Women in the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Women in the Civil War Essay In American society during the 19th Century, men and women occupied different realms. Women dealt with private affairs, while men were in charge of public matters. When the Civil War broke out, the rigid distinction between the sexes became flexible. Women changed because the war allowed them to expand their roles to become active in the realm that previously isolated them. From housewives, women became doctors, nurses, and spies. Some even did the extreme; they assumed a masculine appearance to join the army. The concealment of their gender proved to be the downside of the changes in women during the war. They may have had relevant contributions in the war, but it was left unrecognized because of its concealed nature. The Civil War was a defining moment in American history. It was the event which determined the fate of the nation as the American community was divided into two opposing sides. It was also a time of significant social change. The realm of war previously belonged to the men; it was the male soldiers who fought in the battlefields. However, the Civil War altered the situation. The status of women dramatically changed as they became active participants in the war effort. Indeed, the Civil War opened many opportunities for women and allowed them to be active members of society. This research paper aims to discuss how women changed during the American Civil War, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the said changes. In the 19th Century America, men dominated society and women were regarded as inferior to them. Women lived under the authority of the opposite sex, either that of the father, husband or another relative (Massey, 1994). They were confined in the domestic sphere; their main concerns were their home and family. Women had no voice in the political arena because only the men had dealt with public affairs. Not only was it objectionable for women to fulfill men’s jobs, it was also disagreeable for them to wear men’s clothes (Eggleston, 2003). When the Civil War began, the social lines were blurred. Women suddenly were presented the chance to go beyond their realm and participate in the world of men. They were given roles and jobs that were not accessible to them before. Both the Union and the Confederacy allowed women to take part in the war effort. For the first time, the government allowed women to become doctors and nurses (Eggleston, 2003). Women also served as messengers and spies. Meanwhile, there are also those women whose contributions were domestic in nature; these include cooking, as well as mending and sewing uniforms for the soldiers (Eggleston, 2003; Silber, 2005). These activities may have been the same as those women were tasked to do in the past; however, there was a significant change. Before, women only did those jobs due to the necessity in the household. During the war, the women did those jobs due to the necessity of the nation. Their domestic activities were no longer performed for private purposes; they had become part of the public affairs. However, women were not merely passive participants. They were also directly involved in the war effort as soldiers. The battlefield was reserved for males, but the females eventually found themselves fighting the same war. Women became soldiers by concealing their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). There were many reasons why women opted to disguise themselves as male soldiers. There were those who fought in the war to either escape from their betrothal or to be with their loved ones. Some saw the war as an adventure and craved its excitement. There were others who saw fighting for its financial benefits and the opportunity to better provide for their families. Meanwhile, there were women who took part in the Civil War for more noble reasons; they went to war because they were compelled by duty and patriotism (Eggleston, 2003). Women had to resort to extreme measures to appear like male soldiers. There were women who were immediately discharged because the way they acted revealed their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). Meanwhile, there were women who dramatically changed their actions and behavior before enlistment to successfully disguise themselves. They modified the color of their complexion and learned how to chew tobacco. They used vests with pads to conceal their breasts; the pads also made them seem more bulky and masculine (Eggleston, 2003). Having women disguised as men in war had its share of difficulties. The problems arose from the different toilet habits as well as other personal routines (Eggleston, 2003). Nonetheless, the recruitment of young men in the army proved to be advantageous for the female soldiers. The army consisted mostly of boys, who were still shy and reserved around each other. Most of them were hesitant to relieve themselves in the company of other soldiers; to attend their toilet needs, they had to hide in the woods or others areas which offered privacy. The meek nature of young men was beneficial for the female soldiers because it allowed them to seek privacy without appearing unusual. In addition, the young men of the army have not yet started shaving, so it did not appear unusual for the females if they did not shave (Eggleston, 2003). It is remarkable that women have finally reached the public realm during the Civil War, even if they had to pretend as men to do so. However, that kind of participation had disadvantages. Women who had successfully kept their real identities hidden as part of the army suffered all the difficulties which came with war (Eggleston, 2003). Female soldiers were held captive by their opponents, brought to prison camps and killed in the battlefields. There were those who perished and buried without their real identities discovered. Because women soldiers were not supposed to be fighting in the war, their participation in the war was previously not acknowledged. There were even those who denied the direct involvement of women as soldiers (Blanton, n. d. ). The non-recognition of women fighters in the Civil War prevented the discovery of the total number of female soldiers who offered their services. The numbers available on record are merely estimates. This situation posited a real problem, as it undermined and ignored the contributions of women in the battlefield. During the American Civil War, women changed because they went beyond the roles that were initialed assigned to them. The war effort presented them to enter the public realm of men and participate in it. Women had indeed changed during that time, as they progressed from housewives to participants in war. Women even came in disguise to become soldiers. While it is a great thing that women became active members of the community, some of their contributions were not recognized or accurately recorded because of their secret identities. Nonetheless, this does not diminish that fact that women were a significant part of the American Civil War. References Blanton, D. (n. d. ). Women soldiers and nurses of the American civil war. American Civil War Website. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://americancivilwar. com/women/index. html Eggleston, L. G. (2003). Women in the Civil War: Extraordinary Stories of Soldiers, Spies, Nurses, Doctors, Crusaders and Others. North Carolina: McFarland. Massey, M. E. (1994). Women in the Civil War. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Siber, N. (2005). Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Case Study Of The Unhealthy Hospital

Case Study Of The Unhealthy Hospital A seminal 1963 article has been credited for giving rise to the concept of health economics, and its establishment as a discipline. It focuses on issues that are related to scarcity in the allocation of health and health care. Amid growing concerns for health care and global health reform it has been recognized that health finances are finite, a view substantiated by Basch (1999), and that neither developed nor developing countries are immune to the scarcity of resources that plagues our health care system. Levine (2005) argues that the problems in health care systems have been hampered by chronic financing shortfalls, compounded by weak management and crippled by rigid budgeting. Against this backdrop the case of Bruce Hudson, Seven Seas Memorial Hospital is not so farfetched. Robert et al. (2004), underwriters of many health policies in developing countries, put forward the argument that the elements of any form of systematic policy cycle, first seeks to define the problem, form a diagnosis to policy development, political decision making, implementation and evaluation. From the given case study it is clearly identified that the operating policies need to be revised, a decision needs to be made on how the new operating policies will be developed, how much political influence will be incorporated into it and how will these policies be evaluated. With the ever increasing demand for improved efficiency in the health care sector there has been the ever increasing need to revise and change hospital structures. That has included the use of strategies such as mergers and downsizing, as modifications are made to cut down on expenditure. The difficulties of Bruce Hudson, in the given scenario, are not unlike the challenges that Hospital administrators face in developing countries. They grapple with limited finances and are often faced with the difficult decision of restructuring staff. Fulop et al. (2002) and Braithwaite et al. (2005) argue that in such cases as administrators seek to contain cost and cut down on over heads, there is increased emphasis on redefining job roles to ensure the delivery of health care in a more cost effective way. They go on to argue that there is very little evidence to suggest that restructuring actually improves efficiency or programme outcomes. Hospital administrators face the difficult task of how to restructure and not affect quality. It is recognized that nurses are the largest component of the health care workforce and as a direct result they would be the largest operating expenditure. Attempts to cut back on labour costs could mean a cut back on the number of nurses operating within the facility. While the case study goes on to note that Mr. Hudson is not new to effectively running an operation with less than the current number of staff at Seven Seas Memorial Hospital, Kearin et al. (2006) cites in their work the view of Akien et al. (2002) who put forward the view that patient outcomes are linked to appropriate nurse-patient ratios and the proportion of registered nurses operating within the health care facility. As Di Frances (2002) indicated, the downside to downsizing is the fact that as a process it creates distrust and low morale among staff, not an environment to promote efficiency and greater work outcomes. Whi le Mr. Hudson may want to expand roles and employ the use of organizational report cards to monitor performance, as a result of improving quality of care, retrenchment may not, according to the aforementioned arguments, be the best way of dealing with the problems or securing the future of Seven Seas Memorial. While with continued financial constraints it may inevitably come down to re-engineering