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Kim H

Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise: Scientific American - 7 views

www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm

shared by Kim H on 20 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • They begin with the formula pb > c, where a belief may be held when the cost (c) of doing so is less than the probability (p) of the benefit (b). For example, believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is only the wind does not cost much, but believing that a dangerous predator is the wind may cost an animal its life.
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 20 Oct 11
       
      The way the author explains this is very confusing. I feel like he could have, and should have, done a better job at making this more understandable.
    • Joshua Gray
      Joshua Gray on 20 Oct 11
       
      True, I believe the author could have done a better job and give greater evidence to prove the point. But I feel using any religion as an example works well for this. Believing in a supreme being and any religious rquirements there in are worth doing for a person because the negative effects of it are seemingly minimal while if the person is correct than they get to go to an afterlife that is percieved better than life on earth.
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 20 Oct 11
       
      I think the predator example is a good one but yes the religion example is good as well. It's all just that the cost is less than the chance of missing out on something. Because then the cost could be far greater. Such as getting eaten by a predator or missing out on Heaven. Hiding, or running away from good food or not indulging in lots of "sinful" activity seems a small price compared to getting eaten or spending eternity in hell.
    • Tavish Dunn
      Tavish Dunn on 21 Oct 11
       
      I agree that the author's explanations could have been clearer, but the examples of religion and the predator still illustrate the point. No matter how difficult it seems to resist the temptation of things that are deemed sinful throughout life, life is still temporary and any hardships are insignificant compared to an eternal suffering in hell. Both examples have situations where the cost of not believing in something that is true are permanent while the cost of falsely believing something are temporary.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 21 Oct 11
       
      The formula pb > c was a little confusing at first, but once the author gave the explanation through the example of the predator , it all fit into place. I agree with the author that the cost is less than the chance of missing out on something.
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 26 Oct 12
       
      This idea is very interesting and after given the examples I agree. It is better to think something is real when it isn't that the opposite. This concept is not only applicable to nature, but to many issues in life and has the same meaning and lesson when applied to anything. 
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 26 Oct 12
       
      Exactly. I think the analogy of the predator/wind is a pretty good description of how a lot of belief systems work. It's not a scare tactic so much as it is, at least partly, a reassurance of the future of one's self.
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 26 Oct 12
       
      This is of course very true, and also makes sense. Not only does our sense of self preservation tend to believe patterns are true if the cost is less than the potential benefits, but so should our rationality. Even though it might be wise to question whether or not the pattern is actually a pattern, it is equally wise to assume it to be one until proven otherwise.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 26 Oct 12
       
      It was an interesting article, but i agree it was a little difficult to understand at times. the idea that we can see and believe things that aren't true is valid. it is also a good point that we should be more rational about things.
  • Religionists see the Virgin Mary on the side of a building.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 20 Oct 11
       
      This is true. We develop our own beliefs and justifications for why things happen or why they are the way they are. A person see Virgin Mary and another sees Micheal Jordan is just a connection to our inner beliefs. What makes it important to us? How do we put a face to something? It reminds me of precedents in court, because they are use to make future decisions. We make connections in our minds to explain certain things!
    • Joette Carini
      Joette Carini on 21 Oct 11
       
      Like Felicia, I agree with this concept. It is a little bit of a complicated explanation because when we think of priming, we think of being influences on purpose by outside sources. But, seeing the Virgin Mary on the side of a building is not a certain religion telling that person to see her everywhere they go, so it is not an intentional priming. However, I do agree that we make certain connections with certain things because of our background and how we live. 
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 21 Oct 11
       
      I think it might go deeper than being religious when someone sees the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. It does scratch the surface in the article when trying to explain the Type I and Type II cognizance. It is something that might be more emotionally attached to their psyche than anything else. Or it could be just superficial belief in the paranormal or superstitions.
  • and prior events
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 20 Oct 11
       
      If it's been a predator before you're more likely to think it's a predator. Whenever your right it provides a positive reinforcement.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 26 Oct 12
       
      I feel like this is just a living being's natural tenancy to favor safety over harm. It comes down to being prepared for the worst, which is, as the author would say, a natural selective attribute. Error on the side of caution clearly is statistically more beneficial than the other option. An animals prime instinct is to survive in order to reproduce. Humans have a responsibility to reproduce as well as to be productive members of society. Being more "cautious" allows people to contribute more and have experiences to benefit society as well as the people around them. I am not saying everyone lives for their country/community, but people choose to live because of the personal connections we make with others, and THAT is the cost we way, the benefits of this is what is considered in the equation.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 26 Oct 12
       
      The connection of this idea to the concept of inequality is that we use this concept to shape what policies we fight for and ones we don't care for. The policies that come at the greatest cost with a lesser benefit are the ones that people choose not to support. Policies with the greatest benefit with the least cost is more favorable. As far as believing false negatives/positives, these beliefs are based on hope (false positives) and lack of information/ignorance (false negatives).
  • ...19 more annotations...
    • Jacqueline Ramsay
      Jacqueline Ramsay on 21 Oct 11
       
      The things people watch and witness are going to be on their mind and more likely change the things he or she is watching for. For example, a person who has just watched a scary movie is more likely to hear footsteps or feel cool air against their neck even if there is nothing there. 
    • Amanda Power
      Amanda Power on 21 Oct 11
       
      Exactly. The things that we experience cary through the day. We also like to come up with explinations to make things make more sense or even give them more value. Just as the Greek and Romans did when they told the tales of the Gods who did the things they could not other wise explain. An example being Helios who pulled the sun across the sky by charriot.
  • natural selection will favour strategies that make many incorrect causal associations in order to establish those that are essential for survival and reproduction
  • Why do people see faces in nature, interpret window stains as human figures, hear voices in random sounds generated by electronic devices or find conspiracies in the daily news?
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 21 Oct 11
       
      I usually find myself making weird figures from the clouds in the sky. Once you start thinking about something or noticing something in your everyday life, you start seeing these figures everywhere you go. 
    • Tyler Schnorf
      Tyler Schnorf on 28 Oct 12
       
      ya i have noticed that too. we find familiar objects to us in other things when they are not even there. Our mind can see things that we are used to seeing in places where they arent
  • There is. I call it “patternicity,” or the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise.
    • Mark Drach-Meinel
      Mark Drach-Meinel on 21 Oct 11
       
      I think that this is some sort of sense that is second nature to most people. We like to have order so sometimes someone might go to the extreme and try and find some sort of order in complete chaos.
    • Ryan Brown
      Ryan Brown on 21 Oct 11
       
      This is true and I like what mark said above...we are always trying to make order out of chaos...not sure why but that is what we always do,
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 26 Oct 12
       
      I agree. I guess that's why there is the saying, "Everything happens for a reason." We like to give reasons and meaning to life, to our everyday living. I think Mark was spot on in his comment. We like feeling in control of many situations in life, especially with the unexplainable. 
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 26 Oct 12
       
      I agree with everyone this makes sense. We are always trying to find the meaning in life so we constintly make patterns. I think that this author is correct in asserting that making patterns is natural and important and consequently there may be some truth in conspiracys for certain people.
    • Devin Milligan
      Devin Milligan on 26 Oct 12
       
      When i hear random noises, ofter there are certain tones that can make me think of a certain song. I usually turn random sounds into a song. Certain pitches can remind of certain melodies that i know. 
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 26 Oct 12
       
      We're all correct and I'm proud of everyone's findings. There's not really much more to be said on this besides that it's true.. How that affects political policy and using it to the advantage of bettering society is what we need to figure out
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 26 Oct 12
       
      I think that we like for things to be relatable, we prefer to have things in common than to label it as the complete polar opposite of us, hence we see faces in windows and figures in clouds, and even sounds that make no sense we try to label as intelligible, because we want to have an understanding for our environment. We like patterns, because things remain constant that way, adapting to change is not really our favorite thing to do.
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 21 Oct 11
       
      in my english class as well we discussed how humans naturally make patterns to make stuff more simple and nderstand it more even if there is no pattern or relation. its called paradolia and we do it to simplify everything then make and find meaning in it. its a natural response and is seen as beneficial sometimes in order to understand things but can distort reality to make it understandable
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 21 Oct 11
       
      Michael Shermer is awesome and you all should definitely check out his books. I just finished reading "Why people believe weird things" and it was quite good. Shermer came and spoke at CLU last year for the SoCal leadership conference for the SSA - the video of that is available here if you are interested  http://www.youtube.com/user/SecularStudents?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/0kbHZ8sEwd0
  • A type I error, or a false positive, is believing something is real when it is not (finding a nonexistent pattern). A type II error, or a false negative, is not believing something is real when it is (not recognizing a real pattern—call it “apat­ternicity”).
  • . Thus, there would have been a beneficial selection for believing that most patterns are real.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 21 Oct 11
       
