The following is Maya Williams’ Quote du Jour. Please comment using your critical thinking skills.

The Quote

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” -August Wilson

Definitions

Illumination is defined as:

Lighting or light:

Spiritual or intellectual enlightenment.

Context

Every human being at some point has to face themselves. Although most people would just rather ignore their emotions, in hope that they will go away, people will eventually find out that emotions and conflict will never go away. They will always come back unless you take the time to deal with them. No matter what possessions or “solutions” you may try to find, until you stop ignoring them, they will always find a way to come back into your life and play some type of role.

Meaning for Me

To me this quote means:

You have to find peace within yourself, and in order to find peace, you have to seek forgiveness.

When you tend to forgive and stop feeling as if you are the victim, you can overcome the negative thoughts and vibes that you think about and be able to concentrate more on the good in your life

The film, V for Vendetta, is an example of man vs. self

Man against himself

With "man against himself" conflict, the struggle is internal. A character must overcome his own natures or make a choice between two or more paths-good and evil; logic and emotions

Not dealing with his issues within causes him to be angry, which leads to A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself “V” works to destroy the totalitarian government, profoundly affecting the people he encounters

Man vs. self then leads to a man vs. society conflict

His goal: V, an anarchist revolutionary dressed in a Guy Fawkes mask, begins an elaborate, violent, and intentionally theatrical campaign to murder his former captors, bring down the government, and convince the people to rule themselves.

The following is Lindsay Redhead’s Quote du Jour. As you comment, please include a personal example to help make your point.

Quote

  “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. (The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race).”-Calvin Coolidge

Terms

Proverb= short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought

Derelict=a person abandoned by society, especially a person without a permanent home and means of support; vagrant; bum

Omnipotent= almighty or infinite in power; having very great unlimited authority or power

Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)

Born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, July 4, 1872

United States Vice-President in 1920

30^th President of the United States 1923-1929

Attended Amherst college and became a lawyer through apprenticeship

1918 became Governor of Massachusetts

Meaning to Me

Every time I read this quote I am impacted and reminded that hard work and perseverance are how things are accomplished. Not being complacent and expectant of success is more important than natural talent and skill.

The following is Lindsay Redhead’s Quote du Jour. As you respond to this particular quote, use at least one personal example from your own experience.

The Quote

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”  -Harry S. Truman(May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972)

Meaning to Me

This quote to me means that you have to find the positives of difficult situations, or you risk them dragging you down.

The following Quote du Jour is from Polk Kellam. Please add your comments, using clarity, precision and the other Universal Intellectual Standards.

The Quote

“It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward….That’s how winning is done.”  Rocky Balboa in the movie, Rocky Balboa, 2006

Terms

—  Motivation: Giving of reason to act.

—  Perseverance: Determined continuation with something.

—  Unyielding:  Never giving up

—  Determination: Firmness of purpose.

Context

—  This quote is from the movie Rocky Balboa (2006)

—  The quote is directed at Rocky’s son when he begins to give up and start pointing fingers. He blames his dad for his own failures and asks his dad to stop fighting so that he can live a normal life.  His son says, “The only thing I have going for me is my last name”.

Meaning for Me

—  I find this quote to be very meaningful in many ethical situations.

—  There are times in everyone's life when giving up or blaming others seems like the best decision. By following this quote, I find that not giving up is always the best option and will be the right choice in the long run.

—  This falls under the short term vs. long term ethical scenarios.

—  A good general example is in school. It is often very hard and it can be easy to blame a teacher for bad grades or give up and say that you will take the F. In the long run working hard and not giving up will produce better grades and be more rewarding.

The following is Andrew Miller's Quote du Jour and his reflections on it. After reading and considering these, add your own comments, reflecting good critical thinking. Don't be afraid to think outside the box, questioning and testing to see if it is right and how it applies to you personally.

“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Definition

• Integrity means honesty.

About the Author

•       Born September 18^th 1709, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England

•       Samuel Johnson was an English Poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor, and lexicographer( craft of writing and editing dictionaries).

•       Samuel Johnson has been described and “ arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history.”

Meaning for Me

•       To me this quote is very true in the sense that having a strong moral character relies on multiple traits to act with each other. What Samuel Johnson meant by “integrity without knowledge” is that you can be honest, but still make the wrong decisions. Samuel Johnson also states that “knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” by this Samuel Johnson means that having knowledge without the right intentions can be a weapon when used to do bad things.

The following is Gillon Davis’s Quote du Jour. Please reflect thoughtfully, critically, and respectfully about it and respond with comments.

“Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

This quote comes from an essay Albert Einstein wrote called “The World as I See It.”

What It Means to Me

•       I chose this quote because I believe in every word of it

•       There are so many people out there that work more than most of us will ever have to but don’t get any credit for it. Our garbage men, the people who grow our food, the people who pave our roads and sidewalks.

•       Not only them though, most people in our community work and the work they do has some impact on our society. It is our duty to do our jobs and do our jobs well because someone somewhere out there is affected by what we do even if you don’t think so.

