In the How to Make Hard Choices Ted Talk, Ruth Chang discussions about the hard choices we have to make in life, whether it is choosing between to schools, jobs or even food. It doesn’t matter if the choice seems easy or hard, big or small we all always have to make choices. Sometimes with hard choices, it can be about something that will completely change our lives, something significant. Ruth addresses that we cannot run away when we have to make a hard choice, sooner or later we have to choose. Even if we do not notice it, we make small choices in our daily lives that do not seem that important because we can easily tell one alternative is better than the other. Ruth explains what makes choices harder than they are by explaining how when
a person is trying to make a choice the alternatives are neither better or worst than the other. For instance, when trying to pick a major, one might seem more interesting and you would enjoy while earning a degree in the other major will more likely make it easy for you to find a job. In the Talk Ruth explains that if there is one thing we should not do when trying to make a choice it is to only write or go over the pros and not the cons, because that will result that the alternatives are equally good. That will only make it harder to choose if one does not seem better than the other nor are they both equally good. She explains that there are many reasons for why we think that’s sometimes the the hard choices we have to make are not not choices between two correspondingly good options. There are many things that matter when trying to make a choice like, which major I makes me happy, which one am I better at and so on. Maybe earning in the first one will get me a job right after college which a degree in major two will not. As Ruth says the best thing to do is “imagine the two jobs however you like so that neither is better than the other”. Ruth uses pathos when she says we should not feel stupid because we can not make choice, it might just be that both the choices are equally good. She uses emotional appeal to persuade her audience that sometimes we should not feel bad for something we can not control. If on alternative does not seem better or none of them appeal to you, that is not our fault. Sometimes you cannot tell the whether there is even any advantage to both choices which can make it harder the chose. This Talk relates to human communication because we cannot make a decision without communicating whether it is with ourselves or others. As I also recommend this talk to other communication students not only because it is something that everyone can relate to but also because they can apply all the materials we have learned in communication class to make any hard decisions less hard. We are not going to stop facing hard choices in life but the best thing we can do is make a list of pros and cons and see on which choice the scale falls on. Hard choices are part of life and it is things like that that make us wiser and help us exercise our minds with the reasons on hard choices, as well as help us get to know ourselves even more.
Even though someone else’s choice makes it more challenging for us, we can still do the right
In the book, “Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman,” written by Marjorie Shostak; is a culturally shocking and extremely touching book about a woman who had gone through many struggles and horrific tragedies in her life. This book also emphasizes the perspective of most of the women in the society. There are many striking issues in this book that the people of the !Kung tribe go through.
The author demonstrates a personal example of how communication became a barrier because of the way Tan had to assist when her mother would speak. Tan would often have to relay the meaning of her mother’s message, because her mother’s “broken English” was difficult for others to comprehend. When Amy was younger, she remembers having to act as her mother on the phone, so that people on the other end would treat her mother with the respect she deserved. On one occasion, when her mother went to the doctor to get her CAT scan results on a benign brain tumor, her mother claimed that “the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing” (Tan, 544 ). It was not until Tan had talked to the doctor that the medical staff seemed to care about any of her mother’s complications. Tan seems to come to the conclusion that a language barrier affects both sides. Not only does it affect Tan, but it also appears to affect the people around her. For instance, this happens when Tan changes her major from the stereotypical “Asian’s become doctors” to an English teacher. She eventually learns to write fiction and other writings that she was constantly told she would never be successful at.
Nella Larsen’s “Quicksand” depicts a young woman who lives her life around her dyer need to find her place in society. In the setting of Quicksand, discrimination is a key factor in the text because Helga Crane, who is a biracial woman, is expected to settle in a race in which she does not necessarily call her own. With this said, Crane maintains her status as an outsider in both the white and black community, and is never content with her surroundings. She also disregards her peer’s philosophies on life as annoying or absurd. She is constantly looking for a “better” life that will bring her self-fulfillment, but to her misfortune she never finds it. In the text Quicksand, Helga Crane shows great dissatisfaction with her life because of the racial barriers she has set for herself psychologically. She has formed these barriers in her life to keep distance from facing racial discrimination and conformity. Crane fights to keep differentiation between herself and the rest of society, and makes a life choice to not repeat the same mistakes as her given mother. While trying to find her own happiness, Helga Crane looks towards her materialistic views which prove to dissatisfy her in every situation.