      This is Shermer's main point. Because we have evolved to seek out patterns, and our survival rate tends to go up by accepting pattern outcomes as real, we are destined to believe things. This is why 'people believe weird things'. It is why we are susceptible to priming and why political story telling is so effective. 
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 26 Oct 12
       
      I agree, I think that this is an interesting point. When we typically think of conspiracy theorist we tend to picture some crazy person when in reality picking up on patterns that go deeper than what we are shown in the media might be an important survival instinct that has been lost because of stigma.
  • perience with pred
  • But such erroneous cognition is not likely to remove us from the gene pool and would therefore not have been selected against by evolution.
    • Brandon White
      Brandon White on 26 Oct 12
       
      Scientifically, this is really interesting. Although misconstruing the world around us can sometimes be seen as being a negative personality trait, evolution has determined that it is not one that is a "fatal" error or one that would inhibit growth. What we perceive in our own mind, in a way, can be negative or positive. Seeing things like the face of Jesus in a slice of toast may seem odd or crazy, but in a way it is refreshing to see different people interpreting the natural world in different ways. If we all saw the world the same, creativity would die.  Think about it: People thought Galileo was odd at first for looking at the universe differently, and now his ideas are accepted by almost all. 
  • Sometimes A really is connected to B; sometimes it is not
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 26 Oct 12
       
      I know I have seen this countless times before, with people making connections between things that are completely unrelated. It seems that there is trouble with believing the simple answer, and feel that there needs to be a deeper meaning.
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 26 Oct 12
       
      Or perhaps you connect point A with point B because point B holds specific significance to you. Like when people so 9/11 was a conspiracy. Maybe that person was dissatisfied with Bush and in order to justify his dislike for him needs to come up with a patternicity that supports his feeling.
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 26 Oct 12
       
      I agree with Edmund. I think much that we decide with our brains has to do with importance/ significance to us. This might explain why people think that certain things are real when they aren't such as a type I error or vice versa with a type II error that believes something is false when it is really real. Humans emotions and feelings I feel make their argument make sense in their heads. 
    • Phillip Delgado
      Phillip Delgado on 26 Oct 12
       
      i beleive that type II error, or a false negative would only make sense if the person had a mental disability. A lot of people who believe in things like UFOs known deep down that they are false. These people choose to not recognize real patterns, and by doing this in turn they are recognizing them.
  • I argue that our brains are belief engines: evolved pattern-recognition machines that connect the dots and create meaning out of the patterns that we think we see in nature.
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 26 Oct 12
       
      Ever since I was in pre-school I remember connecting the dots, it's something children have been taught and doing their whole life.
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 27 Oct 12
       
      I agree with Shermer's argument. We humans do see things out of certain patterns. Such as finding shapes in the clouds or a monster from your window at night, when it really was a branch in the wind. I find it entertaining when people sell the image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of toast. These patterns fascinate our brains and link to creativity.
  • Paranormalists hear dead people speaking to them through a radio receiver.
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 26 Oct 12
       
      Someone who claims they hear things can be because of past experiences that has had a great impact on them. I think experiences can influence what a person believes or doesn't believe. 
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 26 Oct 12
       
      Absolutely it can.  People can be easily be molded not matter the circumstance
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 26 Oct 12
       
      I believe that the reason we see faces and other things in inanimate and amorphous objects is because either we are either searching way too hard (over analyzing) or just to accustomed to the object we are seeing.  Many of us see faces in random things and I believe that it is due to the fact that we deal with many faces each and every day.  And since we are not all clones, there is room for slight differences and changes so when we come across two spots and a sideways parentheses we associate it with a face.  
    • Quang Chu
      Quang Chu on 26 Oct 12
       
      I think this is a very interesting article. This article reminds me of the story about a biologist and a businessman. They are walking together. Suddenly, the biologist hears the sound of an extremely rare insect that he hes been looking for a long time. The businessman does not hear anything. Later, the businessman hears a sound of a quarter just hits the ground. And of course, the biologist does not hear it. So i think it is very similar to this article because people can find things that they are interested in easier than things that they never want. By getting interested in something, the brain or our mind will create like a pattern inside, and it keeps telling and seeking from everything around us that might be related of what we are looking for or what we are interested in. 
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 26 Oct 12
       
      What it really comes down to is how the brain wants to interpret in coming information. For example, if you are a businessman you'll hear quarters or as in the article if you are a paranormalist you will hear dead people talking to you through the radio. How you interpret information is based according to your personality.
  • belief may be held when the cost (c) of doing so is less than the probability (p) of the benefit (b)
    • Amanda Garcia
      Amanda Garcia on 26 Oct 12
       
      I couldn't comment on the highlight under this, but that's exactly what I thought of when I read this, Pascal's wager. It is true, if the cost of believing something is comparably better than not believing it and risking the consequences that you may be wrong, regardless of whether it is true or not, it may be advantageous to us that we've evolved this way. 
    • jackmcfarland12
      jackmcfarland12 on 27 Oct 12
       
      I really like this point. We are socialized at a young age to see things certain ways. Like a kid born and raised in feudal Japan would be a lot different that a kid born today in Britain. Seeing these patterns we are also trained at a primordial level to interpret them independent from what we are taught. Being educated by nature and society are two different things that come together to make our reality.
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 29 Oct 12
       
      "pattern-recognition machines": I'm pretty sure we can all think of times when we've heard our named called out somewhere, but really someone just said something that sounded similar to our names. Our brains are constantly on alert, trying to make sense of the world around us. We feel comfortable with things we know, and so we try to fit new experiences into what we already know. This works like schemas. 
  • Eric Henderson on 21 Oct 11
     
    I agree with Sarah because yes it was already a predator you are more inclined to think its a predator because thats all you've known it as.
  • Andrew Rothans on 21 Oct 11
     
    I like the predator example and feel it helped my understand the article better. How we see something and how we relate it to ourselves such as the Virgin Mary is very important. I also feel the cost is less than the chance of missing out in the long run.
  • Emily Shandorf on 26 Oct 12
     
    I find this information very interesting: Patternicity," or the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise. It is also an error in cognition. Natural selection will favor patternicity. There are two types, or a false or a positive, believing something is real when it is not and believing something is real when it is. Our brains are belief engines: evolved pattern-recognition machines that connect the dots and create meaning out of the patterns that we think we see in nature.
Matt Nolan

Mangala Kanayson's Questions on Patternicity (2:45 Class) - 13 views

2- I do find myself seen patterns and images that have hidden meanings, but I feel that most people also see this. People want to see paranormal and unusual things because it excites people and thi...

patternicity

started by Mangala Kanayson on 21 Oct 11 5 follow-ups, last by Matt Nolan on 21 Oct 11
Bethany Petersen

Questions on "Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise" - 17 views

I see how politicians would use patternicity in order to further their goals. One way they could do this is by planting schemas, such as the conspiracy theories like the ones in the articles. By do...

started by Xochitl Cruz on 20 Oct 11 8 follow-ups, last by Bethany Petersen on 21 Oct 11
Lauren Frenkel

Questions for "Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise" - 14 views

I would have to agree with Tavish,patternicity allows the polis to place blame easily. It is felt that further research is not needed therefore false problems are created. lot of time and effort i...

started by Jacqueline Ramsay on 20 Oct 11 4 follow-ups, last by Lauren Frenkel on 21 Oct 11
Kayla Sawoski

Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise: Scientific American - 0 views

www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm

shared by Kayla Sawoski on 20 Oct 11 - Cached
  • Escherichia coli cells will swim towards physiologically inert methylated aspartate presumably owing to an adaptation to favour true aspartate.”
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 20 Oct 11
       
      I don't quite get this example, what is it saying?
    • Mangala Kanayson
      Mangala Kanayson on 21 Oct 11
       
      It means that certain species chase what looks like food even though it has no nutrients because chasing what looks like food has an evolutionary advantage.
  • Such patternicities, then, mean that people believe weird things because of our evolved need to believe nonweird things.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 21 Oct 11
       
      I love this point. It heavily aligns itself with political story telling. Because we readily believe statistical figures and political stories that seem normative, we are more inclined to believe more far out political stories and more hyperbolic rhetoric. 
    • Benjamin Chavez II
      Benjamin Chavez II on 26 Oct 12
       
      I fully agree with Mike on this one.  I believe that since we don't have a full 100% "truth" in politics we are led to believe these weird things because we "need" an explanation for the unknown.
    • Kayla Sawoski
      Kayla Sawoski on 26 Oct 12
       
      We as humans are influenced to believe these "weird" things because that's how the environment around us views it. If were to just look at something without providing any depth to it, it would be different. However, patternicities have evolved to show that there is a need to believe these things. 
Flavio Guzman

Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise - 0 views

Yes, it is true, we are very bad at predicting statistics and that is why we believe things that aren't true and also don't want to believe things that are true. I think there is another reason to ...