or downsizing the work force, the potential negative impacts needed to be assiduously guarded against. Having decided on the merits of delaying retrenchment as the first option to save cost, there is need to improve the flow of clients through the facility and by extension the clinics that serve the facility. This move allows for the program to care for more clients without actually lowering quality, hiring more providers, or increasing staff hours. The example of what obtained at a clinic in Guatemala providing maternal and child health services can be examined. They were able to improve client flow after a self-assessment by staff and a survey of clients. It was identified that clients used to wait, have a pre-visit discussion, return to the waiting room, see the provider, return to the waiting room, and then have a post-visit discussion, a process that was not only time consuming but also made the operations inefficient. By improving the flow of clients to have them wait just once and receive all services in one visit with one provider allowed staff to process 33% more clients. Tha t move allowed the facility to meet the needs of the clients more efficiently. In the given case study, there are six clinics attached to the health care facility. These clinics, as is often seen in many developing countries, serve the underprivileged and the underserved. The Brundtland (1987) report describes sustainable development as development that will not impede the ability of future generations to meet their needs and enjoy a comparable or even better quality of life. Mowforth Munt (2003:232) argue that sustainability is considered a contested concept, a concept that is socially and politically constructed and reflects the interest and values of those involved. Regardless of the definition attached to it, or the constructs under which it operates there is a need to ensure that an innovative way to address the issue of providing a sustainable health service be employed in the situation involving the clinics. The structure and scope of the clinics can be revisited to ensure that they are most cost effective. The use of the concept of a mobile health clinic is such a way to cut cost, continue to provide the service and doing so in a cost effective manner. Mobile clinic services can be structured in such a way that the services continue to be pro vided for free on a walk-in or appointment basis, where the mobile travels to low-income or underserved communities twice per week. They are able to rotate and maximize staff use as well as continue to provide the service that the stationed clinic provided. The added benefit it that instead of six physical buildings two mobile facilities can be established. Oriol et al. (2009) argues that the use of mobile health clinics provides an alternative into the healthcare system for the medically disenfranchised. They go on to further define that group as those who are undernourished, underinsured and do not trust the healthcare system. For them mobile units serve the purpose of providing triage into mainstream healthcare for the underserved. There has been established precedence for the use of mobile clinics that provide the specific care that the community based clinics provided. Edgerley (2007), in a study looked at whether the use of a community mobile health van in an underserved population allowed for earlier access to prenatal care and increased the rate of adequate prenatal care, as compared to prenatal care initiated in community clinics. Their findings were able to confirm that the use of the mobile health van not only increased early access to adequate prenatal care in these communities but was able to reduce the barriers of accessing care; barriers such as the lack of insurance, inability to meet costs, transportation, language, and the need for an appointment. Their study successfully showed that the use of a community mobile health van to provide prenatal care may be one way of cutting down restricting community clinics and cutting on operating costs. That initiative is not isolated to just prenatal clinics but could be employed for clinics providing other types of services such as HIV treatment and testing. A forty-foot primary health care clinic on wheels was used in Kentucky. Staffing was made up of a medical director, a social worker, a nurse practitioner and specialty physicians that are rotated, (www.hhnmag.com, 2006). The question is, how cost effective is such a service as opposed to community based clinics. Oriol et al. (2009) calculated in their study the return on investment of mobile healthcare. In their findings they were able to elucidate a mobile clinic that had been serving the medically disenfranchised in Boston was able to have a return investment of thirty-six dollars ($36) for every one dollar ($1) invested into the programme. If such a venture were to be employed at Seven Seas Memorial hospital, not only would it save and recover cost on the six clinics that currently exist but it would get an opportunity to see returns on investment, while keeping the politicians satisfied. One of the primary triggers to rising cost of health care, and by extension, hospital operating cost, is the rising health expenditures for costly new technologies. Jones (2005) argues that rising health care cost may be a natural reflection of economic growth. He goes on to postulate that as we get richer, one of the most valuable and productive opportunities for our spending is to purchase better health and longer lives. Other factors such as aging populations and rising cost of health insurance that were directly influenced by the discovery and use of novel and expensive medical