C.S. Lewis makes such a valid point. There are so many unspoken heirarchies in our society. They aren't always talked about and not everyone is aware of their existence. I think that a good example of a modern, easy to understand inner ring is cliques. That group of girls that everyone knows ABOUT, but they don't really know them. You have to be invited to do things with the group. Once they decide they like you, you're in, but getting in is not always easy. It's like the movie Mean Girls. Regina, Gretchen and Karen make up the "inner ring" that is The Plastics. They decide they like Cady, so they invite her into their circle. Since she's new though, Cady is still not treated like an equal. She has to spend a little bit of time on the outskirts. With The Plastics, Regina is clearly the leader, and she makes the rules for the entire group and sometimes the entire school. She carries alot of influence with her peers. This is an example of an inner circle that is clearly defined but there are also the ones that go unnoticed as well like secret societies. While I have never encountered a secret society, you hear about them on t.v. and I'm sure they really exist. An inner ring like this would be one you're not aware of until you're in.
While I know what Lewis is referring to when he talks about inner rings, I'm not exactly sure what he means by good and evil ones. I guess an example of an evil inner ring could be the Ku Klux Klan. There's a heirarchy within it and at least they think they make the rules of society. They live by their own laws. Obviously the KKK's beliefs and their violent practices of hate and discrimination don't make them a good group to be associated with...so that leaves evil? I'm not sure if that was his meaning of evil...
The students that Lewis was addressing were probably interested in what he was saying because most people have had run ins with inner rings of some kind. This speech wouldn't be a completely foreign topic that they have to try and grasp. Lewis is just expanding on something that the students are will aware of. He presents the information in a candid and entertaining way so that the audience can get something out of his speech and not tune him out within the first five minutes out of boredom.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
PROcrastination
I'm a pro at procrastination. Oddly, not something I'm pround of... and I'm definitely not the only one. Everyone procrastinates, which sucks. Basically I'm procrastinating right now. I should be reading "The Inner Ring." At least blogging, something that's semi related to school is better than what I was doing two minutes ago. Can you guess what it was? Yep. I was on facebook--the major contributing factor when it comes to my procrastination. I tell myself I'm just going to log on for a second to check things or tell my friend something and then and hour later I look at the clock and think, oh wait, I still haven't done my math homework...or my U.S. History reading....or my AP comp homework. My procrastination then leads to stress because I was on facebook while I should have been studying or working on a project, causing me to cram the night before a test and rush through a project (which I've become good at because I seem to work well under pressure--not a good thing because I use this to justify my procrastinating habits). So pretty much the point of this was to waste time. Which I think I sufficiently did. Maybe I'll finally move on to something productive. Or not...
Monday, December 13, 2010
Miracle pre-game speech (Coach Brooks)
This link is to a video clip from the movie Miracle. Coach Brooks is inspiring team USA to play the greatest game they've ever had because it wasn't just about hockey. It was about the entire country and the Cold War with the Soviet union. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c&feature=related
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Synonyms for Argue
Argue- verb
Definition: verbally fight; try to convince; present support; give reasons or cite evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the aim of persuading others to share one's view
Etimology: from Old French arguer and from latin argutari, "to prattle"
Examples: She was too tired to argue the point.
I tried to argue him out of it.
Don't argue with me.
1. Fight- verb
Definition: verbally fight; try to convince; present support; give reasons or cite evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the aim of persuading others to share one's view
Etimology: from Old French arguer and from latin argutari, "to prattle"
Examples: She was too tired to argue the point.
I tried to argue him out of it.
Don't argue with me.
1. Fight- verb
Definition: take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons
Examples: The men were fighting.
They fight with other children.