started by Flavio Guzman on 30 Oct 12 no follow-up yet
Eric Arbuckle

Magen Sanders Questions on-Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise - 17 views

Comes down to one main thing. If we are attacked by a country or terrorist organization, and that attack causes harm to a great number of American civilians or American military personnel; it is ou...

question

started by magen sanders on 19 Oct 11 6 follow-ups, last by Eric Arbuckle on 21 Oct 11
Flavio Guzman

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care : The New Yorker - 2 views

www.newyorker.com/...090601fa_fact_gawande

shared by Flavio Guzman on 08 Nov 12 - Cached
  • other words, Medicare spends three thousand dollars more per person here than the average person earns.
    • georgenasr
      georgenasr on 08 Nov 12
       
      So how did McAllen find itself serving to that group? 
  • Before, it was about how to do a good job. Now it is about ‘How much will you benefit?’
  • In Washington, the aim of health-care reform is not just to extend medical coverage to everybody but also to bring costs under control. Spending on doctors, hospitals, drugs, and the like now consumes more than one of every six dollars we earn. The financial burden has damaged the global competitiveness of American businesses and bankrupted millions of families, even those with insurance.
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 09 Nov 12
       
      When putting the cost of healthcare into terms of it being one of every six dollars we earn, I can easily see why Obama has pushed for the Affordable Care Act. When more than 15% of our income is spent on treating the sick, I can see how it needs to be made more widely available and affordable. To spend 15% of your income on an illness is absurd, and I feel that it hits families that are living in the lower income brackets even harder, where every dollar they can save counts. 
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Medicare spends three thousand dollars more per person here than the average person earns.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 09 Nov 12
       
      This is ridiculous. Healthcare should not be that expensive especially for a town like McAllen, Texas. The government needs to step in in and figure a way to reduce healthcare costs.
    • Flavio Guzman
      Flavio Guzman on 19 Nov 12
       
      Yes this is rdiculous becuase teh government is spending so much money on health care for its people. But why don't we stop to think about what would happen if health care wasn't provided by the government, people wouldn't be able to provide medicare for themselves, let alone their families or even be able to support their families
  • Before, it was about how to do a good job. Now it is about ‘How much will you benefit?’ ”
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 09 Nov 12
       
      I completely agree, healthcare providers should be compassionate and care for their patients. As a prospective healthcare provider, I hope my generation would serve the public not for monetary gain, but the satisfaction of being able to help those in need the most. Some doctors I've had appointments with just diagnose me, or say there isn't anything wrong and leave the room. Doctors and nurses should have the ability to empathize their patients. Patients are people too, not a lab subject.
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 09 Nov 12
       
      Today, healthcare providers seem to want to benefit for monetary gain. As a prospective healthcare provider, I hope my generation will treat their patients with respect and do the best of their ability to treat them. From personal experience, I went through many doctor's appointments with different doctors and I saw a repeating pattern. It's rare to find that good doctor who empathizes their patients and cares about their well-being; not a checklist off a number. Not only a professional relationship, but there should be a personal level too.
Sarah McKee

Questions on 100 Years of Human Rights by Eric Henderson - 11 views

I don't necessarily know if there was a trend. I more think that there are certain decades where there are more good and some that are mostly bad. Something I found really interesting was that the ...

Rights

started by Eric Henderson on 04 Dec 11 2 follow-ups, last by Sarah McKee on 05 Dec 11
Chantelle Cichon

A Payoff Out of Poverty? - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...21cash-t.html

shared by Chantelle Cichon on 08 Nov 11 - Cached
  • the standard left-wing argument that people are poor because of low wages, discrimination and bad schools. But the phrase has essentially become shorthand for the right-wing argument that poverty stems from the limitations of the poor and is largely impervious to outside intervention.
    • Ryan Brown
      Ryan Brown on 08 Nov 11
       
      Is there a right answer anymore? everything comes full circle no matter what we say why do we keep picking sides...People need to get over some of these ideas and look into the society, culture, lifestyles and come up with a real group of reasons before I can accept anything anymore.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 16 Nov 12
       
      I guess you could see it from both sides, both reasons add to it. 
  • In Paso de Coyutla, it seemed that the culture of poverty was indeed immutable. Generations after Jesús Sánchez, the lack of interest in education, failure to think about the future, machismo and authoritarianism persisted. There was every reason to think that life would be exactly the same for Solís and Hernández’s four children.
    • Ryan Brown
      Ryan Brown on 08 Nov 11
       
      Problem...problem...problem...if you are in poverty and view society like that...i rest my case...
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 11 Nov 11
       
      How can they think outside of their experiences when they are not exposed to that thinking? On television, the images of success seems so far fetch and the image of those actual people with sucess never looks like the poor.
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree that they are neglected from the rest of the world. Lacking the the tools to be hopeful for any kind of success. 
  • The program gives the poor cash, but unlike traditional welfare programs, it conditions the receipt of that cash on activities designed to break the culture of poverty and keep the poor from transmitting that culture to their children.
    • Ryan Brown
      Ryan Brown on 08 Nov 11
       
      How effective was this exactly?
    • Mark Drach-Meinel
      Mark Drach-Meinel on 13 Nov 11
       
      I've seen those who are poor in Mexico. I am fairly sure that there are those who did take the money and run but also there are families out there who would try to break the cycle and they would use this advantage to do so.
  • ...5 more annotations...
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 09 Nov 11
       
      I think it is interesting to say that government cannot make someone change their own specific beliefs and cultures, but can change the culture as a whole.  Can it?  To a certain extent, yes.  But it does not happen instantly.  It takes generations for this change to take place, and government rarely stays committed to something for that long.
  • Solís’s and Hernández’s grandparents were poor, their parents are poor and they are poor.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 11 Nov 11
       
      It is a life cycle, until someone beat the ODDS(rarely).
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 11 Nov 11
       
      I agree with Felecia. If your family and ancestors were poor, there are very chances that you also will be poor. Like she stated above, there needs to be that one person that goes above and beyond the norm and then you can break this cycle. But those cases only happen very rarely, almost miracles.
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 15 Nov 12
       
      I think the biggest reason why "poorness" is passed down is because the family has no financial literacy and teaches their children the same techniques they have used to get by in life. If the parents were not knowledgeable with money, they cannot teach their children how to be and thus the children will be in the same financial boat as their parents unless they take it upon themselves to learn from an outside source. Usually being poor is passed down along with being rich and this is not because of the physical money being passed down but because of the ideas, knowledge, and ability to handle money that is either being taught or not being taught. 
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 16 Nov 12
       
      It is true that in most cases when the parents are the poor then the sons and daughters are also poor. But Felecia is right that one person needs to take a stand and try their best to fix what has been the main problem  in their family. This takes power and will though, that most people who are poor lack.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 16 Nov 12
       
      in order to have change you need knowledge, motivation and sometimes money which this culture doesn't have a lot of. Hence we see the same repeating pattern.
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 16 Nov 12
       
      I don't agree anyone could make the statement that parents transmit it to thier children. I understand that where people live might transmit less opportunities but many parents move here and struggle to give their children a better life. They do everything they can in order to prevent their kids from struggling like they do.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 16 Nov 12
       
      I would agree with this because I would say most parents do everything they can to help their children. If people move it is usually to help their kids and give them opportunities they never had.
  • hat nothing government could feasibly do would change that orientation or stop parents from transmitting it to their children.
    • Kayla Sawoski
      Kayla Sawoski on 16 Nov 12
       
      Just because your parents are poor, doesn't mean that you will be poor. People still have the opportunities to make a better environment and living situation for themselves. The government may not be able to help but they can find ways to stay stable.
    • Kelsey Fratello
      Kelsey Fratello on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree with Kayla because sometimes when the parents are poor, it makes the children work really hard not to be; it can cause them to try to be successful so that they can help support their parents and be able to give to their children the things they didn't get when they were little. I know people who have worked really hard not to be poor so that their children could live the happy life that they never got to. 
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 16 Nov 12
       
      totally true, you can change your future however its hard. Some will go to college or do better than their family, but you dont see it very often, its not as easy as it sounds. 
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 05 Dec 12
       
      I think that this is a very selfish train of thought, for some people can be very driven and motivated but are unable to to get out of their poverty due to their family needs and society.  It's not fair to discriminate an entire class as a whole when only a percentage of them are actually not future-oriented.
Jason van Rijn

Dr. Marichal's Course Portals (2170) - 32 views

www.netvibes.com/pols208

shared by Jason van Rijn on 01 Sep 11 - No Cached
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 01 Sep 11
       
      I agree with this statement. Because this generation is exposed to the internet they have more conversations with each other, which complements the simply writing as well as writing being easier. With internet conversations being without emotions and physical connection, words can easily be interpreted in a wrong way. Which is why this generation writing may be simplier than previous generations. However, because of the informality of the internet they adapt to the misuse of words, which adds to the lack of proper grammer.
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 02 Sep 11
       
