We are passively scripted by our parents Essay Example for Free

We are passively scripted by our parents Essay One question that almost every individual ponders upon at least once in his or her life is whether the life that we have been handed down is an open book which we can write in any way we feel like or is it a pre-written script that we are simply enacting? Are our behavior patterns, emotions, responses our very own, determined by our own selves or are they pre-programmed into us genetically, by our parents, teachers etc? Before directly looking at any possible answer, let us discuss some interesting aspects about life. Firstly, for any external circumstance or event, the responses of different individuals are usually different. As an example if a boy leaves his girlfriend for someone else, the resulting response in the girl can vary from mild anger to temporary sadness, to even acute depression. These differences in emotive behavior are rooted in the belief patterns, concepts and ideas that are ingrained in every individual. The A-B-C theory of personality by Albert Ellis, elaborates this point by saying that in any life situation, the activating event (A) does not lead to the emotional consequence (C). Rather, the emotional consequence is triggered by the beliefs (B) of the individual. A healthy and rational set of beliefs can make a healthy, strong individual while a person with irrational beliefs is much more likely to endure pain and suffering from the same set of cards that life deals out. So of what is responsible for forming these beliefs in any individual? I think a lot of aspects in our life are pre-programmed, genetically into our system. Many other beliefs become a part of us during our childhood and depend on the social, cultural and economic environment of the child, on the parents and teachers and some of these beliefs are created by us on our own. To elucidate on the first point let us look at the simple example of gender. We all know or have seen how men and women intrinsically differ in interpreting different situations and in their reactions to them. In any difficult or crisis situation men are usually more level headed while women more emotional. Similarly, in human relationships, women are more intuitive than men and therefore perform better. Though this varies widely and we have level headed women as much as we have intuitive men, we can understand that gender often does play a role in determining behavior patterns and this is something scripted into us from our birth. For such patterns that are pre-programmed by birth itself, I think while it is very difficult or almost impossible to change these patterns, recognizing them can help us deal with them and subdue the control they have on us. I would say the second set of beliefs that is rooted in our childhood is the most significant one in the determination of our personality. A child picks up a huge amount of stuff, both directly and indirectly, from his or her environment, parents, teachers and friends. Unknowingly it is often the parents who pass on their fears and phobia’s to a child. Let us take the example of an adult who is afraid of darkness. When the activating event (A) is a sudden power disruption in the house, consequence (C) is fear. Now for another adult for the same event, the consequence (C) will perhaps be mild irritation. Now this person who is scared of the dark was not born with this fear. In fact a toddler, he would fearlessly walk into dark corners and places. However, his mother had this fear of darkness which she passes on to her child through her behavior. A child learns from his mother. Walking down a dark alley, the mother suddenly grips her son’s hand very firmly and hisses, â€Å"Don’t leave my hand, it is dark! † The child learns – darkness is something very dangerous; I should be afraid of it. In this way knowingly or unknowingly, the child’s parents, teachers, environment etc instill in him concepts and behavior patterns that play a big role in determining his or her attitude to life in the years to come. However, I do feel that some of the concepts are self-created and whether to continue believing in something that has been a part of one’s belief system since childhood is also up to oneself. By recognizing unhealthy patterns in ourselves we can train ourselves to not behave like mere programmed objects but actively choose to respond in an intelligent manner. As human beings we can strive to throw out every irrational belief in our system and instill rational thoughts to counter them. Though an uphill task, I think it is certainly one that can be done and if every undesirable belief cannot be thrown out of us completely, the strength of their control on us can surely be minimized.? Works Cited 1. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Individual Counseling Theory and Practice, James J. Messina (www. coping. org/write/C6436counselther/lectures/C6436-9th-CBT. ppt

