Existentialism is a philosophical movement that deals with human freedom. Existentialism itself is a revolt against traditional philosophy; it has been labeled a philosophy but a definition is difficult as its proponents have a marked difference in outlook.[citation needed] Existentialist thought concerns itself with trying to understand fundamentals of the human condition and its relation to the world around us. Basic questions include, 'what is it like to be a human in the world?' and 'what is the nature of human freedom?'.
Existentialism can be seen as a philosophical movement that rejects the belief that life has an inherent meaning, but instead requires each individual to posit his or her own subjective values.[citation needed] Existentialism, unlike other fields of philosophy, does not treat the individual as a concept, and values individual subjectivity over objectivity. As a result, questions regarding existence and subjective experience are seen as being of paramount importance, and initially above all other scientific and philosophical pursuits.
There are several philosophical positions, all related to existential philosophy, but the main identifiable common proposition is that existence precedes essence, i.e. that a human exists before his or her existence has value or meaning. Humans define the value or meaning of both their existence and the world around them in their own subjectivity, and wander between choice, freedom, and existential angst. Existentialism often is associated with anxiety, dread, awareness of death, and freedom. Famous existentialists include Dostoevsky, Sartre, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Camus (although he defines himself as an Absurdist and disagreed with many of Sartre's ideas[citation needed]), Fanon, Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo, and Simone de Beauvoir.
Existentialism emphasizes action, freedom, and decision as fundamental to human existence; it is fundamentally opposed to the rationalist tradition and to positivism. That is, it argues against definitions of human beings as primarily rational. More generally it rejects all of the Western rationalist definitions of "being" in terms of a rational principle or essence, or as the most general feature that all existing things share in common. Camus posits that society and religion falsely teach humans that "the other" (i.e. the world of observable phenomena outside the self) has order and structure.[1] In fact, all attempts by the individual, termed "consciousness," to attempt to map an order or purpose onto "the other" will be met with failure, as "the other" is non-rational and random. When "consciousness" longing for order collides with "the other's" lack of order, a third element is born, "the Absurd."
It then follows that Existentialism tends to view human beings as subjects in an indifferent, objective, often ambiguous, and "Absurd" universe, in which meaning is not provided by the natural order, but rather can be created, however provisionally and unstably, by human beings' actions and interpretations.
Although there are certain common tendencies amongst existentialist thinkers, there are major differences and disagreements among them, and not all of them even affiliate themselves with or accept the validity of the term "existentialism". In German, the phrase Existenzphilosophie (philosophy of existence) is also used.
Contents
1 Historical background
1.1 Kierkegaard and Nietzsche
1.2 Heidegger and the German existentialists
1.3 Sartre, Camus, Ionesco and the French existentialists
1.4 Dostoevsky, Kafka, and the literary existentialists
1.5 Existentialism since 1970
2 Major concepts in existentialism
2.1 Sartrean existentialism
3 Criticisms of existentialism
4 Existentialism in psychotherapy
5 Terror management theory
6 Existentialism in popular culture
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
Historical background
Existential themes have been hinted at throughout history in Abrahamic philosophy and Buddhist philosophy. Examples include Socrates and his life, Gautama Buddha's teachings, the Bible in the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job, Saint Augustine in his Confessions, Mulla Sadra's writings, and Descartes' Meditations. Individualist politics, such as those advanced by John Locke, advocated individual autonomy and self-determination rather than the state ruling over the individual. This kind of political philosophy, although not existential in nature, provides a welcoming climate for existentialism.
In 1670, Blaise Pascal's unfinished notes were published in the form of the poem, Pensées. In the work, he described many fundamental themes of existentialism. Pascal argued that without a God, life would be meaningless and miserable. People would only be able to create obstacles and overcome them in an attempt to escape boredom. These token-victories would ultimately become meaningless, since people would eventually die. This was good enough reason not to choose to become an atheist according to Pascal.
Existentialism, in its currently recognizable 20th century form, was inspired by Søren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky and the German philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche, Edmund Husserl, and Martin Heidegger. It became popular in the mid-20th century through the works of the French writer-philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, whose versions of it were set out in a popular form in Sartre's 1946 Existentialism is a Humanism and Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity.
Gabriel Marcel pursued theological versions of existentialism, most notably Christian existentialism. Other theological existentialists include Paul Tillich, Rudolf Bultmann, Miguel de Unamuno, Thomas Hora and Martin Buber. Moreover, one-time Marxist, Nikolai Berdyaev, developed a philosophy of Christian existentialism in his native Russia, and later in France, in the decades preceding World War II.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Arthur Schopenhauer are also important influences on the development of existentialism (although not precursors) because the philosophies of Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche were written in response or opposition to Hegel and Schopenhauer, respectively.
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche
The first philosophers considered fundamental to the existentialist movement are Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, though neither used the term 'existentialism'. Like Pascal, they were interested in people's concealment of the meaninglessness of life and their use of diversion to escape from boredom. However, what Pascal did not write about was that people can create and change their fundamental values and beliefs. Kierkegaard and Nietzsche wrote that human nature and human identity vary depending on what values and beliefs humans hold. [2] [3] Objective truths (e.g. mathematical truths) are important, but detached or observational modes of thought can never truly comprehend human experience. Great individuals invent their own values and create the very terms under which they excel. Kierkegaard's knight of faith and Nietzsche's Übermensch are examples of those who define the nature of their own existence. In contrast, Pascal did not reason that human nature and identity are constituted by the free decisions and choices of people.
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche died too soon to be a part of the 20th century existentialist movement. They were unique philosophers and their works and influence are not limited to existentialism. They have been appropriated and seen as precursors to many other intellectual movements, including postmodernism, nihilism, and various strands of psychology. Thus, it is unknown whether they would have supported the existentialism of the 20th century or accepted tenets of Jean-Paul Sartre's version of it. Nevertheless, their works are precursors to many later developments in existentialist thought.
Heidegger and the German existentialists
One of the first German existentialists was Karl Jaspers. Jaspers recognized the importance of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche and attempted to build an "existenz" philosophy around the two. Heidegger, who was influenced by Jaspers and the phenomenologist Edmund Husserl, wrote his most influential work Being and Time which postulates Dasein, literally being there, a being that is constituted by its temporality, illuminates and interprets the meaning of being in time. Dasein is sometimes considered the human subject, but Heidegger denies the Cartesian dualism of subject-object/mind-body.
Although existentialists view Heidegger to be an important philosopher in the movement, he vehemently denied being an "existentialist" in the Sartrean sense, and responded to Sartre in "A Letter about Humanism" denying his philosophy was existentialism.
Sartre, Camus, Ionesco and the French existentialists
Jean-Paul Sartre is perhaps the most well-known existentialist and is one of the few to have accepted being called an "existentialist". Sartre developed his version of existentialist philosophy under the influence of Husserl and Heidegger. Being and Nothingness is perhaps his most important work about existentialism. Sartre was also talented in his ability to espouse his ideas in different mediums, including philosophical essays, lectures, novels, plays and the theatre. No Exit and Nausea are two of his celebrated works. In the 1960s, he attempted to reconcile Existentialism and Marxism in his work the Critique of Dialectical Reason.
Albert Camus was a friend of Sartre, until their falling-out, and wrote several works with existential themes including The Rebel, The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus. He, like many others, rejected the existentialist label, and considered his works to be Absurdist. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus uses the analogy of the Greek myth to demonstrate the futility of existence. In the myth, Sisyphus is condemned to roll a rock up a hill for eternity, but when he reaches the summit the rock will roll back to the bottom again. Camus believes that this existence is pointless, but he feels Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it.
Ionesco wove the existential belief that man is an absurd creature loose in a universe empty of real meaning into his plays.[4]
Simone de Beauvoir, who was a long time companion to Sartre, wrote about feminist and existential ethics in her works, including The Second Sex and Ethics of Ambiguity.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty, an often overlooked existentialist, was a companion of Sartre's. His understanding of Husserl's phenomenology was far greater than that of his fellow existentialists. His work, Humanism and Terror, greatly influenced Sartre.
Michel Foucault would also be considered an existentialist through his use of history to reveal the constant alterations of created meaning, thus proving its failure to produce a cohesive form of reality.
Dostoevsky, Kafka, and the literary existentialists
Many writers who are not usually considered philosophers have also had a major influence on existentialism. Franz Kafka created characters who struggle with hopelessness and absurdity, notably in his master work, The Trial. Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground details the story of a man who is unable to fit into society and unhappy with the identities he creates for himself. Many of Dostoyevsky's novels, such as Crime and Punishment have covered issues pertinent to existential philosophy while simultaneously refuting the validity of the claims of existentialism (notably the 'superman' theory advocated by Nietzsche). Throughout Crime and Punishment we see the protagonist, Raskolnikov, and his character develop away from existential ideas and beliefs in favor of more traditionally Christian ones, showing that Dostoevsky was still very much a Christian thinker.
In the 20th century, existentialism experienced a resurgence in popular art forms. In fiction, Hermann Hesse's 1928 novel Steppenwolf, based on an idea in Kierkegaard's Either/Or (1843), sold well in the West. Jack Kerouac and the Beat poets adopted existentialist themes. In addition, "arthouse" films began quoting and alluding to existentialist thought and thinkers.
