ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Act 1 Scene III of “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” is an excerpt of a time-tested masterpiece presenting interesting aspects of persuasive writing. Persuasive writing is not about imposing a personal opinion on the reader, but rather about motivating the reader to specific actions and thoughts. Persuasive writing is appealing to emotions as if the author is talking directly to the reader. Scent III is devoted to two dialogues: one between Cicero and Casca and another between Cassius and Casca. Even though all three men talk about Caesar and his appointment as a king, the second major theme is evolving over nature. If to look closer at the dialogue between Cicero and Casca, they both are wondered by the weather. Casca tells that he has “seen tempests, when the scolding winds have rived the knotty oaks”, when “the ambitious ocean swell and rage” when clouds were “threatening.” He was the witness of terrible disasters; however, in this particular scene, he is afraid of thunder. Through this short dialogue, the author has skillfully conveyed the true character of Casca: the person who exaggerates his strengths. In the second dialogue between Cassius and Casca, Casca is no longer afraid of thunder and says that the weather is wonderful. There is an evident contradiction in his words. He says what other people want to hear rather than what he thinks. This persuasive element motivates the reader to analyze human nature. The third scene is full of phrases and descriptions appealing to the reader. For example, the phrase “men may construe things after their fashion” is universal and true for modern society as well. Individuals cannot resist societal pressure or avoid stereotypes because people live in society and are dependent on each other. Nevertheless, two persons may have a different understanding of the same situation. Through the dialogue of Cicero and Casca, the author appeals to the reader through rhetorical questions. “Why old men fool and children calculate, why all these things change from their ordinance” – this question has no answer, however, the reader starts thinking about it. It is a power of persuasion. The line “ye, gods, you make the weak most strong” has a hint at the true attitude of Cassius towards Caesar. Cassius claims to be the friend of Caesar, while at the same time he calls him a weak tyrant. Scene III contains persuasive elements even though the author does not impose his opinion on the reader, but rather smoothly leads to accepting his view through skillful descriptions and appealing phrases. Short phrases deliver messages to the reader about the true essence of Cassius, Casca, and Cicero. From the first lines, the reader accepts the view of the author about each of these three men even though the author doe
With years of experience working as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in the admitting department, I have developed a strong relationship (attachment) with colleagues. I have a passion and strong interest in aiding patients to overcome various life challenges even though I have not been officially assigned the counseling duties legally (psychotherapy). I believe in offering the best services as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) because for every good service I render, we save a life as a team. I do my work diligently and respectfully without any form of discrimination to aid all patients received at the emergency department to gain full recovery and get back to their families (humanism). As an EMT I am most happy when my team smiles after successfully saving a life (body language). I have worked in the admitting department and garnered several memories. Some are quite painful; for instance, I vividly remember a woman who started sweating and having difficulty breathing after her son was received at the emergency department (panic attack). The boy had been involved in a car accident, and he was in critical condition. The woman was seriously affected, and she was afraid she could lose her son. Such memories remind me of my responsibilities at the emergency department ad how detrimental my mistakes can be to the lives of others (flashbacks). When patients succumb to death within the admitting department, I always believe something different could have been done to save the patients (confirmation bias), although, in most cases, nothing within the healthcare providers’ knowledge could have been done to save them (inductive reasoning). Healthcare teams face multiple problems while working at the hospitals. I once had colleagues complaining about an admitted patient who was suffering from diabetes as a result of a failure of the organ which releases insulin (Pancreas). The patient was brought into the hospital through the emergency department and later on admitted. He did not have an appetite for food, and his condition worsened on a daily basis. The gland responsible for producing chemical substances (hormones) enhancing appetite in the human body seemed to be compromised hence loss of appetite (thyroid gland). The patient was a staunch Christian who believed God was going to heal him without medication. Various healthcare providers advised the patient on the importance of medicine from a Christian perspective. However, he remained adamant about considering their perspective on the matter (egocentrism). Due to his stubbornness and resistance to taking medicine, he died of chronic diabetes (placebo effect). Such dreadful circumstances at work remind me of the values which I have to embrace and nurture both at work and at home. Furthermore, I am a mother to a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl who are at critical stages of their lives and need to learn values that will help them later in life. All of my children have reached a delicate