•       The other day a huge tree fell in my neighbors hard because of a bad storm, this man is 83 years old, he is a veteran of Vietnam and has run a farm up until recently when he got sick. He was to sick to cut the tree up himself and as much as I wanted to sleep in and not go cut up a tree on a Saturday morning in 100 degrees I thought about how this man put his life on the line for my freedom and he has worked extremely hard his entire life and it made me feel bad for even thinking about not wanting to cut up a single tree.

Deacon D’s Questions and Reflections

•       My own quote du jour was about an African concept called “ubuntu,” the idea that we are who we are not by virtue of ourselves alone but through our relationship with others. How is that concept related to Einstein’s quote?

•       Learning about one’s ancestors, their characteristics and accomplishments, can be a fascinating means of learning about your own. What personality traits and values of your grandparents (or an even earlier generations) do you see in yourself?

•       Einstein is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds and scientists of all time, and yet he speaks of his debt to others –both living and dead. Outside of our family, who has left a lasting imprint on your life, helping to make you what you are today..

The following is Marisa Zellmer's Quote du Jour.

“Physical bravery is an animal instinct; moral bravery is a much higher and truer courage.”  Wendell Phillips, Slavery Abolitionist (1811-1884)

About Phillips

•       Born in 1811 in Boston, Massachusetts

•       Graduated from Harvard and Harvard Law School

•       Opened his own law practice

•       Stopped practicing law so he could dedicate himself to abolitionist cause

•       Sought good through Christian morality and justice

•       Believed slavery was morally wrong and wanted to make all states free states

•       Later focused on women’s rights, universal suffrage, temperance, and labor movement

•       Wanted to find a moral solution to all situations

Meaning to Me

•       Everyone is able to be physically brave, but very few people will succeed in being morally brave when put in difficult situations

•       To be strong in body and mind are two different things

•       Sometimes we’re scared to go against the grain because of what others may think of us, but we should really only look at how we think of ourselves and stick to what we believe to be right choices

•       Makes me want to be morally brave, even when faced with a hard decision, so people know my true beliefs (not taking the easy way out)

“Stand up for what you believe in-even if it means standing alone.”

Deacon D’s Questions and Reflections

•       Give specific examples of physical bravery and moral courage? How are they similar as well as different?

•       Can a person be physically brave and not morally brave? Vice versa? Can a person be both? Examples?

•       Does brave mean not feeling fear? Why or why not?

The following is Anna Singletary's Quote du Jour. Please review it thoughtfully and give comments that reflect good critical thinking: clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic and fairness.

“Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.” - George Bernard Shaw, 1903

George Bernard Shaw

      July 26, 1856 - November 2, 1950

      From Dublin, Ireland

      He was a playwright (60 plays) and co-founder of London School of Economics

      Also wrote music and literary criticism

Context

      This quote is from Shaw’s play “Man and Superman” in 1903.

      It was also published in 1903 in his collection of satirical epigrams, called “Maxims for Revolutionists.”

      It was a short essay/article of sayings that were untraditional and harshly realistic.

      http://www.bartleby.com/157/6.html

What It Means to Me

      I agree and disagree with this quote because Shaw’s moral applies to some instances, but not all. But I have always found the Golden Rule not to work in some instances, so this quote kind of relates to my beliefs.

      Example: Some people like to be treated with sarcasm, so the Golden Rule says that they should treat everyone with sarcasm. Me personally, I take sarcasm way too seriously.

      I still believe that everyone should treat each other with respect, though.

Deacon D’s Questions and Reflections

•          Shaw’s quote is a good example of critical thinking: questioning assumptions to see if they’re always true, playing “devil’s advocate” to see if/how/why or why not they are really true.

•          Is the main idea of the Golden Rule still true –even if there are exceptions? Why or why not?

•          Try to re-write “the Golden Rule” in a way that takes into account that some people would like to be treated in ways that you might not find right or comfortable.

The following is Emilee Root's Quote du Jour. Please add your comments based on your thoughts and our discussions in class earlier today.

Quote:

“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” -John Lennon (October 9, 1940- December 8, 1980)

Context

•       The meaning of this quote is that if you spend your life planning what you are going to do, and never do it your life will be gone with no spontaneity. If you want to do something do it now, don’t put it off.

•       It is in his song “Beautiful Boy” written to his son Sean Lennon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt3IOdDE5iA

What It Means to Me

I’ve always planned and scheduled things out throughout my life, and from this quote I have learned to look out for the things that are unplanned. The little things that could be passed by sometimes could effect your life the most.

Deacon D’s Questions and Reflections

•       We live in a culture where time is divided into smaller and smaller increments and more and more “productivity” is expected out of the same number of hours. Do you spend time to “be” and not to “do”? How? How are the two different? What is the value of the “be” time?”

•       What does success mean?

•       What things matter most in life, and how do you go about getting those things?