My View on Consumerism Essay Example for Free

My View on Consumerism Essay The main point of In Praise Of Consumerism by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. was that consumerism is very broad and relates to a lot of different features in everyones everyday life. When Rockwell says consumerism is just another word for freedom in the marketplace. What Rockwell is saying is that any person in the world can buy anything they want because of the widespread variety and costs. Any person could be rich or poor and still have some sort of option even if you had to scavenge materials and build your own item, consumerism plays a role. In todays world technology advances and some people in the world just cannot keep up with it and give up, like smartphones even, I recall seeing an elder woman throwing a new smartphone at the ground in a Verizon cell phone store awhile ago. People today also crave information and with consumerism they are given options to view info differently with your phone, laptop, or even tablet. People in the world today not only want heat in the winter, but they also want air conditioning in the summer, to top that off those heating and air systems are advancing all the time. When it comes to a variety or choice of products is when different manufacturers compete to make the better product. Rockwell says, If something is broken, we want the materials made available to repair it. I can really relate to that quote right now because while Im writing this essay, I am also sewing my backpack together. I went to the local Pac-And-Save store to purchase that sewing kit and I was looking for the cheapest available, but there was only a choice of one but lots of variety in thread color sold separately. I agree with Rockwell when he relates to people wanting creature comforts or a variety of necessities like food, wine, cleaning products, toothpaste, and razors. Some people are limited though when it comes to purchasing some bigger items like Heat pumps for homes or Air Conditioners. New units can cost upwards of 2,000 to 3,000 dollar range, but this is where variety or choice come into play and sometimes you can shop around for a used bargain or even get estimates on new equipment from different businesses to see where your going to save the most money. When money is not a problem people abandon old forms of communication or entertainment for far superior modes of information technology. like Rockwell said. The worlds economy is still not the greatest and because of that many people today want options and choices when it comes to buying anything.People are getting what they want to because of something called Market Economy says Rockwell. Market economy, in Rockwells definition Is nothing but a bunch of people cooperating and innovating to make better lives for themselves. He also states that there is no dog-eat-dog competition which I disagree with. I believe that manufactures of products that consumers want also want there products to be the best so the people designing the product will do whatever it takes to make the other manufacturer look bad or there product look like junk. In this quote Rockwell says, But if by consume we meant to purchase products and services with our own money in order to improve the human condition, who can help but plead guilty? I like that quote about consumerism because it affects our economy in a better way while improving human health globally. In a earlier paragraph Rockwell says, Theres no dog-eat-dog. There is so much competition in the consumerism industry, when theres a new product there are all sorts of people out there to try and make it better. Manufacturers also try to make the product less expensive and so it appeals to a different group of people. If some company in America has a better reputation and they improve that product but maybe mark the costs up because that Made In America sticker costs a little more for labor will get some people to buy it for that reason only not the cost difference. One thing that I think is very good about consumerism is that it can be used to better the human life, health, and just all around living. People are able to purchase things like cough medicine, or vitamins to help simple sicknesses. In the bigger aspects there are scientists that buy products to held find cures and help get rid of viruses. Rockwell says, The whole history of ideas about society has been spent trying to come up with some system that serves the common man rather than just the elites, the rulers, and the powerful. I dont understand what this quote means when I read it, but the next sentence kind of puts it in perspective for me, the story reads, When the Market economy, and its capitalistic structure, came into being, that institution was finally discovered. I derived this from that quote, that leading manufactures have more power over smaller companies. Some People today let Greed take over and they buy superfluous things like Rockwell said. He also said, who is to say what is a need versus a mere want? I think Its all up to the person with the cash buying whatever products it might be. I agree to Rockwell when he says, wants and needs are linked so the one persons necessities are met precisely because other peoples wants are met. Here is an example, A farmer sells his crops to the Co-op And in return he uses the money, for seed, for the next years crop. Market Economy is King over some things in Life, don’t let it get the best of you though. Do research on products before you buy, look at customer reviews, ask people that have purchased a different brand of the same tool, or be straight forward and contact the manufacturer and ask about how many faulty units they have had or any complaints, any of those things can steer you in the right direction when fighting or loving Consumerism.