      With all due respect to Felecia, grammar is spelled incorrectly above. Nothing personal, just thought it was a pun and went along with the point you were making. I do agree, though, in a sense that it can force students to adapt to the misuse, but it also depends on the students themselves.
    • steve santos
      steve santos on 19 Sep 11
       
      taking informalities one step further I feel the generation now and those younger turning in those that when it comes to social interactions, many are inept in something as simple as a personal conversation initiative. The times being crippling in the personal stake of matters in having face on conversations. rather than talk it out; its turned to text it out. speaking in generalities of course. not saying they aren't exceptions, but its an increasing trend of shutting out and believing what one reads rather than thinking it out with someone there of what they genuinely think.
    • Matt Nolan
      Matt Nolan on 20 Sep 11
       
      I agree with Steve, I feel the younger generation has a harder time interacting with people and making conversation because everything is done electronically. You see more young people in society being shy or awkward around big crowds it is because of technology, nothing is personal anymore and I feel more people need to be willing to have a conversation and open up to people and engage in something they might not have much knowledge about because in the long run it will be better for your future and give you more opportunities to meet new people.
    • jose marichal
      jose marichal on 19 Sep 12
       
      I don't agree with any of you ---- JK
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 08 Sep 11
       
      It amazes me that 21st century medicine has yet to reach places such as Niger. In American and other 1st world countries death during childbirth is unheard of. I would think that with all of the volunteers and global programs these hospitals would at least have basic medicine. I am disgusted that this is still going on in such a developed world. These kinds of problems are being overlooked. Instead, the world is fighting over petty issues. I plan to have a career in healthcare and this article really has me thinking.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 10 Sep 11
       
      This is obviously true for mothers around the world. Not every woman that goes into birth have proper care, some women are faced with dire consequences and results. A pregnant woman walking an hour to deliver a baby seems crucial in today's society. However, it is not hard for me to believe or envision this because this is the way of the world. The poor are really poor and the rich are extremely rich. Where is the middle ground?
    • steve santos
      steve santos on 16 Sep 11
       
      it is racking for how a person feels about these circumstances especially thinking about it in the sense of how people feel about karma and would want themselves treated if in difficult circumstances themselves. gilt of western civilization and privilege. that middle ground is especially hard to break into with the polis, market relationship being differing in changes in one will often go into an effect with the other that will become a problematic notion itself later to others who question the notion of THAT particular policy.
  • ...59 more annotations...
    • Sabryna Aylard
      Sabryna Aylard on 12 Sep 11
       
      When reading this article, it was really unbelieveable about the conditions of the hospitals and how horrible healthcare is in third world countries. It showed how large a spectrum is from a thriving economic society to a undeveloped country.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 13 Sep 11
       
      Reading this article about the conditions in Niger makes me realize how blessed and fortunate we are here in the U.S. to have so many medical facilities and assistants to help and take of us in times of need. Just like it was mentioned in the article it seems like Niger was back in the middle ages where none of the resources we have today were available.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 15 Sep 11
       
      John Smith's books were all written around free market ideals. His book the wealth of nations describes that if people pursue their own interests, society will also benefit. I can agree with this statement in several ways. As seen in some fallen communist countries, if people do not have a private, personal good to work for, people are not generally willing to work as hard. Whereas if someone will receive self benefits/advancement they will be wiling to work harder to benefit society because of it. Once could also look at this from the standpoint that although the richest of people make more money than most could ever imagine, they are pumping millions of those dollars into the economy through job and good creation. So here, people are receiving self-benefits, but their companies are also benefiting the US economy. 
    • Sabryna Aylard
      Sabryna Aylard on 16 Sep 11
       
      I remember the day care experiment from another class. I always found it interesting that when you are given a fee of something, your morality goes unharmed since your paying it off.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 20 Sep 11
       
      I found this article to be very interesting. In my global issues class we had discussed specialization, and how specialization is more "efficient" (we also discussed efficiency). In this article they talked about how people are breaking down things like health into small,specialized aspects instead of looking at health as a whole- with many different contributing components. Was this done because it was more "efficient" in the world of study and research? It seems like there could be some sort of a connection, maybe the connection lies within the researchers themselves who are "specialists" in a particular study, so when doing research they do not take into account the later picture....
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 20 Sep 11
       
      Larger*
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 26 Sep 11
       
      In this article it says "...that if individual liberty is an ultimate end for human beings..." I found this to be very interesting because freedom is often looked so highly upon that it seems to be the very thing everyone strives for. It is true, freedom is a great thing, but can individual freedom be an ultimate end? We can't let people going around doing whatever they want. That is why we have laws- to create and maintain order within the polis. It is interesting to think though just how much individual freedom we can allow without ending overall peace and well-being within a society.
    • Joshua Gray
      Joshua Gray on 26 Sep 11
       
      For myself at least, I found that freedom was a means to an end and my personal favorite. I think people use freedom as a tool to find happiness and meaning within their own life. I agree that we have laws to attempt to solve the issues that arise between the differences and disagreements that we have within our society.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 26 Sep 11
       
      Freedom is every man's dream..For the longest freedom has praised by everyone who became a heroic figure . But the definition of freedom changes from person to person. Freedom can be happiness to one and it can mean to have the freedom of expression to another . Freedom is a word that portrays to a broad topic. In the article Isaiah Berlin says that…" it is a term whose meaning is so porous that there is little interpretation that it seems able to resist."
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 26 Sep 11
       
      I agree in a way that there is no clear definition of freedom.  It is not something that is universal to everyone, but it is based off the individual's standards.  For example, some who may have just moved to the United states from a foreign country may consider freedom as being able to speak their opinion, while a U.S. born citizen may consider freedom as something along the lines of choosing whether or not to wear their seatbelt.
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 26 Sep 11
       
      This is the problem in washington: people can't find the "middle ground" or much less compromise.  The constant push and pull between positive and negative liberties will have scary consequences for the future of our nation.
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 10 Oct 11
       
      I agree and feel that the reason for this is because everybody naturally has different views and perspectives.  The right way to categorize in one's mind may vary to another individual.  This is why when we vote it is not unanimous but it is of the majority vote.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 19 Sep 12
       
      There is never going to be a "middle ground" anywhere, considering that every individual grows up with a different background, views, economic stance, etc.  
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 30 Sep 11
       
      I thought it was interesting that Simon Lovell studied so deeply into what makes a con man so successful. He explains that a con man is a good salesman, which seems pretty logical. I never thought deep into it though. He says that being a con man requires study of psychology and body language. I could see this helping, but does anyone really think con men go to such great lengths?? I feel like they just make good conversations and play into the wants of society
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 03 Oct 11
       
      This article is very bias. It talks about how republicans exploit information and use freaking techniques to trick americans. Don't ALL politicians do this? I just found it to be very interesting how the article began by putting blame on one side to make its ideas appear unreasonable. We discussed last week how "framing" is used across the board.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 05 Oct 11
       
      I kind of agree with this article. It is ridiculous that we have to use celebrities and crazy adds to grab people's attention and make them want to help. It's a "trend". If it's made cool and popular by celebrities and famous politicians people will jump on board. I guess though, these things are raising awareness. Before the ICU club appeared, most college and high school kids had no idea about what was going on in Darfur and other African countries. I feel like people should hold some kind of social responsibility to know major things that are happening in the world. But like we said in class the other day, people don't take this responsibility as a citizen of the world seriously, so I guess crazy adds and celebs have to be used to spread awarness.
    • Melissa Moreno
      Melissa Moreno on 21 Oct 11
       
      Taking caution with "the rustle in the grass" is important because all to often we accept stories and patterns as true because of the titles associated with them and those who are giving us the information. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 24 Oct 11
       
      Personally, I agree with the whole "slidware" stunt. I think that by using Microsoft Powerpoint, Keynote, etc. people can hide the fact that their discussion lacks content. Sometimes pictures and phrases can be useful in guiding the discussion or providing examples. This is not always the case though. In high school one of my teachers pointed out in another student's powerpoint that he/she had no true analysis about the topic, but was attempting to cover that up with fancy fonts, catchy slogans, and lots of pictures. When I listen to a speaker I want to be sure that I am being given as much DATA as possible, and even more important RELEVANT DATA! I've even caught teachers using their power points to cover the truth that they were not prepared to present the lecture. 
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 24 Oct 11
       
      The author makes a good point in the fact that visual reasoning usually works more effectively when relevant information is shown side by side.  It is easier for a reader to understand the significance of something if they have something else to compare it to.  I think that is how policy is either passed or not passed, based on whether that significance is strong enough.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 28 Oct 11
       