Existentialist novelists were generally seen as a mid-1950s phenomenon that continued until the mid- to late 1970s. Most of the major writers were either French or from French African colonies. Small circles of other Europeans were seen as literary existential precursors by the existentialists themselves, however, literary history increasingly has questioned the accuracy of this idealism for earlier models.
There is overlap between the expatriate American beat generation writers who found Paris their spiritual home, and writers of road novels. This also extends to the delayed action of the French permanent enamorment with U.S.' hard boiled, which, as Truffaut and others in the Cahiers du Cinéma indicated, influenced novels and plays. To some extent as well, the surrealist movement of Andre Breton and others, which questioned the established reality, made possible the isolation of non-academic novels protagonised by amoral anti-heroes. This curriculum is known to be taught by aspiring monk Jack Keithley.
Existentialism since 1970
Although postmodernist thought became the focus of many intellectuals in the 1970s and thereafter, much postmodern writing considers themes similar to existentialism.
One should not, however, confuse postmodernism with existentialism. Existential cinema deals more with the themes of:
Retaining authenticity in an apathetic, mechanical world -- something postmodernism would staunchly reject, as authenticity is related to a non-existent "reality".
The consciousness of death; e.g. Heidegger's 'being towards death', exemplified in Ingmar Bergman's film "The Seventh Seal" (1957).
The feelings of alienation and loneliness consequent to being unique in a world of indifferent others, or, in Kierkegaard phrase, "the crowd" or Nietzsche's "the herd".
The concept Alltägliche selbstsein ("Everyday-ness," or ennui) which Heidegger explicated in his book Sein und Zeit (1927), (English translation Being and Time).
Since 1970, much cultural activity in art, cinema, and literature contains postmodern and existential elements, which, ironically, would support the postmodern thesis of "borderlessness between concepts". Books such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, (now republished as "Blade Runner"), by Philip K. Dick, and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk both distort the line between reality and appearance while simultaneously espousing strong existential themes. Ideas from such thinkers as Foucault, Kafka, Nietzsche, Herbert Marcuse and Eduard von Hartmann permeate the works of writers such as Chuck Palahniuk, and Charles Bukowski, and one often finds in such works a delicate balance between distastefulness and beauty.
In cinema, postmodern editing techniques, showing the displacement, discontinuity, and temporal perspective of postmodernism, can go hand-in-hand with a purely existential story, thus synthesizing technique and function to give meaning. Moreover, this has created the neologism "Neo-Existentialism"--combining postmodernism's epistemology with the reflective ontological belief of existentialism.
The acclaimed 1976 film Taxi Driver, starring Robert DeNiro, is perhaps one of the most widely known existential films. The film was heavily influenced by Dosteovsky's Notes from Underground and even quotes Dosteovsky in the line: "I'm God's lonely man." The 2004 film The Machinist is also influenced by Dosteovsky's work, especially The Double: A Petersburg Poem, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov. In one scene in the film, star Christian Bale is seen reading a copy of The Idiot. The 1972 film Deliverance, as well as the 1970 book of the same name, have also been credited as existentialist, as has the 1999 film Fight Club.
Major concepts in existentialism
Existentialism differentiates itself from the modern Western rationalist tradition of philosophers such as Descartes and Husserl in rejecting the idea that the most certain and primary reality is rational consciousness. Descartes believed humans could doubt all existence, but could not will away or doubt the thinking consciousness, whose reality is therefore more certain than any other reality. Existentialism decisively rejects this argument, asserting instead that as conscious beings, humans would always find themselves already in a world, a prior context and a history that is given to consciousness, and that humans cannot think away that world. It is inherent and indubitably linked to consciousness. In other words, the ultimate, certain, indubitable reality is not thinking consciousness but, according to Heidegger, "being in the world". This is a radicalization of the notion of intentionality that comes from Brentano and Husserl, which asserts that, even in its barest form, consciousness is always conscious of something. Existentialists also believe existence precedes essence, rather than essence preceding existence, man defines his own reality.
Sartre, unlike Kierkegaard, denies the existence of God. Sartre argues that without God, there is no higher power to define man. However, there are versions of existentialism that are religious. Theological existentialism as advocated by philosophers and theologians like Paul Tillich, Gabriel Marcel, and Martin Buber posits God's existence, as well as accepting many tenets of atheistic existentialism. Belief in God is a personal choice made on the basis of a passion, of faith, an observation or experience. Just as atheistic existentialists can freely choose not to believe, theistic existentialists can freely choose to believe in God and could, despite one's doubt, have faith that God exists and that God is good.
A third type of existentialism is agnostic existentialism. Again, it is a matter of choice to be agnostic. The agnostic existentialist makes no claim to know, or not know, if there is a "greater picture" in play; rather, he simply recognizes that the greatest truth is that which he chooses to act upon. The agnostic existentialist feels that to know the "greater picture", whether there is one or not, is impossible for human minds--or if it is not impossible, that at least he has not found it yet. Like Christian existentialists, the agnostic believes existence is subjective. However one feels about the issue, through the agnostic existentialist's perspective, the act of finding knowledge of the existence of God often has little value because he feels it to be impossible, and/or believes it to be useless.
As mentioned above, opinions of philosophers associated with existentialism vary, sometimes greatly, over what "existentialism" is, and even if there is such a thing as "existentialism". One version, Sartrean existentialism, is elaborated below.
Sartrean existentialism
Some of the tenets associated with the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre include:
Existence precedes essence: This is a reversal of the Aristotlean premise that essence precedes existence, where man is created to fulfil some telos and life consists of fulfilling that goal. Unlike tools that are created to fulfill a purpose (e.g. a pair of scissors is created for the express purpose of cutting things), Sartrean existentialism argues man exists without purpose, finds himself in the world and defines the meaning of his existence.
Identities are constructed by the individual consciousness only: As an extension of the first tenet, the individual consciousness constructs a "self" or "identity" for itself. An "identity" can include beliefs, projects, and various other things of value. Sartre argues that no one else, including God, can choose your "identity" for you. Kierkegaard's knight of faith and Nietzsche's Übermensch are some such examples of those who create their own "identity".
Values are subjective: Sartre accepts the premise that something in the "Facticity" is valuable because the individual consciousness chooses to value it. Sartre denies there are any objective standards on which to base values. However this should not be confused with postmodernism. Sartre clearly believed that systems of consciousness followed clear and solid rules. See: the preceperi, bad faith the look, being for others.
The preceperi: is the thought of watching one's being. When I count I am not counting but rather I am aware of my awareness which is counting. The preceperi is similar to what today is called insight. It is necessary to get rid of bad faith.
Bad faith: Sartre believed that people lie to themselves and underneath these lies people negate their own being through patterns. The idea is similar to unconscious self-defeating patterns or the notion of "pathologies" which was popular in Freud psychiatry at the time. Sartre however disagrees with Freud on many points.
The look: Sartre believed that beings possess the power to look at themselves and at another or an object, which is to use one's mind to look at the person in static. This destroys an object's subjectivity. The thing becomes an "in itself" or an object. Sartre stated that this form of consciousness was used quite often in inter-personal relationships.
Being for others: Sartre believed that people who cannot embrace their freedom seek to be "looked at" i.e. to be made an object of another's subjectivity. This creates a clash of freedoms whereby person A's being (or sense of identity) is controlled by what person B's thoughts about them are. This can lead to false feelings of love or at its highest level masochism/sadism which are forms of the same structure but with an underlying desire of the participants to experience guilt.
Responsibility for choices: The individual consciousness is responsible for all the choices he makes, regardless of the consequences. Sartre claims that to deny the responsibility is to be in bad faith. Here, existentialists draw on psychological concepts to investigate feelings such as angst and despair that arise by being in bad faith. Kierkegaard's works The Concept of Anxiety and The Sickness Unto Death are works that deal with such feelings.
Condemned to be free: Because our actions and choices are ours and ours alone, we are condemned to be responsible for our free choices.
There are several terms Sartre uses in his works. Being in-itself is an object that is not free and cannot change its essence. Being for-itself is free: it does not need to be what it is and can change into what it is not. Consciousness is usually considered being for-itself. Sartre distinguishes between positional and non-positional consciousness. Non-positional consciousness is being merely conscious of one's surroundings. Positional consciousness puts consciousness into relation of one's surroundings. This entails an explicit awareness of being conscious of one's surroundings. Sartre argues identity is constructed by this explicit awareness of consciousness.
In Repetition, Kierkegaard's literary character Young Man laments:
How did I get into the world? Why was I not asked about it, why was I not informed of the rules and regulations but just thrust into the ranks as if I had been bought by a peddling shanghaier of human beings? How did I get involved in this big enterprise called actuality? Why should I be involved? Isn't it a matter of choice? And if I am compelled to be involved, where is the manager—I have something to say about this. Is there no manager? To whom shall I make my complaint? [5]
Building on this, Heidegger, and later Sartre, dubbed the term "thrownness" to describe this idea that human beings are exposed to or "thrown" into, existence - in that we have no choice to come into existence. Existentialists consider being thrown into existence as prior to, and the horizon or context of, any other thoughts or ideas that humans have or definitions of themselves that they create.
This explanation of existentialism strongly favors a non-religious approach. Even in quoting Kierkegaard, a Christian existentialist, his words are used to support the anxiety and nothingness of the philosophy- which are definitely two fundamental elements, but not any more important than free will and decision.
