This example from Gilbert's book better illustrates our discussion of "constructivism" in class. As discussed, constructivism suggests that we actively construe much of our experience. The "reality" is filtered through our minds based on our wishes, expectations, goals, and mood. Also, what we believe to be real is a combination of reality (sensation) and how we interpret that reality (perception) ("Social Cognition"; "Constructing Reality: What is and What was"). When Gilbert's respondents say that they would be devastated two years after the death of their child, they construct the future based on their mood and what they feel presently (Gilbert also refers to this as "presentism"). The thought of the death of their child affects their mood and their mood in turn influences their construction of the future (the "reality"). Their construction of the future is not totally inaccurate but is a combination of reality and their interpretations. As Gilbert suggests, however, "a whole lot is missing" in their imaginations.
In the concluding part of his book, Gilbert says that there is a simple solution to the problem of predicting the future wrongly. Instead of relying on our past and present imaginations, we need to ask those who are right now experiencing the situations we are expecting to experience in the future. For example, while we contemplate about moving to Cincinnati, the odds are there is someone out there who has already moved there and has many things to share. Or, while we imagine taking a job at a company that opened its office in our state recently, we might actually get a better picture of working for the company by talking to people employed by that company. Alas, Gilbert says, most people are likely to ignore this solution because of what we discussed in class as "self-verification." This concept suggests that we tend to rate ourselves as more intelligent than others. We have an inner desire to look for confirmation of our self-perceptions (confirmation bias), and we want to feel that we are correct in our assessments and that our world is predictable ("The Self"). Gilbert here provides a good example of how people make poor judgments because of the desire for constant self-verification.
While Gilbert's book is generally about "happiness," he examines the functions of other feelings as well. Indeed, Gilbert raises complicated questions about the very definition of "feeling." One of the questions that come to my mind after reading this book is "do we know what feeling is?" To a person who does not ponder about the depth of this question, it might seem simple-minded and even silly, but Gilbert powerfully argues that "feeling is one of our brain's most sophisticated...
However, Gilbert fails to adequately demonstrate this trait as universal. His other postulations are better-grounded than the concept of presentism for this reason. On page 123 in his Jetsons-like vision of the future, he mentions FedEx. This is an example of a situation where presentism does not exist. The company was not founded to expand on an existing concept; it was founded to build an entirely new vision from the
Aristotle also argues that "happiness, above else, is held to be" (Book I, 7). He supports this argument by stating that, for every other virtue, people not only seek to obtain that virtue for its own sake, but also consider whether or not they will be happy in doing so. Thus, Aristotle sees happiness as the greatest because it is the only virtue that is sought simply for its
The following quotation, in which the author discusses how one of her patients was so adept at disassociating from painful situations that her appendix nearly ruptures, exemplifies this argument. "I don't want to die because I can't feel anything. I don't want to end up dead because I can't feel what's going on in my body…" This quotation from Stout's patient Julia indicates how hazardous it can be to
Stereotypes Practitioners of certain religions have faced prejudiced and stereotyped ideas about the personages because of the negative affiliations of their religion. Perhaps no religion is as stereotyped as the religion called Islam. Islam, antithetically to what the majority of ignorant people believe, is "a religion of ethics, obedience, harmony, and is based on a faithful belief system" (Hossain). It is a religion that promotes peace and the toleration of others.
In spite of the thousands of Irish that left their country in favor of living on American soil, the American sports have not been influenced by the Irish. As Gerry comes back from England with his pockets full of money he comes across some children playing soccer on the street. The probability of one finding some kids playing soccer in the U.S. is very little as the sport is
Furthermore, when groups began people naturally turned to the group leader for direction and advice. It would be accurate to state that most of the relating was to the group leader at that point. However, by exercising linking behavior, I was able to get the group members to look to each other for understanding and help. Initially, I had to point out when people were saying things that would indicate
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