There was another war to fight.
noun
Definition:
a violent confrontation or struggle (Ex: we'll get into a fight and wind up with bloody noses)
a boxing match.
a battle or war (Ex: the country was not eager for a fight with the US)
a vigorous struggle or campaign for or against something (Ex: a long fight against cancer).
an argument or quarrel (Ex: she had a fight with her husband)
the inclination or ability to fight or struggle (Ex: Ginny felt the fight trickle out of her)
Etimology: Old English feohtan (verb), feoht(e), gefeoht (noun); related to Dutch vechten, gevecht and German fechten, Gefecht
2. Debate- noun
Definition: a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward; an argument about a particular subject, especially one in which many people are involved (Ex: the national debate on abortion.
There has been much debate about prices)
verb
Definition: argue about (a subject), especially in a formal manner (Ex: the board debated his proposal.
The date when people first entered America is hotly debated)
- consider a possible course of action in one's mind before reaching a decision (Ex: he debated whether he should leave the matter alone or speak to her)
Etymology: Middle English: via Old French from Latin dis- (expressing reversal) + battere 'to
3. Quarrel- noun
Definition: an angry argument or disagreement, typically between people who are usually on good terms; An angry dispute; an altercation (Ex: The teacher didn't want to get involved in the two friends' quarrel.
The quarrel caused a fall out between the girls of the group.)
Verb
Definition: Have an angry argument or disagreement (Ex: The lunchroom was disrupted as the group in the corner quarreled.)
Etymology: from Old french querele, from Latin querella "complaint," from queri "to complain, lament."
4. Squabble- noun
Definition: a noisy quarrel about something petty or trivial (Ex: family squabbles)
verb
Definition: quarrel noisily over a trivial matter; To engage in a disagreeable argument, usually over a trivial matter; wrangle. (Ex: the boys were squabbling over a ball)
Etymology: early 17th century: probably imitative; compare with Swedish dialect skvabbel 'a dispute.
5. Bicker- verb
Definition: argue about petty and trivial matters; to engage in petulant or peevish argument; wrangle (Ex: whenever the phone rings, they bicker over who must answer it.
The constant bickering between Edgar and his mother annoys the rest of the family)
Etymology: from middle dutch word bicken, "to attack; again and again"
6. Altercate- verb
Definition: dispute or argue noisily and publicly; to argue, especially heatedly; dispute
(Ex: this discussion is so silly we might as well altercate on how many angels can dance on the point of a needle).
Etymology: from Latin altercārī to quarrel with another, from alter other
7. Battle- noun
Definition: a sustained fight between large, organized armed forces (Ex: the Battle of Shiloh.
He died in battle.)
-a lengthy and difficult conflict or struggle (Ex. the battle over the future shape of Europethe battle against aging).
verb
Definition: fight or struggle tenaciously to achieve or resist something (Ex. he has been battling against the illness.
Representatives from eight countries are battling for the title.)
-engage in a fight or struggle against (Ex. firefighters battled a 9,800-acre brush fire).
Etymology: Middle English: from Old French bataille (noun), bataillier (verb), based on late Latin battualia 'military or gladiatorial exercises, from Latin battuere "to beat"
8. Feud- noun
Definition: a state of prolonged mutual hostility, typically between two families or communities, characterized by violent assaults in revenge for previous injuries (Ex: the long-standing feud between two noble families. Shakespeare artfully depicts the feud between the Capulets and the Montegues in Romeo and Juliet)
-a prolonged and bitter quarrel or dispute (Ex: one of the most volatile feuds that currently rock the scientific community).
verb
Definition: in a prolonged quarrel or conflict (Ex: these two families have been feuding since the Civil War. and Hoover feuded with the CIA for decades).
Etymology: Middle English fede 'hostility, ill will', from Old French feide, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German vēde; related to foe
9. Dispute- noun
Definition: a disagreement, argument, or debate (Ex: a territorial dispute between the two countries. The question in dispute is altogether insignificant).
-a disagreement between management and employees that leads to an action of protest by the employees (Ex. if this dispute cannot be resolved quickly, a formal strike is inevitable).
verb
Definition: argue about (something); discuss heatedly (Ex: I disputed the charge on the bill. He taught and disputed with local poets).
