...Topic: Are sitcoms and TV shows a bad influence for teenagers? Box Full of Perfection Ah, TV shows –– they are just so damn corrupted. I mean look at us, all we do is compare ourselves to the characters of the sitcoms that we watch on TV and most of the time we worship their so call “fabulous” life. And how is the important again? Exactly, it’s not. Staring at a "stupid box" with moving pictures that shows “perfect looking” people, is not how teenagers suppose to waste their time. Oh, god we are so corrupted. Just the other day, one of my friends was complaining, over the fact that she is not pretty or skinny like Hanna (a character) from the sitcom Pretty Little Liars. “Apparently”, Hanna has beautiful shiny blond hair, has smooth glowing skin, also, she is very very slim ––– Seriously. Sounds like a Barbie doll to me. Not to mention, it’s called “Photoshop”, where any ordinary person can be turned into a beautiful swan from an ugly duckling. TV channels like MTV and CW, they have all changing drastically over the years. Most of my friends waste their time watching shows like Teen Wolf, Jersey Shore, Sweet 16, ANTM, Degressi and various types of shows. Funny thing is that, all these shows have one thing in common, and that is “physical perfection”–––– Seriously. How’s that even entertaining? I thought entertaining was about laughing at hilarious shows and crying when a sad sitcom comes on. How is staring at plastic faced actors even funny. Yeah sure, they...
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...Teenagers’ Pursuit of Perfection: Detours and Roadblocks to Development Lipa City In partial fulfillment of the requirements in English IV English IV Research Paper Teenagers’ Pursuit of Perfection: Detours and Roadblocks to Development Table of Contents Title Page……………………………………………………………………………………………….. i Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………… ii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………. iii I. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………… p. 1 a. Statement of the Problem ..….……………………………………………………....... p. 2 b. Significance of the Study …...………………………………………………………….. p. 2 c. Scope of the Study ……...………………………………………………………………… p. 3 d. Definition of Terms ...……………………………………………………………………. p. 3 II. Review of Related Literature and Studies …………………………………………… p. 6 a. Related Literature ……………………………………………………………………….. p. 6 b. Related Studies …………………………………………………………………………… p. 7 III. Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………………... p. 9 a. Research Instrument …………………………………………………………………... p. 9 b. Research Participants and Locale ……………………………………………….... p. 9 c. Research Method ……………………………………………………………………….... p. 9 IV. Data Presentation and Analysis …………………………………………………………. p. 10 V. Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations …………………………………… p. a. Findings b. Conclusions c. Recommendations VI. Bibliography VII. Appendices CHAPTER 1 Introduction “The...
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...Arriving at Perfection Can anyone be perfect? How do we go about achieving perfection? Well Benjamin Franklin thought he could live his life to perfection and achieve this in everyday tasks. People second-guess themselves or look back and wish they would have done whatever they had done different. Benjamin Franklin was on a mission to show everyone he could be perfect but also show to everyone he came across. Even though his ways of being perfect were not the same as everyone’s standards, Benjamin Franklin still tried to show that he was perfect in everyway possible. There is something in all of our lives that we wish we were better at. There are things we may try to do to make those things better: study more, put in extra hours at the job, see a counselor, or practice harder. In Benjamin Franklin's essay "Arriving at Perfection" he sets out to devise a plan of self-examination, resulting in self-correction. “Arriving at Perfection” Benjamin Franklin explains how he is perfect and how he is going to show everyone to stride to be perfect. He said, “It was about the time I conceived the bold project of arriving at moral perfection”. This message shows the standard of his thoughts and motives of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin, along with being a worthy human being, was an extremely ingenious person as well. Franklin was a very clever man, intellectual and witty, and he did not let his ideas go to waste. He draws you into the essay and depicts how perfection is achieved...