Criticisms of existentialism
Herbert Marcuse criticized existentialism, especially in Sartre's Being and Nothingness, for projecting certain features of living in a modern, oppressive society, such as anxiety and meaninglessness, onto the nature of existence itself: "In so far as Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine, it remains an idealistic doctrine: it hypothesizes specific historical conditions of human existence into ontological and metaphysical characteristics. Existentialism thus becomes part of the very ideology which it attacks, and its radicalism is illusory" [6]. Sartre responded to Marxist criticisms of Existentialism in the work Existentialism is a humanism.
Theodor Adorno, in his Jargon of Authenticity, criticized Heidegger's philosophy, with special attention to his use of language, as a mystifying ideology of advanced industrial society and its power structure.[citation needed]
Heidegger criticized Sartre's Existentialism, in his Letter on Humanism:
existentialism says: Existence precedes essence. In this statement he [Sartre] is taking existentia and essentia according to their metaphysical meaning, which from Plato’s time on has said that essentia precedes existentia. Sartre reverses this statement. But the reversal of a metaphysical statement remains a metaphysical statement. With it he stays with metaphysics in oblivion of the truth of Being.
Roger Scruton claimed, in his book From Descartes to Wittgenstein, that both Heidegger's concept of inauthenticity and Sartre's concept of bad faith were inconsistent; both deny any universal moral creed, yet speak of these concepts as if everyone were bound to abide by them. In chapter 18, he writes,"In what sense Sartre is able to 'recommend' the authenticity which consists in the purely self-made morality is unclear. He does recommend it, but, by his own argument, his recommendation can have no objective force." Familiar with this sort of argument, Sartre claimed that bad and good faith do not represent moral ideas, rather, they are ways of being.
Logical positivists, such as Carnap and Ayer, claim that existentialists frequently become confused over the verb "to be" in their analyses of "being".[citation needed] The verb is prefixed to a predicate and to use the word without any predicate is meaningless. Borrowing Kant's argument against the ontological argument for the existence of God, they argue that existence is not a property.
Existentialism in psychotherapy
Many of the theories of Sigmund Freud, whom Sartre refuted systematically, were influenced by Nietzsche. Some have supposed that Thanatos and Eros were closely related to Dionysian and Apollonian aspects of Nietzsche philosophy.
One of the major offshoots of Existentialism as a philosophy is Existential Psychology. Sometimes termed the Third Force Psychology, this branch of psychology was initiated by Viktor Frankl who had studied with Freud and Jung when young. Then early in his career he was sent to the Nazi Concentration camps where he survived from 1941 through 1945. In the camps he mentally re-wrote his first book whose manuscript had been confiscated at the time of his arrest. He called his theory Logotherapy and the book was Man's Search for Meaning. Speaking at a seminar in Anaheim, California in the early 90's, Frankl stated that in the camps he would, at times, pretend to himself that he was actually in the future, remembering his experiences and noting how he was able to survive them. His years of suffering took him to the conclusion that even in the worst imaginable of circumstances, life can be assigned a worthwhile meaning. This conclusion was the heart of Frankl's psychological orientation. Logotherapy asserts that all human beings have a will to find meaning, and that serious behavioral problems develop when they cannot find it. The therapy helps patients handle the responsibility of choices and the pain of unavoidable suffering by helping them decide to give life meaning.
An early contributor to Existential Psychology was Rollo May who was influenced by Kierkegaard.
One of the most prolific writers on techniques and theory of Existential Psychology is Irvin D. Yalom.
With complete freedom to decide, and through being responsible for the outcome of said decisions, comes anxiety--or angst--about the choices made. Anxiety's importance in existentialism makes it a popular topic in psychotherapy. Therapists often use existential philosophy to explain the patient's anxiety. Psychotherapists using an existential approach believe that the patient can harness his or her anxiety and use it constructively. Instead of suppressing anxiety, patients are advised to use it as grounds for change. By embracing anxiety as inevitable, a person can use it to achieve his or her full potential in life.
Humanistic psychology also had major impetus from existential psychology and shares many of the fundamental tenets.
Terror management theory
Terror management theory is a developing area of study within the academic study of psychology. It looks at what researchers claim to be the implicit emotional reactions of people, when they are confronted with the psychological terror of knowing we will eventually die.
Existentialism in popular culture
In the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the character Jean Girard claims the French invented Existentialism.
During the witty introduction sequence of the 1957 film Love in the Afternoon it is said that "even existentialists" make love in Paris.
The 2004 film I ♥ Huckabees revolved around two existential detectives, who aimed to help people solve their personal existential crises. The film did, however, provide a more optimistic existential belief.
The band the Exies is named after existentialism.
Australian band TISM have a song called ExistentialTism.
The Cure's first single, "Killing an Arab" (1979), was based on the novel "L'Étranger" ("The Stranger") by Albert Camus.
The band Straylight Run was made famous almost overnight by their popular single Existentialism on Prom Night, a song that does in fact deal with the basic existential issues common to the teenage experience.
The burlesque existentialist is a stock character of the popular imagination, dressed in black and uttering gnomic assertions about life and the universe. [verification needed]
Existentialism was parodied in Paul Jennings's theory of resistentialism.
THOM PAIN (based on nothing) by Will Eno.
Much of Jhonen Vasquez's work contain heavy tones of Existentialism.
A Calvin and Hobbes strip depicts two versions of Calvin fighting. Hobbes remarks, "How existential can you get?"
The Prologue in Godspell includes an actor playing the part of Jean-Paul Sartre singing "Atheistic existentialism which I represent is more coherent, I do believe it."
Musician Tom "T-Bone" Stankus performs a song entitled Existential Blues in which he makes numerous allusions to philosophical concepts.
See also
Simulated reality
References
↑ Camus, Albert. "An Absurd Reasoning"
↑ Luper, Steven. "Existing". Mayfield Publishing, 2000, p.4-5
↑ Ibid, p. 11
↑ Kernan, Alvin B. The Modern American Theater: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1967.
↑ Kierkegaard, Søren. Repetition in Kierkegaard's Writings, vol. 6, Princeton University Press, 1983
↑ Marcuse, Herbert. "Sartre's Existentialism". Printed in Studies in Critical Philosophy. Translated by Joris De Bres. London: NLB, 1972. p. 161
Further reading
Appignanesi, Richard, and Oscar Zarate (2001). Introducing Existentialism. Cambridge, UK: Icon. ISBN 1-84046-266-3.
Cooper, David E. (1999). Existentialism: A Reconstruction, 2nd ed., Oxford, UK: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-21322-8.
Luper, Steven (ed.) (2000). Existing: An Introduction to Existential Thought. Mountain View, Calif.: Mayfield. ISBN 0-7674-0587-0.
Marino, Gordon (ed.) (2004). Basic Writings of Existentialism. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-375-75989-1.
Pirsig, Robert M. (1974). Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. New York: Morrow. ISBN 0-688-00230-7.
Solomon, Robert C. (ed.) (2005). Existentialism, 2nd ed., New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517463-1.
Appignanesi, Richard (2006). Introducing Existentialism, 3nd ed., Thriplow, Cambridge: Icon Books (UK), Totem Books (USA). ISBN 1-84046-717-7.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Existentialism
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Health Coverage While Unemployed
A key decision that millions of Americans face each year is whether to elect "COBRA" “HIPAA” or “COBRA alternative” health care continuation coverage when they lose employer-provided health coverage. About two thirds of all Americans are covered by employer-provided health coverage but with the recent increase in layoffs across the country, the number of workers losing these employer-provided health benefits is at a record level. Workers typically have three or more options available and the cost can vary dramatically between the various choices available. Some may opt to take no health insurance coverage and bear the financial risk themselves. In order to make the best decision, they need to know about two laws, COBRA and HIPAA.COBRAEmployers who have over 20 employees and offer group health coverage are required to offer continued coverage to their workers, former workers or dependents who lose eligibility for the group health plan. This benefit does not apply if the health plan withdrawals coverage or if the employer terminates the group health plan before the worker is enrolled under the COBRA benefit. When workers lose health insurance coverage, COBRA is usually not the best solution unless the employee or a dependent is in the middle of a course of medical treatment because this is the most expensive health coverage option. But in some cases, for example, if a worker has serious medical conditions or the worker’s spouse is pregnant, COBRA coverage may be desirable.HIPAAMost group health plans offer members the right to convert to a variety of individual plans while preserving continuation of coverage benefit. In many cases you may also change to another insurance plan in your local market by providing evidence that you were covered by a prior health plan. For “preferred risk” applicants, changing insurance plans can result in significant savings, but this will generally will not be an appealing option for those with significant pre-existing conditions. COBRA ALTERNATIVESFor the majority of healthy workers who just want to be protected from unforeseen medical expense until they land another job, short term medical coverage is the best answer. This coverage is issued online within minutes, covers all ordinary any necessary medical treatment from any medical provider in the United States and requires no referrals. The cost of this coverage is less than 1/2 of the price of COBRA plans. The two downsides are that this coverage does not cover pre-existing conditions and you must re-enroll after 6 months. ELECTING NO COVERAGEIndividuals in some states may wisely elect to keep no health coverage while unemployed with the knowledge that they can join a health plan at any time, even after they are receiving medical treatments, and have all of their medical expenses for pre-existing medical conditions covered by the new plan. Three of these states are New Jersey, New York and Vermont. The negative is that this type of health coverage, if needed, is ridiculously expensive. Some plans in these states run more than $2000 per month for family coverage.RESOURCESIRS Notice 98-12 provides this information in the form of questions and answers. The IRS publication on this subject can be found at ftp://ftp.irs.ustreas.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-98-12.pdfWww.MedSave.com offers online enrollment for short term medical insurance nationwide and professional enrollment support by telephone at (877)-529-7435.