      I thought the whole idea of the command and control functions was very interesting. I think, especially in public policy, they're both used together. When a piece of legislation is passed we don't really have much control over it (granted, we could protest, sign petitions, etc.), so we have to do as "they" say. That's the command function. The control function is also in use though. I think that in order to make something seem more appealing and in order to gain support politicians definitely re order the environment to fit their argument. We're kind of tricked by this....
    • Joshua Gray
      Joshua Gray on 30 Oct 11
       
      I thought that the dangerous memes talk was a interesting talk that gave a unique look into humanity and our ideas or memes. It seemed to me that a major point in his talk was to attempt in certain cases to approach ideas in a morally objective manner to determine if such an ideea is a good or bad thing for humanity. Overall I believe that he did a very fine job giving his talk while staying as objective as possible.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 03 Nov 11
       
      I think that political scientists are beginning to realize more and more than almost everything is significant when it comes to "social construction". We are all, to some extent, influenced by both internal and external factors. I find the idea behind specific groups to be very interesting. I have always noticed that there are many politically-based groups that strictly abide by one set of ideals. I always wonder why they refuse to wander outside of their established "zone" and who are what factors led them to believe those were the best ideals. Gender is especially interesting. I guess women tend to be more soft/gentle/emotional characters, so this is why their ideals lean a certain way. However, I wonder if things may be changing. It seems as though a long time ago women had an established place and role in society, so this could have influenced their thinking. Now though, women can and do do all of the same things that men partake in. I wonder if this influences them politically at all. I, for one, am not soft and probably not as emotional or sympathetic as some people think I should be. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 07 Nov 11
       
      This article is very interesting. I think it's weird how they were actually able to transform an educational institution by first changing the name. I think that people embrace names and that they can be somewhat empowering. If the name of something is relatable or refers to something grand then people tend to be more responsive. I think this is a kind of framing in which a name can shape an institution, how it works, and how it's members participate. 
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 11 Nov 11
       
      this line about power growing as well as the enemies list got me to thinking, when your power and influence get stronger and expand does that automatically cause you to gain a longer list of enemies and "haters" and do the enemies have reason other than jealousy for this animosity. is it really Jay-Z's fault that he is a powerful respected man?
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 18 Nov 11
       
      I agree in a way that power influences the audience and how well known you are.  It is only natural that amongst a large group there are going to be haters.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 18 Nov 11
       
      I can see both the pros and cons of this situation and always apply it to the legalization of marijuana in California. While I worry that legalization makes illicit drug use acceptable, we do see cases where drug use actually declines in the period after legalization. I don't really understand why this is, though, ...if something is legal it's not fun anymore?? I just think that, although it would be a good source of tax money, If marijuana is legalized people will still use it but I also think they will turn to other kinds of drug use which are much more serious. Whether we like it or not we know that a great amount of illicit drug use comes from marijuana use.  Tax Revenue or Possibility of more illicit drug use? I'm not sure which is better, or what would happen if drugs were legalized in America. In a variety of things, laws and regulations do not work in America as they do in foreign countries because we are so different, diverse, and seem to have overall different views on morals. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 05 Dec 11
       
      I think that, while it would be RIDICULOUS, if the administration had no idea what was going on in Rwanda, the third point is correct in some sense. It said "regardless of what it knew, there was nothing useful to be done. We see in a lot of unfortunate situations like this the only thing that is moderately useful that outsiders can do is to capture the leader- it times of chaos, it's not easy. This reminds me very much of the deal with Joseph Kony. Even though many countries have made a commitment to catch him if possible, it still hasn't happened and people are still being murdered.  I guess it comes with the power, but it still always surprises me that other countries judge us if we don't jump in to help EVERY situation in EVERY country at that VERY second....not to say that we shouldn't help people, but I think that too much is expected of the United States. We can't solve everyone's problems-- we can't even solve our own........
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 08 Sep 12
       
      Very interesting study. Evolution in the making causes us to have more mental battles within us when faced with difficult decisions, especially when associated with life, death, and murder. I would be like most in the trolley situation and pull the lever but not push the large man. However, in the second situation I would say that I would smother the baby to save the village. Now what I might do in reality could be the exact opposite, but as for hypothetical thought, those would be my conclusions. 
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 09 Sep 12
       
      Exactly! How would people simply know if something is wrong and fail to give a valid reason. If you know something is wrong or right, there should be a reason to support it.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
       
      "Moral dumbfounding" is a really interesting point in this article to me as it is true how people react to certain issues based on instincts. They react based on how they grew up with society, their background, and their upbringing. I think people should be discussing why they really think certain "social issues" are wrong, even if they do not hurt other people.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree completely, there are so many critical factors brought in that make bias towards one side.  There needs to be much more support and concrete evidence as to why a certain issue is morally wrong, not just a gut feeling.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
       
      After listening to this podcast, I would probably agree with most people about pulling the lever and not pushing the man, as it is more personal in some way. Then as for the baby, I do not think I could do that even if it did save more people. As for deriving from apes in that morality form, I am just not sure about that yet, as I believe the world around your upbringing plays a big role.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 10 Sep 12
       
      Taking snapshots of a brain would really help scientists better understand the way a brain works which can eventually lead to advances in society.
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 10 Sep 12
       
      When reading what could be known as a controversial issue, we constantly ask ourselves "do we agree with that?". The scenarios explained in paragraph three of Hot Morality are the same. Yes, while the man purchasing a chicken and performing activities is odd, it isn't wrong and it is harmless. Topics like these are what causes discussions and also tests the morality of an issue. 
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 10 Sep 12
       
      Moal dumbfounding.   I think it's interesting that people that live today think that so many things are bad but do not know why.  When asked the question "why is it wrong?" many, after a deep thought, will say I don't know...  It just is.  We live in a society that knows that things are wrong but not why
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 14 Sep 12
       
      After reading this, you see how different countries around the world are and how difficult life is for people. It is extremely sad that the women have to go through so much when they have a baby. It isnt fair to them. They have a million more things that they have to be worried about and have to take care of themselves, unlike the women in Sweden. Hopefully one day, the way of living and surviving will be more equal all around the world.
    • laurenneiger
      laurenneiger on 19 Sep 12
       
      I believe that it is very true that even if humans give the same amount it feels more rewarding to give out of the goodness of our hearts than to be forced to.  People feel better about themselves if they are not forced, they make a compromise in their heads where if they give it will suddenly absolve them from all the other times they chose not to give. 
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 14 Sep 12
       
      I think that it's ignorant of the way that modern day Americans think about how people give birth all around  the world.  It's crazy how different the medical care is in a country such as Niger as compared to America let alone Sweden.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 14 Sep 12
       
      It is crazy to see how simple medical and comfort needs cannot be met for the women in Niger. These women have to go through this painful childbirth and on top of it there babies have such a slim rate of survival. We take so much for granted.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 19 Sep 12
       
      Paying taxes is essential to the survival of our economy and the well-being of our society. When it comes to paying taxes, most people aren't happy about having to do so. However, people don't always realize that by paying taxes now, they are helping the country be better off later. The amount of taxes that have to be paid can be painful, but it is rewarding for the whole country.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 21 Sep 12
       
      I do not think that letting Clint Eastwood speak on Mitt Romney's behalf was such a bad idea. Maybe if Clint Eastwood were to support Romney maybe Romney can get the support of Clint Eastwood's fan base. However attacking another candidate's supporters is not the smartest idea. No matter who you support we are all Americans and should not be attacked in a presidential fundraiser. Furthermore I have heard of plenty of rich people avoiding taxes who are not Obama supporters. You can look at the election polls all you want all that really matters is the end result.  
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 24 Sep 12
       
      This is interesting for this experiment not only uses one's personal background and experiences but also their biological background.  A lot of diseases such as depression and whatnot can be passed down through the generations of family and I feel like a lot of people forget to that into consideration. 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 24 Sep 12
       
      Being rich and successful throughout your life will, in the end, make you happy, but it does take some work to get there and you will have to experience hard times. It takes some "pain" to get to what makes us happy. You may be happy with the way things turned out and glad that you experienced the hard times to get to the good times.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 28 Sep 12
       
      It's interesting how he speaks of freedom as if it doesn't naturally come to us, but rather as something you earn.  He had to push the boundaries of the natural order to be able to successfully have the freedom he deserved and also wanted. 
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 08 Oct 12
       
      I would like to see some of this evidence he references (although I'm fairly certain it is included in his book), because I find this almost difficult to believe and, if it is true, quite frightening. I would not have been surprised if he said that it affects the politically informed some, but equally to the uninformed? That is a frightening thought. If being informed doesn't change how much it affects you, then what does? 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 08 Oct 12
       
      If I understood this article correctly, I believe that Shanto Iyengar is right in every way.  Everything that society sees through media is framed to be viewed a particular way.  The media has the power to display information the way they want society to view the material.  This is how a lot of people form their opinions when it comes to government and policy issues.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 08 Oct 12
       