Hills like white elephants by Ernest Hemingway is the story under discussion. It abounds with different symbols which may be interpreted in different ways. Abortion and the relation of people to it is the central theme of the story which offers a lot of topics for discussion. The relationships between a man and a woman, the differences of attitude to pregnancy and life in general, the seriousness of relationships, and the ability to grow up and bear the responsibility for the actions. Coming closer to the discussion of symbols in the story, the setting of the story should be referred to. A man and a woman are sitting at the café located at the railway station “between two lines of rails in the sun” (Hemingway, 1998, p. 211). Isn’t it symbolic? The points of view of the girl and her companion are different in the relation to a child and this location may symbolize their parting. What touches my attention greatly is the side of the station. At the beginning of the story, it is understood that a man and a woman are sitting in the shady side of the station where “the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar” (Hemingway, 1998, p. 211). This part of the story symbolizes hope, the girl hopes that the man is going to change his point of view about the unborn child. At the same time, the author describes another side of the station where “there was no shade and no trees” (Hemingway, 1998, p. 211). At the end of the story, a man offers to “take the bags over to the other side of the station” (Hemingway, 1998, p. 214), where no hope for childbirth and their relations is seen. Reference List Hemingway, E. (1998). Hills like white elephants. The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway . New York: Simon and Schuster.
Introduction Men and women alike have tried to define the purpose of life in vain. Trying to answer the question ‘what is the meaning of life?’ has been one of the hardest tasks for humanity. In this article, I will make an attempt to briefly shade some light on this question. I will heavily borrow from the works of Gilgamesh and Agamemnon in trying to answer this question. I view these two works to be quite relevant in answering the question as the events taking place in the two works have an accurate reflection of the present day life. What is the meaning of life? Answering the above question needs a deep reflection. From the religious point of view, a person has a divine purpose which he/she ought to accomplish in his/her lifetime. Does that therefore mean that one’s life is predetermined? And if it is predetermined, then why should we struggle to accomplish missions which will somehow be accomplished – since they are predetermined! Gilgamesh and Agamemnon Examining the works and lives of the Gilgamesh and Agamemnon one is left wondering why a person in a prestigious position should undergo so many miseries. Is it justified to suffer for the sake of gaining fame? This is what we mostly see in the lives of Gilgamesh and Agamemnon. Gilgamesh goes to all lengths to gain fame. In the course of doing this, there are a number of people who suffer because of his quests: Enkidu died miserably as a result of the conquests of Gilgamesh. It is a pity to see Gilgamesh trying to make the afterlife of Enkidu smooth by trying to appease the gods to accept him (Mack, 1997). Is it not ironical that at the end of his great conquests, Gilgamesh and Enkidu have bitter endings? One readily gets attempted to ask the question, ‘is life meant to have a bitter ending after a sweet lifetime?’ If the answer is yes, then what is the meaning of life? Life reciprocates proportionally Arguing philosophically we can claim that one determines the fate of his life. With respect to this view, then the meaning of life will be what you want it to be. In other words you determine what meaning your life will have. I find this argument quite practical in the present life as well I find it quite applicable in the two works being discussion in this article. Gilgamesh is seen seeking fame by trying to dethrone some gods and exalting himself above them, what does he expect back? This is also very evident in the life Agamemnon. Agamemnon gets involved in heinous activities, what does he expect back? Agamemnon’s miseries clearly have roots in the evils committed by him and those close to him. This argument leads us to the point of knowing that life reciprocates proportionally to what we do. So, what is the meaning of life? Now that we know that life reciprocates proportiona