technologies. The inventions of MRIs and CAT scans as well as newer drugs meant that if hospitals are to remain competitive they had to spend money on the delivery of such services. Basch (1999) warns that there is a need in developing countries to ensure that if they are to be not only efficient, but also cost effective, there is the inherent need to keep cost down. As such it is not always possible to pu rchase every, or even most of the newer medical technological equipment that private facilities could offer in a market driven health care system. The purchase and use of generic drugs can significantly reduce the cost of health care, as seen in the case of most parts of Africa, (Ford, 2010). This affords them an opportunity to circumvent the chasm that exist between the prices mandated by the pharmaceutical giants that develop the drugs in the industrialized world and the ability of developing countries, and by extension their people, to afford them. Further to that another way to combat cost would be to encourage programmes to buy supplies in bulk. There exist many procurement agents that allow health care facilities to merge their orders in an effort to qualify them for volume discounts from manufacturers, even as they ensure that the quality of the products. Further to that health care facilities that are facing budget constraints or that simply wish to be more cost effective in their operations can adjusting procurement to match demand. They are able to do this by monitoring use via a logistics management system. This syst em of operation will allow them to identify changes in demand and in the method mix and as a result will prevent programmes and sectors from overstocking. Further to that health care facilities could seek to set up services in existing buildings and share facilities with other health services. Meeting rising demand efficiently The market for costly medical equipment is limited in most developing countries, and many hospitals, especially public facilities are unable to afford them, (Ford, 2010). He goes on to note that the demand for high-cost medical equipment will continue to rise in developing countries, largely due in part to the need for patient monitoring and diagnostic equipment. He cautions that in many public facilities in the developing world, health care facilities may also lack the expertise to operate as well as maintain such equipment and so should limit such purchases. The lack of technical support from suppliers leads to chronic equipment failure. In this case health care facilities, to make them more competitive with the facilities that can offer such specialized care should focus of being recognized for a particular product or brand. There is a plethora of information on branding in the marketing literature. Branding is defined by the American Marketing Association (2005) as: A name, term, sign symbol or design or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. `(p.28) Kotler and Gertner (2002; 65) postulate that brands not only, `differentiate products and represent a promise of value but also incite beliefs, evoke emotions and prompt behaviours`. By branding his facility Mr. Hudson is able to incite confidence in clients of his facilitys ability to deliver on that service for which it is known. Muhammad Yunus, is cited as saying, poor people need health insurance, they deserve it and it can be done, (Ford, 2010). That saw the birth of the concept of micro-insurance in South Asia, where the very poor are now able to purchase life insurance as well as healthcare insurance in return for a relatively small monthly payment. The International Labour Organization (2005) postulate that countries need to continue to fight against social exclusion and poverty in health and can do so by shifting focus to social health insurance. They argue that apart from tax-funded health care as obtains for formal economy workers and their families, social health insurance is the other major concept when it comes to health protection. For them, social health insurance seeks to include informal economy workers and their families as well as the poor. What obtains is that affiliates of such a scheme are able to contribute according to their financial ability, rather than according to their current health condition. Financial resources are pooled and benefit all members of the system in case of illness. A purely market-oriented approach to health insurance will exclude the poor and as a result would not work. Other countries are able to offer a more elaborate and detailed plan to deal with insurance and the provision of governm ent funded coverage. Singaporeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.

The Destruction of Our World :: essays research papers

The Destruction of Our World „à  The world is so unbalanced. We ¡Ã‚ ¦re killing it. Everyone is killing it, but especially us in the U.S. who see our nation as advanced and powerful.  ¡Ã‚ §If car ownership and oil consumption per person in China were to reach U.S. levels, then China would consume eighty million barrels of oil per day. Yet, in 1996, the entire world produced only sixty-four million barrels per day. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Other nations can ¡Ã‚ ¦t live the way we do because the world can ¡Ã‚ ¦t supply enough.  ¡Ã‚ §The U.S. selling half the weapons in the world and buying one quarter of the oil. ¡Ã‚ ¨ „à   ¡Ã‚ §We know that in these end times, everything ¡Ã‚ ¦s the opposite of what it seems.  ¡Ã‚ ¥Red-blooded male, ¡Ã‚ ¦ for example. He thinks he gains his power from consuming red meat, so he eats more and more of it. He bulks up in order to meet the challenge of a hostile universe. Apparent meaning: his strength and aggressiveness make him impregnable ¡K Actual meaning: because he also gobbles down vast amounts of sugar and starch, because he drinks alcohol, yeast and fungus bore holes in his distended gut. Over the years undigested animal protein passes through the holes into his blood stream. Becoming an agent of toxicity ¡K Yeast and fungus, agents of decay. Precursors of mold and rot. End times within, end times without ¡K Forests of entire nations converted to rangeland to feed the craving for beef. Which itself slowly enervates the very master race that craves it. ¡Ã‚ ¨ „à   ¡Ã‚ §Calories of fossil fuel expended to produce one calorie of protein from beef: seventy-eight. ¡Ã‚ ¨ „à   ¡Ã‚ §Number of people who could be fed using the land, water, and energy that would be freed up from growing livestock if Americans reduced their intake of meat by ten percent: ten million. ¡Ã‚ ¨ „à  How can all these statistics be even relatively true and our world not only continue to function this way, but think it is flourishing? I always hear about how

Hamlet Didnt Have No Prozac :: essays papers

Hamlet Didn't Have No Prozac According to Webster's New World Dictionary madness is defined as "mental derangement that makes a person incapable of what is regarded as rational conduct or judgement." There is much madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet; written around 1600, but Prince Hamlet is not included in the insane camp. Throughout the play Hamlet's seemingly irrational behavior served quite rational and sometimes ingenious ends. The Madness of Hamlet is certainly counterfeit and was recognized by Hamlet as being necessary to complete the revenge of the Murder of his father. In act I, scene i we are introduced to the Ghost of Hamlet's slain father. The reader may be more inclined to believe that Hamlet's madness is in fact true if he himself was the only one to view the Ghost. However, there were actually three individuals to whitness the Ghost. Hamlet's sane and trustworthy friend Horatio says "Before my God, I might not this believe/ without the sensible and true avouch/ of mine own eyes" (I. i . 55-57). It was a warning from Horatio that gave Prince Hamlet to fabricate his madness to more easily work out his plan of revenge. Horatio warns Hamlet, "... And there assume some other horrible form/ which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,/ and draw you into madness? Think of it " (I. iv. 72-74). Hamlet respected and adamantly listened to his father, so when the Ghost told him "but howsomeever thou pursues this act,/ taint not thy mind." (I. v. 83-84). Hamlet would surely listen and obey these wishes of his father from beyond the grave. Hamlet's first signs of his fraudulent insanity are revealed at a meeting with Ophelia. She describes him as "... No hat upon his head; his stocking's foul'd/ undergarter'd and down-gyved to his ancle/ pale as a shirt; his knees knocking eachother; ..." (II. i. 80-83). It is because of these seemingly insane actions that Polonius believes Hamlet to be truly demented. Polonius asks Ophelia if Hamlet is "Mad for thy love?" (II. i. 86); however already jumped to the conclusion that was indeed neurotic. The more fully convinced Hamlet could persuade the court members that he was insane, the easier he could seek hi revenge on king Claudius. Hamlet acts reasonable; not like an insane man by knowing that a faked madness would facilitate his plan, and being able to successfully undertake it further proves his sanity.

Media and the Writing Process :: Television Media TV

Media and the Writing Process When looking at a work of media, ones tries to find something that would enhance the writing process. Television, as well as cinema often lends to this process. One example of this is with the John Carpenters’ Vampires, which incorporates the use of suspense and anticipation to lure the viewer into concerning themselves more in to the story. Another example, is the television documentary Hitler’s Henchmen which uses a systematic, chronological method to tell the story of Adolf Hitler’s main Architect, Albert Speer. Of course literary works also can help in enhancing the quality of one’s work. A River Runs through it, Norman Macleans’ personal memoirs, lends to the reader the idea of the metaphor to pursue plot. Another literary work The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger tells the story of a doomed vessel lost at sea and does so through the use of creative language. Cinema is often overlooked as an outlet for literary enhancement. On the contrary, however, many films often tend to use or incorporate ideas which can be transferred with success to a literary piece. The film, Vampires uses many literary devices to progress its story and plot. The devices which were used most extensively, those of suspense and anticipation, can easily be incorporated to enhance a literary piece aesthetically. Television, again, like Cinema is a media which is overlooked when searching for methods to enhance ones work. A television documentary, recently aired, Hitlers Henchmen used a technique which is perhaps vital to a successful literary work. Displaying a information in a systematic, or chronological fashion, as done in the documentary, often clears the path for the reader, or the viewer in this case to make their own assumptions, or judgement of what they have seen. The most important of all media to be used to enhance ones’ own work of course is another piece of literature. The metaphor, as in Norman MacLeans’ work, A River Runs Through It is an excellent device used to give more meaning to single ideas, and can easily enhance a work.

