Argument on leisure

My claim is that you can make better use of your leisure time by actively learning information or acquiring new skills rather than using it to “switch off” and recover from the day. I’m directing my focus toward my own generation and why they can influence their life much more in comparison to our parents with more life ahead of us that will be affected by our present habits. My broad encompassing reasons are that you are much more likely to be happy, accomplish what you want to do in life, and more attune and focused to the world around you.
Today’s generation expects instant gratification. This developed need, is spurned from the vast consumerism, easy accessibility to services, and false portrayal of lives on television that makes one’s life seem incomplete in comparison. I aim to convince them that this need, however much we abide by it, will serve us much better if we ignore it all together. After all, you can’t be disappointed if you never expected anything in the first place. I aim to convince them, that upon training oneself to delay gratification and to spend a majority of their free time towards productive life enhancing activities. Upon establishing these parameters, one will feel much more accomplished and view work as something to embrace, rather than despising it. Just knowingly pursuing something, and actively absorbing information and skills will generate much more satisfaction with life, leading to higher levels of happiness.
I will also aim to convince them by sharing how leisure time was viewed in the past, and how it has only recently opened up to the mass population. Like the Native Americans viewed all life as harmonious, and did things when they were supposed to be done. This led to more productivity and cultivation of oneself, and less feelings of boredom and disinterest to particular activities. If we view all of our actions in life as harmonious, none weighing more than the other, but a necessity that each objective be completed, we would never be slowed down by disinterest in an activity, or revert to instant gratification (food, sex, games) until necessary and appropriate. I will also bring in the theoretical frameworks and what evidence each holds true towards promoting oneself through active leisure rather than passive.
One reason I will use to back up leisure is better used in an active way is the correlation one study finds between those who read and their success rates, and those who don’t. This will be a definite incentive to cultivate oneself towards their success in the future. I could analogize this evidence to a probable outcome of one’s future based on the use of their leisure time. The cause and affect of my claim is quite clear. Whatever intellectual, physical, or emotional characteristics you presently have, can be improved through the active use of your leisure time.

Comment on Healthcare

Silverlight responded to my post on Healthcare. I returned to her blog site and noticed her own post on Healthcare, but with more personal experiences. So I commented their with respect to her post and her comment on my post. Check it out and let me know where you stand onHealthcare

America's Healthcare System..

The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country, but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance” (World Health Organization report). So why does America fail to provide the same quality of healthcare feasible to other developed countries? The governments’ priority on protecting our country from threats overseas must outweigh the immediate well-being of its own citizens. Of course the government is aiming to prevent other countries from harming our own, but when we find that the reason we went to war, is the not the reason were still in it, why are we still there? Rather than striving to fix other country’s problems, the focus should remain on the betterment of one’s own country, especially when it faces many problems of its own.
Eighteen Thousand Americans die every year without the means to afford health insurance, or being denied service due to their insurance company not covering the procedure required to save their life. This is a startling number in the country that claims to be the best. So the question is, should our healthcare be privately operated or controlled by the government through our taxes? When our ideals as a nation are guided by everyone’s right to pursue happiness, affordable healthcare is essential in order to preserve this right. Hillary Clinton sought to bring this to America during her husband’s campaign, but upon being shut up and subsequently being funded by the companies for her current campaign; she will surely not bring the change needed to give American’s coverage.
As a university student, undecided upon a major, the medical benefits that come with a profession will be a big influence on the job I will seek. With the costs of health care expected to rise dramatically in the next ten years, you can’t ignore this issue. The rich will be reluctant to change as this may cause them to lose more money, but they will remain rich in comparison to the poor. By putting a price on an operation, were subjecting a human to be of monetary value. Kind of like slavery… If the way our health care system doesn’t change its course, more and more people won’t be able to afford it in the coming years, which in affect will mean that America, the richest country in the world, is killing its citizens for money. So why does America still have this system? What would it take to change it? And what negative outcomes might take place if America had universal healthcare? Does anyone know…

What I've been reading..second comment on Max

Second comment on Max's McCain Blog

Responding Comment to Bush Library

http://mkw24.blogspot.com/2008/02/bush-library.html

Comment on-2008 Presidency

http://beastswords.blogspot.com/

Socially Acceptable Happiness

As I began reading John F. Schumaker's chapter on The Happiness Conspiracy about how each culture has a conspiracy to keep its inhabitants happy by conforming to whats perceived as normal. This unity allows for people to agree with it's societies expectations with ease, by feeling happy with their sense of involvement within the community. This unity may create a stronger society but the path towards being socially acceptable lessens many peoples happiness by feeling the pressure to be normal. It reminded me of how many parents discourage their kids from doing things that are not socially acceptable. Little kids are often easily amused. So when they begin to laugh at something completly stupid to adults, many parents will tell them that its not funny. By doing so, the parents are robbing their kids of their happiness in an effort to make them normal to society. By having a loved one condemn something that makes you happy, leads children to realize the emotional rules that govern our society. As you grow up and realize more of what you can and can't do, your view on the world and what you can do is suddenly not as glorious as what you thought as a kid. As a kid your also told about how life gets harder and goes by faster as you age. This is only true if you view it in that way. Conforming to society makes it much more functional, but takes away the imagination and spontaneous happiness of it. By constantly being on guard of what we say and do, we spend more time worried about what people will think of what we say and do rather than thinking about whats best for yourself. Schumaker makes use of Peter Schaffer's statement, "Normal is the good smile in a child's eye, and also the dead stare in a million adults." (pg. 138) Rather than conforming to societies expectations, we should be taught with more emphasis to conform to our beliefs. Just because an elder says something, it doesnt meant that it's right. The happiest people conform to society to the point that they feel is neccessary to sustain their own happiness and invoke happiness in others. Societies' social rules shouldnt be taught by another, they should be interpreted by each individual.