-question whether (a statement or alleged fact) is true or valid (Ex: the accusations are not disputed. The estate disputes that it is responsible for the embankment).
-to compete for; strive to win (Ex: the two drivers crashed while disputing the lead)
- archaic resist (a landing or advance) (Ex: I formed my line and prepared to dispute the advance of the foe).
9. Dispute- noun
Definition: a disagreement, argument, or debate (Ex: a territorial dispute between the two countries. The question in dispute is altogether insignificant).
-a disagreement between management and employees that leads to an action of protest by the employees (Ex. if this dispute cannot be resolved quickly, a formal strike is inevitable).
verb
Definition: argue about (something); discuss heatedly (Ex: I disputed the charge on the bill. He taught and disputed with local poets).
-question whether (a statement or alleged fact) is true or valid (Ex: the accusations are not disputed. The estate disputes that it is responsible for the embankment).
-to compete for; strive to win (Ex: the two drivers crashed while disputing the lead)
- archaic resist (a landing or advance) (Ex: I formed my line and prepared to dispute the advance of the foe).
Etymology: Middle English: via Old French from Latin disputare 'to estimate' (in late Latin 'to dispute'), from dis- 'apart' + putare "reckon"
10. Contend- verb
Definition: (contend with/against) struggle to surmount (a difficulty or danger) (Ex: she had to contend with his uncertain temper)
-(contend for) engage in a competition or campaign in order to win or achieve (something) (Ex: the local team should contend for a division championship (as adjectivecontending) disputes continued between the contending parties).
- assert something as a position in an argument (Ex: he contends that the judge was wrong).
Etymology: late Middle English (in the sense 'compete for (something)'): from Old French contendre or Latin contendere, from con-'with' + tendere 'stretch, strive'
Sunday, December 5, 2010
STRESS at WHS
(sorry mrs. cardona! literally woke up 2 seconds ago....)
No one can deny that stress levels at Wayzata high school are astronomical. This is a topic that has come up several times already since the beginning of the term in Psycology class. What I want to know is, why? Mr. Johnson has been implying that the stress is higher than many surrounding schools. Do we put the pressure on ourselves as students? Or is it the overall expectations of the school? I personally think it's a mixture of both. Everyone knows that Wayzata is one of the best public schools around and therefore wants to succeed. The teachers and administrators also want to maintain our good reputation. Wayzata has been stereotyped as being snobby and stuck up--our stress situation has not helped to break this perception of our school. While we're striving to be the best in everything that we do, Wayzata kids no doubt come across as snobs. I personally, don't want to be viewed this way, but i know that there are times when I am. While not all students put the academic pressure on themselves, I am definitely one that does. I want to succeed. It's as simple as that. I feel like if I don't recieve that stellar GPA I will have let myself down. Because of this, I freak out about failing a reading quiz in AP Comp and getting my first grade lower than an A last term in this class....Why am I doing this to myself? It's called AP for a reason and colleges will recognize that when viewing my transcript, but the stress is still there. I can't help it. At my old school in small town, Ohio, the academic expectations and standards aren't there. I can't help but believe I wouldn't be this worried about my grades and getting into a good college if I still lived there. The stress just comes with the prestige of attending a top school. It can't really be avoided...and don't even get me started on the athletic pressure......
No one can deny that stress levels at Wayzata high school are astronomical. This is a topic that has come up several times already since the beginning of the term in Psycology class. What I want to know is, why? Mr. Johnson has been implying that the stress is higher than many surrounding schools. Do we put the pressure on ourselves as students? Or is it the overall expectations of the school? I personally think it's a mixture of both. Everyone knows that Wayzata is one of the best public schools around and therefore wants to succeed. The teachers and administrators also want to maintain our good reputation. Wayzata has been stereotyped as being snobby and stuck up--our stress situation has not helped to break this perception of our school. While we're striving to be the best in everything that we do, Wayzata kids no doubt come across as snobs. I personally, don't want to be viewed this way, but i know that there are times when I am. While not all students put the academic pressure on themselves, I am definitely one that does. I want to succeed. It's as simple as that. I feel like if I don't recieve that stellar GPA I will have let myself down. Because of this, I freak out about failing a reading quiz in AP Comp and getting my first grade lower than an A last term in this class....Why am I doing this to myself? It's called AP for a reason and colleges will recognize that when viewing my transcript, but the stress is still there. I can't help it. At my old school in small town, Ohio, the academic expectations and standards aren't there. I can't help but believe I wouldn't be this worried about my grades and getting into a good college if I still lived there. The stress just comes with the prestige of attending a top school. It can't really be avoided...and don't even get me started on the athletic pressure......
