What Is an Archetype - Assignment Example

SECTION 1 What is an archetype? Who would you consider to be an accept in modern society? Explain how they’re an "ideal person? An archetype is a universal acceptable pattern, behavior or statement among human beings that is meant to build pillars for individuals to follow. Carl Jung a psychologist claims that archetype lies in the collective unconscious of human and so it is in every individual. Archetype was derived from a Latin word ‘archetupos’ which means first-molded, hence it represents the beginning (James, 5). There are however, critics to archetype saying that is a myth in psychology and culture, according to the critics it is something that does not really exist. An accept in modern society will be heroes and leaders, these are the modern day archetype and individuals always want to emulate them. Heroes are believed to be selfless and problem solvers, they do things for the community around them as compared to the doing for themselves. The community tends to be looking upon them for solution of things facing them. A hero is a courageous being who has strength and capability for taking care of people around him. Every hero story is the same where they are born and living just like an ordinary person, then tackles an extra ordinary problem that other people cannot handle, receiving awards hence becoming the community hero. A person holding a higher position example a political position or maybe in an organization and show concern by helping the region or organization from a bad position that was in earlier to a better place is considered a leader. People acknowledge their work when they see that there have been lifted from a ditch to a place they can be confidently support themselves. The fact that not everybody can do that for an organization or a region and people look up to them, gives them the title leader (Margaret, 139). Heroes and leaders are ideal people mainly because people look up on them to handle hard tasks that not every person can. Heroes are associated with strength, honor, victory and other positive attributes, on the other side leaders are resonant and charismatic all that very few people possess, that make the ideal persons. Heroes and leaders could easily give their lives for the betterment of the community around them, there are there during crisis to make sure everything go back to normalcy so that people around can be comfortable. They are people who have the responsibilities of taking care of huge responsibilities and they do that perfectly. SECTION 2 According to Buddha what is the cause for suffering, and how is it the cure? What do you think is the cure for suffering in modern society? Buddha was an Indian prince who lived two thousand five hundred years ago, and he attained enlightenment when he was a young man. His followers grew forming the Buddhism religion. He came up with the cause and cure of human suffering. According to Buddha, there are three things that cause suffering in human: desire, anger and ignorance (Kenneth, 154). Desire is the first cause of human suffering and is when people want to have the best things life can offer and are neither happy nor satisfied until they get it all, when they get them they keep struggling to keep them with them and get more because it is never enough. When people are not contented with what they have they will not be happy hence translates to them suffering. Yet people forget that nothing is permanent not even the life they live, so on day when somebody dies he leaves all the material things that seem to matter most to them. Second is Ignorance, this is when people tend not to see things as they really are. Due to ignorance people believe that everything will always remain the same or how we want them to be, when changes occur humans suffer because it is like they cannot take control of things around them. They forget that change is the only permanent thing in life. Most time ignorance makes people not take the best alternatives in their decision hence, regret later saying if they only knew better. Lastly anger or hate makes people to keep on judging other people and how they do things. People keep on avoiding others because they dislike them and staying away from them limits people’s interaction and contact with them making life unpleasant. Anger cause people to want to harm others but when someone cause harm to another in some way they are causing harm to themselves too. This translates to suffering by Buddha. Buddha argues, the way to cure human suffering is to get rid of desire for earthly items. People should understand that material things are not worth focusing so much and remove that illusion they have on them and forget the attachment they have (Chris, 20). The attachment of the material things makes human focus too much on them and even cause hate between people because they want everything for themselves. Buddha suggested that people should forget the attachment and desire to cure suffering. In modern society, the cure for suffering is to be educated; it will help people to understand more how the world is and how to make better choices. People value money a lot and many can basically do anything to have a lot, it is important to understand that there are other things that are more important and can give real happiness, example is family, the people that will always be there for you no matter what. Having better priorities will definitely bring happiness. SECTION 3 Compare and contrast people’s perception on Plato’s level of awareness (C&D vs. A&B) between ancient Athens in modern day. Plato level of awareness is divided into four. The lowest level of awareness is the illusion, this is having opinions based on appearance, emotions, believes and impressions. Illusion is how a brain organizes and interprets senses; it is usually not how things are. The next level is informed awareness, the awareness is due to physical objects and not just how they look or seem to be. The brain tends to separate between the reality and the perception. The second level is more of reasoning; deductive reasoning is used where a person narrows considerations to reach to a conclusion. The highest level is way above deductive reasoning; it is seeing exactly what is there (Robert, 134). In modern society there are seven levels of awareness which include: animal, mass, aspiration, individual, discipline, experience and mastery (David, 67). Animal is the level where an individual reacts according to what is happening in their lives at that particular moment there is little or no thought. It is also called the freeze or flight level. Mass level is the level where a person is more concern with what other people think about them, people tend not to do things that they want but what other people want. In aspiration level an individual desires to be in a better place than he currently is, the problem is this desires are not put into action. Individual level people put their desires into action; they challenge themselves because they see themselves different from others. In discipline level one is able to maintain the action they took so as to change their lives, people set goals and are able to follow all the rules and stay away from the crowd. Experience level people realize that what they really want is within their reach, that they can achieve anything. The last level is mastery where it involves more of thinking in order to solve a problem and reach desired outcome. Individuals do not depend on habits or what people think; they analyze the situation and come up with an outcome. In both Plato level of awareness and modern level of awareness; the lowest level people react more to how the environment is. The highest level is similar too because people analyze the situation, narrow the alternative and come up with the best option. In modern there is space to act according to your desires even though at first you do not put them into action they still count whereas in Plato’s desires were not in the picture. Plato level of awareness has only four levels while the modern has seven. The third level of Plato level of awareness, people react to the physical objects this is exactly what they see as compared to mass level people react to what other people think about them, this focuses more on other people and their thought not that person. Modern level people work on their desires and if they are disciplined, they get exactly what they hoped for unlike in Plato’s there are no desires to work on (Umesh, 339). Works Cited Meyer, Emily A. Proceedings of a Workshop on Materials State Awareness. Washington: National Academies Press, 2008. Print. Thondup, and Harold Talbott. Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook. Boston: Shambhala, 2005. Print. Archetype. Turtleback, 2014. Print. Arp, Robert, and Jamie Carlin Watson. Philosophy Demystified. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print. McAdon, Brad S. Understanding and Engaging Humanity. Detroit: Greenhaven :, 2010. Print. Read More