Introduction Global Coffee Chain (GCC) has changed considerably over the last century. This is due to the historical importance of the product in the global south. It is a major foreign exchange earner. Indeed, over 90% of coffee that is consumed across the world is produced in developing countries (Porter 2004, p. 102). Besides, there have been major changes particularly in the deregulation of coffee trade, patterns of consumption, marketing and corporate strategies adopted by various manufacturers of coffee across the world. Consequently, there have been changes in the relations of power among various actors in the GCC. Power relations have shifted from a balanced relationship of power between the farmers (producers) and the consumers to complex relationships (Ponte 2002, p. 1099). This paper analyzes the power relations among the producers, roasters, and consumers of coffee in the GCC. The paper will posit that various changes that have been apparent in the coffee market have led to significant changes in power relations among the stakeholders. Particularly, the discourse will focus on deregulation changes in coffee consumption as well as the current corporate strategies adopted by various companies that retail coffee. Have the dynamics in the GCC resulted into significant changes in power relations among the actors? Power Relations among the Actors within the GCC Coffee Regulation and Power Relations Global coffee chain has experienced various changes in trade regimes since the early 20 th century. The changes have led to significant shifts in power-relations among different stakeholders. In fact, Ponte (2002, p. 1104) posits that coffee was among the first commodities that experienced controls as early as 1902. The initial process of controlling GCC occurred in Brazil through valorization. In this process, the state or government was able to set and raise prices of coffee. This was the case in Brazil, which is the largest producer of coffee at the time with her production surpassing 80% of the global coffee production (Loader 1997, p. 27). However, the process did not signify major power relations since it was abandoned after the International Coffee Agreement (ICA) of 1962. In this agreement, the producers of coffee became major stakeholders and were able to set a band price while at the same time using export quotas on coffee (Fitter & Kaplinsky 2001, p. 76). This implied that quotas would not affect the global trade if the set ‘band prices’ were achieved. In addition, the quotas were instrumental in cushioning the producing countries wh
Social process theories argue that criminal behavior in individuals develops as a function of psychological encounters, interactions, and individual socialization. All these encounters are related to the various institutions that include; the family, school, the general community, and societal processes. Socialization is the process by which an individual’s code of conduct is shaped to conform or encounter the cultural standards put in place. The agents of socialization involved in this process include; family, school, media, peers, and authorities like employers. When the socialization process is positive, the individual becomes law-abiding. To have an effective understanding of the criminological theories it is important to first understand the meaning of criminology in general. In the traditional definition, criminology is basically concentrated on the review of crime as a social phenomenon; in comprehending the causes to better prevent it. The other concern is that the prevention of crime; is based on using the regulations that are used in defining crime itself, its development, and impacts on individuals. The most appealing social process theory is that of Neutralization by David Matza and Gresham Sykes. This theory operates on the basic rationale that individuals make decisions that maximize their rewards while reducing their costs; through justifying the wrong decisions and criminal activities they take part in. This theory holds that delinquent individuals don’t embrace unconventional values, but rather hold values layered on the conventional ones. This simply means that they grow knowing that crimes like stealing are wrong, but avoid the feelings of guilt and shame by constructing rationalizations for the criminal behavior. This rationalization is built-in social relationships and is used to justify their potential guilt before they violate the law. However, the rationalizations fall into different typical patterns; which are also referred to as the techniques of neutralization. The first one is commonly used by offenders especially young ones; arguing that the act was really not their choice, but they did it out of peer pressure, drunkard ness, drug influence, poverty, or a combination of a few of these factors. Therefore the justification is that these circumstances thus forced them to commit a crime. The second justification is that the act did not harm anyone directly, and therefore there are no victims. An example is stealing a motorcar from an insured store; where the justification is that they were just borrowing the car; as they would have been paid or recovered it. The other justification is the denial of the victim by arguing that they did really deserve the crime committed against them because they implicatively asked for it. Condemnation of the condemners; which is common in crimes like corruption where the argument is, the police break the law; the rich got their