Monday, November 15, 2010
2 million minutes
The video...woah. Though I had seen it before, I wasn't thinking about it in the same way this time. The bias presented in the documentary was extremely powerful. American students were made out to be kids who don't even try, yet succeed in our world, and students in China and India, who study non stop and have ridiculous expectations put on them by their parents and selves fail to get ahead. This opinion was portrayed throughout the entire video. The American students were rarely shown in a classroom setting, and when they were, it was informal and unorganized. They were primarily shown in social situations that made them appear lazy when it comes to school. On the other side of things, the Chinese and Indian students were shown in disciplined, and organized learning environments and rarely having fun. There is no way that these two extreme situations occur all the time. The middle ground and "average" students and situations were not given a place in the documentary. This definitely affects people's opinions and sheds negative light on the American education system. I'm not saying that the entire video was wrong and American schooling is flawless. Reform is definitely needed, but the video makes it seem so extreme based on the situations it shows, and the ones it doesn't. While we do need some regulation here in America due to the unbalanced system, where minorities and the lower class fall through the cracks, many students are still successful. In addition to academic success, American students are well rounded. They focus their attention on other things and basically have lives outside of school. As an American student I like to think of myself as well rounded. I like to socialize and don't devote every minute of my spare time to studying, but I would be offended if someone told me that I didn't take school seriously, was lazy and didn't try. I work hard to earn the grades that I do, and I think it's unfair to compare two completely different cultures based on the experiences and opinions of six students.
Overall, I don't think the techniques used in the video were very effective. Yes, I was a little taken aback and thought "wow, they're really smart and our schools should try to be more like that if we want to succeed", but the bias to the extreme that it was was offputting. It became annoying, because the kids in India have no idea what it's like to live in America and the pressures that are put on us as well, just like we have no idea what it's like to be a student in India. While the creators of the video do make some valid points, the way they went about making them was not effective, at least for me and was seriously annoying.
Overall, I don't think the techniques used in the video were very effective. Yes, I was a little taken aback and thought "wow, they're really smart and our schools should try to be more like that if we want to succeed", but the bias to the extreme that it was was offputting. It became annoying, because the kids in India have no idea what it's like to live in America and the pressures that are put on us as well, just like we have no idea what it's like to be a student in India. While the creators of the video do make some valid points, the way they went about making them was not effective, at least for me and was seriously annoying.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Modes of truth
Definition
Truth is telling things how they are. Not being deceptive and hiding your feelings. Truth is letting your true emotions show and telling people how you feel. Truth is the absence of lies. It plays a role in all healthy relationships. It can keep you out of trouble or cause trouble if the truth is harmful. Truth builds trust or destroys it. Many things in our society are based upon lies that sometimes the lines between truth and lies become blurred. People will believe what they want, so sometimes truth is irrelevant.
Classification
When many people think of truth, they think of the opposite of a little white lie. However, there are different forms of truth. It can be the opposite of a lie, but truth can also be your feelings. Telling the truth can mean enlightening someone or changing their opinion. You can even change your own opinion by opening yourself up to the truth and coming out of denial. Truth can be telling someone what they don't want to hear or what they do. Truth can be good and make relationships stronger. It builds trust. Truth can also destroy trust if it come after lies.
