Sufism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sufism - Essay Example It is most of the time the basic understanding of Sufis that each situation is an element and the will of God and at the same time the developing of bad feelings as to why it happened is not correct. The main objective of all Sufis therefore is to prevent the entry of all negative attitudes brought about by worldly temptations, including a belief of personal identity, and to value and respect the existence of God (Qushayri 5). Sufis teach in individual set-ups, as the student of the leader is characterized as essential for the development of the student. They make wide utilization of stories, parables, and poetry, and it is stated by Sufis that implications can only be attained through a procedure of searching what is right, and learning of the personal identity. Even though concepts and theories differ among various Sufi sects, Sufism in its entirety is initially concerned with direct individual experience, and as such may be considered similar to different types of religious sects like Buddhism and Christianity (Ernst 6). The founders of different Sufi principles most of the time utilized symbolical language which was hard to be decoded by an ordinary individual to understand these principles (Shah 5). This utilization of symbolical and hard to understand language and the presence of various implications by individuals who possessed inadequate knowledge in Muslim teachings or Sufism itself result to the rejections and disapprovals being cast over the authenticity of Sufism as a component of Muslim tradition. In addition, some sects arose that categorized themselves above Allah and portrayed Sufism as a process of intervening the principles of Islam in order to be saved immediately. This was rejected by modern experts. B. Sufi leaders have established various specific chants and activities into their teaching grounds (Lings 6). The symbolical and often absurd language utilized by Sufis in their teachings when deciphered by ignorant individuals opens channels for various misinterpretations and chaos. Conclusion While Sufism has evidently caused widespread rejections and disapprovals among experts and religious sects all over the world especially the Muslims, Sufism still has the right to exist as an independent body of knowledge no matter how chaotic or confusing their teachings may be. Perhaps, the only time Muslim governments should intervene with stopping Sufism is when there is a clear and serious violation of the rule of God and therefore Sufis must be held accountable. But until that situation happens, there is no valid reason why Sufism must be eradicated from this world. After all, their teachings all point to worshipping God as the Savior and Creator. Utmost respect must still be

Left Realism Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Left Realism Theory - Essay Example Contribution of Left Realism in the development of criminology can help shape society in a better way. Left Realism set down a marker with the work of Lea and Young (1984). Left realism is a reaction against both left's tendency to neglect victimisation among working class people and the conservatives' extremely harsh social strategies. It is a perspective that attempts to explain and measure street crime and propose short term policies to control it. It is an attack on left idealists who offer simplistic analyses based heavily on instrumental Marxist and feminist views of the state and law, but who ignore street crime and offer no practical proposal for change. One of the basic elements of Left Realism theory is Left realists see working class crime as a serious problem for working class. Working class people are victimised from all directions in a capitalist society. Another element is Relative Deprivation: Poverty experienced as unfair (relative depravation when compared to someone else) creates discontent and discontent when there is no political solution leads to crime. So, relative depravation equals discontent, discontent plus lack of political solution equals crime. One of left realisms most substantial contributions to criminology is the sq

Role of management consultants Essay Example for Free

Role of management consultants Essay The article speaks about the role of management consultants in the present world. The demand for management consultants was brought about by the changes in business trends and priorities as we are shifting towards globalization. However, the author continued that although there are several changes in the business situation brought about by modernization and globalization, the role of management consultants remain the same. It is their responsibility to make oversee that business operations remain productive and efficient. Moreover, the responsibility of management consultants is to explore business situations in order to determine problems or difficulties, and through careful processing and planning, make out resolutions in order to resolve barriers that hinder the growth of businesses. The author cited several important roles that management consultants must have the ability to carry out and also characteristics that they should exhibit in order to provide beneficial services to their clients. The know-how and experience is highly important in management consultancy. Management consultants should know a variety of business situations from simple to complex, and have access to extensive resources in order to work with their clients efficiently and fittingly. Goal-setting and planning are other roles of management consultants. Working together with their clients, they must be able to set a direction for the management by determining pressing needs and requirements. Management consultants must be able to use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to achieve the goals and objectives of the management. Moreover, consultants should always be present to supervise, direct, and support the management in order to ensure that everything is going well as planned, and also to determine if there are some issues or concerns overlooked in the process. Another desirable quality of management consultants is flexibility and adaptability. Consultants should be able to formulate plans and business solutions that are suitable to the business or the management’s needs and concerns. Flexibility and adaptability means the ability to customize plans and business solutions, but at the same time be able to make changes as needed in order to make sure that the best possible solutions are carried out. In addition, management consultants should be able to assist the transition from management changes in an effortless way without causing much disturbance to the business setting. The article entirely speaks of the important of management consultants to management and supervision, and to the business organization as a whole. It is highly interesting that the greatest influence is obtained most from the management consultants who are in charge of the management. With the ideas expressed in the article, the significance of management consultants is realized, especially in ensuring that management, supervision, and the business setting is well on its way to achieving its organizational mission, goals, and objectives.