Noise Pollution and Its Effects

Noise has a big impact on people all day everyday. But with people not noticing it, makes it hard for anyone to do anyhting about it. It is causing many different problems to people mentally, socially, and physically. There are many ways to help or prevent it, but these changes are not immediately visible, so they are left unattended to. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Exposure to very loud sounds that are enjoyable, and not technically noise to the listener, can lead to hearing impairment.A survey of hearing was tested among youngsters between the ages of 6 and 19. They found that 1 out of 8 of them suffered a noise-related hearing problem. Teens attend dances, equip vehicles with systems, and even work in loud fast food restaraunts. Noises are especially bothersome at night when one is trying to sleep, which is vital to good health. Noise from snowmobiles, jet skis, and supersonic jets has also intruded on the environment, affecting animals’ abilities to communicate, protect their young, and mate.MENTAL HEALTH: Noise pollution is not believed to be a cause of mental illness, but it is assumed to accelerate and intesify the development of latent mental disorders. Some of theses cases would be : anxiety, stress, nervousness, nausea, headache, emotionally instability, argumentatives, sexual impotence, changes in mood, and increase in social conflicts. The news media reguraly report violent behavior arising out of disputes over noise which in many cases these disputes ended in injury or death. SOCIAL HEALTH:Noise is a prominent feature of the environment including noise from transport, industry, and neighbors. Exposure to transport noise disturbs sleep I nthe laboratory, but not generally in field studies where adaptation occurs. Noise interferes in complex task performances, modifies social behavior and causes annoyance. Studies of occupational and environmental noise exposure suggest an association with hypertension, where as community studies show only weak relationships between noise and cardiovascular disease. PHYSICAL HEALTH:Noise health effects are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. Elevated workplace or other noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance, premature ejaculation, bowell movements, sleep disturbance, death and decreased sexual performance. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure, but evidence is limited. Elevated noise levels can create stress, increase workplace accident rates, and stimulate aggression and other anti-social behavior.PERSONAL GROWTH: It takes a role in everyones life to help lower noise pollution. 1. Noise proof rooms for music or people playing music 2. Don’t slam doors. 3. Turn tv or music off when not listening to it 4. Train your dog to not bark as much. 5. Don’t rev up motorcycle or vehicle unless it is actually needed I nthe drive. 6. Don’t beep your horn â€Å"just cause† only when you need to. 7. Don’t yell. Have civil conversations.

My Reflection of Rollo May’s Existentialism Psychology

Rollo May’s Existentialism Psychology:An Overview to His TheoryAfter many years of his hardships in conducting clinical research, May was able to postulate a new way of looking at human beings. With such newly evolved point of view, May saw people as living in the world of present experiences and ultimately being responsible for who they become. Many people, he believed, lack the courage to face their destiny, and in the process of fleeing from it, they give up much of their freedom. Having negated their freedom, they likewise run away from their responsibility. Not being willing to make choices, they lose sight of who they are and develop a sense of insignificance and alienation. In contrast, healthy people challenge their destiny, cherish their freedom, and live authentically with other people and with themselves.They recognize the inevitability of death and have the courage to live life in the present. These thoughts of Rollo May, I believe, had caught my interest to furthe r elaborate the essence of his theory through my own way of explaining. With these, I will be going to set aside all of the other theories. To be bias at this time, I believe will be of good help in further expressing my appreciation so as to justify the reasons behind why I like his theory of personality. At a first glance, I was quite intrigued with the way he was able to come up with his explanation of the personality. And through my first reading, Rollo May’s ideas made me realize that my outlook in life can be somehow reflected to his theories.Existentialism: A Reflection of My LifeRollo May’s view of people was highly influenced by the writings of Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard who opposed attempts in seeing people merely as objects, but at the same time, he opposed the view that subjective perceptions are one’s only reality. What Kierkegaard was mainly concerned of is that both the experiencing person and the person’s experience contribute in understanding h uman beings. In view of this thought, I realized that the events taking into place and the one who is experiencing such event are very essential in explaining life.I was raised with a pure Catholic Faith instilled in my mind, heart and soul. I can still remember the very first time I asked my parents about God’s existence and how great he really is to have control over our lives. I was then a third grader and was influenced maybe with Religion class for it was also my first time to enter such. Now, I can say, I have, partly, the answers to my questions.As May stated, existence takes precedence over essence. The process by which we are in control in becoming and emerging to what we want to be. To exist actively and authentically is one thing that we should consider in our search for truth. Since I became more aware of the happenings around me, I assume I was then starting in my search for identity, freedom and true responsibility – all these constitutes in the truth of life.I also believe that each of us is ultimately responsible of who we are and what we become and that we cannot blame others such as our parents, teachers, employers, God, or circumstances in what we do with ourselves. â€Å"Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.† We cannot deny the saying which turned to be a basic truth in a person’s life, â€Å"No man is an island.