Sense the presence 1) I was once obsessed in an interest fanatically when I was 15. After a few years, Eckhart Tolle’s writing about ego enlightens me. In the book, Tolle states, “Ego is a conglomeration of recurring thought forms and conditioned mental emotional patterns that are invested with a sense of I, a sense of self.” (54) It is tending to mislead, and to confuse the relation between viewpoints and facts. The selective perception and the distorted interpretation are all produced by the ego and will affect people in their daily life. However, we cannot get rid of ego because it is not wrong, it’s just unconscious. As I read Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth, I realize that awareness means presence, and only presence can dissolve unconsciousness …show more content…
I used to be a super fan of sneaker collection when I was in high school. What kind of shoes others wore in that day would always be my primary impression and I classified people with my preference of shoes. Conversations with friends were related with my hobby in collecting shoes all the time. I knew what kind of Jordan shoes would release in what specific day and spent most of the time searching information online. “A large part of many people’s lives is consumed by an obsessive preoccupation with things.”(37) When I was bound up the sense of worth with things people possessed, this incorrect idea occupied my mind and made me …show more content…
The insistence drove me crazy, actually I know how deep I was immersed in chasing my interest of it. I was so far away with just living in the present. However, it really takes a long period of time for me to aware no matter what brand the shoes is and no matter how much it will cost, a pair of shoes is still a pair of shoes. External evaluation criterion will not change the entity of the object. “Thoughts can be at best point to the truth, but it never is the truth”. (70) When I put too much efforts and expectations on the habit, it becomes a burden. More time and energy I spent, less happiness I gained. I was lost on the way chasing the sense of accomplishment to satisfy the ego instead of the sneaker
One group had kids from the age of 10 to 13 in it the other group was slightly younger. The kids were asked how important brands are to them for different kinds of products. In this survey they also asked the kids how important it is that their sports shoes were from a brand. 73% of the older group answered that it is important to them. That’s a really high number which shows just how much the brands have made their way into the sports industry.
Ownership refers to one having possession or control over something. It can be in regard to tangible goods, or intangible goods that cannot be seen, such as knowledge. Trying to find a relationship between ownership and a sense of self has stirred the minds of philosophers for centuries. Plato argued that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character, while Aristotle claimed that the ownership of tangible goods boosted one’s character. Jean-Paul Sartre extended these beliefs to not only tangible goods but to intangible goods, such as the possession of a skill.
Ali Nolan argues, in “Even When It’s Hard to Run, You Should Run”, that running may seem like a hassle at first glance, but in actuality running improves lives in various ways. Sometimes the time to start running doesn’t seem right or even possible, however an individual needs to make time for it. Contrary to the belief of most inactive people, running actually helps you cope with a busy schedule and is an incredible stress reliever. Nolan is a epitome of this argument because she has a chaotic life, yet she still finds time to train and complete a 20-miler. The usage of pathos, metaphorical language, imagery, and first person, aids the reader in comprehending her viewpoint.
William Hazlitt, a renowned 19th century author, highlights in his famous text “On the Want of Money” his ideas on money and how it plays a part in how a person lives their life. Hazlitt presents the case that money cannot buy happiness as it superficial, but yet life without money will ultimately end in sorrow and “to be scrutinized by strangers, and neglected by friends.” By his extreme control over rhetorical strategies such as diction, syntax, and imagery Hazlitt was able to accurately portray his beliefs on the effect of money on people. The most potent strategy in Hazlitt’s delivery is his diction; he uses this to stress the importance of wealth.
Through analysis of a few of the proposed necessities of personhood–consciousness, intelligence, and self-awareness–the
Anna Quindlen’s use of detail, along with imagery and language, paints a picture of her struggle with attaining perfection while in college. Her speech, often pensive and foreboding, warns of the dangers of pursuing perfection and the joy felt when one gives up that inane dream. Quindlen’s details planted from beginning to end of her speech are designed to get a clear message across to her audience: Don’t try to be perfect. This is elaborated upon when she says, “the thing that is. . .really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself”.