Improving Personal Efficiency At Work And In Life Commerce Essay

Improving Personal Efficiency At Work And In Life Commerce Essay The author of this paper is an engineering professional, who applies science (in the engineering inquiring system) to the real world during his work (Van Gigch, 2006). Organizations are continuously exploring methods to eliminate waste to lower the production cost and increase efficiency. This concept has evolved from a Two Bin System to a kanban System and most recently to a Toyota Production System (Hill, 2005). The author is intrigued by this organizational idea of reducing waste and increasing efficiency. He would like to apply the similar concept to increase personal productivity and efficiency at work and in his personal life. The proposed action plan intends to improve personal efficiency of the author at work and in life. The author deals with a variety of activities and tasks in his personal and work life during the day. These activities and tasks can vary from a simplest activity, such as starting a car ten minutes before departing for work, to solving a complex at work such as why a fastener broke during the assembly, and to writing a research paper for school. The phenomenon of friction is well known in a manufacturing industry. The usual engineering definition of friction is the resistance to relative motion of contacting bodies (Booser, 1983, p. 31). Magnitude of friction is usually expressed as a coefficient of friction ( µ), which is the ratio of the force F required to initiate or sustain relative tangential motion to the normal N which presses the two surfaces together. Thus  µ = F/N (Booser, 1983 p. 31). The right amount of friction is needed for two components to work efficiently and minimize wear. The same concept can be applied in work and life to improve personal efficiency. This action plan will develop a strategy to lower (balance) the friction in order to improve personal efficiency. Progress is becoming skilled consists largely in eliminating the useless (Laird, 1952, p.32). Productivity conceptually has two dimensions: efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency is the level and quality of obtained from the amount of resources available (Smith, 1995). Competent performance defines efficiency doing something and doing something right (Smith, 1995. p. 7). The author will be exploring methods to produce a greater quantity with higher quality with the same amount of resources to improve his efficiency. The way in which the provider meets needs and demands of objectives defines effectiveness. A productivity plan is an action plan designed to achieve the twin goals of efficiency and effectiveness (Smith, 1995). Effectiveness relates to the extent to which the provider meets the needs and demands of the objectives. Improving productivity is a multi-faceted concept, which is linked with the achieving the goals efficiently and effectively. A productivity initiative is more than the statement of a set of goals; it is a plan to foster the achievement of those goals. It is an action plan designed to allow the system to get from here to there. (xxxx, xxxx) Productivity = f (efficiency, effectiveness) (Smith, 1995) The author has analyzed through the journaling activities during the course of Strategic Management of Human Resources that Personal Efficiency (PE) is affected by several factors. These factors are goal setting, communication style, negotiation and collaboration skills, art of persuasion, procrastination, locus of control, motivation, behavior and attitude, stress and burnout, influence, power authority, personal temperament, and networking. (Nelson, 2006) Assessment The author has gone through several self assessment exercises to identify his weaknesses and strengths. The author leads a busy personal and work life, thus it is important for the author to be efficient. The author will look at several factors to improve upon his Personal Efficiency within this action plan. The author agrees with Edmund and Morris (2000) that having too much information which uses up too much of their time, causes to feel stressed which, in turn, affects our decision making (Karlsson, 2006, page number) further, The extreme development of natural material resources and their conservation in paralleled by a pitiable neglect of human mental resources (Laird, 1952, p. 1). The development in information technology has provided the author with various planning tools such as a personal computer, blackberry, palm organizer, and Microsoft outlook express, but not necessarily all of these additional aids have improved his efficiency. Within this action plan, the author will develop a plan to understand the utility level of available aids. Action Plan The author used a competency card tally sheet to analyze and assess his competencies. Timely Decision Making, Organizing and Priority Setting are the three competencies on which the author will focus. The author will use goal setting techniques and decision making models to improve upon stated timely decision making, organizing, and priority setting