Comparing the Perversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a S

Perversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman      Ã‚   Throughout History there are many examples of perversions, from sexual, social to the very morals themselves. One of the greatest examples is the continuous corruption of the American Dream. As the Dream evolves, it tends to conform to the illicit dealings of the time and immortals of society. No longer is an individual interested in working hard to achieve goals, it is desirous of the quick fix. Society wants its wishes and wants them now. This social attitude is thoroughly explored in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and by Arthur Miller in his Death of a Salesman. As the instantaneous achievement becomes more valued it gives rise to the lie, the thief and the corrupted character.    Within the two novels there are many examples of a lie, which is "a false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood or something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression." (Webster) The lie in the Great Gatsby has significant meaning, as it portrays Gatsby's quest for the American Dream, and is dedication to achieving it. He will do anything, include lie about his past to achieve his dream, which revolves around Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby loses himself and his interests in hopes of becoming something that Daisy desires, "I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe - Paris, Venice, Rome - collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only. (Fitzgerald 66) Gatsby exploits his lie in a grotesque manner, without any style, which betrays his humble origins. Gatsby's lie also shows his low self-confidence and inability to accept who he is as a person.    The truth w... ...nt of the lie, greed and theft, and the corrupted characters within both novels, although the American Dream is portrayed differently in the books. Both Willy and Gatsby pay the ultimate sacrifice in the end, they both die. This shows the importance of keeping true values and morals within our lives. If there is a lesson to be learned in the books, it is that turning away from good moral principles will result in unhappiness and death. One must always do what is proper and right, honor is important above all things because even if one does not achieve one's dream, then it is known that you did the right thing.    Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1976. Webster's College Dictionary. New York: Random House, 1998.   