Have you heard about some weird billionaires like Bill Gates? Gates is not only famous for his identity of billionaire but also well known for his asceticism. Applying to Pablo Picasso’s words, “I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money” (515). Live as a rich man but think as a poor man. Living with lots of money does not necessarily restrict humans’ thoughts, if people can adjust themselves well in mental level.
The next day a dull ache pulsated from the sun and a decision was made that changed my life. It is an enormous pleasure to expunge the weight of a destiny designed by expectation. My life was a stencil I was required to trace. For years I waded through facades of freedom mimicking suggested ideals and working hard to never fail at the prophecies placed upon me. My mind was simplified by barriers constructed by everyone I tried to please; as much as life felt dull and unfulfilling I lacked ability to doubt its integrity.
Your sensory senses can be used when watching a TV show or movie since you are able to hear and see what is happening; however, people are also able to experience these same feelings in texts. The use of sensory imagery helps the reader feel the senses that are being expressed in the story and the tone of the author. The tone is important in a story so that the reader can understand how the writer is feeling about the topic. Sensory imagery is used to create a horrific tone in Elie Wiesel’s Night and the tone of despair in Mary Hill’s entry from Excerpts from the Trail of Tears Diary.
The feeling of just running around with a brand-new pair of shoes, the warm sun illuminating the sky as one step after another is taken. It just feels wonderful and free; like anything is possible. In the book “The Sound of Summer Running” by Ray Bradbury, a boy called Douglas wants a pair of new tennis shoes. But, as shown throughout the book, not everyone feels the same way about the topic. Bradbury uses dialogue and figurative language to show how different characters like Douglas and Mr. Sanderson feel about the idea of the new tennis shoes and getting them for Douglas.
Sneaker fanatics or also known as “sneakerheads” are people who buy, sell, trade, and collect sneakers, the most popular kind being Air Jordans. They sleep, dream, and live on the arrivals of the latest shoe. Throughout the course of over 30 years, Air Jordan has designed over a thousand different styles of shoes and colorways and has dominated the sneaker market. Millions of different pairs of Air Jordans have been sold to kids, adults, and even babies. The pairing of Nike and Jordan has turned the company into a cultural icon.
In Anna Quindlen’s essay, Stuff is Not Salvation, she argues that one cannot determine how “better off” they are, by the amount of belongings they possess. Quindlen states that Americans have, “an addiction to consumption, so out of control that it qualifies as a sickness.” However, she is not just referring to an addiction to buying meaningless items, but the idea that people are purchasing items when they have no money. Quindlen validates her argument with the tragedy of a walmart employee that as trampled to death on Black Friday, and the concept that many people have lost their sense of appreciation and gratefulness. She also argues that there are indeed things we need, however, a large majority of people’s perception of want and need are obscured.
His story warns that the pursuit of wealth—even as a means to an end—causes loss, despite the seeming gain. In order to achieve fulfillment, we must abandon that pursuit in favour of the direct pursuit of the things that would do
There are people who buy expensive accessories to make themselves feel more valuable. Attire, Club argues, “They [American society] end up being owned by the things they buy” (Attire, Club). Instead of them taking the time to determine the reason behind buying these expensive, but useless items, they think with their emotions. They let their emotions drive their decisions into buying fancy things in order to show themselves off. People are affected mentally because they think buying material items will boost their confidence within themselves, making them feel more comfortable.
The urge to acquire and own art is a time-honoured one. From the grand patronage of Renaissance popes and princes (not to mention de Medici), to eighteenth-century British aristocrats, or the bulk buying of Europe’s cultural heritage by America’s J. Paul Getty, over the centuries art has been amassed for purposes of propaganda, prestige, intellectual enlightenment and sheer pleasure. Few activities run the gamut of human impulses more comprehensively than the acquisition of art. Yet, however lofty or ignoble the underlying motivation, the cultural significance of art collecting has always extended beyond individual desire.