Lately, I've been reading this book called 'How We Decide' which was lent to me by a good friend of mine who is just as interested in psychology and probably twice as knowledgeable about it. It's all about-- guess what-- making decisions and how and why we decide the things we do.
I just got past a section which summarized a study done on over 400 fifth graders, I believe in the land of New York. This study was essentially very simple- the students were divided into two groups. They were tested with puzzles and such equally, but were simply given different praise: one group, after working, was told  "You must be so smart for this!" while the other group was told "You must've worked really hard on this!". It shouldn't seem too great a difference, but the statistics that followed were unmistakable. After being initially tested, these students were given the option of taking a set of puzzles that would challenge them, or taking a test on material they already knew. Virtually all the students in the group with the 'smart' praise chose the easy test while the students in the 'hard work' praise group chose the challenging test. They were willing to fail at first to learn how to gain; to learn how to learn. Also, when given the option for comparing their test results with people who scored higher or lower than theirs, 'smart' students chose to compare with those who did poorly to emphasize what they did well on. However, the 'hardworking' students chose to compare with the tests that scored higher than them to find out what they did wrong and to seek to improve and learn from their mistakes. In the end of the study, the students were given a test at the same difficulty as in the beginning. The students in the 'hard work' group scored 30% higher, and the 'smart' group scored almost 20% lower!!
Basically, the students in the 'hard working' group were being taught how to learn. We can only learn by failing, examining those failures, and applying that to future work. Essentially, we need to push ourselves further so we can recoup and gather more from it.
I'm sure that whoever reads this and goes to Wayzata knows what I'm talking about when I say that we're, for the most part, in the 'smart' group. We place such a high value on A's and the grading system, and I know I'm not alone when I say I am put under enormous pressure to poop out fantastic grades and high scores (SAT, ACT, or otherwise). When I was reading this section of the book, I tried and failed to remember the last time a teacher (or parent) had praised me based on the work I had done. I remember being scolded based on lower scores I produced and praised on how smart I was for having higher scores, but I have never been told it's okay to fail so long as I was milking learning opportunities out of it. I really don't know where this problem started or where to fix it, but now that I can acknowledge it, I think it should be addressed to everyone, from students to parents to teachers. Sure, not everyone will understand, but everyone should be given the opportunity to learn how to learn.

another update on 'hyperbole and a half'

I am loving this blog more and more each time I check it. There haven't been any new posts since I checked it last, but the deeper I delve into the archives, the more I feel like I will die of laughter.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

Enjoy this post.
I've always detested bad grammar, and saying alot is just one of the many things that bugs me. Here, this wonderful blogger describes several of the mistakes or chat lingo she sees used. The one she focuses on is the Alot. Yes, he is a monster, but he's very cute. Her drawings of him are fabulous.
Now, because I'm supposed to be doing a rhetorical analysis of these blogs instead of just laughing myself to pieces about it, I did my best to determine exactly what it is that makes this blog so funny.
In this specific post about the Alot, firstly, there is her idea of what one looks like. She's making a creature for something that doesn't exist, even in normal English. The idea is, of course, outlandish, and as people we tend to think that outlandish things are funnier than non-outlandish things. The part that personally gave me a kick most was the section where she says "When people say 'I'm lonely alot' or 'I'm angry alot'..." which strikes me as funny because she attributes this to someone talking to the Alot with an emo haircut and the Alot is basically thinking "get away from me..." Funny enough. Why? Again, she's taking the strange creature and putting it with an almost childish idea. Yes, she's an adult, and in a way, making a fool of herself. But she's speaking in such diction that gives her a stable amount of credibility, even if what she's saying is ridiculous. She knows she sounds silly, though, which is what makes her sound not-stupid. She's doing what just about every comedian does- putting absurd ideas out on the table and expanding on them into detail, even though they're clearly wrong. Huzzah.

RE: the inner ring.