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...The Perfect Definition Oxford Dictionaries says that the definition of perfect is “having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.” If perfection is based on these requirements, what is the perfect limit of these desired requirements? Limits are based on satisfaction. Satisfaction is based on rules and opinions. I do not believe this definition serves the word justice. I think perfection is based on opinion and self-satisfaction. Something being described as perfect is not a fact, it is an opinion. There is no way to do something flawlessly. Everything and everyone has flaws. Everyone makes mistakes. There is no scientific way to live perfectly or do everything perfectly. People keep trying to reach for something that cannot technically be reached. But there is something people keeping seeking to reach. If you cannot reach perfection, therefore you must make another limit for yourself. Some think that there is no such thing as perfection because there is always room for improvement. It starts with the desire of something. People keep trying to get better at things until it satisfies someone or themselves. Once they have reached their goal and think there...
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...Scientific research concerning living organisms is usually beneficial. They are done to cure people from illness and to save people's lives. Especially thanks to this day and age where we have the technology and research to do so, compared to back then. However when science used to alter people or animals then it crosses a line that is considered immoral to all -- for instance altering a rabbit’s genetics so that they can glow in the dark. Changing an organism and making them mutants like that violates the sacredness of life, and although it is somewhat condonable for this type of research with rabbits, if we were to do something similar to humans it would be beyond comprehension. It is clear that Hawthorne does not agree with alternating the human form with science, especially when using that science to try and make things more perfect in ones life; "Has it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?" says Aylmer hinting at how he wants to remove his wife’s birthmark, on her cheek. Aylmer feels that this experiment is necessary just because his wife was nowhere near perfect, with this birthmark. "...upon another arm perhaps it might, but ...you came so hideous from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection.” If Georgiana’s “imperfection” had not stood out so much in his eyes Aylmer more than likely would not have minded...
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... Crayons, to my six-year-old mind, symbolized everything that was wrong with the world. The color was always lumpy and uneven, so it was virtually impossible to color completely inside the lines. Crayons smelled like burning cardboard mixed with old potpourri, and broke too easily. I could never sharpen them, even with a special crayon sharpener, so they were as nice as when they'd first come out of the box. After I used a crayon once, the point would become rounded, defective. Eventually, the paper wrapping would slide off or the crayon would get so short I would have to tear away the label. The crayon wasn't perfect anymore. It was ratty. Blunt. Short. Ugly. Ten years later, I still have something of a profound preoccupation with perfection. Recently I was making a birthday card for a friend. It was beautiful - I had cut out flowers from construction paper and pasted them on. I meticulously outlined each flower with glitter glue and drew "Happy Birthday," braving the brain-cell-slaughtering odor of a Sharpie marker. After cutting the words out, I pasted them onto the front of the card and outlined them in glitter glue. The card sparkled under the lamplight and the flowers were exquisite. I had made the card so that some of the flowers were pasted outside the edge to give them a three-dimensional effect. Then I noticed one of the flowers seemed at a slight angle. I delicately tried to peel it off and reposition it. Then the unspeakable happened - a soft ripping sound...
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...Nature of Humanity According to Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was born 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He descended from a Puritan family who participated in the Salem Witch Trials. His father died when Nathaniel was four, and he did not lead a very exciting or remarkable life. A rich tradition of family and local history provided much of the material for Hawthorne’s works. Nathaniel Hawthorne is mostly preoccupied with human flaws, pervasive evil, and evil in humanity. In his stories, “The Birthmark” and “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to convey the nature of humanity by describing a quest for human perfection, creating a sense of loneliness, and proving that flaws structure humans. “The Birthmark” has a very deep theme: man’s attempts to transform nature in order to make it more perfect than it already is. Aylmer is described in the beginning as a man who is a great scientist and a lover of nature but who also has a beautiful wife whom he loves dearly. Georgiana says, “To tell you the truth it has been so often called a charm that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so” (1). “Ah, upon another face perhaps it might,” replied her husband; “but never on yours. No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection”(2). To Aylmer, his wife is perfect, but Georgiana’s...
