Why is it that some people blame others, while others blame themselves? According to the longstanding college professor, Skip Downing, the answer to this problem lies in his definitions of two roles that we all play: Creators and Victims. From his book, On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life, Downing believes, in essence, that Creators are people who often snatch control of their destiny to create the outcome they wish it to be. They understand that they have the control to live the satisfying lives they pine for. Victims, on the other hand, are the exact opposite of that. They are the kind of people who fall into holes that they are adamant that they did not fall into by themselves and are oblivious to the ladder …show more content…
David Mirman asks the reader, “Do you think like a Victim or a Creator?” He recounts a story of two students who don’t have their textbooks. The first blames the bookstore for not having it, and that’s that. The second one, however, did not blame anyone. She went to great lengths to try and find the book. She called a nearby bookstore to ask if they had it and when they said no, she called even more college bookstores in her region. Eventually, after finding out that no one carried the book, she ordered it online and bought a used one. She used the saving from buying it used to have it shipped in two days to her. What is so clearly illustrated here in this story was the difference between a Victim and a Creator. Mirman suggests to his students that “Rather than continuing as a Victim, resolve to become a Creator.” It is a message that resonates immensely with my …show more content…
I have decided to be the first person in my family to graduate college and join the Air Force through determination, patience, and honesty. To graduate college, I do my best and better in all my classes. When extra credit opportunities pop-up, I’ll seize them. I’ll find or create a study group and I’ll find the time to study when I’m not busy. When I know I can produce a better essay, I’ll rewrite another one. I’ll use writing tools like Grammarly, PaperChecker, and any others I find useful. From here on out, I’ll scrutinize every aspect of my life and identify what I can improve. I’ll teach myself to not procrastinate and take the initiative in situations. I’ll learn to socialize with people, and I’ll learn to better take care of myself. I will achieve all of this to be a Creator. It is who I yearn to be and who I will
Why is it that we as human beings feel the need to blame someone for every negative situation, which occurs? If we really look at the situation with any great depth, we may discover that an almost endless amount of things may be 'blamed' for the tragedy blaming an individual is pointless - only fate can really be blamed.
I think this practice is best exemplified when people are stuck in agitated/unsettled states. For example, when there’s a long line at the bank and a specific person is taking a long time with one of the tellers. Someone in line who is late for work might begin to project the negative aspects of his/her situation towards the person holding up the line, who is unintentionally making him or her even more late. The person working with the teller likely has no intention on making the person in line late, however it is easier to blame others for our situation rather than to accept personal responsibility. I see it more as way to push our own problems on
It comes from high prejudice among frustrated people. To boost self-esteem people often denigrate others, people live on someone’s misfortune to make themselves feel better. It is an important theory to understand, for example, before World War II Jewish people were the scapegoat for many people including Adolf Hitler. They blamed the Jews for all their problems so they could blame someone else other than
As I reflect on my college life, I wonder about the choices I have made that have led me to where I am today and that will guide me into shaping who I long to become. The things I have had to sacrifice, the support and experiences I have had with family, friends, strangers and work colleagues. I don’t know what I will be doing three months or thirty years from now but I do know that I want to have new experiences. When I graduated from high school, I knew I didn’t want to be that person that moved back to the same town and stayed there for the rest of my life. I even contemplate leaving the United States in my adult life. Who really knows, maybe those cards are still in the deck. For now, I know my immediate goals include focusing on completing my college education the best I can, and moving away from my comfort zone, broadening my horizons and taken risks.
Playing the victim in various situations is far from difficult. Victims have a tendency to sit back and watch their life fall to pieces. A victim is someone who blames others that predict defeat and also gives up. For example, in the article, “Do you think like a victim or a creator,” “what the first student had said – “it wasn’t my fault, it was the bookstore’s fault” – was, indeed, true. However, it was not helpful to her cause. At the end of the day, she did not achieve her goal (obtaining the book).” (David Marman) This person pertains to a victim because she gave a false statement that cannot achieve her goal. Being a creator can be tough also but enables you to change the direction in which your life is headed. A creator asks questions pertaining to how to accomplish their goals, which think positively, and look for a better choice. For example, in the article, “Do you think like a victim or a creator,” “the second student did not ask “Whose fault is it I don’t have the book?” but instead asked “What can I do to get the text I need?”. When her first answer did not lead her to her goal, she asked the question again, and again, until she finally achieved her goal.” (David Marman) This person pertained to a creator because she thought of ways to achieve her goal instead of blaming others for the situation. The idea of the creator and victim was coined by Dr. Skip Downing. If you think like a creator, you can succeed in anything. If I think like a creator, I can accomplish my goals of succeeding in college, along with succeeding in life as well.