competencies. The author will use performance measurement system (PMS) to evaluate performance of accomplishment. The action plan will use a sequential process. First, data will be collected, second the data will be organized, and third an action plan will be formed, fourth the action plan will be executed. Finally, the process will be reviewed and reanalyzed periodically. Goal Setting A goal is a measurable accomplishment to be achieved within a specified time and under specific time constraints (Rouillard, 2002 p.4). The goal setting offers motivation and a tool for performance measurement (Griffen et al, 2009). The author will use SMART approach for goal setting. The author understands that the goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and that they should be subject to deadlines. The author will set challenging goals which require effort, yet still be attainable (Griffen et al, 2009). The author will use a sequential process to set goals. First, he will brainstorm all the goals by writing them down on a notebook, those he would like to attain in his life. Second, he will categorize these goals by the time limit he would like to them achieved. The goals will be categorized by month, six months, one year, two years, five years, and ten years. After analysis author may find that some of the initial goals are thoughts and need not be classifie d as goals. The goals will be further analyze for acceptance of author. Next, the plan for accomplishment of all the goals will be set. The progress of each goal will be reviewed periodically. Daily goals will be reviewed daily, monthly goals will be reviewed weekly, semi-annual goals will be reviewed monthly, annual goals will be reviewed quarterly and bi-annual goals, five years. During the review, if it is found that a goal was not achieved within the time allocated than it will be analyzed for the reasons. The analysis will help the author to understand the reasons for failure to make necessary improvements. The analysis will provide information whether the author lacked the resources to accomplish the goal(s), or whether there was an uncertain event that occurred during the period. If analysis presented that the author lacked the resources than reevaluation of the resources will be done. If analysis presented that there was an uncertain event occurrence during the period than t he author will reevaluate the deadline for the goal(s). (Griffen et al, 2009). Procrastination has always been a factor for the poor performance for the author. There are times when decisions are made very rapidly and at other times they take much longer. Procrastination increases stress and uncertainty (Griffen et al, 2009).The purpose of developing timely decision making skills is to be able to make the best possible decision with the information available (Gowin, 1917). Decision Making Model Temperament analysis from the book identified the author as an ESTJ personality type, where E stands for extrovert, S for sensing, T for thinking and J for judging. The T, or Thinking personality most often makes decisions based on logic and optimization. This style of decision making fits with rational model of decision making. There are constraints in relation to available time and information which prohibit practicing a rational decision making model. (Griffen et al, 2009)The author will use a decision support system to understand how to use an alternative decision making model. Herbert Simon suggested that there are limits to how rational a decision maker can actually be. (Nelson et al, 2006, p. 319). The objective is to find acceptability and effectiveness in the results. This decision orders classification forms the basis for the decision alignment framework(Scherpereel, 2005 PAGE NUMBER). Bounded rationality model can be an alternative choice for the author to develop a heuristics approach for decision making. The author will list and evaluate alternatives to select a good enough alternative to make the decision timely.(xxxx). To understand the likely consequences of decisions, the author will analyze the importance of individual factors and choose the best course of action. It is the alignment of decision problem characterization (or primal elements) with available approaches (or dual elements) that determine the adequacy and efficacy of a decision (Scherpereel, 2005 Page Number). The following steps will be used to develop timely decision making competency. The author will define the goal and assign a deadline to achieve the goals. He will record the activities in a log book to track the time spend on each activity. The log book will also be used to create matrix to design the decision support system. The author will practice the timely decision making with smaller tasks to create a habit of making decisions on time. Motor habits, or habits of doing, are all that many people include as habits in their thinking (Leird, 1952, p.44). Form the habit of sticking to a job until it is done (Leird, 1952, p.177). An example of this task would be starting the car in the morning ten minutes before heading to work in