The decision of Adam and Cal Trask to overcome their struggles and Cathy’s decision to succumb to evil prove that the choice of what to do with one’s life is completely up to the individual. John Steinbeck’s use of the biblical story of Cain and Abel builds on the idea that a person is completely responsible for choosing what becomes of them in result of a word, an action and a memory. Undoubtedly everyone has the choice whether or not they wish to triumph over the pain and the sins they are struggling with. After all, look at Ghandi he witnessed children burdened with evil inheritance walk away surmounted because of their strength to rein over evil.
in the position to make a choice, to take the easy way out of the
Ruth is first described as “about thirty. She was a pretty girl, even exceptionally so, but now its apparent that life had already begun to hang in her face.(24)” As her role as housewife she first wakes up Travis, her and Walters son, and then makes Travis and Walter breakfast. After years of disappointment and sadness of being poor Ruth and Walters marriage is strained. Walter treats Ruth sometimes like she's nothing and hardly cares for her feelings and says things like “That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world…Don’t understand about building their men up and making ‘em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something.”(34) When he says things like that he's showing how because of the society their in women are treated like property and to men they should have no rights but listen and do whatever they tell them to do and to stay home and do chores. After a while Ruth goes to the doctors and finds out that she is “two months pregnant”(58). Because of how small and poor they live Ruth knows she can not afford another baby and Beneatha makes it worse by stating”where is he going to live, on the roof?”(58).Ruth talks about how she's been thinking of getting an abortion illegally by women that do undoctorine ways to kill the baby. Mama don't think that's a smart idea because she could get very ill but most women no matter what the risk were at that time would do the abortions because they know that they could not provide for the baby. When mama buys the new house Ruth is relieved and glad that she can have her baby until Walter loses all of the remaining money from the check and decides to sell the new house. Ruth begins to beg mama to not let him do it because she knows that if that happens she will have to get an abortion. Ruth's character really helps depict the
Everyone makes mistakes, yet even the smallest of mistakes can change the entire course of history given a time machine and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Learn to cherish the life on this Earth, and don’t let poor choices dictate the future ahead. Making the right decision is key to success, and only we can choose what successes we want to
I know I always thank you for stepping up on my behalf in terms of spiritual guidance and naturally protecting me. The reason I thank you so much is because I too have trust issues but I also feel alone (not having my sister around). Sometimes as I feel as though I don't have anyone, as though I'm all alone in this world, my circle is tiny! To the point, I wonder what if... what if something happened would I be missed (Hypothetical situation, so no worries) ..Could people honestly say I was sincere and genuine in everything I did? I hold SO much in that at times it's bearing, but I'm able to withstand it for the most part. Even though my sister passed of cancer I just feel like I let her down, like I couldn't protect her. I wonder
There will be a certain point in your life, when you will have to make a major life decision, from buying a car, to buying a house, to what career you want to have. These are all very hard decision to make and at times it can be stressful just thinking about them. Unfortunately, they are all part of life.
The Paradox of Choice has multiple points that can be considered the big take aways. First, choosing is not an easy procedure in daily life. The consumer must learn to be careful and choose strategically. Second, when making decisions, one cannot expect to get maximum results. Sometimes settling for less is necessary. Finally, the decision maker must account for loss, and be prepared to experience negative results from some decisions.
Ruth is others-focused when dealing with money; she is tired out when there is no money, but overjoyed when there is money, which changes her outlook on situations. From the very start, she is very selfless and humble in her actions toward money. For example, Ruth tells Mama that the check isn’t for her family but that it’s Mama’s completely. She knows what money can mean for her but doesn’t let it consume her. In addition, without the benefits of having more money at Mama’s house she is tired of living in the same conditions and is seen hoping and longing for something new with the check. She doesn’t have a good attitude some of the time because she desires something new, but once she finds out what Mama’s done with the money she instantly has a mood change. As an example, Mama tells Travis that she bought a house and Ruth says, “Praise God!” and is lightened by the idea of living somewhere else. The dictionary defines a mood swing as “an alternation of a person’s emotional state between periods of euphoria and depression” (Mood Swing). Ruth has gone from a state of depression into a state of gladness in a moment. Her optimistic attitude immediately sparked up right after she heard she was going to have a scenery and lifestyle change. The change that the money brought to Ruth after buying something new for the family was a cheerful and uplifted spirit. Also, her outlook on life and the way they were living seemed unimportant to her now that she had a new start and home. Throughout the whole play she is selfless, but once she is enlightened of a new start, her mood is changed for the best forever. To Ruth, money isn’t everything or something to be given, but it is meant to be worked for and earned and used to bring a new energy and joy in
By doing the Wise Choice Process, I learned that there is a choice with everything and I’m the one who controls where I go. I could choose to fail or to succeed. Although, it isn’t that easy to just
Did you know that in the ancient country of Moab if you were a woman you had to have the protection of a male authority or you would be killed in public. It is very similar in the region today. As Barack Obama said - “The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued this region for centuries.” The book of Ruth in the KJV Bible portrays that perfectly. Also it shows a good example of friendship and loyalty. Walter Winchell was a famous Newspaper and radio gossiper. He once said that - A friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. The book of Ruth is a biblical narrative that portrays examples of characterization. It is the eighth book of the old testament in the KJV Bible. It is about a recently made widow trying
Everything you do is a choice. You choose the way you are living today. As we walk on the path of life, we are presented with cross roads and forks. Some are pretty obvious which turn we should take. However, not everything is easy in life. And in the fast pace life we are currently living in right now, we move so fast that we meet many more challenges than before and often, we hastily decide on the choices we make.