Scapegoating is a better way to experience success. Margaret Atwood speaks the truth when she states “When societies come under stress these kinds of things happen. People start looking around for essentially human sacrifices. They start looking around for somebody to blame.” In “Half- Hanged Mary” by ……. they used Mary as a scapegoat by blaming everything on her which lead to her hanging. Therefore I defend Margaret Atwood that a world under stress will eventually lead to people being demolished so they can feel better about themselves.
To start off an example would be from the story The Voyage of the James Caird, “ The men were soaked to the bone and frostbitten.” This just proves that on their voyage there was no sign of them having a terrible weather until they actually got there. The weather was something that happened out of their control. Another example would be from the story To Build a Fire, “The old timer on Sulphur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner.” Well even though this man didn’t take this advice seriously it’s normal for a person to want to achieve something on their own you can’t blame someone for that can you? No, however it is common in situations like these for a person to take advice very seriously. To conclude the claim why people shouldn’t be held accountable is for last example from the story The Cost of Survival, “Some people wind up in trouble because of bad luck, but others make dangerous choices.” Now this explains it all, there are two separate groups in which need to be treated differently because people with bad luck is better than having the problem be caused
My Air Force story begins with me searching for a viable way to pay for college. I was brought up in a home with two hard working parents who were great role models that tried to provide every opportunity for me. However, my family was part of the lower-middle class which meant I needed a way to pay for college. I followed suit with my parent’s stringent work ethic and set a goal to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering and have the Air Force fund it. I felt that the Air Force would be a great match as it would allow me to pursue my aviation dream and also serve as a great way to fund my education due to my financial needs. After a challenging process I received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering. In return for this scholarship I would have to pay the Air Force back with four years of service.
Coming out of my senior high school was one of the most difficult tasks I 've been given up to this point in my life. I was overwhelmed, excited, sad, busy, and uncertain of the near impending future. The past 13 years of my life I had been studying, practicing, playing, and working my way towards a brighter future. I could see the future in front of me, it was as if I could reach out and touch it. It was almost like getting a shot at the doctors, I knew it was what was best for me but I was terrified anyway. But I pushed aside my fears and on August 8, 2015, I set foot on a college campus, my home for the next four years. I knew why I was there though; I came to college in order to channel the love I have for my country into the motivation necessary to take the next step up the ladder towards a constitutional law degree, a degree I’ll use to protect this country and the people who reside in it. But to truly understand why I came to college, I have to start at the beginning.
Scapegoating is when a person irrationally blames their failures on others, therefore not taking responsibility themselves. The “scapegoating theory says that prejudiced people believe they are society’s victims” (Schaefer 38). It is always someone else’s fault that things do not go their way and the person “… transfers the responsibility for failure to some vulnerable group” (Schaefer 38).
After failure events occur, the attribution theory further suggests that interviewees have poorer performance and discouraging emotions (shame) if they attribute the events to uncontrollable factors. Consequently, they get low self-esteem, which is a behaviour making interviewees believe that their failures make a statement about their personal self-worth, eventually leading to fewer job offers. However, if the attributions (about failure events) are made to controllable factors, interviewees have improved performance and more positive emotions (hope). They therefore get high self-esteem, which is a behaviour allowing interviewees to get supe...
Life is so complicated. This could be blame for life. People always want to blame someone’s for their mistake. In fact, people themselves are wrong. People behave in the way which makes the life so complicated. Peoples’ feelings are so complicated in regard to making relationships with each other. If these relationships were happy, it would be because of people being smart. However, if these relationships were not happy, life would be blame of being so complicated. To be fair, life has never been so complicated. The way that people feel is so complicated.
College is going to start my own life on a foot that is ready to leap because my career is going to take off right out of the gate. All-in-all I’m going to college for three main reasons. My immediate family is a reason because I want them to be proud of me for doing something right for once. My future family is also one because it’s a big part of my life that I want to be happy and always feel comfortable. Finally for my personal financial well-being, so I can be able to treat myself to all the luxuries I want for myself. Going back to line one, all of these things are a part of my future. Isn’t that what college is for after all, to prepare people for their own futures and what they bring? A university is not my future, it’s only the beginning of it.
People pass the blame to other people, things or events by keeping their hands clean.