Using Consumer Reports' Health Plan Ratings
It has always been difficult for consumers who purchase health insurance to find meaningful data on the quality of the available plans. It has been even more difficult, I think, for a health insurance buyer to translate the published data into conclusions relevant to their own purchasing situation since most individual and small business purchasers have different concerns than the majority of employees of larger corporations. Much of the available data just is not relevant to individuals and small businesses. But now the "king of all ratings" - Consumer Reports Magazine - has spoken on the issue of health insurance plans, I think it makes sense to defer to them and consider how this well-known rating system might be useful for buyers of health plans. Consumer Reports published a review of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Preferred Provided Organizations (PPO) health plans in their October 2001 issue. The report is available free online. Like most other CR reports, you have to be knowledgeable in the subject material and really read between the lines to get the true value of the ratings report. Since my company MedSave.com doesn't handle HMOs and I personally don't like them, I skipped that section. The report on PPOs is likely to be much more interesting to most individual or small businesses buyers of health insurance. Certainly HMOs are the right answer – or even the only answer - in some situations, but I just think that “quality shopping for a HMO” is an oxymoron. But the flexible design of PPO plans in today’s market makes it is more likely that a shopper will find an attractive value in a PPO plan rather than in an HMO.Six of the seven top-ranked PPO networks are operated by local Blue Cross associations. This is good news unless you happen to be among of the majority of Americans who does not live in one of these six geographic service regions, or you can't afford the generally high costs that come with a premium Blue Cross/Blue Shield health plan. This is the most significant result of the CR report: Blue Cross PPO networks are doing a good job satisfying their members. Certainly these are premium-care, premium-cost plans. Unfortunately, with average family premiums well above $700 per month, many individual and small business buyers simply cannot afford the cost of these plans.The highest-ranking private national PPO plan was Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS). This was great to see because I've always recommended PHCS and personally felt they were the best option for the largest group of buyers, but I had no hard evidence to back up this opinion. PHCS health plans are available in some form to everyone in all 50 states through a variety of insurance plans and uninsured plans. The insurance plans are available to perhaps 80% of small businesses and 50% of healthy individuals, but individuals with health problems will have trouble finding one of these plans. Beware of the uninsured “discount plans”. The concept is good, but the price is not. It is highly unlikely that this is a good financial deal for any buyer. Unfortunately these plans are hyped on the Web and junk e-mail to the point where we cannot seem to get away from them.The most attractive feature of the PHSC health network plans is that they often can be combined with other cost-saving plan design features like preferred-risk and preferred-industry discounts, high deductible plans and Medical Savings Accounts. With high deductible plans, keep in mind that you still benefit from direct in-network claims processing and substantial provider discounts even if your bill is lower than the policy deductible. A benefits consultant can design a plan to fit almost any budget simply by adjusting the levels of insurance coverage.Most health plans today offer a variety of PPO network choices, and it is often possible to use more than one PPO network within a single health insurance plan. In some locations a small local PPO may be strong choice, but might not even be listed in the CR rating system due to its size. Often an individual or small business located in a rural area may wisely select a PPO based solely on the participation of the dominant hospital system in their own community despite a lower rating in the CR survey.In any event, I think that most of us would agree that "more news is good news" when it comes to providing public information about the quality of our nation's health insurance plans.
Communication 101
Do you remember what it’s like to learn to drive a standard shift car? Or to play a musical instrumental? Or ride a bicycle? At first the task seems impossible, far too complex to ever be coordinated from your one body and one mind. But with encouragement and lots of clumsy practice, we do begin to learn.Even with our 20/20 hindsight we cannot identify exactly when we cross that invisible line from practice into knowing. But we do. We learn. And one day we recognize that what once seemed impossible has become natural, even automatic.Learning communication skills is no different. Keep in mind that as we learn to act and speak differently, we are also learning to think differently. And that is much more difficult than driving a standard shift car.BEGIN WITH COMMITMENTMastering new relationship skills is not for the faint of heart. Effective communication --- especially in times of conflict --- calls for a focused dedication and repetitious practice. It calls for honest self-evaluation, humility, a sense of fair play, and a willingness to change according to the needs of the relationship. And it takes (at least) two.Changing out-dated, ineffective communication patterns involves a great deal of “unlearning,” a much greater challenge than simply filling in the blank slate. (Ever try to ditch a bad habit?) In a word, learning effective communication skills calls for commitment --- commitment to yourself, to your partners in communication, and to the relationship as a whole.================COMMUNICATION STARTER KITWhat follows are 7 important tools to help build effective communication. As with any tools, the first challenge is to learn how and when to use each tool. (A hammer is very important, but I don’t want to use it to repair my eyeglasses.) And keep in mind that this is only a starter set. You will hopefully be adding to this collection of tools for the rest of your life.The Tools:1. Take Turns. Two separate agendas can seldom be accomplished at once. Establish some ground rules that will insure that you will take enough time for each of you to talk while the other is really listening.2. Give Information. State your perceptions and your feelings concisely and respectfully. Avoid “selling your side” as the gospel truth, even when it feels that way to you. To resolve any conflict, room must be made for at least two different perspectives. And remember that emotions are subjective information, not open for debate (i.e. “you shouldn’t feel guilty,” or “you have no right to be angry”).3. Gather Information. You have a responsibility in communication to do your share of listening, being receptive to what your partner is saying, without immediately judging and categorizing. Ask questions with curiosity, like a good interviewer. And --- here comes the radical part --- listen to the answers. Too often we ask questions not to gather information, but to make a point.4. Problem Solve with Benevolence. Be certain to clarify your intention (especially in conflict communication) as seeking a satisfactory outcome for both of you. Find common ground on which to base your communication (i.e. “We each want to be heard completely and accurately,” and/or “We need to make a decision about . . . “) Avoid seeking agreement about perceptions or feelings as a communication goal. There must be room for both of you to win.5. Future Orient to Problem Solve. Those who forget the past are, in fact, doomed to repeat it. True. But those who won’t let go of the past may also be contributing to its repetition. In conflict communication it is best to state complaints about past behaviors clearly and concisely, and then to “future orient.” That is, sink most of your energy into describing and/or requesting what you want or need from your partner beginning now. You must be willing to take the chance that your partner wants to and can change along with you. (If you are not able to muster any faith that your partner is willing and/or capable of change, you are probably not working on the most serious problem in your relationship. Get some help.)6. Take Breaks. Each of you must have the authority to call time out. And each of you must learn to respect time outs when they are called. Call time out when you recognize old, dysfunctional patterns of communication taking over. (They seem to have a life of their own.) When you call time out, it is imperative that you later initiate a time to talk again. Don’t just leave it hanging.7. Backtrack. This is my favorite tool, probably because I have had to use it so often. All progress is not forward. Sometimes the best you can do is stop mid-mistake, apologize and ask for an opportunity to try again (“do overs” I believe we used to call them). But be careful to not ask for that chance if you do not think you can follow through with some new and improved communication. If you are not ready yet, try apologizing and step back to step 6: take a break.Keep this collection of tools handy, and make use of them the next time you experience a communication problem. Better yet, use them before you experience a communication problem. And remember: You cannot solve many problems from adversarial positions. Work to stay on the same side of the problem, and practice having conversations to "convey" rather than to "convince."
Organising Your Personal Affairs
I’m always amazed that so many people spend most of their life at work and totally neglect their personal affairs.Many of the business people I work with want their professional lives to be in order, and admit that their personal affairs are in chaos.They have no systems for handling this most important area. The household paperwork is disorganised...piled up in a corner of the house...somewhere, they have no idea where they spend their money and often have no plan for their financial future.If you do not organise your personal life, you won’t have much of a future to look forward to.Avoid the excuses that you are too tired, don’t have the time, don’t know how.Here are a few tips to get you started:Personal Papers1. Set up a filing system to store your paperwork. File your papers in categories: Bank, Car, Children, Home, Medical, Insurance, Investment, Tax, Utilities etc. Organise direct debits for regular bills. Read, sort and action your snail and e-mail daily. This will avoid a big build-up. Make a note in your diary when you need to remember to do things. Check your bank accounts weekly via phone or the Internet to keep tabs on your money. Allocate a particular day and time each week to review your personal affairs. Organising Your Financial FutureThis area should be top priority. If you do nothing because it’s too much effort well, think about this.What would happen if you lose your job, have an accident and receive no income for 6 months? How would you (and your family) survive financially? Do you have your insurances in order?Where will you be in the next five years? Maybe retired and on a pension? Or perhaps you have superannuation you hope will be enough to live on? Unfortunately too many people are under false illusions about how superannuation will be the answer for a secure retirement.Hope is not enough. You have to be pro-active and seek out professional advice to help you. But be careful who you take advice from and what is the motivation behind them “selling” you their ideas?Educating yourself on how to make the most of your hard-earned money so you can create wealth should be a high priority. After all, if you’re not interested in securing your financial future, who is? The Final WordIf you take control of your personal affairs you will have peace of mind and know that you are making things happen. I once heard someone say: Some people make things happen, others watch things happen and still others wonder what happened.Stop procrastinating and just do it!Have a great week!Lorraine Pirihi
About the Author
The Office Organiser TMSpecialises In...Personal productivity and life coachingDynamic workshops and presentationsTerrific Timesaving productsAccredited Speaking Professional of the National Speakers Association of Australia
UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASE DEMANDS MORE EMPLOYEE SCREENING
If Chicken Little lived today, no doubt he would be running through the streets screaming, “the economy is falling.” The sudden and unexpected rise in unemployment has populated applicant pools with eager, and in many cases, desperate applicants, willing to say and do about anything to get a job. At the very least, applicants needing work may be willing to take jobs they don’t like or aren’t cut out for until they can find something better. Employers who don’t identify the best applicants for available positions, the first time, will have to pay the price of doing it over, and over, and over!That’s bad news to employers lacking effective assessment and selection processes. Employers should utilize as many employment screening options as are legally available. Pre-employment skill, attitude, personality, and drug testing, are necessities as well as reference checks, background checks, trial periods, and interviews.Good pre-employment attitude and personality assessments have built in “lie-scales” to detect when applicants fail to answer questions with candor. Modern drug testing technology can identify when applicants attempt to adulterate samples. Hiring without these steps is the equivalent of agreeing to play Russian Roulette without checking all the chambers of the weapon first.