College Uneducation Essay

I wish to speak on â€Å"College Uneducation.† Is it possible that our college educationmay â€Å"uneducate† rather than educate? I answer â€Å"Yes.† It is a paradox but nonetheless the truth—the grim, unmerciful truth. We all believe in higher education; else we should not be in the University. At the same time, college education—like all other human devices for human betterment—may build or destroy, lead, or mislead. My ten years’ humble service in the University of the Philippines has afforded me an opportunity to watch the current of ideals and practices of our student body. In some aspects of higher education, most of our students have measured up to their high responsibilities. But in other features—alas, vital ones!—the thoughts and actions of many of them tend to stunt the mind, dry up the heart, and quench the soul. These students are being uneducated in college. I shall briefly discussthree ways in which many of our students are getting college uneducation, for which they pay tuition fees and make unnumbered sacrifices. Book Worship In the first place, there is the all but delirious worship of the printed page. â€Å"What does the book say?† is, by all odds, the most important question in the student’s mind whenever he is faced with any problem calling for his own reasoning. By the same token, may students feel a sort of frenzy for facts till these become as huge as the mountains and the mind is crushed under them. Those students think of nothing but how to accumulate data; hence, their capacity for clear and powerful thinking is paralyzed. How pathetic to hear them argue and discuss! Because they lack the native vitality of unhampered reason, their discourse smacks of cant and sophistry rather than of healthy reasoning and straight thinking. It is thus that many of our students surrender their individuality to the textbook and lose their birthright—which is to think for themselves. And when they attempt to form their own judgment, they become pedantic. Unless a student develops the habit of independent and sound reasoning, his college education is a solemn sham. Compare these hair-splitting college students with Juan de la Cruz in the barrios. Now, Juan de la Cruz has read very little: no undigested mass of learning dulls the edge of his inborn logic, his mind is free from the overwhelming, stultifying weight of unassimilated book knowledge. How penetrating his perception, how unerring his judgment, how solid his common sense! He contemptuously refers to the learned sophists, thus: †Lumabis ang karunungan mo,† which means, â€Å"Your learning is too much.† Professional Philistinism The second manner of college uneducation that I want to speak of is this: most students make professional efficiency the be-all and end-all of college education. They have set their hearts upon becoming highly trained lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, and agriculturists. I shall not stop to inquire into the question of how much blame should be laid at the door of the faculties of the University for this pernicious drift toward undue and excessive specialization. That such a tendency exists is undeniable, but we never pause to count, the cost! We are all of one mind: I believe that college education is nothing unless it widens a man’s vision, broadens his sympathies, and leads him to higher thinking and deep feeling. Yet how can we expect a; this result from a state of affairs which reduces a law student to a code, a prospective doctor to a prescription, and a would-be engineer to a mathematical formula? How many students in our professional colleges are doing any systemat ic reading in literature? May we not, indeed, seriously ask whether this fetish of specialization does not smother the inspiring sense of beauty and the ennobling love of finer things that our students have it in them to unfold into full-blown magnificence. The Jading Dullness of Modern Life â€Å"A thing of beauty is a joy forever,†Ã¢â‚¬ says Keats. But we know that beauty us a matter of taste; and, unless we develop in us a proper appreciation of what is beautiful and sublime, everything around us is tedious and commonplace. We rise early and go out into, but our spirit is responsive to the hopeful quietude and the dew-chastened sweetness of dawn. At night we behold the myriad stars, but they are just so many bright specks—their soft fires do not soothe our troubled hearts, and we do not experience that awesome, soul stirring fascination of theimmense ties of God’s universe. We are bathed in the silver sheen of the moon and yet feel not the beatitude of the moment. We gaze upon a vista of high mountains, but their silent strength has no appeal for us. We read some undying verses; still, their vibrant cadence does not thrill us, and their transcendent though is to us like a vision that vanishes. We look at a masterpiece of the chisel with its eternal gracefulness of lines and properties, yet to us it is no more than a mere human likeness. Tell me, is such a life worth coming to college for? Yet, my friends, the overspecialization which many students pursue with zeal and devotion is bound to result in such an unfeeling, dry-as-dust existence. I may say in passing that the education of the older generation is in this respect far superior to ours. Our older countrymen say, with reason, that the new education does not lawfully cultivate the heart as the old education did. Misguided Zeal Lastly, this selfsame rage for highly specialized training, with a view to distinguished professional success, beclouds our vision of the broader perspectives of life. Our philosophy of life is in danger of becoming narrow and mean because we are habituated to think almost wholly in terms of material wellbeing. Of course we must be practical. We cannot adequately answer this tremendous question unless we thoughtfully develop a proper sense of values and thus learn to separate the dross from the gold, the chaff from the grain of life. The time to do this task is not after but before college graduation; for, when all is said and done, the sum and substance of higher education is the individualformulation of what life is for, with special training in some advanced line of human learning in order that such a life formula may be executed with the utmost effectiveness. But how can we lay down the terms of our philosophy of life if every one of our thoughts is absorbed by the daily assignment, the outside reading, and the laboratory experiment, and when we continuously devour lectures and notes? â€Å"Uneducated† Juan de la Cruz as Teacher Here, again, many of our students should sit at the feet of meagrely educated Juan de la Cruz and learn wisdom. Ah! He is often called ignorant, but he is the wisest of the wise, for he has unravelled the mysteries of life. His is the happiness of the man who knows the whys of human existence. Unassuming Juan de la Cruz cherishes no â€Å"Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself.† His simple and hardy virtues put to shame the studied and complex rules of conduct of highly educated men and women. In adversity, his stoicism is beyond encomium. His love of home, so guilelessly faithful, is the firm foundation of our social structure. And his patriotism has been tested and found true. Can our students learn from Juan de la Cruz, or does their college education unfit them to become his pupils? In conclusion, I shall say that I have observed among many of our students certain alarming signs of college uneducation, and some of these are: (1) lack of independent judgment as well as love of pedantry, because of the worship of the printed page and the feverish accumulation of undigested data; (2) the deadening of the delicate sense of the beautiful and the sublime, on account of overspecialization; and (3) neglect of the formulation of a sound philosophy of life as a result of excessive emphasis on professional training.

