Some of us are fortunate to live the lifestyle that we do. We are able to go to school and get an education, come home to food on the table, and have clothes on or back shoes on our feet. Everybody is not able to live the luxurious lifestyle that most of us do. That does not mean we have the most fanciest clothes and eat at the fanciest restaurants all the time, but we have money to eat food from fast food chains when we want to. While doing research for this paper, I learned that I take certain things for granted.
The least developed country I picked was Ethiopia. Ethiopia is located in the East-central part of Africa. The population is estimated to 86.5 million. The country is known for being a least developed country which consist of an extremely poor economy. While we live in a mixed economy, people who live in Ethiopia have to struggle to find basic needs. Majority of the people in Ethiopia are not able to get in their cars and drive to a supermarket. They have to walk on foot everyday just to go to a market and the market is not always near them. Sometimes it takes them hours to get there. They also have to walk to get their water
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What impacts my footprint this most is food and next is my resources. The people in Ethiopia are only able to eat little amounts of food, While I am able to eat processed, packaged and organic. If everyone lived like me, we would need 6.7 planet earths. If everyone lived like a person in Ethiopia, they would need 0.7. I rely mostly on my car to get me where I need to go. If I walk on foot, it would only be to walk to class and exercise. Their mobility relies on foot, some are able to find transportation, but majority on foot. To support my lifestyle, it would take 29.7 global acres of the earth’s productive area. For a person in Ethiopia it would take 1.2 global acres. They grow their own food and crops which requires less resources like
1. The main idea is not only that owning stuff is not the key to happiness, it’s also that consumers today own more than they need to thrive which directly impacts the environment. Hill illustrates the environmental impact by showing statistics of global warming today versus the past century, and how consumerism is leading to a hotter climate. Hill debunks claims of buying happiness by discussing a study where stress hormones spike to their highest when people are managing their personal belongings. Hill’s most prominent example that consumerism is not the answer is himself, as he discusses some of the most stressful times of his life being right after coming into a large sum of money and buying whatever he fancied. When Hill concludes his article, he states that “I have less—and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big” (213).
While the slogan “The pursuit of perfection” might be an effective way to market luxury automobiles, it is not a way to live one’s life. In Anna Quindlen 's speech, “Being Perfect,” she discusses the price of perfection, not in dollars or cents, but in its impact on one 's life. Through powerful anecdotes, symbols, and analogies, she creates a strong connection with her audience and utilizes it to convince them that there is a very high price of pursuing perfection- the loss of oneself.
Rather than focusing on what I don’t have and lack, I will try to appreciate what I do have. I will try to approach the life with an open mindset and not with a victimized mindset. I also want to be able to experience the peace that Liz Murray mentioned of not having to worry about always receiving more than giving. I do not want to surround myself with a restless mentality of counting things I could have and the things I do not have. Cynicism will definitely get the best of people and I do not want to live in a world where everybody scrambles around trying to chase down a materialistic lifestyle while having no concern about others. Liz Murray has taught me to embrace the notion of community in addition to improving oneself. English was a second language for me and without the help of the precious individuals who I have met along my journey I would not been able to write this essay today. A person simply does not live by himself, but also with other individuals within a community. If we feel the need to improve the quality of our lives, we also have the responsibility to look out for those who are not capable of doing it
Poverty, we hear about it every day. We hear about all the children in Africa, and other developing countries, but what about the countries that already have a stable government and are a first or second world country? It is scarce you hear about poverty in those countries, but it is as every bit as real, and devastating. "A lot of people find it difficult to appreciate that [poverty] is happening on their doorstep and perhaps don't really understand what it means.” -Mary Chandler, head of Save the Children charity. One country that you never would have thought of to have poverty is Wales. Wales has been impoverished for a few years, but the problem seems to be getting worse, and not better.