winter. The author will monitor this activity through the log book until this activity becomes a programmed decision making. He will develop an evaluation system to understand pro and cons of decisions. After identifying the pro and cons of the making the decisions, he will apply the strategy to make the decisions. If you really want to increase your mental efficiency do these things, do not just read them (Leird, 1952, p.35). The author will continuously read scholarly material and consult with an expert on his decision making competency. Decision Support System The author will develop a decision support system (DSS) to improve upon timely decision making competency. G. Mallach (1994) stated that The Decision Support System (DSS) is a system whose purpose is to provide knowledge with information on which to base informed decisions (Chong, 2001. p. 1). Decision Support System generates information used to support a decision (Chong, 2001. p. 1). Next, the author will use cognitive maps (CM) as a tool to develop the decision support system. In a Cognitive Map, concepts are connected with lines, arrows, and blocks. The information in blocks represents concepts (cn) in the problem domain and the line will represent the causal relationships within the concepts. The causal relationship can be positive or negative. In the case of a positive relationship, an increase or decrease in the cause variable shows the effect variable moving in the same direction. In a negative relationship, the cause concept causes the effect concept to move in the opposite direction (Chong, 2001). Need groceries T1 Total time available on weekend T5 Car needs oil change T2 Finish SMHR action plan T3 Meeting friends in evening T4 + 1.50 hr + .50 hr + 15.00 hr + 2.0 hr Figure 1.1: Cognitive map showing activities on the weekend (Chong, 2001) Figure 1.1 shows a cognitive map to illustrate tasks those need to be completed and leisure time planned for the weekend. Figure 1.1 also shows an incident which was not the part of planning. This cognitive map (CM) is drawn to identify the utilization on available time on the weekend efficiently and effectively. Each activity has given identification e.g. need groceries is identified as T1(Chong, 2001). After the CM is created, it is transformed from a diagram to a matrix. Fist, the diagram is translated to an N x N matrix (where N is the number of activities used in the map). Then, the rows and columns in the matrix are labeled with domain concepts (Chong, 2001). After drawing the CM, the map undergoes a diagram-to-matrix transformation. The process begins with the creation of an N x N matrix where N is the number of activities used in the map. The rows and columns in the matrix are labeled with domain concepts. (xxxx, Page Number) T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.50 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.00 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Fig 1.2: Matrix for the Cognitive Map on Fig 1.1 The fig. 1.2 shows a matrix of the information transferred from the cognitive map shown in fig. 1.1. The matrix shows the entry at row i, column j is the signed degree to which the activity (the source concept) influences (Chong, 2001, p. 3). When there is not relationship with an activity (Ti) to another activity (Tj) the value zero is inserted for the relationship. E.g. the activity T1 has no relationship with T2 on the cognitive map thus matrix has a zero entry for that relationship whereas activity T1 to T5 has a relationship that it will take 1.5 hour from the weekend thus it is given a 1.5 entry. The same concept (c) will be used throughout for information transformation from cognitive map to matrix. The author will be able adapt to this model after few practices (Chong, 2001). The summation of the activities will tell the author whether he was able to utilize the available time for the weekend effectively. For example, the sum of the matrix in the example shown on fig 1.2 is 19.0. The author had 2.0 hours allocated for leisure time from the total 19.0 hours available for the weekend. The summation calculation from the matrix shows that the author used 19.0 hours to accomplish all the activities. Thus he was able utilize the available time over the weekend effectively. The author will use the similar method for more complex problems (Lettieri et al, 2008). The author will make cognitive maps for one concept every week. This information will be made into a matrix as illustrated above. The information will be compiled into another matrix once the concept (tasks within the concept) is completed. The simple calculation for summation will be used to identify the efficiency of the proposed matrix to the actual matrix. Figure 1.2 shows the relationship between two matrixes before and after the completion of concept (Chong, 2001). T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.50 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.00 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.00 T2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .50 T3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.50 