False Memory Syndrome

One of the concepts that I found interesting from this chapter is false memory syndrome. At first my thought was that's ridiculous! Who has ever heard of having false memory syndrome? It sounds made up. But, Psychologists have discovered that when an event is repeatedly fed to someone they may adopt the event as reality. They begin to recall it from their memory as if it had really occurred. It sort of sounds like brainwashing to me. A researcher by the name of Elizabeth Loftus explains that people that engage in critical thinking about their memories are less likely to have false memory syndrome. Engaging in critical thinking rather than relying on other people to recall and tell the story helps to avoid adopting the false recounts as real. The idea of critical thinking in action and using memorization strategies can help remember new information is interesting. I found this concept one of the most intriguing concepts so far.

Aristotle

I agree with Aristotle that wisdom is the greatest virtue. I think the relationship between knowledge and wisdom is that they are both bits of information that we believe to be true. The difference between the two is that knowledge is information that not only do we believe to be true but there is evidence to back up the claim. Wisdom, on the other hand, is information that we believe to be true but there is no evidence to support the claim. I think wisdom is something that we acquire over a lifetime of experiences and interactions. To me, knowledge is something more tangible. As college students I would like to think that we are acquiring knowledge as well as wisdom. But I think in order to do that you must be open to the experiences with others in addition to what we read in the textbooks. A person can read tons of books and study fiercely, but without gaining actual experiences it strains their ability to acquire wisdom. Ideally I would like to be perceived as knowledgeable and wise. I think the information ages makes us wiser and more knowledgeable. The Internet offers avenues to gain knowledge and facilitates our ability to hear and see what is going on in the world around us. 

Sally Ride

Sally Ride has lead an extremely interesting and successful career path. She was clearly determined to do great things when she  became a double major in English and Physics. She knew that it was important to have  effective communication skills if she wanted to achieve her goals. A critical thinker must posses important skills such as: analytical skills, effective communication, keeping an open mind, research and inquiry skills, problem solving ability, collaborative learning, attention, and flexibility. All of these skills are essential in a critical thinker. In the story about Sally it reveals that even as a child she enjoyed solving problems. She even had friends that described her as a person who was able to think quickly and figure out a solution. Having the ability to articulate her thoughts with others is another important skill that she posses. Her excellent skills have made her an asset to NASA and have proved her to be a great role model for children.

Nonverbal Language

One of topics not yet discussed that I thought was useful and important from chapter 3 is nonverbal language. I think nonverbal language is just as vital to communication as verbal language is. Nonverbal language is tone of voice, cues, and body language. A lot can be learned from making yourself aware of other people's nonverbal cues. If someone is saying yes but shaking their head no that is a clear discrepancy. A person may tell you they are not upset but display anger in their voice. These examples may cause us to wonder if the person we are communicating with is really being honest with us. Do we believe the nonverbal or verbal language? This is one of the reasons it is important to be aware of cues. If you are confused with the mixed signals you could and should talk to the person about it. Say to them I hear you say yes but you also shook your head no. Is this really something that you want to do or would you rather skip it. 

Rhetorical Devices

The two rhetorical devices that I have used in the last couple of weeks are sarcasm and hyperbole. Sarcasm is a rhetorical device that basically allows someone to insult and/or ridicule someone else while deflecting it with the use of humor. I use sarcasm when I tell my fiancé that I love the way he has cleaned our bedroom. Since getting engaged a few months ago he and I have moved in together. He is not as interested in keeping things as clean as I am so I "tease" him about the messes he makes. I also have used hyperbole recently. Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that uses exaggeration. I don't use hyperbole in a negative way to distort facts, but I may say things like I would just die if that happened to me. The book depicts rhetorical devices as negative, which I think is the case sometimes, but I think they can also be used in harmless ways.

Emotional Intelligence

I think that the section on emotional intelligence and empathy are two important topics in chapter 2. The book explains that emotional intelligence helps to appraise and express emotions. Having emotional intelligence is important to the overall health of a person and helps them make better decisions. Having the inability to express our feelings can have a negative effect on our actions and relationships. Empathy is having the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. According to former Vice President Al Gore, he believes that the reason the American public is desensitized to violent images is because of the images that are shown on TV and in the news. I think that there is some truth to this claim. Repeated exposure to things makes it less shocking and eventually becomes part of a norm. I agree with the book that having emotional intelligence is important to developing and maintaining healthy relationships.   

Aquinas vs. Dawkins

Religion has and will always be a hot topic. It is one that has been argued both ways between the believes and the non-believers. Thomas Aquinas' argues that there are five reasons that God must exist. I think the argument that he presented gave Richard Dawkins a lot of ammunition to shoot holes through his claims. The first three of the five ways "the existence of God can be proved" are so similar that they could be combined into one reason. Presenting a weak argument may cause the audience to question the knowledge the author has on the topic. If you wish to write a piece on a topic that is highly controversial it is important to put forth a dynamite argument. If non-believes were so easy to convince they would be believers already. Aquinas may have rebuted Dawkins by stating that he used reason to back up each of his claims.