How To Write Words That Magnify Your Headlines
How To Write Words That Magnify Your HeadlinesBy: Pat @MaxaidHave you ever noticed that some people can talk for hours and never say anything. It seems to be same with most ad writers.If you choose your words correctly, a 7 word headline can relate a paragraphs worth of relevant information.For example, compare these two headlines:1. Brand New, Gigantic Mammoth Prelaunch - Join Now !2. Missing Mans Body Found in Forest After 3 Years !It doesn't take a genius to realize that #1 doesn't tell you -"Diddly"It also doesn't take a genius to read between the lines of #2 and Read this into it,Someone was missing,Who was missing,The word "body" denotes the man is deceased,How long he was missing,That he was found,Where he was found.Also, the average person will decipher that there was originally a search for the man that was most likely called off. The discovery of his body must have been a surprise and the case probably on hold for three years would be re-opened to determine the cause of death.Why ? Because if the cause of death had been known, you can bet it would have made the "Headlines"Choose your words in such a way that one word will reveal a sentence worth of information. Try it, play with different, but relative words until you come up with a winner for each individual word.Now construct each of your ads headlines with these "concentrated" words. Your increased bank account will pay you for the time spent here :-)Pat @Maxaid - Webmaster - PublisherFree Customized Web Pages, Ezine Ads, Free ComputerTips, Marketing Tips, and Traffic Building Software. Find all this and much more at http://www.maxaid.com/
How Amy Copes with Lupus
How Amy Copes with her Lupus How Amy is successfully dealing with her Systemic Lupus Condition through her faith and her Significant Other SupportHow Amy Copes with Lupus. In summary, Amy is coping with her Lupus. It isn't easy. She's finding out daily it's far from impossible to survive with Lupus.Note: This is one woman's coping. It's not meant to be a general statement on every person's way of dealing with this disability.">
Preliminary note: Amy is an alias privacy reasons. She is a real woman. She and I have been long time dear friends
Without faith I would have not made it this far. With the lupus you also have depression." You do have mood swings. This can also be a side affect of the medication. Her current symptoms are lots of joint pain, trouble walking. Sometimes she is able to get around and sometimes not. She can get very fatigued. Joanna helps her spirtually, lovingly and emotionally. I look for the rest of my future as being bright because I came to the realization that I must cope with my condition for the rest of my life. I was in denial in the beginning. Now I realize Lupus is a life long condition. She tries her best to avoid rain and snow since dampness can worsen her condition. She also makes wholehearted attempts not to get to get too stressed out. Amy copes with her Lupus with a strong faith and equally with help and love from Joanna.
10 Things You Should Do BEFORE Your Child's IEP Meeting
1. Read last year's IEP - It's important to review what came out of last year's plan. Was it successful ? Did the methods of instruction work ? Did the measurement process used really tell you if progress was being made ? Were the goals & objectives really functional for your child? Also try to think back to the actual meeting -- what part of the discussion did you feel least prepared for ? Remembering will help you prepare better this time around! 2. Update your advocacy notebook -- Hopefully you have a single book that allows you to keep all of your child's information (evaluations, old IEPs, correspondence with school & service providers, etc.) organized & easily accessible. If there is new information from Dr.'s, teachers, or related service providers that needs added to your book take care of the filing now. You'll be glad to have the most current information if the issue comes up during the meeting.3. Do your homework -- is there any new information on your child's disability, have you heard about any promising new intervention strategies that caught your attention? Now is the time to check them out. Research them on the internet or contact a local resource person who can tell you more or provide you with information to review.4. Come prepared to "grow" your team -- If you've found anything interesting during your research, the IEP meeting is an excellent time to share this information. Rather than contacting everyone individually or relying on 1 person to pass on your information, you can share it with everyone at once. If the information describe an intervention strategy you would like used in this year's IEP then be sure to bring copies so everyone can look over the information at once during the meeting. Few professional team members are going to be willing to sign off on something they don't understand or feel comfortable with. By helping them learn, you maximize your chances of getting what you want. 5. Make your list -- Once you're organized & your research is complete is time to make your list. What are the issues you feel like really need to be addressed in your child's IEP. Remember other team members may want to add additional items during your discussion, but you don't want to be thinking afterwards, "Oh I really wanted to discuss X & forgot to bring it up." Right now, while you're calm & not under time pressure is the time to decide what the issues are from your perspective.6. Prioritize -- Because IEPs are a team process they by their very nature demand compromise. So once you've developed you list, you'll need to go back through & divide it into 2 categories.A) the issues that are non-negotiable to me -- they must be addressed for me to give my consent for this IEP and B) the issues that I am concerned about, but I'm not sure how I want them addressed or what the critical components are. On these issues I'm willing to compromise or settle for minimal supports while we gather more information. 7. Decide who's coming with you -- IEPs tend to be extremely anxiety provoking for parents. When you are experiencing a lot of emotion it is unlikely that you will be able to absorb all the information be given to you. Having someone else there who can listen to the discussion & take notes will free you up to participate in the discussion & focus on your own agenda.8. What about taping the meeting -- Recording IEP meetings can be a touchy issue for many school districts. However, if you cannot find anyone to come with you to the meeting you may want to consider tape recording it so that you can refer back to the discussion after you're home & calm. One caution, you will need to notify the school that you would like to tape record the meeting. Explain that it will be only for your reference & ask if there are any school guidelines or policies that you should be aware of regarding taping. Start this process as soon as you've been notified about the meeting as some school districts have time guidelines that the notice of recording must be given at least X amount of time before the meeting. 9. Determine your child's participation - If you see a future of self-advocacy for your child, then it is important to involve them in IEPs as early as possible. This will let them watch your advocacy skills & learn by imitation. It also give you the opportunity to get their input on what & how they would like to learn. If you aren't comfortable with your child attending the meeting, then consider how their presence can be felt by proxy. Two ways recommended by other parents are:A) Bring your child's picture & set it in the center of the table - this should effectively remind everyone at the table that the decisions made will impact the life of a real person & shouldn't be arbitrary or for convenience sake.B) Bring your child's portfolio -- originally developed to introduce new teachers to your child, the portfolio illustrates all that is unique & special about your child. This is a wonderful way to remind participants that everyone has strengths & special qualities to bring to the "table of life". Check out the sample portfolio in our web resource section for ideas on how to do this.10. Review your rights! -- Right before you attend a meeting filled with professionals is the perfect time to read again how the federal laws "see" your role as parent. It will reinforce your feeling of importance within the team & also ensure that no one surprises you with any "questionable" tactics during the meeting.
NEW TECHNOLOGY ELIMINATES COLD-CALLING STRESS AND ELIMINATES VOICE MAIL AS A SELLING OBSTACLE
Salespeople hate to make cold calls and business owners hate to take them. Now there’s a way to eliminate stress on both ends of the line. Until now, voice mail had been a barrier between salespeople and customers. It can now be an advantage for both, thanks to a new sales approach called Direct Voice Mail Marketing. An electronic device attaches to a phone to make it possible for inexperienced sales assistants to deliver pre-recorded messages into voice mail boxes of prospective clients that sound like the salespeople made the calls themselves. When used correctly, customers’ voice mail boxes offer chances to leave uninterrupted commercials for even the most hard-to-reach decision makers. This approach to selling eliminates a salesperson’s exposure to rejection and expands the amount of contacts a salesperson can make in a day. Prospective clients can listen to the messages and decide if they are interested without being interrupted or pressured. Interested customers call back to request information or schedule appointments.