Graduation Speech - Original Writing Essay - 1339 Words

My mom drops me off in front of the large store, â€Å"good luck Sarah you will do great! See you at 6† she says as I quickly jump out of the car. I walk up the automatic door with butterflies in my stomach while repeating to myself, â€Å"don t worry you ll be fine† over and over again in hopes if I say it enough it ll become true. The automatic doors open with one swift motion I then walk towards a second set of automatic door. When these doors open I am greeted with a gust of nice cold air and the constant sound of beep beep, shopping carts wheeling around, the sound of cash registers opening, receipts printing off, and bustling people. I freeze trying to figure out where to go in this large store but before I can start to panic I am greeted by a small masculine looking women in her mid 20s with an extremely laid back attitude. â€Å"Here† she says as she tosses me a navy blue polyester smock with the words â€Å"Crosby’s Marketplace† embroidered on the pocket and a cross tie. After I put on the less than fashionable uniform I m escorted over to a register. The women who greeted me introduces herself as Izzy and informs me she will be training me she quickly begins to say â€Å"this button does this, now this one does this, if it is credit press this and save the receipt. And also always remember to say have a nice day†. Wow my first day of work. I am excited and nervous about what is to come as a cashier. I must master the art of talking to customers while managing to press the rightShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech - Original Writing1036 Words   |  5 PagesIn the back seat, intently listening to the words coming through the speakers, what is this I hear? Something so soulful, full of emotion, and life, it s as if I entered into another dimension, floating on a cloud of serenity. This feeling abruptly ended with a goodbye kiss as I prepare to enter the school building. I was enjoying my early morning schedule, le arning about simple mathematics, how to get along with my peers, playing at recess, but I couldn t wait to get lost again, leave the earthlyRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing980 Words   |  4 PagesBy the time that Landon and I arrived to his mansion, the party had already started. Crazy, intoxicated teenagers were swaying their hips and doing every provocative move they could think of to the beat of the horrid, meaningless music. Guys were desperately trying to get laid and the girls were loitering around, all over the place, taking photos and slurring their every word. Nothing good ever came out of partying-I could already tell that I was going to regret my actions by tomorrow morningRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing1385 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Natalia! we have to go to this dance! Please!† â€Å"You got money Roxy? because I sure do not!†. â€Å"Well no, but your mom will buy us tickets! Ha-ha!† â€Å"Well that is true, but you are asking her!† â€Å"What why she s your mom!† â€Å"But that s your mom! Lights flashing day and night, cars and taxi’s stuck in the day rush and the night to endure the spotlight, but in North Brooklyn there was to girls, two girls who were friends since 6th grade. They went through many hardships but still always managed to comeRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing898 Words   |  4 PagesAs long as I can remember I ve never been good at writing essays, especially under a time limit. There s just something about the pressure that makes me freeze up and I end up writing barely anything. I’ve struggled with it for the longest time, and I’ve tried to get better, but it’s a challenge for me. It all started in the third grade. I was deskbound in my third grade classroom with my friends, looking at all the decorations on the walls. It was approaching Thanksgiving break, so there wereRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing953 Words   |  4 PagesIt s the minute details that are vital: the small things are what make big things happen. There are certain flashbacks of one’s childhood that stay forever in one’s mind. There is one day in particular that is still fresh in my mind. It was the fall of third grade, and I forgot to pray Shacharit that morning. My evident passion for Tefillah began at a young age. As the realization dawned on me, tears were suddenly streaming down my face. This had never occurred to me before, and I felt nervousRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing992 Words   |  4 Pagesother alumni are in jail, died in the zombie apocalypse a while back, or have been wiped off the face of the earth somehow, I don’t know, I cou ldn’t possibly care any less about those that I went to high school with and that are there after me. Graduation was one of the better days of my young life. If you haven’t figured it out, I was not a fan of high school. They couldn’t pay or beg me enough to teach at any high school here in the county, hence why I am teaching at the middle school level, asRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing943 Words   |  4 Pages It was my 5th grade ceremony at Anthony Burns Elementary School, and I was standing in line to get my certificate. The school’s principal called my name to accept my certificate for â€Å"AB Honor Roll† and â€Å"Excellence in Math.† I was looking into the massive crowd, and my mother, along with my Uncle Chris and Aunt Saundra, were cheering me on with jubilant faces. I remember how intense the moment was, and the overwhelming feeling’s of love i received; I was proud. As I made my way across the stageRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing800 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Wake up,it’s time to go to Tennessee!† my mama exclaimed.I couldn’t believe that this day had come.It felt like I had waited forever for this much needed vacation from the hectic schedule of school. †I need to make sure I have everything.† I yelled.My brother was going,along with some of the church youth group.I was so excited that I could barely think straight.We were gone from September 4-6,which was Labor Day weekend.The reason we were going to Tennessee was to white-water raft.When we got toRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing1036 Words   |  5 Pages It had been a long hot summer, and I was very excited for school to begin, I even found a new backpack on the internet that I wanted to buy, although this never would happen, I was still happy that the summer was almost over. I couldn t wait. Every day of August I had checked the mail. But one day when I saw the mail truck, I sprinted down the driveway, I would ve been hit by a car is one was there. I opened the mailbox, grabbed the mail, and ran back up, well I should say tried. I trippedRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing1311 Words   |  6 PagesSetting my suitcase and bags next to my bed, I glanced around seeing that most of the things I kept here were where I left where I ha don t them two months ago. summer break recently ended and class was scheduled to resume on Monday. It was my last year here at Maxwell College of Arts and I could already tell that this year was going to be stressful. Being 21, almost 22 in September, I was ready to take on life. Ever since I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to share my music with