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...Hawthorne it reminded me of how society is today. Our society has many ways of manifesting its obsession with physical perfection. In our society people go to extreme lengths to achieve perfection. Even though “The Birthmark” was written more than a century ago it’s an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection. Society manifests its obsession with physical perfection by having surgical procedures done on a daily basis. In “The Birthmark” Georgiana was born with this birthmark in the shape of her hand on her cheek and her husband is really bothered by the birthmark. After discussing the birthmark Georgina decides to have the birthmark removed. In my opinion this story is about how a man fails when he tries to play god and his failure to understand that perfection is attainable. It also deals with man’s failure to realize that it is our imperfections, not our perfections, which makes us unique. I found myself disliking this story very much. Why couldn’t Aylmer just accept his wife as is, why couldn’t he just realize that she was perfect just the way she was? In trying to “perfect” Georgiana, Aylmer is testing God’s creation. He doesn’t believe that how God created Georgiana is perfect, and he is obsessive about making her his idea of perfection. This story is a perfect example of how society is today and of our obsession with physical perfection is. Even today, people try to play “God” and change things that nature has put in place. Its human curiosity; how much...
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...Tatik made me type. I felt confident enough to do my first task. But new problem came. The type machine was totally different from the one I had used at my school. I still strived to prove that I could. But the luckiness didn’t take side. For almost one hour I haven’t typed at all. When Mrs. Tatik saw the paper was still blank her face looked disappointed. Finally she taught me to operate the type machine. Mrs. Tatik was a perfect employee. But sometimes I thought it was affluent. On the twenty seventh day she made me type a double degree students report. Then I printed and gave it to her. She considered that it was still wrong. I retyped and reprinted it more than three times. But she said it was less perfect. I didn’t understand what the perfection she wanted. Whereas others said that it had been perfect. Finally she scolded me. She said that she didn’t like incompetent student to apprentice at her office. Her dictums got me cry at the toilet for two hours. Day by day after being scolded I was more and more able to adapt. But new problem reappeared. It was the thirtieth day...
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...This week I have chosen to apply the ‘Don’t overextend yourself’ and ‘Aim for Consistency, Not Perfection’ methods into my daily routine as a way to hold myself accountable. Don’t overextend yourself By definition the word Overextend, means to obligate, or expand beyond a safe or reasonable limit. I have been known to be a people pleaser. I have done some evaluation both on a professional and personal level and acknowledge that I am in the grip of a disorder some people might call manic compression—trying to do everything perfectly in an attempt to please everyone around me. While everyone around me is enjoying their life, I am not wondering how I got myself there. This week I have made a choice to not commit myself to something I do not want to do, or to concede out of obligation. I have two incidents that I encountered this week professionally and personally that I would like to share. This past week, a friend of mine asked if her 20 year old son could stay at my home while she continued to live with her sister as she was looking for an apartment for the both of them to live in. I found myself faced with a conundrum, she has been there for me during some of the most challenging times of my life and I felt obligated to help her out in this situation. On the other hand, I do not want to live with her son because it would make me feel uncomfortable and I value my personal space. I do not want to take on that responsibility because her son has been known to make questionable...
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...Franklin 1. The claim Franklin makes is in paragraph 1 “I wish’d to live without committing any Fault at any time; I would conquer all that either Natural Inclination, Custom, or Company might lead me into.” which explains that he hopes for a life of perfection; or to lead through a fault-free lifestyle. 2. The counter-argument is in the last paragraph, Franklin states how concentrating on one thing may cause a weakening in another, eventually leading oneself into imperfection. 3. One of his grounds are when he makes a “little Book” to record any faults made to later examine them so that he can improve towards perfection. Another ground he makes is the list of thirteen virtues that he has picked up from other writers and made into his own so that he can follow and perfect them daily. 4. An objection to his book records that he keeps is that he cannot be entirely perfect because of the daily obstacles that he does have control over which can cause him to be at fault regardless of how careful he is. 5. The rebuttal is presented after he explains how focus on one virtue can lack attention to another by counterstating that he can extend his concentration for all the virtues, which can predominantly keep him free of any faults. Didion 1. The essay “On Self-Respect” claims how self-respect is key to guideline a responsible and successful life. She states, “Character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life—is the source from which self-respect...
