The Meaninglessness Of External Causes :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Some philosophers say that our life is meaningless because it has a prescribed end. This is a strange assertion: is a movie rendered meaningless because of its finiteness? Some things acquire a meaning precisely because they are finite: consider academic studies, for instance. It would seem that meaningfulness does not depend upon matters temporary. We all share the belief that we derive meaning from external sources. Something bigger than us – and outside us – bestows meaning upon our lives: God, the State, a social institution, an historical cause. Yet, this belief is misplaced and mistaken. If such an external source of meaning were to depend upon us for its definition (hence, for its meaning) – how could we derive meaning from it? A cyclical argument ensues. We can never derive meaning from that whose very meaning (or definition) is dependent on us. The defined cannot define the definer. To use the defined as part of its own definition (by the vice of its inclusion in the definer) is the very definition of a tautology, the gravest of logical fallacies. On the other hand: if such an external source of meaning were NOT dependent on us for its definition or meaning – again it would have been of no use in our quest for meaning and definition. That which is absolutely independent of us – is absolutely free of any interaction with us because such an interaction would inevitably have constituted a part of its definition or meaning. And that, which is devoid of any interaction with us – cannot be known to us. We know about something by interacting with it. The very exchange of information – through the senses - is an interaction. Thus, either we serve as part of the definition or the meaning of an external source – or we do not. In the first case, it cannot constitute a part of our own definition or meaning. In the second case, it cannot be known to us and, therefore, cannot be discussed at all. Put differently: no meaning can be derived from an external source. Despite the above said, people derive meaning almost exclusively from external sources. If a sufficient number of questions is asked, we will always reach an external source of meaning. People believe in God and in a divine plan, an order inspired by Him and manifest in both the inanimate and the animate universe.

17 Words That Changed My Life Forever

I remember several years back I heard something that changed my life forever. Up until that point I had been struggling through life ? doing everything the hard way. I couldn? figure out why my life wasn? going the way I felt it should be. I saw some people going through life effortlessly and seemingly with less tension and frustration while I was wondering if I could ever straighten out the mess my life had turned out to be. I was behind on my dreams, my promises, and my bills. Then one day I was listening to a tape and the lady was talking about the power of having dreams and goals and all of the other stuff that those motivational speakers talk about. By that point I had listened to hundreds of such tapes, but it seemed as if nothing worked for me. Probably the only reason I was listening to that one was because I had developed a habit of listening to cassette tapes while driving my car. The statement the lady said was simple and I think I had even heard it somewhere before but this time a light bulb went on in my head. I remember stopping the tape and rewinding it over and over again to hear the 17 words she said. I couldn? believe it was so basic and simple. I was looking for something sophisticated and complicated. I thought I had to attend a $10,000 seminar. I didn? know I could find it on a $10 tape program. I? taking the time to tell you all of this preliminary information because when I tell you the 17 words, I really want you to get it and get it NOW! Because if you get it NOW, your life will never be the same. You will be using the same principle that all who have became wealthy before you have used. Even those who became wealthy and can? tell you how they did use this same principle without even being aware of what they are doing. Well, are you ready for the 17 words that made a powerful and positive impact on my life and on the life of tens of thousands of individuals who have achieved unimaginable success? Of course you are? Well, here they are? For things to change, you must get a picture of what you want them to change to. Yes, it? as simple as it sounds and as easy as it seems? Don? try to make it any complicated than this because it will only frustrate you. You must know exactly what you want and the more specific and clear you can get, the better. This is important because Human Beings are Teleological in nature? In other words, we move towards the pictures we constantly hold in our minds. Let me give you an example? Suppose you went to the store and bought a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle but it didn? have a picture on the box of what the end result should look like. Would you have a much harder time putting the picture together? Of course. You may eventually figure it out; however, the person who has a clear picture of what the end result should look like will be more than 100 times ahead of you. The question is are they 100 times ahead of you because their IQ is 100 times greater? Is it because they are 100 times better looking than you? Maybe it? because they live 100 times closer to the person who created the puzzle? Ohh, I know ? they were one of the first students to take the Evelyn Woods mind-expanding speed-reading and comprehension course right? If none of this is true then what it? Yes, the person who had the clear and specific picture of what the outcome was supposed to be was simply operating in accordance to how our brain works. It moves towards the pictures we hold in our mind. It? interesting because once you know exactly what it is you are moving towards, you seem to automatically know the steps to take or the necessary steps will soon become noticeable. Your brain, operating similar to a magnet, will start to attract in your direction the conditions, people, and circumstances that will help you move loser to the mental picture you maintain in your mind and it will repel all of those things that do not correlate to the picture you have in your mind. Therefore, the people who are clear and specific about what they want are using the powers of the Universe to assist them. This is, indeed, an awesome power. A person who knows how and uses this awesome power of the Universe to his or her advantage is a person who is working smart. A person who struggles every day trying to move closer to the success that they have no idea how it? upposed to look is a person who is working hard. Based on your observations over the years, do you think that most people are working hard or working smart? People who just work hard day in and day out without a clear picture of what they are moving towards are about as exciting as a tulip. Even though they may seem to be willing to work hard and put in the hours, they don? seem to have much life in them. And people want to follow people who seem to have some life in them. If they want to find people who don? eem to have much life in them, all they have to do is go to their job. People will follow people who look like they know where they are going and look like they are excited about the journey. You must understand that your strength comes from knowing what you want. This will ignite the fire inside of you and enable you to borrow from the promise of the future so you can engage in the activities today that w ill move you closer and closer to what you want. It will enable you to go through the trials and tribulations that may be necessary so you can arrive at your destination. But remember the journey will be more important than the destination because in the journey you will become the person you require to become to finally arrive at your destination. So when you reach your destination, look at the person you have become and set a new destination so you can continue to grow and develop. Whatever you do, just always remember that for things to change, you must get a picture of what you want them to change to. These are the 17 Words that Changed My Life Forever? Why not allow them to change yours too? Until Next time? Go, Go, Go!!!