What exactly is an ideal lifestyle? The answer is different for every person because some people desire more and some desire less. In the short story “Black Girl” by Sembene Ousmane, the reader learns about Diouana’s determination to climb the social hierarchy ladder. As the protagonist, she indulgences in the thought of moving away from her hometown in Africa where she has been working as a maid for the last few years for a rich white family. Her vision of the perfect lifestyle is living in France, where she imagines herself making millions and bathing in fortune. Unfortunately, things don’t always appear as they seem. The story illustrates that when one thinks of their ideal lifestyle they mainly rely on their personal experience which often results in deception. The author effectively conveys this theme through his use of setting, symbolism and iconic foreshadowing.
On a sunny Saturday morning with beautiful blue skies, and birds chirping, James Hamblin was in his balcony with a cup of coffee on his desk eager to write his short argumentative essay titled “Buy Experiences, Not Things”. In this short essay, Hamblin wanted to depict the fact that happiness in individuals, is mainly due to experiential purchases than to material purchases. One of the things he said to prove that point was “waiting for an experience elicits more happiness and excitement than waiting for a material good’ (Hamblin, 2014). He also stated that “a mind should remain in one place, and a mind that wanders too much is a sign of lack of happiness” (Hamblin, 2014). Instead of buying the latest iPhone, or Samsung galaxy, we should spend
Some may be living the so called "American dream" and are financially comfortable, while others are extremely poor. However, what we primarily see in the media is the lifestyle of the extreme rich and famous. Wealth and fame can be seen anywhere on television, in the news and in magazines. This lifestyle may be unrealistic to many, but Americans are fascinated with money and lavish lifestyles.”
Poverty in Developing and Less Developed Countries The world includes less developed countries and developing countries. Less developed countries are countries considered to be poor and often contain many people who are in absolute poverty. Developing countries are countries like India, which are gaining in wealth. There are two types of poverty within the world.
There are almost as many languages as there are peoples in Ethiopia, about 80 in all. The languages come from a variety of families - Semitic, Hamitic, Nilotic and Omotic. Amharic, spoken in the country's heartland, is Ethiopia's official language, but Tigrinya, spoken in the north, and Orominya, spoken in the south, have semi-official status. The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in the country, and are made up of a muddle of Christians, Muslims and traditional animists. Amharic and Tigrinya use the Ge'ez script, with an understated 231 letters - keep an eye out for fabulously complex Amharic typewriters. Kids are taught English from junior high onward, and many people can speak a smattering or more.
In life, especially in American culture, our existence revolves around the physical, materialistic possessions and goals. Every commercial, ad and salesman caters to those who need more “stuff”
Poor, desperate, starving, sickly, war torn and in economic distress. A great number of African countries suffer from pauperism and these obstacles originating within them. Poverty in Africa is a major problem that needs more external help and attention. Poverty in Africa was initially caused by the separation and juncture of many African tribes at the Berlin Conference along with lasting tribulations; causing many issues disrupting Africa's economy and society for instance decreased living standards, scarcity of schools and few modern technologies.
Being the 1st generation of an Ethiopian-American family is like living two lives. On one side I would go to the movies and school dances on weekdays. Meanwhile, for my Ethiopian side I would attend gualyas that lasted until 2 am and would have to speak Tigrinya at home. But then once it hit Monday morning I would switch it back to english at school making sure I had no accent was heard. However, growing up I realized that in both the American and Ethiopian side, one core value that was important in both is education.
Every day the world around us is changing ever so slightly in many different ways. Humans can affect the environment through our day to day lifestyle without even noticing the change. An ecological footprint is a measurement of how much a person uses the environment around them to live their life. This given measurement can help one to see their impact on the earth. It is an important tool to understand what actually a human does to change the habitat near them. My ecological footprint results gave me a perspective of how my daily life can impact the world I live in, as well as, how I as an individual can change my actions to make less waste on earth. It is also useful for each person to know their own ecological footprint since no one live
These less-developed countries barely have enough skilled workers, managers and technology. Industrialized countries have four times as many managers and workers as the less-developed countries, also known as LDCs. It is almost impossible for the lower-developed countries to catch up or even compete with the industrialized countries.... ... middle of paper ... ...