Finding Answers on the 'Net
The Internet is a wonderful superhighway of information. The variety of perspectives & knowledge you can find on-line is truly astounding -- provided you know how to navigate the road! My goal in this article is to help you develop some skills that will lead you more quickly to the information you want without the usual headaches & delays. So let's get started . . . . Step 1 - Figure out what you need to know This may sound obvious, but it will be much more difficult to find the information you want if you just have a vague topic in mind. Each time you start on an "information adventure" try to decide exactly what information you want to find. For example, if you are the parent of a 10-year-old son with Tourette's Syndrome then you may need information on a variety of topics (the syndrome itself, IEPs, behavior supports, academic supports etc.). Decide before you begin, "today I want to find information on X, Y, or Z. That will make the next few steps much simpler. Step 2 - Start with the right search engine It seems logical to assume that the best place to start is with the largest search engine or directory that you can think off. But do you REALLY want to wade through the millions of listings that will come up if you go to Yahoo & type in "disability resources"? It's usually better to look for a search engine that automatically optimizes your results. What this means is that they do most of the sorting for you & just give you a short list of the sites they feel are MOST RELEVANT to your search request. One I particularly like is Chubba (http://www.chubba.com). Chubba draws its results from several different search engines so you get a nice range of results, but offers you only the 10-20 entries that seem most relevant. Step 3 - Select the right keyword Once you've arrived at the search engine you will need to enter your choice of keyword(s) to start your search. This is a critical step -- the effectiveness of your search is, in large part, determined by your choice of keyword. Let's look at the example I mentioned earlier, the 10-year-old with Tourette's Syndrome. If this young man is having trouble at school, you may be interested in finding ideas for academic supports to include in his next Individualized Education Program (IEP). Possible keywords might be: Tourette's syndrome Curriculum modifications Educational supports The specific subject, i.e. reading disabilities or reading accommodations Each of these keywords will lead you down a different research path. Now, before you start trying to figure out which one is correct let me say this --- ALL of these keywords could lead you to useful information! In fact, if you don't find what you're looking for with your first choice you may want to back up to this step & simply choose a different keyword & try again. Step 4 - Browse through your search results You've entered your keyword & now you have 1 or more pages of search results. Browse through these results & select 2 or 3 sites that you think look the most promising. Why just 2 or 3? Because search engines are designed to be the start of the journey not the end. Your goal here is simply to find a couple of starting places that will connect you to the proper on-line community. Once you've found a good starting place you are unlikely to have to return to ground zero at the search engine. Step 5 - Follow your nose Once you have identified 2 or 3 quality sites related to your area of interest then the real fun begins. Now is when you discover how truly "web-like" the World Wide Web is. Check your first site for the information you're after. If you find good info, but not all that you want, look for a page titled "related links" or "links of interest". This page will offer you an entire array of web sites (already prescreened by the web site owner for good content) & related to your area of interest. Simply follow each lead until you: Have all the information you need Run out of sites to visit (remember each related link site will have it's own page of links to continue the journey) Stop finding useful information Or collapse from information overload! If all this sounds complicated or time consuming -- you're right, it can be. It can also be immensely satisfying & lead you to new ideas you might never have considered. But if your time is at a premium, I do have one other suggestion -- "The Internet Resource Guide for Parents & Disability Professionals". This electronic guidebook is the result of months spent using this process to scour the web for quality disability resources. It covers 50 of the most frequently searched disability topics & reviews over 400 individual web sites. It is a terrific solution for those who need answers immediately or who want help finding accurate, quality information. For more information about the Resource Guide, visit: http://www.ideallives.com/generic.jhtml?pid=142
Communicating with your child who doesn't use words to talk
We all know people who can speak volumes without ever opening their mouths. They use their hands, their body language, their facial expressions. Experts tell us that when we talk with each other, only 7% of our message is communicated by the actual words we speak. Now that we know that communication is not really about words -- it may be a little easier to look beyond words when we communicate with our kids who don't use words to "talk". Our tips today are divided into 2 groups -- #1) communicating their basic needs & the stuff in their environment & #2) sharing their ideas, feelings, & comments on life. So where do we start. Our words of wisdom: #1 - Needs & Stuff 1. Start with yes & no - By starting with yes & no you give your child the ability to answer two very important questions: „X Are you (tired, hungry, thirsty, etc)? „X Do you want (a snack, your red shirt, to go to the park)? Another advantage of starting with yes/no is that it can be done in a variety of ways from the standard head nod to virtually any combination of motor responses. For example, twitching the left hand can mean yes & a head jerk can mean no. The key is to find something your child has good control of & to use the system consistently. 2. Choice making - The next logical step from yes/no is usually a point response. This allows you to offer your child a wider range of options. Instead of doing the time consuming one at a time choice you can offer your child a 2-3 choices at a time. If a point response doesn't work this can also be managed using head movements to the right, left, & center. Just be sure your child understands the choices & which item he/she is picking! 3. Word Labels - If your child is mobile & has a fairly large vocabulary (or if you want to encourage more vocabulary) word labels may be a good choice for your family. Labeling involves typing the names of frequently used objects in a large type size, laminating the sign & attaching it with velcro to the actual item. When your child wants the item they simply pull off the label & bring it to you. This works really well if you start with your child's favorite items. In addition to exposing your child regularly to written words this also encourages your child to initiate requests rather than wait on someone else to offer them something. 4. Touch Screens - Touch screens are a wonderful invention! They allow your child to experience the awesome sensation of being in control -- making things happen! In addition to this experience with cause & effect they encourage kids to get comfortable with the computer. Down the road that comfort & familiarity will go a long way towards helping them adjust to more complicated assistive technology devices. 5. Request/schedule boards - Request boards are simply photographs or black & white drawings of objects & activities that your child enjoys or needs often. They can be easilly updated as your child's favorites change & work well velcroed to wheelchair trays for kids who spend lots of time seated in a wheelchair. Even the pictures can be velcroed on if you have a really "changeable" child. This allows the child to select which pictures they want on their board at the beginning of the day. Picture boards also work well for school or family schedules & can help kids who stress about change know what's coming up next. 6. Show me - Perhaps the simpliest communication strategy is the simple "Show me what you need" response. This can be a real frustration reliever when your child just can't get the words out or make their body cooperate. The only drawback to this strategy is that kids rapidly become "sleeve tuggers" if you use this method regularly. A good way to prevent this is to build in step 2 right from the beginning. Once your child shows you the desired item, respond with "Oh you wanted your teddy bear! Great! Now, let's add a picture of teddy to your board so that you can show me the picture next time!" #2 - Ideas & Feelings 7. Augmentative Communication Boards - These devices come in an amazing array of shapes & sizes (& prices) and can really allow your child to communicate an awesome variety of messages both practical & more abstract. If you feel like your child is ready for this level of device (a good clue is when they frequently seem to have things to say that they just can't communicate effectively) then there are several things you need to do: „X Find a good speech language pathologist to assist you. „X Have your SLP do a full assessment to determine what type of messages your child needs or wants to send & what types of devices they can operate or learn to operate independently. „X Work with your SLP to narrow down the number of possible devices to just 2 or 3. If possible try to borrow the devices for an in home trial period from a state technology lending library or the actual company that sells the device. „X Try to anticipate all of your technology needs up front. Who will train your child to use the device? Who will program the device, both now & as your child's needs change? Who will train your family & other support people in how to use the device? Who will repair the device if it breaks down? Will you need help to fund the device? If so, what do you need to do now to obtain the funding ? This sounds like a lot of effort & it can be. But if your child truly can utilize a communication device to "find their voice" everything you do will be worth it. 8. Teach typing - This may seem like an old fashioned suggestion, but give it some thought. Whether you use an actual typewriter or teach them to type on a computer keyboard you give them 1 tremendous advantage -- free thought. Your child will be able to say virtually anything (& they probably will!). This approach does not rely on anyone else to select pictures or program phrases. It's all their own creation. One advantage of going with the computer keyboard -- there is software available that can anticipate frequently used phrases. This saves valuable keystrokes for slow typists that may have lots to say! 9. Comment Cards - A decided more low key approach is comment cards. These are simply index cards with different comments typed on them in a large size. The cards can be color coded to help kids select the one they one quickly & easily. So, the red card says "I need a break" & the blue card says "I want a turn", etc. Comment cards work well for kids who see a lot of different people in the course of their day. Even folks they don't know too well will understand a printed message. Communication isn't so secure if they are relying on subtle body movements. 10. Switch activated signals - These signals can be operated a variety of switches that can be geared to virtually any controlled body movement. Signals usually consist of lights, sounds, or vibrations & work well if your child attends group activities where they need to communicate with the group leader. Common messages might be, "I'm done" or "I need help with this". Although these tips may seem simple we feel that most communication systems will actually use a combination of approaches. What works at school, may not always be right for home & vice versa. The most important things to shoot for when developing a communication system: „X Does your child understand the system & can they use it independently. „X Is your family & other people your child sees regularly comfortable enough with the system to use it every day. „X Is the system reliable & useful enough that it is working & in use more than it is broken or stuffed in a closet. Hopefully some of these ideas will allow you to open the wonderful world of communication to your child! Happy chatting!
Signing With Your Baby
A conversation between my 18-month-old son and I is one that a passerby isn't likely to forget. There have been countless meals at restaurants where my family has been the subject of curious glances, stares and even questions from perfect strangers. And best of all, he can tell my husband and me that he needs a drink of milk, is scared of the thunder or wants down from his high chair, all without making a sound. This seeming miracle of communication was made possible by American Sign Language, the primary means of communication used for hearing impaired individuals. With the help of Dr. Joseph Garcia's book and video Sign With Your Baby, I was able to integrate sign language into my son's life and use it as a means of communication, starting when he was 11 months old. Through my 18 months of sign language experience, I've learned exactly what works and what may not. Here are a few hints to get parents started signing with their infants: 1. Choose a sign (or signs) to begin with. Many parents choose milk, more, eat, drink or a favorite toy. 2. Show your child the sign (or signs) during an activity (for example, during nursing, if you choose to begin with milk, or before dinner, if you choose to begin with eat).3. Use the sign(s) before or during the activity, and show your baby the sign every time you do the activity. 4. Use your chosen sign(s) until your baby begins to sign back to you, then choose another sign and start the process over again. The more signs your baby knows, the easier it will be for him or her to pick them up. Some parents have started signing from birth, but the parents I've talked to have reported success from six or seven months. It usually takes some time before a child begins to sign back to you. You will probably notice that he or she recognizes and understands the sign before attempting to sign it. For example, I started signing when my son was 11 months old and he first signed back to me five weeks later. There are many resources online and sign language dictionaries in the local library, as well as books specific to this subject. The key to success is to be consistent, show a smile, applaud your child's efforts and be patient. Someday, you will be attracting attention at the mall, too! And you will know so much more about what is going on in your baby's head, and your bond will be that much closer. Good luck!