Division of Analysis
Truth comes in many different forms and can involve many different things. Truth can be logical, ethical, even emotional. Sometimes telling the truth makes sense and it is necessary for the situation. Lies would just confuse people and make a mess of things. Other times, telling the truth is the right thing to do. It's immoral and in bad character to tell a lie or keep a secret. Emotional truth is often the hardest. It's hard to face reality and share your true feelings with other people or even acknowledge them yourself. The truth comes in varying degrees of importance and severity. It all depends on the people involved and the nature of the statements that must be made.
Example
My little cousins think that the truth is telling their mom when they spilled something on the carpet or broke a glass. They have to face the facts and risk getting in trouble because of the guilt that would follow after telling a lie. To adults who have experienced much greater forms of truth, a spot of grape juice and a few shards of glass seem insignificant, but this is the way truth starts. As children we view truth as the opposite of a lie and we tell the truth to escape guilt. As we get older, we do the same thing--tell the truth to escape guilt, but truth doesn't always come as the opposite of a lie. It gets much more complex as we experience much more complex problems.
Compare/contrast
Usually, the difference between truth and lies is extremely clear, you can't tell a truthful lie. However, there are exceptions when the lines become blurred and it's not so easy to tell the difference. I often wonder, is it a lie if you just don't share the truth? If you're not telling a blatant lie, does it count? Whether it is lying or it isn't, I think it's clear that not sharing everything you know is not the truth. Really, it is up to the people involved in the situation to decide. Truth builds trust and lies destroy it, but if the lie has already been told, sometimes it's hard to know if it's worth telling the truth or not. Sometimes truth and lies are antonyms. Other times, they go hand in hand.
cause and effect
Telling the truth can have many different effects depending on the situation. Truth is the causation of trust. It can build it or destroy it based on the context of the statements made, how the truth is found out and what the truth is. If two people are truthful from the beginning of a relationship they'll most likely be successful, therefore, by causing trust, another effect of truth is stable, lasting relationships and mutual feelings of happiness between friends, family and people in general. On the other side, truth is caused by a few different things, may it be guilt, strong morals and values and the overall feeling of wanting to do the right thing.
Narrative
Telling the truth seems to be a problem for many children, but it was especially hard for me. When I was in first grade I had one of my most memorable troubles with the truth. My class was working on the computers for reading. I was sitting next to a boy named Josh. Josh was having trouble getting on his computer and kept tapping me on the shoulder annoyingly to help him. Not wanting to get in trouble for talking, I politely ignored him and continued working on my assignment. Josh persisted with the shoulder tapping and I got very angry. I slowly looked around, made sure the teacher wasn't looking, reached over and gave Josh a huge pinch right on the back. Causing him to cry and tell on me. When our teacher, Mrs. Reineke asked for my side of the story, I told her that I never touched Josh and he had been bothering me since the beginning of reading. Not believing me, Mrs. Reineke asked Josh to lift up the back of his shirt, and sure enough, there was a bright red mark in the middle of his back. I got sent to the pricipal's office for hurting another student and lying about it. If I had chosen to tell the truth in that situation, the amount of trouble I got into probably would have been less severe and they wouldn't have called my parents.
Process analysis
Something has happened that you're not quite proud of. You know that if people find out about it, their opinions would change or you may be in trouble. You know that owning up to whatever you did is the right thing to do and people would at least respect you for admitting it, despite the action. Without the truth, trust will be destroyed and your relationships you've worked so hard to build won't be the same. Finding the courage to tell the truth is an internal struggle that we all go through, even though we know that it needs to be done and nothing good comes from lies. The truth may not be a nice thing to hear and it may not protect your feelings, but it is necessary. If you end up doing the right thing and owning up to the truth, that respect will be there and the impact of the truth may not be as significant because it was told right away and is therefore less harmful. However, if the truth is something that should have been told long ago, that respect and trust cannot always be salvaged.