      I think that framing is a real problem in relaying political information to the public and that if the populace had enough motivation and attention, it would be much more useful to require presidential candidates to put their ideas in an essay with graphs and supporting evidence. Debates just present a fraction of the information and  lead people to weakly supported opinions.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 10 Oct 12
       
      It's interesting how throughout this article the main point is letting the audience hear what they want to.  No matter what, there is going to be a bias towards your own political party; leaving the opposite candidate to hopelessly fight when the bias will still be stronger than the information supported. 
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 10 Oct 12
       
      It makes sense that people who are more adept to understanding another person's emotions are able to do so with the characters in the story. Seems like a redundant explanation if you ask me.
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 12 Oct 12
       
      This is an excellent observation and is evinced by children's particular delight in and gravitation towards stories. Children lack very much personal experience in the world and in life, and so they are naturally drawn to stories to help the m make sense of and prepare for the real world. 
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 12 Oct 12
       
      I believe that the best classic stories are those orally told, for they tend to hold the most emotion and power beyond the person telling it.  They are passed down generation to generation and their stories never truly die. 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 12 Oct 12
       
      This article is very eye-opening.  Most people do not think about the people that they are fighting for or trying to represent.  They do not think of the way they are presenting the people.  A lot of times, poorer countries are depicted as inferior and wealthier countries, such as the US, are depicted as superior.  When trying to help a poor country most people focus on the people that are "helping," like celebrities. Instead, the focus should be on the people that we are trying to help.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 17 Oct 12
       
      I think it is unfair to cast political scientists as an impractical ivory tower elite. Theory is an important dynamic of any discipline, and political theory is still grounded in a potential application to improve society. There is a limited range of political ideas in practice and I think it is important to have highly specialized  people speculate on novel solutions to problems.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 26 Oct 12
       
      This is very interesting for it takes an approach that has nothing to do with religion but rather with evolution.  Many can say that these suspicions are used in regards with God and his doings but it's nice to see the other side in a scientifically proven way.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 29 Oct 12
       
      This is interesting for I am a very visual learner and it takes me a lot of different subjects to look at for me to be able to study and learn effectively.  Sometimes words aren't the most important but rather the way it sticks in your mind is what matters most.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 29 Oct 12
       
      this article/guide is an extremely helpful tool to help someone make sure that a presentation they are giving gets their point across.  These points will ensure that the audience is captivated and stays engaged in the presentation. 
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 02 Nov 12
       
      Being on opposite sides of the spectrum must be so difficult when there are so many ideas clashing together one certain issue.  however, it is the duty of our politicians to be able to set aside these issues and further bring something to the table for the whole of America.  Backing out of a deal last minute is pugnacious and disrespectful to Obama and to the others who would have benefited from this act.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 02 Nov 12
       
      In the past, political parties could be very diverse when major events occurred in the nation and would be more unified in the times without major events.  Being diverse is brought on because of decisions and policies that arise from the major events.  Being able to more unified makes things in the House and Senate run more smoothly.  As years have progressed, both the Republicans and Democrats, have become more unified through good and bad times in the nation.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 12 Nov 12
       
      This cannot raise scores or change the outlook of the community, but I think that this will help raise the spirits of the students attending that school and will help raise school pride to everyone in the community.  This is just the first step to pursuing a bright future for the students and society that they live in.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 12 Nov 12
       
      The people of Athens set an example for many countries centuries after their time.  The only way for a government to thrive and be successful is to use the resources given. These resources will allow the government to take opportunities that are given to them, as well as, learning from mistakes they made in certain decisions they made.
    • laurenneiger
      laurenneiger on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think this strategy was extremely interesting.  I personally would have never thought to take the action that they did.  I thought it was really interesting and a different way of going about a problem
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 16 Nov 12
       
      This is in conjunction to how corporations may have too much power.  Who should be the leader? Should there be one? A small group? A network? Who holds the ultimate power?
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 25 Nov 12
       
      Humans natural reaction when they are getting attacked is to form a bias.  There will always be a form of bias for most people have a hard time admitting that they are wrong and someone else is right.  Even in politics, one may agree with a democratic idea but won't admit it for they are republic.  We must all try our best to remain open-minded to all ideas to benefit everyone in our society.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 26 Nov 12
       
      This is definitely an invasion of privacy, although it may be effective.  People do have a tendency by nature to ignore such situations that make them uncomfortable though, leaving it to not be successful with many Americans. 
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 03 Dec 12
       
      I never knew, and I find it quite intriguing, that there was no border patrol until 1924.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 09 Dec 12
       
      I believe that standardization is easier said than done.  There is no such thing as a Utopian society for there are so many different views, believes, lifestyles, etc. that can affect a whole bigger picture in a much more complex manner.  Even if one does attempt to standardize, there will still be someone who disagrees and wants to cause, once again, another revolution.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 10 Dec 12
       
      Unlike hard sciences, you cannot repeat an experiment many times with slight modifications to certain variables. Having some kind of model system to test theories is wishful thinking and impossible because of the infinite variables in social situations but it would just be nice to run simulations of certain welfare programs
  • Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
     
    "moral dubfounding"
Gaby Ramirez Castorena

What Makes Us Happy? - Magazine - The Atlantic - 0 views

www.theatlantic.com/...2

shared by Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 19 Sep 11 - Cached
  • You seemed unable to grow up
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 19 Sep 11
       
      Could this be due to the fact that his early years were so wonderful, he was unable or unwilling to move on from that time in his life.
    • Eric Arbuckle
      Eric Arbuckle on 21 Sep 11
       
      Someone who grew up with no trials or tribulations, and had the "good life" growing up may not know how to deal with problems as they arise in life. Life is full of problems and rocky roads no matter who you are.
  • if it was to come to life, this cleaver-sharp science project would need the rounding influence of storytelling
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 20 Sep 11
       
      Of course, people's lives are stories, not facts and numbers to be taken down. They started out by measuring all these things about these men but really you can't measure a man and think you know everything about him.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 20 Sep 11
       
      I must agree with Sarah, though I do understand why the researchers may have felt that a quantitative analysis may have yielded results. In many social sciences, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative date often provides enough evidence for a strong conclusion. It is often possible to base an experiment simply on quantitative data, but again, I feel the scope of these studies was too broad to ignore the intricate details of each individual's daily life.
  • humor
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 20 Sep 11
       
      I find it interesting that humor is a mature defense mechanism. Aren't there ways that humor can be an immature response?
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • In all Vaillant’s literature—and, by agreement, in this essay, too—the Grant Study men remain anonymous. (Even the numbers on the case studies have been changed.) A handful have publicly identified themselves—including Ben Bradlee, the longtime editor of The Washington Post, who opened his memoir, A Good Life, with his first trip to the study office. John F. Kennedy was a Grant Study man, too, though his files were long ago withdrawn from the study office and sealed until 2040.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 20 Sep 11
       
      I consider it very interesting that individuals would go forth and let the public know the details of their life.
  • But it turned out that the lives were too big, too weird, too full of subtleties and contradictions to fit any easy conception of “successful living.”
  • The story gets to the heart of Vaillant’s angle on the Grant Study. His central question is not how much or how little trouble these men met, but rather precisely how—and to what effect—they responded to that trouble
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 20 Sep 11
       
      This interpretation of the data, to me, makes much more sense.
  • Vaillant’s taxonomy ranks defenses from worst to best, in four categories.
  • psychotic
  • immature
  • Neurotic
  • mature
  • . Vaillant’s work, in contrast, creates a refreshing conversation about health and illness as weather patterns in a common space.
  • “Much of what is labeled mental illness,” Vaillant writes, “simply reflects our ‘unwise’ deployment of defense mechanisms. If we use defenses well, we are deemed mentally healthy, conscientious, funny, creative, and altruistic. If we use them badly, the psychiatrist diagnoses us ill, our neighbors label us unpleasant, and society brands us immoral.”
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 20 Sep 11
       
      This is a very intriguing interpretation of mental illness. While I am unwilling to posit that Vaillant is correct in asserting that most mental illnesses are simply different perspectives on reactionary mechanisms, I can see where he is coming from. 
  • As adolescents, the Grant Study men were twice as likely to use immature defenses as mature ones, but in middle life they were four times as likely to use mature defenses—and the progress continued into old age.
  • defenses can spell our redemption or ruin
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 21 Sep 11
       
      i think its basically saying that no matter how good or bad life has been/was to you, it comes down to what you take from it....and that ultimately spells out what we consider to be our future happiness
Kim H