T4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 T5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Before After Fig 1.3: Matrix for before and after completion of the concept The summation calculation for the proposed matrix before the concept is completed is 19.00 hours whereas 18.00 hours for the matrix after concept is completed (Corral, 2008). This calculation provides the author with information for making future decisions as related to the activities defined with the illustrated concept (c1). The concept (c1) illustrates a very simple activity such as buying groceries as well as the complex activity of writing an action plan for the study course. The decisions the author faces can range from simple, with established programmed rule to complex decisions which require creative solutions (Chong, 2001). Most important is to identify the measures of efficiency and effectiveness based on the stated goals and objectives (Locke et al, 1981). The author assumes that in some cases it may be necessary to begin with new data collection for the appropriate measures. Finally, the productivity improvement process calls for new strategies to be developed for improving and monitoring productivity. Such strategies should be based on the goals and objectives first extrapolated (Griffen et al, 2009). Work and life balance Dr. Adam Butler, a psychology professor, suggested in his research that individuals should avoid preoccupation with work while at home (2010). The author will practice Dr. Butlers suggestion including finding challenges and learning opportunities outside of work and relaxation to enjoy leisure time. The author will also execute a plan to exercise regularly. These activities will help the author to balance life and work to become more efficient. Summary Productivity is the function of efficiency and effectiveness. The author has developed this action plan to improve his personal efficiency by using various decision making models, goal setting and motivation techniques. He will also use decision support systems, cognitive maps, and a strategy for work and life balance to improve his personal efficiency. The author has analyzed his competencies by using competency card tally sheet and other several self assessment tools taught during the course of Strategic Management of Human Resources. The sequential process action plan will be reviewed and reanalyzed periodically.

Why Evolution is True, by Jerry A. Coyne Essay -- Why Evolution is Tr

Why Evolution is True is a book by Jerry A. Coyne about how modern man slowly evolved from single cell organisms. This book has changed my whole perspective of evolution. Before I read this book I was a strong believer in creation but while reading this book I realized that there are to many connections between all of earths animals. I am unable see a scenario where we could share so much of our genes with other creatures and still say that we did not evolve from other animals and were just created by a god. What is evolution? Evolution in modern terms is fairly easy to understand. Evolution is the theory that life on earth began with a single celled organism that lived more that 3.5 billion years ago that slowly evolved into many diverse creatures over time. When you break down this theory into sections you get 6 factors: evolution, gradualism, speciation, common ancestry, natural selection and nonselective mechanisms of evolutionary change. The first part of the evolution theory is evolution itself. Evolution itself is the idea that a species undergoes a genetic change over time to evolve into something that is very different. These differences are seen in our DNA and are considered mutations at first but slowly become the norm. The second part of the theory of evolution is gradualism. Gradualism is the idea that it takes many generations to produce a substantial evolutionary change. An example of this change is birds gaining the ability to fly. The third part of the evolution theory is speciation. Speciation means that different groups of creatures that cannot exchange genes with one another cannot interbreed with one another. The fourth part of the evolution theory is common ancestry. Common ancestry is the... ...ion is very minor. Chapter nine is Evolution Redux. Creationists find evolution very convincing but at the same time they still don’t believe it. There is no lack of evidence that points toward evolution being the truth. Every day there is hundreds of observations and experiments that point to evolution being true. Every fossil and piece of DNA observed points to evolution being a fact. The evidence point to evolution being true is so overwhelming it is hard to believe people still believe in a creator. Evolution is neither moral nor immoral it is just the truth. Once people understand that we are the only creatures that natural selection has created with a brain complex large enough to understand the laws that govern the universe, which is the amazing product of evolution. Works Cited Coyne, Jerry A. Why Evolution Is True. New York: Viking, 2009. Print.