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...Every coach has a different approach when it comes to motivating their team. Different forms of locker room communication range from yelling, cursing, instilling fear, encouraging, and incorporating individual drive. Coach Gaines focuses on the importance of self encouragement, connection between teammates, and the idea of perfection to motivate his team in the final minutes of their last game. From the film Friday Night Lights about the bond between athletes, Coach Gaines’s speech of his specific meaning of perfection in athletics is meant to inspire young athletes using ethos and pathos instead of decibel levels to understand the game and what it means to each specific person. There is no one better than Coach Gaines to give this speech to the football team; he shares a connection with the team members on a physical and emotional level due to his previous experiences as a player and his current ones as a coach. Coach Gaines is a retired quarterback and went on to coach for 35 years, with this experience, he understood the distinct situation the boys were in, as well as the emotions they were feeling. “Now ya’ll have known me for awhile, and for a long time now you’ve been hearin’ me talk about being perfect” (Gaines, Gary). This specific line employs ethos, creating the credibility...
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...was a common benefit to society. Although Franklin was educated as Presbyterian, he treated all religion with respect. He believed that even the worst of religions had some good. Franklin did not let his religion tie him down. He often did not attend public worship and thus received admonishment from his minister. Once Franklin heard his minister’s five points he became conflicted. As a result he withdrew from his church and wrote his own prayer entitled “Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion” Franklin’s most arduous project was his attempt at moral perfection. He established his thirteen virtues to guide himself onto the right path. By charting his journey for moral perfection, Franklin was able to examine himself and learn from his faults. However as time went by, Franklin realized that it was not possible for him to become perfect. He acknowledged his failure and pointed out that his journey toward moral perfection shaped him to become a happier man. Franklin concluded in his memoir that pride was a moral imperfection that was difficult to subdue. Franklin uses ethos to establish credibility as role model for the young men of America to become successful. By highlighting his own experience with family, education, morals, and religion, Franklin establishes his authority on success. The library that Franklin began from scratch served to emphasize the importance of contributing to society and education. Even todays’ libraries exist to provide books to people. Franklin’s...
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...Research Paper “The Birthmark” focuses on our desire to conquer science to achieve perfection. Science is “a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws.” (Dictionary.com) Perfection is “a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence. In such a technologically advanced world, science must exist in order to achieve perfection. In psychology, self consciousness and the pursuit of happiness drives people to be “perfect”. Modern media plays a big role by setting high social standards that impose on modern day society. “Women’s magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, they’ll have it all—the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career.” (Beauty and Body1) The media exemplify celebrities as perfect role models, portraying to the public that everyone in society should look a certain way. “Usually we strive toward being perfect to compensate for a sense of inadequacy.” (Schwartz 1) “In our culture we move relentlessly toward greater emphasis on achievement and goal orientation.” (Schwartz 1) In society our appearance and achievement are judged by our peers and coworkers. The fear of being ostracized leads to self-consciousness and a sense of inadequacy creating a need for personal change. Through observation people have learned that in some cases changing their appearance help them in their pursuit...
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...The Birthmark Nathanial Hawthorne does an excellent job of incorporating the human struggle for perfection in his short story, The Birthmark. Georgiana was a beautiful woman, “almost perfect”, as her husband told her repeatedly; however on her cheek was a small birthmark. While many men found this birthmark to be charming, her husband was repulsed by the small facial marking. “Ah, upon another face perhaps it might,” replied her husband; “but never on yours. No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection.” (Hawthorne, 1843, p1) Georgiana’s husband, Aylmer, began to obsess about this and actually would visibly shudder at the sight of her birthmark. This slowly but surely managed to break down Georgiana’s confidence to the point where she could not even look at herself in the mirror! Aylmer’s quest for human perfection resulted in Georgiana agreeing to have several scientific experiments performed on her in order to rid her of the birthmark. “Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust, -- life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life!” (Hawthorne, 1843, p2) Georgiana’s life has become all about this small mark on her face. It no longer mattered what kind of person...
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