Does the Invisible Hand Need a Helping Hand? - Reason.com - 8 views

reason.com/...does-the-invisible-hand-need-a

shared by Kim H on 16 Sep 11 - Cached
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 16 Sep 11
       
      is this saying that the players would completely forget about the ethical thing to do which is maximize loong term gain and go for short term interests if the "game" has an issue like a player being fined? if there is a consequence do people try to cheat their way out by just getting short term gain and be done with it? do they think they are benefitting??
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 16 Sep 11
       
      I was thinking that maybe the fact that there is a government regulation, they don't feel that they are responsible for taking care of the natural resources? Kind of like the "government" is the babysitter? And the people don't feel that they should be help accountable. 
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 16 Sep 11
       
      I mean to say that "people don't feel that they should be held accountable" not "help" sorry
    • Mangala Kanayson
      Mangala Kanayson on 16 Sep 11
       
      Maybe they think their human dignity and self worth are degraded by micromanagement/government intervention.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Sep 11
       
      "By pursuing his own interest (the individual) frequently promotes that of society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it." I think this quote, and this article as a whole, refers back to the common saying that "subordination leads to revolution." If a person wants to do something, as in donate time or money to a cause, they will do so because they feel the need to pursue their own interest through helping society, which is a win-win. But if "costs" are presented to people in the form of taxes and they're forced to pay for things they don't necessarily want to contribute to, they will want to go against the goodness of the cause, if merely for the sake of not allowing someone to force them into something.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 19 Sep 12
       
      Exactly. It's just human nature. We don't like to be told what to do, and despite what the money's going towards, since it was obligatory, it doesn't have the same effect as if it was given freely. There could be some satisfaction in paying the taxes, because there's a sense of "it's over with", but I don't think much else. Self interest governs a lot of how this society works, anyways, and making some things obligatory (like picking up kids from a daycare) tends to take away ethic value and increases a more economic perspective ("What is the opportunity cost for leaving my child too long? Is it worth it?")
  • In one game, a player split a day's pay with another player. If the second player didn't like the amount that the first player offered, he could reject it and both would get nothing. The findings would warm the hearts of market proponents. As Bowles notes, "[I]ndividuals from the more market-oriented societies were also more fair-minded in that they made more generous offers to their experimental partners and more often chose to receive nothing rather than accept an unfair offer.
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 16 Sep 11
       
      did the players know that it was just a game? if they knew it was a game in the first place, obviously they wouldn't have minded giving their money away. if they actually thought it was real, that would be some interesting information. i wish they would've included this detail somewhere
    • Matt Nolan
      Matt Nolan on 16 Sep 11
       
      The players that were earning more money will always be more generous than the players that were earning less money. If the players knew it was a game they would have given their money away. But in some cases people that earn more money are less likely to give it away because usually the people that make more money are more frugal and send their money wisely
    • Kelsey Fratello
      Kelsey Fratello on 18 Sep 12
       
      I think it would have been better, like Gaby said, to see weather these people knew they were playing a game or not. I feel that the results would have been very different if they felt that it was for real, compared to if they knew it was a game. People are completely fine with losing money when it is just game; however, people feel that it is for real, they would "play", no pun intended, it smarter. 
  • Instead, parents reacted to the fine by coming even later.
    • Tavish Dunn
      Tavish Dunn on 16 Sep 11
       
      The parents who picked up their kids late before the fine was imposed would come later after the fine because they would pay the same amount for being 5 minutes late as for being 20 minutes late. If people are going to be punished equally for actions of different degrees, they will often not care about a greater offense because the punishment will be the same.
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 16 Sep 11
       
      Just another example of innate human values and free market principles not coinciding.
    • Melissa Moreno
      Melissa Moreno on 16 Sep 11
       
      While this is on a much smaller scale in the bigger picture, this same principle happens all the time whether when dealing with picking up your kids or republicans and democrats fighting in Washington. The free market does not always coincide with a personal morals, values, and ethics, however, that doesn't mean that it has to be either or.
    • Eric Henderson
      Eric Henderson on 16 Sep 11
       
      The obvious reason that the parents came later than normal after the imposed fine is basically that the parents are rebelling against authority. The parents are sending a message that they do not care about the penalties, instead, they are saying that the people in authority in this situation have no power to tell them what to do.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 18 Sep 12
       
      I believe that the parents were just weighing their pros and cons... pay extra money for the daycare or have more free time before getting their kids. They chose that the extra money for some more time was worth it, so it made it kind of better for the fine to be placed for the parents because it could relieve guilt of being late with paying the daycare extra money.
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 18 Sep 12
       
      ok i already posted a comment but i dont see it on here anywho if the parents are paying for daycare and have good reasons for being late then they shouldnt be fined for working or whatever the case may be traffic etc there indeed paying for day care the teachers should atleast give a time limit after the initial let out time of the kids
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 18 Sep 12
       
      I think the parents saw the payment as an opportunity for extended care rather than a punishment for being late. So i gave them a chance to pay for babysitting pretty much making it more ethical to leave their kids past due. 
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 18 Sep 12
       
      I agree, yet when the parents signed up and paid for daycare they only paid for a certain time. I highly doubt the teachers are given overtime and after everything the teachers are doing for the child, the decent thing would be to pick your child up on time or call to inform them you will be late. Knowing that you will be fined a set price for being late and then using that to your advantage by knowing their is no set limit, is abusing the teachers. That's what I believe.   
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree with what Eric said ^^^^^ up above, the parents appear to be, metaphorically, laughing in the face of the teachers and declaring that the teachers don't have authority over them. It's just like with politics, they need to find a middle ground where the parents and teachers are happy (eg. maybe charging slightly more, but getting rebates for picking up on time, so parents feel like they have the ability to GAIN something as opposed to the ability to LOSE something)
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 19 Sep 12
       
      My mom would pick me up late whether there was a fine or not.
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree with the people who understand this to be a prime example of how people react when they are micro manged. I understand that many people are different but looking at my life experiences I have been most successful when I had a boss that did not micromanage, when I was accountable to my self to pick up my son on time or be on time to a doctor appointment and finally when I had complete control over my own fiances. I look at the fine for being late as a way out of self accountability because it normalizes it by saying most of you can not be responsible so we will create something that allows you feel okay about. This is true in many other cases as well.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • In one game, a player split a day's pay with another player. If the second player didn't like the amount that the first player
  • We're showing that paying taxes does produce a neural reward.
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 16 Sep 11
       
      I would not have guessed this actually. People complain about taxes so much, but deep down they obviously know that paying taxes is beneficial to others as well as themselves.
    • Eric Arbuckle
      Eric Arbuckle on 16 Sep 11
       
      This is true, unless there are too much taxes. And the taxed product, or in other words, where the money goes for the tax is another issue.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 16 Sep 11
       
      I disagree with the phrase "too much taxes". It should be noted that taxation in a blank slate economy can never be considered 'too much'. The appropriate amount of taxation depends on the cost of living, income levels, mean wealth, and a variety of other variables.  In the United States it could be said that 'too much taxation' could occur easily, but the greater issue at hand that I think Sarah raises is whether those taxes are being put to good use for the public good. The issue is one of public common interest vs private self interest.
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 19 Sep 12
       
      In my opinion, the neural 'reward' for paying taxes is not necessarily just about taxes. Since the people knew that the tax was directly for a food bank and not something that doesn't help a sensitive topic; they felt like they were doing some good for a charitable cause even though it was required. And that sparked the 'neural reward' for them.
  • "policies that appeal to economic self-interest do not affect the salience of ethical, altruistic, and other social preferences." Consequently, material interests and ethics generally pull in the same direction, reinforcing one another.
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 16 Sep 11
       
      I feel like these two points are contradictory.
  • The players looked at the fine as a cost and pursued their short-term interests at the expense of maximizing long-term gains. In this case, players apparently believed that they had satisfied their moral obligations by paying the fine.
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 16 Sep 11
       
      This is one of the perfect examples of why the federal government charging people for not purchasing health insurance is a ridiculous idea.
    • jackmcfarland12
      jackmcfarland12 on 19 Sep 12
       
      How can you possibly justify satisfying a 'moral' obligation by stealing more of a collective resource in the short term and still having it be an issue in a few months or year. Self-regulation is an important tool for people to have, but potentially throwing the whole community under the bus for a short large gain may not be worth it...
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 19 Sep 12
       
      I definitely agree.  It doesn't really satisfy the moral obligation.  It will be a reoccurring theme for a while and many short term gains will not equate to long term ones.
  • The fine seems to have undermined the parents' sense of ethical obligation to avoid inconveniencing the teachers and led them to think of lateness as just another commodity they could purchase."
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 16 Sep 11
       
      It seems to be a bit of an overreaching argument to suggest that a fine would re-prioritize the ethical behaviors of the parents. I could understand parents viewing the situation in a matter of quantity, that is that being five minutes late is no different than an hour monetarily, but I think that this reasoning does not provide for whether they had a loss of moral integrity or guilt regarding their child being left at the day care late.
    • Xochitl Cruz
      Xochitl Cruz on 17 Sep 11
       