† As in my way of living, I may associate with others in productive and healthy relationships, but at the end of the day, I still realized that I am alone working for a purpose.I realized that my parents are just there to guide me and be the best examples that they can be for me to emulate. I maybe see myself always in almost all situations of my life to being with my friends. We may share things that I have; we may do things together to attain a goal; we may have the same interests and joy in life, but, still, at the end of the day, I just ponder and realized that I was just really mak ing my choice – my choice to become what I can be so as to become a psychologically healthy individual contributing significant things into the society.Life and death are two opposing forces which somehow lead us to become a being-in-the-world or a nonbeing. As I observe, in every tasks – whether it be simple or complicated – my only thought in finishing such task is to give  justice of having life and living it to the fullest. To have a life is my goal but I do not consider death as my destiny because my main goal now is eternal life with God – my savior. Death, maybe, is inevitable and for me the thought of it will just deprived me of doing well in life.I believe that people adapt to the natural world, relate to others as humans, and have a keen awareness of what all these experiences mean to them and these would mean to an established healthy individual which I am really striving for, most especially, during these times with which hurdles in life are presented continuously. Since I enter college and enroll in Psychology, my way of thinking and attaining life-goals changed. I shall say that it became more mature as I would have to strive harder to meet the expectations of my family which I chose to comply with. This implies that my parents may be associated in my search for truth but still, I am the only one working for it literally and with the emotional support of significant others. This is my ultimate choice.Anxiety and Guilt: Problems in Fulfilling PotentialitiesWe cannot deny the fact that we are encountering problems in times of difficulties with which we are to achieve, at some point, our potentialities in life. Anxiety and guilt arises and there is no doubt that we cannot help but to deal with it so as to holistically achieve our full potentialities as human beings and for us to hone these into a full-blown ability which we’ll be needing in times of crises and another uprisings of unpleasant feelings like worries and doubts.During times like this, I realized that intentions should exist in the inner self so as to able to choose and act on the choices I made in my daily life. There are many instances of my school life wherein I failed to build up intentions – intentions such as passing the exam or getting a high score and performing at my best. Sometimes I tend to fail and this, I believe, is because I do not have firm intentions in life which turns to be a key in overcoming anxiety and guilt.But there are times also that I’m able to utilize pure intentions which gives meaning to my experiences and, in turn,  allows me to make decisions for a bright future. Firm and strong intentions, I believe is a strong foundation in utilizing potentialities at its peak and at the same time, it serves to be an anchor in putting up more mature decisions. Care, Love, and Will:More Than Just Empathy-BuildingAssociated with the unpleasant feelings which were noted as the emotional uprisings wh en people are presented with difficulties and problems are the build-up of the most essential feelings and attitude a human being should possess. I guess these three are important in a sense that it bridges the gaps which are just more than learning or knowing others’ emotions.Care, love, and will plays important roles in our daily lives for these three aspects do not just create pleasant and wanted reactions or forms of intimate interpersonal relationships but also because I believe that these three should be considered as the soul-base of attaining freedom and confronting your destiny. As May would say, â€Å"To care for someone means to recognize that person as a fellow human being, to identify with that person’s pain or joy, guilt or pity.† This merely suggests that caring is given for those who you think deserve it and also, it can’t be given for just somebody but for someone who means a lot to you.Of course, as an active human being we are expected and somehow obliged to show care and respect to our fellow human beings as we are just the same kind of living beings whose primary aim is to seek affection from others in order to give that attention back. Since care is an active process, it should neither be limited nor be stopped in instances such as negative emotional outbursts because in such manner, negative feelings can be easily replaced with positive ones.Moreover, to love will never be the same of caring but to care is the source of love. To love is to recognize the essential humanity of the person and also, to accept what can be unacceptable with that person. Talking about things like this, others might say, can be a waste of time for they might also insist that they already know the true meaning behind this. But the point here is that care and love don’t just tackle intimacy or sexual arousal but it talks about how really it is conquering all things on earth.Will, on the other hand, was believed to be rooted from care. It is viewed as the capacity to organize one’s self so that movement in a certain direction or toward a certain goal may take place. Will initiates our desire to do actions in fulfilling our wildest wishes or dreams. We sometimes tell ourselves that if there’s a will, there’s a way which implies that we do really have the capacity to build the will from ourselves so as to develop self-esteem and self-worth which are important factors in the development of a strong and firm intention to do such action.There may be times that my will is not that strong to motivate me, but when I think that it will be for the betterment of others and not just to me, I always try hard to push more so there’ll be no regrets at the end of the day. Freedom:An Understanding of our DestinyOur own way and style of having freedom in our lives depicts how our destiny can be modified or challenged. Although freedom is not that easy to attain, the joy of having it would tell us t hat we are