8 Brief Lessons in Success
8 Brief Lessons in Success by Thom Rutledge
There are probably as many definitions for success as there are people who want to succeed. And the targets for our efforts are many. We want to succeed in business. We want to be successful husbands and wives and parents. We want to whittle that golf score down to size. We want to be successful students, whether we are nineteen trying to decide on a major, or 45 trying to master that new computer program, or reaching for that promotion. More of us than ever, want to be successful entrepreneurs, doing what we love and praying for all we are worth that some money will follow. We even want to succeed spiritually --- that is, we want to effectively apply what we believe deep in our hearts to our day to day lives. Whatever your definition for success, wherever your sights are set, here are eight brief, but powerful lessons that will improve your chances of hitting the mark. LESSON ONE: Forget about Control.One of the keys to success is accepting full responsibility for ourselves. Accepting this responsibility, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with being “in control.” There is a major distinction to be made between being “in control” and accepting the responsibility of being “in charge.” I wouldn’t dare claim to be in control of all of the various aspects of my life, but I do acknowledge that I am the one in charge of my life.Simply put: I have nothing to say about which cards are dealt me, but everything to say about how I will play those cards.THE NUTSHELL: Be “in charge,” but forget about being “in control.”==========LESSON TWO: Reject the Victim Within.To accept full responsibility for ourselves is to renounce victimization. Victimization is a state of mind in which we believe that how we are doing in any particular moment is determined more by the circumstances beyond our control than by how we choose to respond to those circumstances.A victim will blame the dealer of the cards, or blame the person who taught him how to play cards, or maybe even the cards themselves. A victim may even take refuge in blaming himself, not understanding that there is an important difference between “assigning blame,” and “taking responsibility.” To admit that things are not going well in my life because I am a worthless piece of crap is not accepting responsibility. It is quite the opposite. Hiding behind self-blame, and drowning in the resulting shame is one of the most efficient --- not to mention prevalent --- ways for us to avoid personal responsibility.THE NUTSHELL: Being a victim is an indulgence I cannot afford.==========LESSON THREE: Recognize the Continuum.None of us are totally immune to victimization. At one time or another, we all think and act as victims, and we all think and act responsibly. It would be a mistake to claim that you are always a victim, or that you accept full responsibility for yourself all of the time. Think of responsibility as a continuum along which you move back and forth, depending on any number of variables.To enhance your chances for success, you will do well to perceive yourself in realistic terms along this continuum, and focus your efforts toward accepting full responsibility one day at a time. Remembering that you are in constant motion all along the continuum is a powerful antidote for that pesky perfectionism.THE NUTSHELL: Change is constant. I am always in motion along the continuum.==========LESSON FOUR: Let Go of Perfection.To be successful you must become both optimistic and realistic. This requires that you come to terms with your own human imperfection. To pretend that your very real human flaws do not exist is certain self-sabotage, as is thinking of yourself as nothing by flaws.Contrary to popular opinion, striving for perfection is not productive; it is destructive --- at its worst, suicidal. By constantly expecting the impossible of ourselves (perfection), we are set up to fail, over and over again. A perfectionist is not someone who does things perfectly; a perfectionist is someone who believes she is “supposed to” perform perfectly. Perfectionism is a condition of constant pain, and self-absorption.Do the very best you can, even challenge yourself to stretch beyond your current level of competence, but do not expect perfection.THE NUTSHELL: Perfectionism is a state of constant self-victimization.==========LESSON FIVE: Disagree with Your “Shoulds.”In our efforts (imperfect efforts) to recognize that perfection is not even one of our choices, we come face to face with perfectionism’s energy source: self-criticism. You must learn to identify and reject the highly negatively biased view associated with your self-critical thinking.Imagine yourself as a separate person from your self-critical thoughts. Experience yourself not as the one doing the criticizing, but as the one being criticized. Although this is never much fun (standing in the line of self-critical fire), separating from those predictable “should monsters” in our heads will create a place for “your own opinion.” It takes some time, but with practice you will learn to remain separate from self-critical thoughts, and ultimately to form your own, more realistic, more positive opinions of yourself.The bad news is that you can’t just make those negative, toxic thoughts go away. Here is the good new: You don’t have to make them go away. You just have to disagree with them.THE NUTSHELL: To your Should Monster, say, “I see you; I hear you; and I disagree with you.”==========LESSON SIX: See the Greater Possibilities.Any motivational speaker will tell you that in order to succeed, you need to be open to the positive. Learn to see and seek the greater possibilities. Take the time to develop clear images of your goals. Take the risk (and it will feel risky) to practice expecting positive outcomes. When necessary, utilize a simple slogan heard repeatedly in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous: fake it ‘til you make it.Too often, we know much more about what we don’t want than what we do want. If we stop there, we will not have any idea how to change, and frequently we will return to the safe haven of the familiar, those old patterns of thinking and behaving that we have already proven to be ineffective. Set you sights on specific goals, your specific goals.THE NUTSHELL: Once you identify something you don’t want, put into words, and into a visual image, something that you want instead.==========LESSON SEVEN: Remain an Independent Thinker.Trust no one who will tell you they have THE answer, THE way, THE plan, THE diet, THE anything. There are probably as many different approaches to genuine self-improvement as there are people, or at least as many different approaches as there are hucksters (like me) on their soap boxes telling you how to do it.This lesson is a word to the wise. Take in the information --- from this article and from any other sources that seem potentially credible --- as raw material, raw material to be processed by your own good judgment. Accept nothing at face value. If an idea, a method or a technique appears to have value for you, take it off the shelf, hold it in your own hands, examine it, try it on, or try it out. Make adjustments according to your own good thinking. Accept it as your own “by decision,” not “by default.” Use the line-item veto; you never have to accept anything all or nothing.THE NUTSHELL: I will respect your opinion. I will trust my judgment.==========LESSON EIGHT: Work from the inside out.To insure that I am pursuing a path of personal responsibility that will lead me to the success I seek, I keep this slogan in mind: “The first part of any conflict that I must solve is that which is between me and me.” This is not to say that I will not have legitimate “external” problems with you, or my wife, or boss, or colleague. And this is not to encourage the old codependent (and self-victimizing) approach of habitually opting for self-blame. When I remember to begin by resolving what is between me and me, I am effectively practicing the principle Stephen Covey emphasizes, “First Things First” (Covey, 1989), and being congruent with the simple and powerful truth that growth always moves from the inside out. Growth in its literal sense is expansion. Expansion moves from the inside out.Consider the ripples in a pool of water when a pebble is dropped in. Now picture it this way: The pebble is dropped in the water, and somewhere far away from the pebble, slight ripples begin to form, moving inward toward the point where the pebble was dropped. The ripples become more and more prevalent as they move in toward the center point where the pebble hit the water.It is a strange image, isn’t it? It is an image that will make no sense to us because it is not based on reality, or at least any reality that we know of yet. We can agree that to expect the ripples to move from the outside in is ridiculous, and yet that is exactly what we are expecting when we wait for others around us, of for our circumstances, to change before we do.THE NUTSHELL: The change I seek always begins with me.==========AND ONE TO GROW ONPut any or all of these eight lessons into practice in your life, and I will guarantee that you will see a change for the better. But give the lessons time to work. One problem that most of us ---if not all of us --- face from time to time is impatience. Remember that perfection is out of the question as long as we are walking around in this human skin. Remember also that there are more often than not many ways to “get it right.”Then, to quote an old Roger Miller song (You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd): “All you’ve got to do is put your mind to it, knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it.” Therein lies the ninth of these eight lessons, and very likely the most important lesson of all: In the end, it is persistence that will always pay off.