Mrs. Mallards Character in The Story of an Hour by Kate...

Socrates, a Greek philosopher once said: Each one must know himself. Unfortunately, most of us are not aware of our true character. Social conventions are the main cause making us repress what we really think and feel. Only when unexpected events happen, we do have an opportunity to take a close look at our hidden self.The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin reflects the dramatic development process of Mrs.Mallards character through the death of her husband; it demonstrates that the true identity cannot be sheltered forever. At the beginning of the story, the author describes Mrs.Mallard as a woman having the distinctive trait of self-assertion which is constrained by her marriage. She seems to be the victim of an†¦show more content†¦Although she had loved him--sometimes, she unconsciously does not want to accept blindly the situation of being controlled by her husband. Mrs.Mallard is not a one-dimentional, clone-like woman having an expected, acceptable emotional response for every life condition. Mrs.Mallards rather uncommon reaction to the news of Mr.Brently Mallards death logically foreshadows the complete revelation of her suppressed longing for freedom. Being alone in her room When the storm of grief is over, she experiences something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. Finally, she recognizes the freedom she has desired for a long time and it overcomes her sorrow: Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering. In her soul, the dark clouds are disappearing because she is illuminated. All the memories of her husband are now of the past. She is living in the present. At this point, she is no longer Mrs.Mallard. She is Louise and is ready to welcome a new horizon of freedom : Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. Overwhelmed with a new sense of herself, she feels as if she was a goddess of Victory. In just a brief hour, she learns what it is like to be her own person, to live for herself without the force of her husbands will.Show MoreRelated The Story of an Hour and The Hand Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and ‘†The Hand† by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette are similar in theme and setting. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Kate Chopin create the theme of obligatory love and the unhappiness it entails. Both stories illustrate the concealed emotions many women feel in their marriage yet fail to express them. The two stories take place in a sacred room of the house and both transpire in a brief amount of time. The differences between the two stories are seen through theRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin862 Words   |  4 PagesFiction Analysis: The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is about one married woman’s true hidden feelings of being married in the 19th century. The story was published in 1894, a time where it was unacceptable for women to express their wants and needs as a woman. Women were not seen equal to men and did not have the same privileges as men such as voting. Therefore, some of her literary works were considered controversial. It wasn’t soon until the late 20 centuryRead More Irony in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay796 Words   |  4 Pagesin Chopins Story of an Hour    Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour, irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesnt. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopins The Story of an Hour through theRead More Irony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essays1295 Words   |  6 PagesIrony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpectedRead More The Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour760 Words   |  4 PagesThe Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Free! Body and soul free!, Mrs. Mallard kept whispering. One persons ultimate freedom may be seen as a tragedy to another. Kate Chopin illustrates this idea in The Story of an Hour. The story is set in the nineteenth century. Chopin uses the death of Mr. Mallard to show the reader Mrs. Mallards deep feelings. In the story, Josephine and Mrs. Mallard are sisters. Although the women come from the sameRead MoreKate Chopin s An Hour1323 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"protection† under an onerous marriage. In The Story of an Hour, through peculiar sentence structure, feministic themes, and irony, Kate Chopin portrays the resentment of women towards the oppressive institution of marriage through Mrs. Mallard’s joviality for her newly discovered freedom- a product of her husband’s assumed passing. Body Paragraph #1- Literary Device: Sentence Structure Kate Chopin commences the short story with â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, greatRead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married womanRead MoreThe Feminist Movement By Kate Chopin And Boys And Girls By Alice Munro1231 Words   |  5 Pagesrights equal to that of men. 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But instead of being the cause of tremendous sorrow, the death of her husband broughtRead MoreStory Of An Hour Critical Analysis770 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour (1894),† portrays that the confinements placed on women due to gender roles was unjust. Chopin illustrates this through the progression of Mrs. Mallards emotions and thoughts after learning of her husbands supposed death, as well as alluding to their form of marriage. Chopins purpose is to point out how unjust woman were treated in society in order to bring about change on such treatment. Given t he time period, Chopin dedicated her short story to