Argumentative/persuasive
What's the opposite of truth? Lies. Our society has a lot of these and I don't like that. One of the things we do in American culture is lie to our children at a young age. Santa Clause for example. Why is it necessary to have kids thinking that there is an obese man, dressed in a red suit with white hair that delivers presents via flying deer on Christmas? What parents should be doing is telling their children the truth from the beginning. If much of what a child believes is based on lies, they are going to grow up thinking it's ok to ignore the truth; that it's not necessary. Santa Clause is not the only example. What about the Easter Bunny? The stork? Kids are smarter than that and should be enlightened with the actaulity of situations and the real meaning behind holidays. Starting children out with truthfulness as one of their main values and ideals will create a better, trustworthy and safe environment for everyone. The presence of truth can only help our society grow as a whole. We can do many things to insert truth into our lives, but the most significant way we can do so is stop lying to children about things that seem harmless and fun. It's where it all begins.
description
Sally didn't know what to do. She immediately got that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she heard the initial crash as the vase hit the floor and then the scattering of glass as it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Once the shock of what had happened sunk in, she dashed to the kitchen and grabbed the broom. Sally frantically swept up the shards of destroyed glass and deposited them into a garbage bag, which she stashed in the garage. As her mom came home she sensed something was out of place. Mom said "Sally do you know what happened to my vase?" Sally was at a crossroads. She could lie and say she didn't know anything, but the guilt would be torture. Sally's moral instincts kicked in and she calmy explained what happened to her mother. The truth felt much better than trying to cover up what happened, and it turns out it wasn't as big of a deal as Sally thought. She would have been in much bigger trouble for lying about the vase. In the end, the truth is always the better option.
Truth is telling things how they are. Not being deceptive and hiding your feelings. Truth is letting your true emotions show and telling people how you feel. Truth is the absence of lies. It plays a role in all healthy relationships. It can keep you out of trouble or cause trouble if the truth is harmful. Truth builds trust or destroys it. Many things in our society are based upon lies that sometimes the lines between truth and lies become blurred. People will believe what they want, so sometimes truth is irrelevant.
Classification
When many people think of truth, they think of the opposite of a little white lie. However, there are different forms of truth. It can be the opposite of a lie, but truth can also be your feelings. Telling the truth can mean enlightening someone or changing their opinion. You can even change your own opinion by opening yourself up to the truth and coming out of denial. Truth can be telling someone what they don't want to hear or what they do. Truth can be good and make relationships stronger. It builds trust. Truth can also destroy trust if it come after lies.
Division of Analysis
Truth comes in many different forms and can involve many different things. Truth can be logical, ethical, even emotional. Sometimes telling the truth makes sense and it is necessary for the situation. Lies would just confuse people and make a mess of things. Other times, telling the truth is the right thing to do. It's immoral and in bad character to tell a lie or keep a secret. Emotional truth is often the hardest. It's hard to face reality and share your true feelings with other people or even acknowledge them yourself. The truth comes in varying degrees of importance and severity. It all depends on the people involved and the nature of the statements that must be made.
Example
My little cousins think that the truth is telling their mom when they spilled something on the carpet or broke a glass. They have to face the facts and risk getting in trouble because of the guilt that would follow after telling a lie. To adults who have experienced much greater forms of truth, a spot of grape juice and a few shards of glass seem insignificant, but this is the way truth starts. As children we view truth as the opposite of a lie and we tell the truth to escape guilt. As we get older, we do the same thing--tell the truth to escape guilt, but truth doesn't always come as the opposite of a lie. It gets much more complex as we experience much more complex problems.