      I do not agree with Bowles' statement that picking up one's children is not an ethical obligation. The way those parents saw the fine, was as a fee for an extra time. If the parents were more late than usual, I think the fine should have been more specific. By having such a vague fine, picking children up late you get fined, is not very informational. The fine should have been defined properly for instance, if you are 10 minutes late you are fined so much money and so on. Just moving the fine progressively according to the lateness of the parent might have produced different results.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 19 Sep 12
       
      I find this reaction to the fine interesting in that it plays directly to the idea that "time is money". Convenience comes at a certain economic value whether its your car, your cell phone, computer, plane ticket, paying someone to mow your lawn or anything of that sort that saves you the hassle of completing a certain task. All the things I have listed are tasks/items that could be done in cheaper/less efficient ways, but we buy the right to the convenience. The issue in the parents minds seems to be not along the line of morality in the sense of respecting OTHERS and their time, but the ethical standard of " I am buying this time, and I will pick up my child late because I 'bought' that right". Once money was introduced to the equation, the parents feel more inclined to not mind the  teachers time but rather their own. 
  • After eight rounds of play, the Colombians withdrew an amount that was halfway between individually self-interested and group-beneficial levels. Then
  • In other words, as people gain more experience with markets, morals and material incentives pull together.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 18 Sep 12
       
      In markets, human beings will look out for their own self interest, because that is a part of human nature, so I do not know about gaining morals in the market because humans will find the best deal for them that they can get. All they have to do is get the other person to agree with them, it does not always have to be fair especially if one side needs something desperately.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 18 Sep 12
       
      but yes the market could help people to learn how to work with others so that we could all benefit
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 19 Sep 12
       
      Although 'market players' are often viewed as purely looking out for themselves in competition, human beings do, by nature, feel inclined to give back to society. so oftentimes when they realize that they will do well material-ly in a market, the morals begin to move in. or so the author appears to be saying.
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 19 Sep 12
       
      Humans tie in morals and material incentives together, especially in a market. Some may argue that compassion and lending a helping hand is a variation for self gain and worth.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 19 Sep 12
       
      The characteristics necessities for a market to be successful brings those in the industry to acknowledge the importance of respecting the value of a fair-minded exchange. There is competition within the market to be on top but you must rely on others to help excel your profits. The fair-mindedness aspect links to the "moral" aspect seemingly as one BECAUSE of the other. The correlation between the two can be coincidence because of what the author has defined as "moral". Moral could be the idea of being fair, but morality delves deeper into than that. Morality relies on intention or motivation. In this article, the moral issue is the idea of making a fair exchange. He defines fair as making a mutually beneficial exchange with each other. Does each side have the say as to what would benefit the other? Or is this just a ploy to gain trust from the other individual in the fair exchange? This article could be giving too much credit for marketeers in saying that the benefits of being "fairminded" comes from a moral stand point. It is perfectly plausible to say that they are making fair exchanges based on their reputation as a business or/and to pull ahead and be better than the other companies. This, in my mind, would be just playing a smart game and a smart game doesn't have to be aligned with morality.
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 18 Sep 12
       
      There is a pattern that humans get better joy out of doing things that get them socially accepted buy others.
  • The fine seems to have undermined the parents' sense of ethical obligation to avoid inconveniencing the teachers and led them to think of lateness as just another commodity they could purchase."
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 18 Sep 12
       
      offcourse the parents are gonna come later who wants to get fined for being late to pick up your kid from school especially if the parent was working i mean if the parent was having fun and constantly did it then maybe i wuld agree but i dont think thats the case with the majority of the kids someone needs to pay for the daycare so i dont think parents were late at first for b.s reasons
  • "By pursuing his own interest (the individual) frequently promotes that of society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it."
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 18 Sep 12
       
      Self interest creates competition which makes the market more efficient
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 19 Sep 12
       
      This idea would be the basis of why we should not increase taxes even more on the upper class because the more of their money they get to keep and spend how they want the more they will spend and boost the economy.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think this entire article has some valid points towards the laissez-faire economic philosophy.
    • Tyler Schnorf
      Tyler Schnorf on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree. . The market needs to fail at times to improve business with new competion
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree with Karina, even if we took all the money from the richest people, we would not be able to take care of the deficit spending problem we have in the United States.  Most of the taxes come from the huge middle class, which are also some of the biggest consumers in a society.  If you allow taxes to be low, then people will not be afraid of losing all of their money at some point and will feel more comfortable putting it back into the economy through commerce and donations.  When people are afraid of the massive amounts of taxes they are going to have to pay, they are going to keep their money in their pockets and not spend it.
  • But we're showing that the neural reward is even higher when you have voluntary giving."
  • He was forever looking over your shoulder, constantly kibitzing and threatening you. In return, you worked as little as you could get away with. On the other hand, perhaps you've had bosses who inspired you—pulling all-nighters in order to finish up a project so that you wouldn't disappoint her.
    • Sarah Marroquin
      Sarah Marroquin on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think it is ridiculous for people to base their work habits on how their bosses treat them. They should do a good job for the sake of their own morals and work ethics.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think it's going a bit far to define this choice as ridiculous. It's natural for an individual's output to be gauged on their input and the time and effort that goes into the work that they do. Although good work ethic is an individual choice, it would be haphazard to discount outside factors such as necessary employment and financial stability. 
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think this example is more on not liking the boss than personal work effort. Doing just enough work for the boss to just leave you alone comparing to a boss that is not so controlling and that you are willing to work for.
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 19 Sep 12
       
      Regardless of how the employer or manager treats an employee, they should be doing every aspect required of them, the one thing that I cannot stand though is working your hardest and trying extremely hard to impress and then you get absolutely no recognition for your deeds
    • Luke Gheta
      Luke Gheta on 19 Sep 12
       
      I found this article interesting because it displays to readers that money is not the main internal drive when working. I believe that self fulfillment is the main factor. This goes against the invisble hand and the preceived notation that competition within the work force is drived by money.
  • In return, you worked as little as you could get away with.
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 19 Sep 12
       
      The concept of just getting over the threshold, doing the absolute minimum to satisfy the needs of your job and not bothering to go above and beyond.
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think that when people give voluntarily, it gives them a sense of satisfaction from their conscience. Gaining experience with markets, however, can help tie moral and material incentives so that better decisions are made.
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 19 Sep 12
       
      I think it is funny how the fine that was intended to make the parents pick their children up on time backfired and led the parents to pick up their children even later than they normally would have otherwise.  They figured that they would pay the same for an extra five minutes by being late as being 10-15 minutes late. 
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 19 Sep 12
       
      I feel like it is almost ironic that the parents don't pick up there kids on time and come even later. They think that if they pay the fine than it compensates them being late. The fine helps them to free their moral obligation to which they don't feel bad 
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 19 Sep 12
       
      "lateness is a commodity they could purchase".    This makes sense to me. If I am going to pay the same fine for being one minute late as I would if I were an hour late, why wouldn't I take my sweet time getting there if it's costing me the same either way. 
  • Eric Arbuckle on 16 Sep 11
     
    Taxes are a necessity for an economy. However, where do we draw the line of.. how much taxes? where does our money go? who gets taxed more? and why do they get taxed more? etc... These are all issues that are going to sway peoples "neural reward."
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Andrew Rothans on 21 Sep 11
     
    I believe taxes are needed for our economy to stay above water. Like Eric said where do we draw the line? And where does the money truly go? I don't feel that all the money we pay in taxes really helps us in the future. It may help the economy and our country but I feel that it does not help me in any direct way.
  • gina Hogrefe on 18 Sep 12
     
    The article of games and players that are seeking rewards; sounds like monopoly to me.What I liked best about the reading is that even voluntary giving has its "neural rewards." Maybe if the general public knew they would get a gift from giving than they would give more.
  • Carissa Faulk on 19 Sep 12
     
    I find it fascinating that, in the case of the day care, the mere act of putting a fine in place seems to remove the moral obligation to be on time. This is certainly not a logical response to such a fine, but as I think about my own life I understand the almost subconscious difference that it incites in one's way of thinking. If you pay a fine for an immoral or unfair act (such as, for instance, a late fee on a library book) it seems to remove the feelings of guilt about inconveniencing others and makes you instead feel as though you had purchased some extra days with the book. It would make sense that this would hold true for taxes. If we pay our taxes and the government gives to the poor, we feel like our moral obligation to the poor has been fulfilled. We think we did our part, when in actuality we have done very, very little.
  • Tyler Schnorf on 19 Sep 12
     
    No the invisible hand does not need a helping hand. The free market is specifically created so that the market works itself out of tough econmic times. Any tampering with the free market could make things way worse than they already are. It might take some time for the market to improve, but it will if we can just leave it alone.
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