People Learn by Encountering Difference - Essay Example

 I was, in effect, defining America through my own preconceptions, without having ever truly experienced the country and her culture.Once I arrived in the United States, however, this mirror was removed; to be sure, as stated by Ronald Heifetz, the realities were much different than my original impressions. I learned that America was not all that much different from other countries. To be sure, there were wonderful opportunities for education and employment; on the other hand, there were fierce competition and expensive costs.

There was, contrary to my initial beliefs, a very real possibility of failure. I have also learned that one needs to experience people, places, and things first-hand in order to truly understand. We need to remove the mirror, to peel away romantic mythologies, and look at things objectively. In sum, I have learned the value of true experience and the need to be careful about relying on second-hand information. B.Many cultures celebrate heroes and heroines, both real and fictional. Identify and describe a hero or heroine and explain what you think contributes to his/her popularityIn this essay, I will describe Prometheus and why his character is such a popular hero.

He is a very old character, deriving from old Greek mythology, and he was said to have stolen fire from the Greek Gods and then given it to mortals for their use and benefit. There are many reasons for the popularity of such a hero. These reasons include his creativity in stealing the fire from the Gods, his courage in attempting such a feat against the Gods, and his desire to help the common people.As an initial matter, Prometheus is admired because of his creativity. Unlike modern movies, Prometheus did not use weapons or violence to accomplish his goals.

Neither did he prey upon weaker people. Instead, he used his mind and he confronted the Gods themselves. He used what he knew to be the Gods' weaknesses, pride, and selfishness, against them. In a way, he used psychology in order to steal the fire. People admire the cunning of Prometheus and his popularity is enhanced by the use of his mind as a weapon.In addition, his popularity is heightened because of his courage and boldness. It is one thing to steal from weaker people; it is quite another to challenge the strongest of all possible beings.

It is true that Prometheus often mocked the Gods and Zeus in particular, but the common people were terrified of the Gods. That Prometheus challenged the Gods and prevailed is another important feature of his popularity.Finally, the legend of Prometheus is so enduringly popular because he engaged in these efforts in order to help common men and women. He did not act for himself. His act was, in many ways, both selfless and loving. Prometheus pitied the conditions of the mortals; he felt that teaching certain things to them would improve the quality of their lives.

People of all ages have admired and respected those who have sacrificed their own well-being in order to benefit others. The story, in several respects, is not much different from Robin Hood, who stole from the rich and the corrupt in order to benefit the poor.