Introduction Formal training refers to a job related training that includes courses or programs that are related to an employee’s current or future job. This kind of training involves a structured plan where the learner is directed by a trainer who follows a given program. The learner receives formal recognition after completing the course. This form of recognition may be in form of a certificate, a diploma or a degree. On the other hand informal training is unorganized training that does not possess specific learning objectives, standard curriculum and evaluation approach. Both the formal and informal training are essential in the improvement of work related skills, knowledge as well as current work related practices. This notwithstanding, some employees do not take pleasure in it as it is often about increased productivity at work and not about individual development. Nevertheless, continuous training of employees is a very important aspect of any organization that aspires to satisfy and exceed its customers’ expectations. The cotemporary economy is knowledge based and many organizations are nowadays channeling a lot of their resources to equip their workforce with appropriate knowledge and skills in order to help them adapt to the ever changing workplace requirements. Training of employees is a very important element in every organization because it helps to facilitate innovation, promote efficiency and assist firms to establish a competitive edge in the stiff competitive global market. The management can opt to use either formal or informal methods to equip their workforce with relevant skills. Formal methods of training are considered as the best choice for equipping employees with relevant knowledge and skills, although informal training is the most common method used by organizations to train their workforce since it is more affordable (Ashton & sung , 2002). Factors to Consider when selecting an appropriate Training approach There are several considerations that determine the approach that an organization selects to train its workforce. Some of the factors that greatly influences the preferred method for workplace training include the fund available, timeliness of training required, complexity and specific of the skills and knowledge required as well as the motivation and capacity of the learners involved. Formal training is more expensive than informal training, but it is the most appropriate method to use in order for the learners to get the required knowledge and skills in a timely manner. Informal training method which is the most commonly used training method is often less expensive and also less reliable. It is best suited for training those employees who are self motivated and possess the capacity to pursue their own training goals. Informal training often takes a longer period than formal training which can often make it even more expensive than formal training due to the loss of time of production. It is noted that those tasks which are highly complex and involves changing roles are best learned through formal training which is often quite expensive. On the other hand, those tasks that are highly specific an
Cognitive biases and delusions are the characteristics of most people’s psychology. Quite often, different reasoning or decisions are made, which may be suitable for one context but misleading in another situation. As an object of analysis, intuition will be evaluated as one of the cognitive biases that manifest themselves throughout the entire stage of human life. In order to provide justification for certain judgments and theories, relevant academic sources will be involved. Intuition as a cognitive bias is the reflection of mental activity and is not always consistent with reality, which determines the belonging of this psychological phenomenon to a specific category. Description of Intuition as a Cognitive Bias Sometimes people have no opportunities to continue any action other than by following the hint of intuition. This property can also help to make a decision in those situations that a person has not met before. However, an intuitive hint that may be true is not always consistent with what the truth really is. According to Thompson, Pennycook, Trippas, and Evans (2018), the tendency to follow internal sensations is not a constant, and in different people, this quality is developed distinctively. Consequently, approaches to the study of intuition involve a large number of hypotheses, but clear theoretical studies with accurate results are not typical for this topic. Nevertheless, Patterson (2017) argues that, in many cases, unconscious motives direct people’s behavior and their decision-making process. Perception may be distorted by the fact that a person overestimates the likelihood of some events and underestimates the likelihood of others. If certain feelings and emotions are perceived as interrelated, it does not guarantee an unconditional correlation. In their research on behavior and perception, Pennycook, Cheyne, Koehler, and Fugelsang (2016) state that “rapidly accessible intuitive responses typically dominate reasoning, perhaps because humans have evolved to conserve mental resources” (p. 341). Human consciousness that develops along with other systems adapts through the acquisition of new experience. Accordingly, intuitive properties are caused by appropriate behavioral patterns that people encounter. For instance, as Hodgkinson and Sadler-Smith (2018) note, in the area of organizational management, “intuitive processing and deliberative processing are both rule-based,” which confirms the prevalence of the considered theory about the established stereotypical ways of thinking (p. 480). Moreover, Yu (2016) remarks that in stressful situations, people tend to rely on unconscious decisions, thereby proving the relevance of the considered cognitive bias