Invest in Positive Possibilities
A young woman who just bought a lottery ticket for a chance to win a multi-million dollar jackpot was recently interviewed on the 6 o’clock news. She was genuinely enthusiastic about the possibility of winning the jackpot. In fact she considered winning such a realistic possibility that she expressed her fears related to the potential big-time success. “I worry that I will not know how to handle that much money,” she told the interviewer, seeming as genuine in her fear as she was in her enthusiasm.Another young woman sits in my office talking about her search for a job. She has arranged several interviews, and has already made a good impression with two potential employers, but she is not very optimistic about her chances of landing a job.What’s wrong with these pictures? The hopeful young woman with the lottery ticket seems to believe in her one in some tens of millions chances of becoming so rich it scares her, while the woman in my office who will certainly land a job, and probably a very good one, tends to expect failure.How many of us can identify with this? We invest our energy in expecting the long shots to come through, and are very stingy with our expectations when it comes to realistic day-to-day possibilities. And we do this with both positive and negative expectation. Consider how much energy we waste in our lives worrying about things that never even come close to happening. If you could recoup just half of the energy you have leaked by way of needless worry, how much extra energy would you have? I don’t know about you, but I have leaked enough energy in my lifetime to light up Times Square for a decade.It takes a lot less effort to believe that I am due a windfall soon --- that God surely has some success waiting just around the corner for me --- than it takes to invest in believing in myself in the nitty-gritty real world. Don’t get me wrong. I know that “somebody has to win the lottery,” and I see no harm in believing that it will be you. That is, I see no harm in expecting the long shots as long as you are also investing your valuable energy in believing in yourself in the course of your daily life.If you identify with any of this, try this: Imagine that you are visited by a human-energy-efficiency expert who can evaluate how you invest your valuable daily allowance of energy. (This consultant is of course just a new member to your ever expanding inner-committee.) Like a good consultant, follow yourself around for a day or two, observing and making some notes. Then, from the perspective of the consultant, make a list of recommendations for how you might use your daily allowance of mental energy more efficiently and constructively. In my experience, most people hire consultants, get their recommendations, then ignore them. I suggest that you listen to this one.
Why is Bobby Knight Explosive?
Bobby Knight is presently the head basketball coach at Texas Tech. Prior to being hired by them Bobby Knight spent twenty-nine years coaching basketball at Indiana University. In those twenty-nine years he coached many successful basketball teams and in fact, brought three NCAA basketball championships back to Indiana. He was recognized as a strict disciplinarian and used a “hands on” coaching style. Coach Knight was feared and respected not only by the opposing team, but by his own players as well. His winning tradition at Indiana University made him an icon for college basketball. Here is a man who was at the top of his game and appeared to have it all. So what happened? Why did Indiana fire him as their head basketball coach? Essentially Bobby Knight lost his job when he lost his temper. It has been said that people are a lot like steel, once they loose their temper they are rendered useless. Unfortunately when most people think of Bobby Knight, they picture an irate coach throwing a chair across the basketball court dramatically underscoring his disagreement with an official’s call. His explosive and volatile temper ultimately caused him to be placed on probation at Indiana University after he chocked one of his players during practice. Why are some people more aggressive and volatile than others? Twenty-four hundred years ago, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, theorized that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles and that each style has it’s own unique physiology, character traits and outlook on life; Choleric (aggressive), Sanguine (emotional), Phlegmatic (passive) and Melancholy (analytical). Of these four styles, the Choleric or Worker style is the most impatient, ill natured and short tempered. The Worker temperament style is the D in the D.I.S.C. profiling system. Bobby Knight has the Worker as his primary temperament style and therefore like most Workers, has a challenge with anger management. This style is often referred to as a “Workaholic or Type A” personality. When they get angry their tendency is to explode like a volcano and then get over it quickly and go about their business as if nothing had happened. Workers are aggressive, no-nonsense people who seek power and control. They are goal-oriented individuals with a practical, bottom line approach to life. The Worker is extroverted by nature. People who have the Worker as their primary temperament style are physically large, powerful people with broad shoulders. Other well-known Workers are; Mike Tyson, John Wayne, Vince Lombardi, George C. Scott, Bea Arthur, Pete Rose, Janet Reno, O.J. Simpson, Joseph Stalin, George S. Patton and Jim Brown. Bobby Knight developed a winning tradition while at Indiana University by demanding that his players learn how to play under pressure and adversity. Ironically, self-control was the one thing coach Knight was unable to give back to them! Bobby Knight is a good example of a bad example. He reminds us all that the strength of our temperament style taken to the extreme becomes our greatest personal weakness. He has been given a second chance to coach at Texas Tech. Let’s hope that he learned his lesson and will control his legendary, explosive temper!
We Aim To Please
A working understanding of temperament styles (personality types) will have a profound impact on the way you perceive yourself and will greatly enhance all of your relationships. If you are a salesperson, this information will significantly increase your sales effectiveness by enabling you to build trust and rapport quickly with your prospects and customers. Business owners and managers find this knowledge invaluable. It can improve the way you supervise your employees and allow you to recruit more effectively. As a parent, it can dramatically improve the way you relate to your children. If you are single, it can provide you insight into selecting a compatible mate. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, has been credited with originating the basic theory of temperament styles twenty-four hundred years ago. Hippocrates believed that we are born with a combination of four genetic influences that he called humors; Choleric (Worker), Sanguine (Talker), Phlegmatic (Watcher), and Melancholy (Thinker). He observed that these four styles have a direct influence on our physiology, character traits and outlook on life. In fact, the word temperament which is commonly used to describe personality types is a Latin term which means, “a mixing in due portion.” While we are each born with a primary temperament, our personality is comprised of all four styles. My temperament training system gives you the tools and knowledge to recognize a person’s primary temperament style through observation. Each primary temperament style exhibits a body language preference and has distinctive physical features and characteristics that are neither gender, race, nor age specific. This is a significant breakthrough in the study of temperament understanding because it is a practical system that can be used with everyone you meet. My temperament-training program allows you to put this information to use in your day-to-day encounters from the boardroom to the kitchen table. This article showcases the Phlegmatic/Watcher temperament style. The Watcher temperament style is the S in the D.I.S.C. temperament profiling system. The Watcher is introverted, seeks harmony and their primary need is to accommodate others. This temperament is service oriented, dependable and unemotional. When interacting with others they warm up slowly, but are always cordial and accommodating. They are peacemakers and avoid confrontations by negotiating when possible. Their calm manner and unexcitable nature is a major asset. They have an innate ability to defuse hostile situations and soothe ruffled feathers. Watchers often have a nervous laugh that they use to create a sense of harmony when ending a conversation. They have difficulty accepting compliments or praise and become embarrassed when they are made the center of attention. Watchers are bashful and it is not uncommon for them to partially hide their face in a group photograph. Family and home life is extremely important to the Watcher and they protect their privacy. This temperament style loves the status quo and resists change. Under pressure Watchers sleep in to avoid the situation at hand and hope that it will eventually disappear. This avoidance behavior is similar to the Ostrich burying its head in the sand. They dislike pressure and will do almost anything to avoid it. Due to their need to please others and promote harmony, Watchers use the tactic of sidestepping controversial issues by postponing or delaying decisions. When pressured, they will become extremely stubborn, dig their heels in and refuse to budge. Because they are uncomfortable with direct confrontation their behavior is often perceived as passive-aggressive. Watchers dislike taking personal responsibility and are apt to make excuses or blame others. The downside of this behavior is that they seldom learn from their mistakes. This temperament has a tendency to play the role of martyr and indulge in self-pity. Watchers are quiet, unassuming, people watchers. Their biggest fears are disharmony, change, infringement on home life and pressuring others.Because they attempt to blend in and avoid attracting attention to themselves, Watchers are the most difficult temperament style to identify physically. They have a stoic expression and are difficult to read. They often have a pear-shaped body and due to their sedentary nature they tend to gain weight. When you think of a Watcher think of Jimmy Carter, Bob Newhart, Gerald Ford and Jean Stapleton.Watcher’s Positive TraitsStable – Tolerant – Supportive – Harmonious – Patient - AgreeableWatcher’s Negative TraitsIndecisive – Passive – Undermining – Uninvolved – Selfish – PossessiveWatcher Behaviors1. Avoids holding direct eye contact.2. Soft spoken and patient3. Listens with genuine interest.4. Prefers to follow rather than lead.5. Dislikes friction and conflict.6. Can be stubborn and snoopy.7. Tends to offer excuses when things go wrong.How Watchers Can Improve1. Speed up everything you do.2. Speak your mind and don’t be afraid of disagreements.3. Stand up for yourself and be more assertive.4. Accept credit, compliments and praise.5. Avoid the tendency to “smother love.”6. Don’t try quite so hard to please people.7. Learn to make decisions and stop procrastinating.
The Magic of Positive Thinking
Yes, there is magic in positive thinking! In aviation, the word attitude means the angle at which the plane meets the wind, whether the wings are level with the horizon, and whether it is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any person who has not taken charge of his or her own beliefs and attitudes runs a similar risk. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to take control of your thinking and avoid negative minded people. It’s a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort. Every setback and failure you experience also comes with a great opportunity. When one door closes, a window of possibility opens. The key is to look for the opportunity and avoid dwelling on failure. Think thoughts of defeat and you are bound to feel defeated. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to those circumstances. Your mind determines your attitude; you always have the choice to respond either positively or negatively. What happens to a person is less important than what happens within them. The great inventor, Thomas A. Edison, was known for his positive mental attitude. In December 1914, the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, was almost entirely destroyed by fire. Edison lost $2,000,000 worth of equipment and the records of much of his life’s work. The morning after the fire, as the 67-year-old inventor walked among the ashes, he was anything but defeated. Looking around, he remarked, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Yes, there is magic in a positive attitude! I recommend that you read the following books and consider adding them to your personal success library:How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling - Frank BettgerThe Magic Of Believing - Claude M. BristolYou’ll See It When You Believe It - Dr. Wayne W. DyerWhat It Takes To Succeed In Sales - Jeanne & Herbert GreenbergThe Power Of Positive Thinking - Dr. Norman Vincent PealePositive Action Plan - Dr. Napoleon Hill The Master-Key To Riches - Dr. Napoleon Hill & W. Clement StonePsycho-Cybernetics - Dr. Maxwell MaltzCreative Living For Today - Dr. Maxwell Maltz