moral Essays -- essays papers

moral For nearly thirty years he has amplified his Cognitive-Developmental theory of moralisation which has now become prominent in the field of moral development and its application to moral education. Kohlberg proposed that moral difficulties motivated their own development through a fixed sequence of increasingly adaptable kinds of moral reasoning. He conducted most of his work at Harvard University and developed his stage model in 1969. Working through the 1950’s and 60’s using longitudinal and cross sectional studies he proposed 6 stages of development (see Appendix 1) identified through the responses of children presented with moral dilemmas. Piaget, his former tutor, proposed only 2 stages of moral development these being the Hetronomous and Autonomous stages. He was not so much interested in the judgments made but the reasons for the judgment, differing from Piaget he saw the stages as part of cognitive development. He was interested in how people think rather than what they think. These reasons represent to Kohlberg the structure of judgment, centering around 10 universal moral issues or values. Piaget believed autonomous moral reasoning to occur between ages 10-12 whereas Kohlberg proposes adolescence or even adulthood. These values are punishment, property and law, roles and concerns of affection, roles and concerns of authority, life, liberty, justice, truth and sex. From its earliest transmission Kohlberg has not been without critics. Although his work is of unquestionable importance Peter’s (1971) warned: â€Å"There is a grave danger that they (Kohlberg’s findings) may become exhalted into a general theory of moral development† may be seen by some to have been fulfilled. Although Kohlberg’s work is vast, the following will look at universality, briefly at gender and morality and following this methodology. Kohlberg’s Universality The biggest challenge for Kohlberg’s theory is to explain how the process of self-creation and mental structures can be universal despite cultural, subcultural and environmental differences that exist in all of us. The principles of Kohlberg’s stage 6 is of universal justice and respect for individual rights Kohlberg (1969, 1971). Using his moral judgment interview he tried to address confounding factors of universality although latter admitted that the modal ages... ...ate Adolescence and Adulthood: A Critique and Reconstruction of Kohlberg’s Therapy; Human Development 23, 2 pp 77-104 Holstein, C. (1976) ‘Irreversible, Stepwise Sequence in the Development of Moral Judgment: A Longitudinal Study of Males and Females; Child Development’ 47, 1 pp 51-61 Lemming, J. (1974) ‘An Empirical examination of Key Assumptions Underlying the Kohlberg Rationale for Moral Education; ERIC Document Reproduction Service Number ED 093-749 â€Å"Willhel, F. (1977) ‘The Effects of the Extent of Training on Teacher Discussion behaviours and Children’s Moral Reasoning Development; Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stage University of New York at Albany Modgil, S. & Modgil, C. (1985) Kohlberg, L. Consensus and Controversy, International Masterminds Challenge, Falmer Press England Pepperdine University http://moon.pepperdine.edu/asep/class/ethics/kohlberg/pro%26con_argumentsh+ml Woods, C. (1986) Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality 1996; Vol 24(4) 375-384 Wilson, R. (1995) Moral Interventions in Education Setting. http://www.interchg.vbc.ca/rw/psy413-1.htm Gross. R, (1996) Psychology The Science of Mind and Behaviour.Hodder and Stoughton.

