “action potential,” which he defines as “creative readiness to act” (VanderMey 16). This means that if we make a habit of thinking creatively, we will be ready to respond creatively to tough problems and find novel solutions. To illustrate the creative nature of good habits, VanderMey includes a short anecdote in which his daughter, who had learned to model with equations in her math class, wrote an equation which solved a real-life problem. As VanderMey viewed the situation, his daughter had made a habit of thinking in terms of mathematical models. This allowed her to work creatively and effectively towards finding a solution. In situations such as these, habits are liberating, instead of imprisoning, as Sartre thought they were. “The habit of thinking that way had become a part of her, something she was ready to do” (VanderMey

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