Designing an Amateur Darkroom :: Essays Papers

Designing an Amateur Darkroom The first time I processed my own roll of black and white film I was around 14 years old. Being very anxious to see the pictures I had taken, I couldn't even wait for the film to dry. I first became interested in photography in seventh grade. My parents allowed me to buy some equipment and supplies to setup my own darkroom in our home. Everyday after school I rushed home to develop and print my own film. In my darkroom, away from the outside pressures of the world I enjoyed creating my own works of art throughout the remainder of my school years. At 40 years old with a family and home of my own I still look forward to escaping the world for a little while in my own darkroom. Creating custom prints of your own can be a very rewarding and fun too. The first step in designing your own darkroom is to choose a room in your home with electric outlets, running water, and the least amount of light coming through the windows and doors. The room must be light tight, you can accomplish this by covering the windows with a black cloth or heavy gauge vinyl. To check for stray light, stay in the darkroom for five minutes with all the lights off. Hold a piece of white paper against a dark background, if you can't see the paper, it passes inspection. If there are light leaks, use black electrical tape to cover them. The materials needed to develop your roll of exposed film are available at any photo supply store. You will need to choose the type of chemicals and paper needed according to type of film used, desired affect, convenience, personal preference, and expense. The clerks in these stores are usually very knowledgeable and helpful, explain to them what you're working on and ask plenty of questions. You will need: 1. Developing tank 5. Thermometer 2. Roll of exposed film 6. Developer 3.

Why Does It Matter?

On May 21, 2011 many people around the world â€Å"prepared† themselves for what was sure going to be their last day on earth. According to a man by the name of Harold Camping, by 6 pm on May 21st, the world was supposed to have experienced a grand earthquake thus preceding â€Å"The Rapture,† and it seems as though people around the world spend their â€Å"last days on earth† doing many different things. This alone shows what values we respect and how we view them. Harold Camping had concocted some heinous math equation that led him to publicize his fourth prediction.Although the amount of thought and research he put behind his Christian instinct was impressive; all he managed to do was create a moment of desperation for those of us who lead a â€Å"sinful† life, and a false ray of hope for those who cling to the prophetic words of people like, Harold Camping. As one can imagine, the last few days have been driven by the predicted â€Å"end of the world, † and through outlets such as Twitter, Live Journal, and Facebook, stories of how people spent their last days have surfaced.Some people thought it would be a great idea to spend their life savings or their children’s college funds, some people spent the day fulfilling their goals and dream, others just spent the past few days locked in and repenting, and the rest either didn’t care or forgot. All these crazy fear-based decisions lead to a small list of much greater and loaded questions: Is it worth it? Does it matter? and Why does it matter? Of course these are questions that fall under the category of â€Å"The Meaning of Life,† and are virtually impossible to reply to, but everyone should be entitled to possess their own educated opinion, right?In Thomas Nagel’s essay â€Å"The Absurd† he raises some interesting, but conflicting arguments toward life’s â€Å"absurdity†. In his very complicated essay of rationalizations, he ba sically presents us with the 3 main reasons why life could be considered absurd: 1) Whatever we do now will not affect the world in the future, so why does it matter? 2) We are forever considered small when compared with the universe, and our lives considered short, so why do we matter? 3) Our actions have no purposeful end, so why do they matter?Nagel tries to justify his statements, but in the end his statements contradict his points, and this could even be summarized in one simple explanation. If you will not be around in the next 1 million years, how could you or anybody else judge peoples actions to determine if whether or not they infinitely matter or not matter. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, â€Å"Existentialism† is considered a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will (Oxford).Within this reasoning is what Nagel based his essay on, but as black and white as this may seem, many other factors should be calculated when trying to determine whether or not existentialism is rational. Without delving too far into the topic of religion, the question about the morality of certain issues still lies on the table. When trying to find a religiously ambiguous debate against existentialism one of the most important questions to consider would be: In a world in which we act on impulse without the fear of repercussion, how would our feelings as human beings factor into our decisions?As long as there has been the existence of humans on this earth, it would probably safe to assume that there has also been the â€Å"existence† of feelings among the people. Feelings are probably the one impulse that humans find the most difficult to quell in their everyday lives, and from personal experience, one of the most pleasantly intrusive aspects of human life. Although this might be debatable, the statement previous t o the latter is not. In her 1970’s book Never in Anger: Portrait of an Eskimo Family, Professor Jean L.Briggs studied the Utkuhikhalingmiut (â€Å"Utku†) Eskimos of the Canadian Northwest Territories. In this tribe she found that anger and aggression was extremely rare. â€Å"Briggs suggests that even in circumstances that we would find intolerably frustrating or offensive, the Utku do not get angry. Where we would be resentful or even furious, the Utku are merely resigned. Anger is an unreasonable response† (qtd. By Solomon). Even in instances such as these, the Eskimo are in a way â€Å"brainwashed† from a young age in order to lead this â€Å"harmonious† life, and even then they lose their cool.As reported by a fellow anthropologist ,by the name of Catherine Lutz, â€Å"among the Ifaluk of Micronesia, the most serious incident of aggression last year, was when one man touched another's shoulder. He was subjected to a severe fine, a reasonable p enalty for extremely unreasonable behavior† No matter what one tries to do feeling will always resurface and affect our judgment whether we mean to or not. It’s simply just part of the way we were made and will always remain that way.To argue that someone could easily â€Å"discard† their feeling and act purely on impulse would be an ignorant statement. When talking about the rationality as opposed to the morality of a situation it then becomes a little bit more tricky because as Robert Rorty makes a wonderful job in pointing out, who can define rationality? In accordance with his characteristic nominalism, that â€Å"rationality is not a thing,† to be Socratically defined or characterized in any singular way.I would say that it is one of those â€Å"essentially contested concepts† of philosophy (like â€Å"freedom,† â€Å"truth,† and â€Å"justice†) which plays a primarily polemical as well as a normative role in our conversati ons, despite the â€Å"descriptive† characterizations that are readily available in behavioral theory and the social sciences. The question is how the term is being used in any particular context and what distinctions are being made –for often the real message is political and not merely conceptual and conveyed only by implication. (qtd.By Solomon) With arguments such as this one it brings us back to the original debate. Who is to decide what is rational? For one person might think something is a great idea when in reality it might not be, but at the same time still remain it remains a decisions in which it will not tip the scale in either moral direction. As we probably could assume from the beginning, these questions are probably best if left unanswered. They complexity of trying to find the â€Å"true meaning† of life is far too great a task for someone of our caliber to judge.The best thing that we can do as a society is stick together and apply our best tra its to create a harmonious place for us to develop and live in. The one thing that is irrefutable would have to be the undeniable fact that if we live our lives in the best way we can while making the best decisions within society’s judgment, we can’t really go wrong, and if Nagel had one thing right, it was that our time on this earth is short, so we might as well take advantage of the things we’ve been blessed with and live life to the fullest.