Compare/contrast
Usually, the difference between truth and lies is extremely clear, you can't tell a truthful lie. However, there are exceptions when the lines become blurred and it's not so easy to tell the difference. I often wonder, is it a lie if you just don't share the truth? If you're not telling a blatant lie, does it count? Whether it is lying or it isn't, I think it's clear that not sharing everything you know is not the truth. Really, it is up to the people involved in the situation to decide. Truth builds trust and lies destroy it, but if the lie has already been told, sometimes it's hard to know if it's worth telling the truth or not. Sometimes truth and lies are antonyms. Other times, they go hand in hand.
cause and effect
Telling the truth can have many different effects depending on the situation. Truth is the causation of trust. It can build it or destroy it based on the context of the statements made, how the truth is found out and what the truth is. If two people are truthful from the beginning of a relationship they'll most likely be successful, therefore, by causing trust, another effect of truth is stable, lasting relationships and mutual feelings of happiness between friends, family and people in general. On the other side, truth is caused by a few different things, may it be guilt, strong morals and values and the overall feeling of wanting to do the right thing.
Narrative
Telling the truth seems to be a problem for many children, but it was especially hard for me. When I was in first grade I had one of my most memorable troubles with the truth. My class was working on the computers for reading. I was sitting next to a boy named Josh. Josh was having trouble getting on his computer and kept tapping me on the shoulder annoyingly to help him. Not wanting to get in trouble for talking, I politely ignored him and continued working on my assignment. Josh persisted with the shoulder tapping and I got very angry. I slowly looked around, made sure the teacher wasn't looking, reached over and gave Josh a huge pinch right on the back. Causing him to cry and tell on me. When our teacher, Mrs. Reineke asked for my side of the story, I told her that I never touched Josh and he had been bothering me since the beginning of reading. Not believing me, Mrs. Reineke asked Josh to lift up the back of his shirt, and sure enough, there was a bright red mark in the middle of his back. I got sent to the pricipal's office for hurting another student and lying about it. If I had chosen to tell the truth in that situation, the amount of trouble I got into probably would have been less severe and they wouldn't have called my parents.
Process analysis
Something has happened that you're not quite proud of. You know that if people find out about it, their opinions would change or you may be in trouble. You know that owning up to whatever you did is the right thing to do and people would at least respect you for admitting it, despite the action. Without the truth, trust will be destroyed and your relationships you've worked so hard to build won't be the same. Finding the courage to tell the truth is an internal struggle that we all go through, even though we know that it needs to be done and nothing good comes from lies. The truth may not be a nice thing to hear and it may not protect your feelings, but it is necessary. If you end up doing the right thing and owning up to the truth, that respect will be there and the impact of the truth may not be as significant because it was told right away and is therefore less harmful. However, if the truth is something that should have been told long ago, that respect and trust cannot always be salvaged.
Argumentative/persuasive
What's the opposite of truth? Lies. Our society has a lot of these and I don't like that. One of the things we do in American culture is lie to our children at a young age. Santa Clause for example. Why is it necessary to have kids thinking that there is an obese man, dressed in a red suit with white hair that delivers presents via flying deer on Christmas? What parents should be doing is telling their children the truth from the beginning. If much of what a child believes is based on lies, they are going to grow up thinking it's ok to ignore the truth; that it's not necessary. Santa Clause is not the only example. What about the Easter Bunny? The stork? Kids are smarter than that and should be enlightened with the actaulity of situations and the real meaning behind holidays. Starting children out with truthfulness as one of their main values and ideals will create a better, trustworthy and safe environment for everyone. The presence of truth can only help our society grow as a whole. We can do many things to insert truth into our lives, but the most significant way we can do so is stop lying to children about things that seem harmless and fun. It's where it all begins.
description
Sally didn't know what to do. She immediately got that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she heard the initial crash as the vase hit the floor and then the scattering of glass as it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Once the shock of what had happened sunk in, she dashed to the kitchen and grabbed the broom. Sally frantically swept up the shards of destroyed glass and deposited them into a garbage bag, which she stashed in the garage. As her mom came home she sensed something was out of place. Mom said "Sally do you know what happened to my vase?" Sally was at a crossroads. She could lie and say she didn't know anything, but the guilt would be torture. Sally's moral instincts kicked in and she calmy explained what happened to her mother. The truth felt much better than trying to cover up what happened, and it turns out it wasn't as big of a deal as Sally thought. She would have been in much bigger trouble for lying about the vase. In the end, the truth is always the better option.
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