Behaviors of Domestic Cats

Cats have been kept as domestic pets since ancient times. They are known as loyal, finicky and independent creatures. Their behaviors can tell us whether they have a physical ailment, are upset or worried or are happy and contented. (Catsinfo. com) When a cat rubs up against someone, they are showing ownership of that person and marking them as such. Cats can be quite finicky as to who they like and can even choose to ignore someone if they decide they do not like them. (Budiansky, 2002) A cat is naturally inclined to claw things such as furniture, drapes or rugs.Many people have their cats declawed to prevent damage to these objects. While this was commonplace for many years, it is now becoming something of a controversy. Animal rights activists and many cat owners are comparing the procedure to amputation and vehemently oppose the practice. With time and effort, cats can be trained to use a scratching post. One problem for cat owners is the hazard that most house plants present to the cats. In the wild, cats eat grass to help with fur in their stomach. Many common house plants can be poisonous to cats if ingested.Hanging plants are not always safe since cats will climb furniture to reach them. Some owners have found that growning a small patch of grass in a container will keep the cats happy enough to leave the other plants alone. Many indoor cats use a litter box instead of the outdoors. In the wild, cats bury their feces to keep predators from scenting them. This behavior continues indoors as well. Cats are naturally clean animals and like the litter box to be clean as well. One of the main issues for cat owners is urination in an area other than the litter box.There can be many causes for this behavior and it is trial and error until the problem is resolved. Finding the right litter box and type of litter can also be trial and error as some cats prefer one thing, some another. One reason for a cat to refuse to use the litter box is that it is not clean. If the litter box is clean, it may be a physical ailment such as a bladder infection or urinary tract infection. Any ailments should be treated by a veterinarian. A cat may show it is upset by urination outside the litter box as well.Cats can be upset by any number of things such as changes in habitat, additions of new pets to the family or other changes. Watching a cat’s tail can be a good indication of the cat’s mood. A tail that is erect and held high indicates a friendly mood. A tail that is laying down and twitching usually indicates the cat is pensive or irritable. A tail held high and fluffed out is a good indicator that the cat will attack if provoked. (xmission, 2007) Cats show affection in several ways. Purring is the most commonly recognized behavior of a friendly, content cat.A cat will purr when happy, many times while being petted. Cats will also rub against a person to show friendliness and also to mark the person as their. Cats have scent glands all over their bodies that enable them to mark their territory. property This is another behavior taken from the wild where they mark their territory against other animals invading it. Butting their heads against a person is another way of showing affection. Urinary spray is also a way for them to mark their territory but having them spayed or neutered at around six months of age will stop this behavior.Cats are natural hunters and will stalk birds, small animals and toys. It is their instinct to hunt that causes them to pounce on toys and bat them around. Cats are good hunters and quite fast at times. Many farms keep cats as mousers in the barn and home. Cats will chase small toys or laser lights. This is the hunting instinct in them causing this behavior as cats are attracted by movement. Cats have a tendency to show attention to people who do not care for cats when they visit. This is due to a behavior in the wild that indicates submissivness.Cats will look directly at another cat and sho w aggression if protecting territory or young. A cat who refuses to look directly at another cat or seems to ignore it is showing submission to the other cat. It is the same behavior in people who do not care for cats, they tend to look away or try to ignore the cat. This is an invitation to the cat to show dominance. A cat that is injured or in pain will tend to hide itself in a dark area. This is a behavior that often saves their lives in the wild. Injured or weak animals often become food for predators so hiding is a natural instinct.Cats will often do the same thing indoors when hurt. It is important to remember that any injured or pained animal will strike out if frightened and extra care should be taken when attempting to extricate the cat from its hiding place. (xmission, 2007) Cats make wonderful pets and are relatively low maintantence due to their independent nature. They do not require constant attention or reassurance. They can be trained to overcome inappropriate behavi or and are extremely affectionate when it suits them. Whether the cat is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, the behaviors tend to be the same.Instinct plays a large part in cat behavior and knowing these behaviors can lead to a satisfactory cat and owner relationship. Works Cited Budiansky, Stephen. â€Å"The Character of Cats: The Mystery Is Not Why They're So Antisocial but Why They're Social at All. † The Atlantic Monthly June 2002: 75+. Questia. 26 Sept. 2007 . http://www. catsinfo. com Moore, Glenda. â€Å"Catstuff† Retrieved September 24, 2007 from http://www. xmission. com/emailbox/whycat. htm

Analysis Of Amanda Ripley s The Unthinkable - 944 Words

When I lived in Los Angeles during high school, me and my neighbor Brandon would frequently take the Metro train to get to school. While we waited on the platform for the train to come, we would occasionally hear the automated intercom announcement say, â€Å"In case of an emergency, do not hesitate to locate the nearest emergency phones or Metro sheriff.† This recurring message was often ignored by not only us. Who seemed to also disregard the monotone voice were other passengers who either were occupied with other things or had earphones in and simply did not hear it. The problem with this is, if an emergency or disaster happened at that moment, how many of us would know the right way to react? If there was a fire, we wouldn’t know how to properly engage in saving ourselves. Unfortunately, the only warning us everyday citizens were given was to call officials. There were no specific instructions on what we could do in case an emergency arises at the train station. In Amanda Ripley’s The Unthinkable, she covers disasters when they happen and how humans that are involved respond to them. Ripley argues that when someone is involved in a disaster, they experience human responses such as being in denial or delaying proper reactions. Because we can not control the brain and our irrational thoughts tend to obscure us, we should raise more awareness of likely disasters and train regular citizens accordingly. The truth is that majority of the world’s population is simply not