humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Learning To Listen
I remember getting my first student, a woman in college whose fourth language was English. She needed help forming an APA citation paper, and also explanations on why certain sentences and words were incorrect. I was the fourth tutor she had been sent to. I could tell she was incredibly frustrated, angry, and upset.
By A.R. Zeller4 years ago in Humans
Are the Many, Wiser than the Few
The concept of collective wisdom can be traced back to Aristotle’s famous book “Politics”, in which he states that “it is possible that the many, though not individually good men, yet when they come together may be better, not individually but collectively, than those who are so, just as public dinners to which many contribute are better than those supplied at one man's cost". Since then, the idea has been expanded upon by generations of academics and reformers and has fuelled democratic theory. In this essay I will aim to explain more thoroughly, what Aristotle meant when he spoke of collective wisdom. I will do this by examining the relevant passages of “Politics”, but also looking at a few other academics that have researched this concept more recently. I will then move on to discuss the many arguments for and against this idea and its effect on modern democracy. Here I will look at works by Bryan Caplan and Helene Landemore among others, to present how this concept's implications is still heavily debated among academics.
By Alexander Seling4 years ago in Humans
How a series of experimental plays against domestic violence started a nationwide change
If you've been following my work (which I certainly hope so), you know that I've had my fair share of soul-searching in a very intense quest for finding purpose. Through a long and hard labor of creation, writing emerged as my life mission. Whether fiction (my first manuscript is almost finished, stay tuned), essays, inspirational/how-to articles, or even poems. Although I still work full-time in the exciting world of advertising, my goal is to become a full-fledged creator by this time next year.
By A.M.Radulescu4 years ago in Humans
Afghan Boys: The Suffering of the Innocent
It was 2014 when the #BringBackOurGirls campaign captured the world’s attention and focused on 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria. The international response was systematic, and the United States (with the help of Michelle Obama, celebrities, and world organizations) garnered financial and organizational support to bring unprecedented attention and action to the plight of girls in war-torn countries. Two years later, a report in the Wall Street Journal addressed the 10,000 kidnapped boys of Boko Haram who were trained in boot camps and prepared for war and other militant action. But for the most part, the reaction was tepid, as boys in war-torn regions remained largely absent from contemporary narratives. There is a negligence on the part of government organizations and non-government organizations to put forward serious policy actions and financial support to recognize boys and men in war-torn countries.
By Global Initiative for Boys & Men4 years ago in Humans
Adventure in Dubai
I found the mind-blowing lady called Madonna in my cup of tea. Sam, the fortune-teller and my friend told me, “In nine days, you would be riding an elevator. On the ninth floor, a lady would get in, holding the glory of all races in her blood. And that accidental meeting would be an invitation from the universe that you enter the world of adventure and fortune.
By Ayman Baroudi4 years ago in Humans
Zig Zag #15
When you’ve moved around as much as I have, you start to collect roommates. It’s not like I have a pile of them stashed somewhere. Geez, get your mind out of the gutter. But living a nomadic, writerly, gigging life doesn’t always allow for living in luxury by yourself. So roommates are essential at times.
By Kathleen Majorsky4 years ago in Humans
In search of the Blind Man's smile
Oprah always talks about her “ah-ha” moment. She says it is that pivotal moment where we gain insight into who we are and what meaning we will give to our life. They can occur any time and it is even possible to have several through the course of one’s life. My first Ah-ha moment came to me when I was sixteen years old, standing at a bus stop, because of a blind man.
By Alexis Harrell4 years ago in Humans
Arkansas Boys
Arkansas Boys The 95 degree humid heat was beating down on the Arkansas-Missouri border. It was mid-day without a cloud in the sky. Arkansas native red rock baked on my sweaty skin as I sat under the only shade on the job-site. I was tired and sore, but wouldn’t dare mention it. I ate my lunch savouring every second of rest. I heard the rough sounding engine of Ben’s old beat-up white chevy and knew my time of peace was coming to an end. He’d returned from his quick trip to the gas station for his essentials: cigarettes and blue flavoured powerade. Ben opened his car door and sat there with the engine turned off. He gave his cigarette a couple of last big puffs, got out, and signaled rest time was over. I’m convinced Ben was part grizzly bear; his 290 pound body was covered in hair, and his hands looked strong enough to crack open a coconut. He was strong and good at his craft. He was a carpenter by trade, but worked construction while Covid disrupted his plans. I had only been working for two-weeks and had an end in sight a month later when school started back up again. Ben was 33 and there was no end in sight, he worked longer hours than the boss, putting up 13-14 hour days regularly. The man drove from job-site to job-site, making steady progress at each site. The first time I met Ben was on my second day of work, and the first thing he did was come over to me and insist on me having one of his powerades. He said I’d die if I didn’t find some shade, as he could see I was overworking myself with not enough water intake. He talked rough though, the first sentence I ever heard him say contained a racial slur. It was very offensive language, but I kept my mouth shut not giving him the reaction he was looking for. At first I reacted with passionate hate towards him wondering how he could say those things, and whenever I would see him I wouldn’t talk or look at him. I was forced to work more with him, as it was often just us on the jobsite working. I soon started to realise however that he was a giving man that lived to make his daughter happy. There was no other reason for anything he did. Money didn’t matter to him, as long as he had enough to provide for his daughter he was content. I saw him give and offer more things than anyone else all summer. He was making minimum wage, working harder and longer than everyone else and always remained positive even in the harshest conditions. One morning he broke his toe after dropping a concrete panel sheet on it, and after a 30 second break of cursing and swearing he kept working and didn’t mention it again all day. He was tough, and understood that when a job is at hand, you finish it at all costs. The man took immense pride in finishing his daily tasks, but would often get lit-up by the boss for not working fast enough. Time was money for the boss, and Ben worked weekends and holidays. Some days the boss would pull up to the job-site and he would be angry for no reason. No “good mornings”, no “goodbyes”; just yelling and cursing. On other days the boss would be happier than a kid on christmas, and would tell everyone to take a break and take time to teach me new things on the site. Consistency and patience had no place in the bossman’s life. Whenever the bossman pulled up in his Ford super-duty truck, everyone knew the next couple hours would most likely be hell. Days that we had to pour concrete were the most stressful and intense times. The SAT seemed like a walk in the park, compared to the stress levels of pouring concrete. The boss was a hothead who couldn’t contain the pressure of the pour. The pour is the most important part of the build because if the foundation didn’t pass inspection everything had to be redone: diggings, footings, rebar, plumbing, etc. It would set us back weeks. After the concrete trucks were gone and the concrete smoothed, the stress dried up with the wet concrete, and everything was back to normal. I learned that this was and has always been their way of life. These boys were raised on the job-site, and for many of them it’s the only thing they’re good at. They live in their job-site bubble with little to no diversity, and they’ve lived in the same small towns their whole lives. I realised it’s harder than you think to know who someone is, and right when you make an assumption your perspective can change.
By Luke McCullough4 years ago in Humans
The Day Winnipeg's Anti-Vax Movement Went Too Far
If you want a lesson on how a movement can instantly commit suicide and destroy any shred of humanity and decency that it MIGHT have had, one should look no further than today's anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-health measures protest that took place at the main hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
By Chris Hearn4 years ago in Humans