really determined to challenge our destiny. To be free does not necessarily mean to be able to do the things that you’ve been wishing for your life. These are what you call existential freedom wherein we just enjoy all the good things happening to our life at present and worrying no more with what the future could bring. We made choices and we act on it.That’s the way existential freedom should be. Since we are imprisoned of our own destiny, it makes us less aware of the freedom of doing but with the essential freedom. We are born in this world with questions in mind with which we are motivated to search for answers regarding the true essence and meaning of our lives. Without destiny, then, we have no freedom, but without freedom our destiny is meaningless.The Role Of Myths in My LifeAccording to Rollo May, people who lack myths to believe in turned to  religious cults, drug addiction, and popular culture in a vain effort to find meaning in their lives. He also contended that myths are not falsehoods but rather, he sees it as conscious and unconscious belief systems that provide explanations for personal and social problems.People use myths and symbols to transcend the immediate concrete situation, to expand self-awareness, and to search for identity. Believing in myths I believe can do no harm for anybody as long as it is not causing social impairment to the individual and into his society. The myths of May can be compared to Jung’s archetypes which are considered as the avenues to universal images that lie beyond individual experience.I, myself, have some myths which help me, I believe, in the betterment of my psychological well-being for I know these would have benefits on me like it would allow me in opening up a new reality.To Challenge Destiny: My Favorite Theory of PersonalityDestiny is our destination and our goal. It seems to be like a force for us to be triggered, to be motivated and to be ignited to face the challen ges and solve the problems that life has to offer. Just as I allow destiny to mold me, there are times also that I was like awakened of the thought that waiting for it to take place will be a waste of time. I also allow myself to respond the way I want to respond to the absurdities of life to be able to prove that destiny does not dictate how my life should be working. With this, I don’t let my destiny dictates me of my outlook in life.As we challenge our destiny, we gain freedom, and as we achieve freedom, we push at the boundaries of destiny. I would say that to challenge destiny is my primary mission right now most especially that I am facing a lot of hardships in school. But I will not disregard or deny the possibility that real life begins on the outside world wherein, at that time, I will be no longer showing my potentials in the four walls of the classroom but instead, it will be evolving into a bigger place or dimension where many competitors will be present and will be more ready to spice up my quest for a  well-defined-destiny.As a student, I have been looking for answers in my true identity with which I may be able to relate well to others. I have been also, looking for the things that will satisfy my needs just as what other theorists would suggest but I think Rollo May’s Existential Psychology helped me realized more the true essence of living for a purpose. I might be very expressive in showing my appreciation to May’s theory but still it just ignited my desire to push through life as good as it can be. As a son, it made me more realize the fact that I have my parents living with me and supporting me always. They serve as my support system although I understand that at the end of the day I am a single individual working for my own purpose. But still, I know that I exist up to this day because of them and their very good upbringing.As a friend, I now knew the true meaning of showing care, love, and will not just to those per son who are close to me but to every single person I meet in every day of my life. They are the best company that I can ever have. They are really the best buddies I can ever have in good or tough times, but still I always see to it that I will be not dependent on them most especially when I’m at school doing assignments projects and any other requirements. This attitude of mine is my own way of taking preparations for my future endeavors and also, for me to be really able to do the molding and modification of my most to be expected and to be geared up aspect of my existence – destiny.As a child of God, I now realized the reasons why he gave me the potentials I knew that I can make use of to excel in every manner of my daily living. Prayers will always be at the top of my most used weapon in challenging my destiny. it will always be my first defense in coping with all the changes that life will be presenting. Existentialism made me realize all these. It just helped me mold my belief of things that are not that vivid to me before. But now that I have already all these belief systems, I will be making sure that on the next single conversations that I will have in the future, I will see to it that I’ll be imparting those knowledge.â€Å"To grasp what it means to exist, one needs to grasp the fact that he might not exist†. This quotation of Rollo May strongly implies his desire in imparting his theory to us individuals and to how we can be able to make use of his theory through the modern way of perceiving such knowledge. Overall,  I’ve learned from his theory that to exist also means to live life with its full essences – that destiny will be the key for molding these hidden essences that will soon to be revealed when the time comes that you are ready and you can finally say that you are able to challenge your own destiny as you desire it to be.Death is emphasized with this quotation of May. He contended that we can neve r escape the fact that death may happen and what’s striking the most is that it may arrive at the least expected moment. But although May insisted the fact that death is inevitable, I’m not preoccupied with the frightening thought of death but what I am afraid of is the thought of dying. On the other hand, understanding death, I believe, helps me in doing more quality things making it more meaningful. Confronting such issue of our nonexistence is somehow a key for us to live harmoniously. With this, we can be able to assert our freedom and be able to mold our own destiny.