When I started reading this speech, I really had no idea what was going on or what he was talking about in the first few paragraphs. This may be attributed to the late hour that I was reading it, but so be it. I finally started to understand it at the paragraph that starts with "And of course everyone knows..." I thought this a creative way of  discussing the big evils, if you will, of the world. When he says that he will only really talk about the World, I'm surprised, perhaps, and happy enough that he won't talk about the other subjects, worn as they are now. Also, I personally find the World to be the most interesting of them all.
When the rings and inner rings and such are introduced, it's weird to me because I've never thought about this in the terms he puts it. Certainly, there are rings of importance all around us, some which we desire to get into and others that we care less about. All people search for acceptance- it's a natural human instinct. We can hardly go through a day without interaction with other people. Or, at least, I don't think I could.
Even in high school and college, the years that are supposed to be the greatest in our lives, we go through the chain of fighting to fit in and getting in somewhere new, over and over. One could argue that it's what makes those years great- we have the great opportunities to get into clubs and activities we've never tried before and get new experiences with new friend groups (legal or not, that's up to you). Once we figure out the process he makes mention of, though, it loses its magic. It's like you're walking around a neighborhood in the rain at midnight and you look at a house and it's all lit up and there's a party in there with everyone invited but you. Then, once you get into the party, it's nothing but a big pile of stupid and you just want out because rain and darkness is preferable to the stupid people being stupid in there, and you find that someone stole your coat and heaven knows what else. Maybe not the best analogy, but you get it, right?

Al Pacino's Inspirational Speech

This speech is from the movie "Any Given Sunday". I haven't watched the movie, but it looks pretty good. Here, Al Pacino plays the coach giving an inspirational speech to the team in the locker room. The full speech can be found below.

http://essaysfromexodus.scripting.com/stories/storyreader$1492

reluctant: a world of words

Reluctant: adj: unwilling and hesitant; disinclined

Origin: mid 17th century (in the sense 'writhing, offering opposition'): from Latin reluctant- 'struggling against', from the verbreluctari, from re- (expressing intensive force) + luctari 'to struggle'

Cautious: adj: careful to avoid potential problems or dangers

Origin: mid 17th century: from  caution, on the pattern of pairs such as ambition, ambitious

Demur: v: raise doubts or objections or show reluctance

Origin: Middle English (in the sense 'linger, delay'): from Old French demourer (verb), demeure (noun), based on Latin de- 'away, completely' + morari 'delay'

Hesitant: adj: tentative, unsure, or slow in acting or speaking\

Origin: late Middle English: from Latin haesitant- 'being undecided', from the verb haesitare

Recalcitrant: adj: having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline

Origin: mid 19th century: from Latin recalcitrant- 'kicking out with the heels', from the verb recalcitrare, based on calx, calc- 'heel'

Unwilling: adj: not ready, eager, or prepared to do something

Origin: Old English unwillende

Wary: adj: feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems

Origin: late 15th century: from  ware +  -y


Afraid: adj: feeling fear or anxiety; frightened
Origin: Middle English: past participle of the obsolete verb affray, from Anglo-Norman French afrayer 


Averse: adj: having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
Origin: late 16th century: from Latin aversus 'turned away from', past participle of avertere


Opposed: adj: eager to prevent or put an end to; disapproving of or disagreeing with
Origin: 1350–1400; from oppositiōn- opposit + -iōn

nothing but nostalgia

Today, my dogs got to come inside my house (don't tell my dad), which is a treat for them. My dad isn't really an animal lover, so when we got them, it was decided that they had to be outdoor dogs all year round.
Actually, they're still here, snuffly and lovely as ever. They do smell funny, though.
Anyway, I was sitting on my kitchen floor, petting Ebony (who, contrary to popular belief, is a boy) who was sitting next to Oliver, the lazy stupid one. I began to recall that when we first got them, they were about three months old. Back then, Ebony was small enough to curl up in my lap without falling out. Now, about five years later, these black labs have grown quite a bit and Ebony isn't the puppy he used to be. I was thinking about all this as I was petting him, and about all this nostalgia. I miss the small dog I used to have and carry around like it was no big deal. I still love them, but there's something about having a puppy in your lap that can't be replicated. In the end, I guess, there's nothing but nostalgia left. We only have memories with us when we go.