Various Aspects of Life for Individual - Research Paper Example

How Should I Live Many aspects of life affect how an individual should live. These include a community’s social-cultural, economic, biological and psychological aspects (Monroe 8). Socio-cultural aspects are those that involve a person’s inner being like, family’s wealth background, gender, religion, occupation, education, and even political views. Psychological aspects affect much about how an individual lives. For example, factors like socialization, sympathy, and recognition contribute much to one’s life. A person will live their life according to how they relate with other people. On the other hand, sympathy tells much about how a person lives. It is only a sympathetic person who will see someone in trouble and feel touched to help or assist where necessary. A community’s ethics, for example, affect a person’s way of life because, there are different norms in different communities, and all affect their members in different ways. The way a person behaves also affects how they live. Emotions also affect how people live; for instance a person who is hot tempered is termed as per the emotions because that is how they live. Education also contributes to one’s way of life, for example, the way an educated person handles life issues differs very much from one who is not. The work that follows gives personal decisions on how I decide to live a good life. How I live is a question of self-decision. First, as Monroe Kristen says, our understanding and perception of who we are, determine our behavior (Monroe 13). I have first to understand myself, the things that I like or dislike my capabilities and how the other people say about me. The choices that I make in my life affect much of how I live. Living a better life is the sole goal of an individual. In order to live a good life, I have decided to consider several factors that will enable me achieve the kind of life that I wish to have. The environment I am exposed to will not affect my living because, someone’s way of living depends entirely on the person’s decision. The habits that one adopts affect much of people’s lives. There are habits that become addictive to people become their way of life. The habits will affect how people live and consequently affect their daily activities. Love for all humanity is a character that says much about a person. For example, Lucille, in Monroe Kristen’s “The Heart of Altruism” tries to save a girl from rape. When asked why she was the only one trying to stop the rape when others are not, she says her mother and grandmother taught her to defend herself and others (Monroe 67). The love for humanity, if practiced, becomes a person’s way of life and would not fail to help or give assistance where necessarily needed. Humanity is common in some religions as evident in Katell Bethelo’s introduction of the “Quest for a common Humanity” (Katell 3). The book shows human beings created in the image of God in the Biblical Story of Creation as also seen in the Quran, where human beings are the rulers of the earth. Therefore, love to humanity is important as different religions emphasize it. Loving humanity includes loving everything that is living. It involves helping every living thing that calls for help. As it is said, “service to humanity is a service to God, I will live to love all humanity because, anyone who loves others will be just. I choose, like Lucille, people should not intimidate me to do injustice in any case because I have chosen to love other people and myself too. People choose to help others with different motives. Some help others with an aim of gaining from them while others do it from their heart, not anticipating for anything in return. As evident in Samuel P. Oliner’s ‘Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe”, some of the interviewed rescuers had both objectives; to rescue and benefit from the rescue (Oliner 4). Oliner argues that, in most cases, people who act to rescue others entirely have the aim of self-gain (Oliner 5). As an individual who chooses the good side of life, I should live a life with an altruistic personality, which according to (Oliner 6), it is living a life of voluntarily helping others without waiting for a reward. People who have a good personality choose to help others even without considering the risks involved. The rescuers who were helping the Jews exposed themselves to high-risk cases. For example, Stefan helped Aron and his brother by providing them with food, clothing and shelter Oliner 50). Housing them in his own compound was risky because if it were known, it would bring the problem to Stefan. Other rescuers would keep items that belonged to the Jews in their houses an action that posed a high risk to them. Other rescuers protested against the treat given to the Jews. These activities had a high risk to the rescuers although they did not care. They proved to be heroes in trying to help the Jews in the best way possible. Becoming a hero calls for many things; one has to take the risks involved. For example, a human rights activist has to take risks because there has to be resistance from the opposing side. For example, when Lucille was trying to stop the rape, she put herself into the risk of attack by the rapists, but could not stop because she was determined to help as her mother and grandmother had taught her (Monroe 67). Paul Rusesabagina, the author of “An Ordinary Man” risks his life sheltering Tutsis and Hutus during the Rwandan Genocide. Several things lead people to make the decisions they make, be they just or unjust. First, racism is a factor that has contributed much towards how people react. For example, a country where racism reigns, an ethnic group will always be unjust to the other community because their races do not match. It is evident in Raimond Gaita’s “Thinking about love and Truth and Justice” when he talks of “Bringing Them Home” in the Genocide and the stolen generation topic. Children of a different race were taken to Western Australia where they were mistreated away from their families. Racism led the Australians to treat the children unfairly. It leads to unjust actions of individuals of the opposite race. The personality of an individual is another factor that leads people to act justly or unjustly. A person with good personality will always seek justice in how they act. For example, Lucille’s personality could not let her see the rape going on and fail to take action. A person with an evil personality will always do what is evil to others. The people who were stealing people and taking them to Australia had an evil personality. Would it not have been for poor personality, they would not accept to do it. I will not let my personality lead me to doing evil because I have chosen to lead a good life. The development in technology has caused a huge increase in the rise of terrorism by giving access to weapons (Walter Reich 1-7). This has led to the formation of many terrorist groups, leading to increase in the terrorist activities. There is also an increase in wars between different groups, which has led to people engaging in terrorism to fight their opponents. The social conduct of people also leads to increased terrorism. For example, there are communities that awoke in a fight and still fight up to date. The growing population will seek to know how to fight back, and this increases terrorism. Psychological aspects can also cause terrorism (Reich 261). The way an individual grows can affect their decision towards terrorism. For example, if an individual grows within an influence of a terrorist group, they are likely to become terrorists due to influence (Staub 39). Decision making entirely depends on a person’s personality. There are situations where one is entitled to make a decision on a certain contradicting issue such as a judgement. The personality of the person will contribute much on the decision they make. As I choose to live a good life if at all I am faced by a challenging judgement, I will decide according to my personality to make a fair judgement (Reich 218). I want to live my life the best way because I have the power to direct my life, and the decisions I make affect the rest of my life. This will give me happiness in the whole of my life. It takes several aspects for one to become a hero. First, one has to understand who they are. Understanding one’s capabilities enable them to know what they can deliver. Secondly, heroes take responsibility in a certain situation. Responsibility, though a task, gives a hero to achieve their goal. Being a hero also calls for devotion. This is going against what one’s self demands. A hero is that person who will stand against their fears and be brave (Monroe 116). It gives one the courage to face difficult challenges in trying to deliver as heroes. Hope is another quality of heroes. Even when others see no hope is left, heroes value that little hope left (Monroe 108). Therefore, a hero is a person who is responsible, brave and has hope in everything they do. Conclusion I have personally learned about many things when faced with difficult challenges. I have known that everybody has his or her own abilities and limitations. The abilities in me help me in making concrete decisions when I face difficult decisions (Monroe 55). For example, the ability to socialize with others will help me learn people’s likes and dislikes. This will help me to avoid doing what is a dislike to them, and will avoid quarrels and confrontations resulting from any misunderstanding among us. What matters most to me is living my life to the best and according to my abilities. I will use every opportunity to better my life and the life of other people. Certain moral principles affect how one should live. I have adopted some principles that will guide me in my decision to live a good life. I have learned to accept my mistakes. Human beings are prone to mistakes and errors in daily life. I have planned to accept the mistakes I commit as an individual because this will help me in pressing on. People who fail to accept their personal mistakes do not make progress as they do not acknowledge that they can make mistakes (Reich 20). I know that the friends I have will one day wrong me or make a mistake. I personally have decided to accept my friends’ mistake. This will help me to create a good relationship with them and give me a stress-free life. Having friends whom you rhyme will always give you a smooth life; thus it calls for understanding between a person and their friends. I will just be in the judgments that I make. I understand that making judgment is one of the biggest challenges one can face. As such, it is possible that once can be faced by different and challenging conflicts. Psychologist defined the different types of conflicts clearly presenting how a conflict like approach-approach conflict can lead one into a confused state. Therefore, I am confident that making a fair judgement will give me to have a clear conscience within myself. People face many challenges in trying to advocate for fair judgement. Any unfair judgment leads to lack of peace and this affects one’s life. People give forced judgements, may be because of being under the financial influence of the person a judgement favor. This is corruption, and it is against social norms. People can be forced to act unjustly due to threats (Marcus 221). This happens in cases where the person giving judgement is under threat of an involved party. In case of such a situation, I will act or judge justly because it is my life and I have the authority to live it. I will not act under the influence to give an unjust judgement. I will help everybody who is in need requires help. My decision to help goes to everybody who requires assistance, and as long as I can assist, I will. Helping has no choice as Margot points out in Kristen Monroe’s “Hand of Compassion” (Monroe 23). The intensity of need is what leads a person not to consider who to help. A person who is in an urgent need of help will seek help in the quickest way possible. For example, emergencies like, fire, drowning, and road accidents are occurrences that require immediate attention. I understand that anybody can be in a problem at any given time, and I will definitely help in case any need arises. Generally, living a good life is important, because there comes a time when you actually need others to help you. It is not easy for people to help someone who has not been helpful to them, and this calls for people to live in a way that is acceptable before others. Work Cited Marcus, George E. With Malice Toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgements. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Internet Source. Monroe, Kristen R. The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1998. Print. Oliner, Samuel P. Altruistic Personality: Rescuers Of Jewish In Nazi Europe. Humboldt: Simon and Schushter, 1992. Internet source Reich, Walter. Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998. Print. Rusesabagina, Paul. An Ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007. Internet source Staub, Ervin. The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Pr, 1994. Print. Zimbardo, Philip.The Lucifer Effect:Understanding Hoe Good People Turn Evil. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2008. Internet source Read More