A Beautiful Mind Reflection Paper

A Beautiful Mind Reflection Paper A Beautiful Mind is a beautiful and enlightening depiction of a terrible and mind boggling journey of a struggling schizophrenic genius. This movie, first aired in 2001, takes the viewer through the experience of John Nash, a mathematical genius whom developed schizophrenia in his early adulthood. Personally, I believed this movie was both terrifying and incredibly mind opening. To read about a schizophrenic patient is one thing, but to view how they cope with everyday situations, and how their familys deal with their adapted lifestyle is an entirely different view. Of course hearing about schizophrenic episodes can be terrifying for anyone, but physically viewing this depiction of the difficult journey this serious psychological disorder can throw you down is an enlightening experience. Hollywoods take on his journey was, of course, modified to adapt to socially acceptable standards, but dug deep to the core of how schizophrenia tears you apart from the inside. In my opinion, the treatment used on John Nash was highly extreme, yet suitable for the conditions he was under at the time. John Nash underwent electric shock therapy. In this type of treatment, he was electrocuted in order to reduce his psychological symptoms. Personally I believe this was a short-term temporary fix. At the time the treatment was in progress, this was the most effective treatment to temporarily reduce episodes of schizophrenic action. Medication had not been certified to work quite yet, and when the episodes became physically harmful, an extreme procedure needed to take place in order to halt the self-harm. John Nash, was a paranoid schizophrenic. Paranoid Schizophrenics always believe they, as well as their family members, are under some sort of attack. These type of schizophrenic patients deal with false conspiracies made up in their head. Usually, those experiencing this type of the disease also deal with vivid hallucinations. These hallucinations can either be auditory or visual. John Nash, for example, experienced both visual hallucinations with his roommate, boss, and roommates niece, as well as auditory hallucinations such as the three figures of his imaginations telling him what to do, where to go, and who to listen to. Those experiencing this type of schizophrenia tend to hold the most capability to function with everyday life. Disorganized schizophrenia is another type of this serious psychological disease. This disease, also called hebephrenia, displays the most difficult type of schizophrenia when it comes to dealing with everyday situations. Incoherency in thought and speech is completely common, as well as delusions or hallucinations. Those experiencing disorganized schizophrenia seem emotionless or show emotions that can be looked upon as inappropriate in the specific situation in which they are displayed. Personal hygiene maintenance can also be a deteriorating common result of this specific type of schizophrenia. Catatonic Schizophrenia, a third type is a very physical type of Schizophrenia. Individuals with this type usually exert one of the following: Catatonic excitement, which is hyperactivity, or catatonic stupor. Catatonic schizophrenics can hold the same body position for an extended period of time regardless of the negative effect it has on their body. These body positions can often cause great pain to those holding them, and can lead to swelling and harmful long-term effects. The final, and least heard of type of Schizophrenia is Undifferentiated. Undifferentiated Schizophrenics exert symptoms of schizophrenia that does not necessarily fall into one of the other three subtypes, causing it to be, well, undifferentiated. Although a patient with this type of the disease may experience both positive and negative symptoms, as any other Schizophrenic would, their episodes may fluctuate more over a period of time. This type of Schizophrenia is extremely difficult to diagnose because before concluding this subtype, all other brain diseases and mood disorders must be proved completely absent. After concluding a patient does indeed have Schizophrenia, tests for specific subtypes will be performed. If a clear result cannot be named from those tests the patient will then be named undifferentiated. The effects of living with schizophrenia can be excruciating on both the patient suffering, and their family. Being the patient is extremely difficult, being completely ignorant of the real world, obeying mere figments of the imagination, and believing they are the correct voice to follow must be extremely difficult to deal with. Effects can be physical on the patient. Physical effects could be self-harm, whether the patient believes they did it, or the figure made up in their head, as well as mental obviously by imagining figures and people that are not there whatsoever. Although effects are difficult on the patient, I truly believe it is far more exhausting and frustrating on the family members of the patient. When you are the patient, there is no knowledge of whether what you see or talk to is actually there. As a family member, you have to sit back and watch your loved one talk to thin air, knowing that there is nothing you can do help them except tell them they are being foolish and hope they do not lash back out of frustration. If almost everyone and everything I knew to be true never really existed, I feel as though my life would not have changed, but my agitation would have dramatically increased. My life would not have changed because I would not have been able to tell the difference. Maybe just as John Nash did, I may have been able to eventually notice the fact that the people never age, the scenery never changed, but to me it would all be completely normal leaving me oblivious to the fact that everything I believed in was fake. I believe my agitation would have increased because those that were in fact real would point out my flaws, point out reality from my world of imagination, and due to me not being capable to understand what they are trying to relay to me, I would become instantly frustrated. I personally, as hard as it is to say, do not think I could live with a person who has schizophrenia. Losing complete touch with reality is extremely difficult for the patient, but harder on those that have to observe it. Loving someone before they develop the disorder and seeing the way they dramatically digress over time can be exhausting and frustrating, not to mention scary as you watch everything you knew in a person slowly disappear. Although there are episodes of a sense of normal behavior, the episodes of abnormal behavior outnumber them. I would not want to live in the constant fear of worrying about the safety of my family, my self, or my loved one. I believe society treats people with mental disorders as freaks of nature, prisoners to the world. Rather than being as normal as possible, or looking to accommodate to the sufferers reality, society has morphed all mental disorders into one big lump and treats every patient, regardless of their disorder, with the same attitude and actions. Talking slower, acting as if they are incognizant of being a human being, members of todays society have torn apart the pride of those with disorders as if they are helping them. This behavior, in my opinion, is justifiable. As much as I do not personally agree with the treatment those suffering from a psychological disorder receive, I do believe it can be justified due to the lack of knowledge with each individual disease and person. What are the chances that someone can come across a person on the street and know exactly what they are suffering from, if they suffer at all, just by the look of them? Unless you hold a conversation with the individual, most times a disorder cannot be clearly pinpointed. Therefore, members of todays society have developed one general behavior because they are ignorant of what they are coming across. The lack of knowledge regarding psychological disorders and the effect they have on the body causes average human beings to simply treat every individual equally once believing they are different than themselves.

When the Scientist turns Philosopher :: Science Philosophy Papers

When the Scientist turns Philosopher This paper examines how such fundamental notions as causality and determinism have undergone changes as a direct result of empirical discoveries. Although such notions are often regarded as metaphysical or a priori concepts, experimental discoveries at the beginning of this century—radioactive decay, blackbody radiation and spontaneous emission—led to a direct questioning of the notions of causality and determinism. Experimental evidence suggests that these two notions must be separated. Causality and indeterminism are compatible with the behavior of quantum-mechanical systems. The argument also sheds some light on the Duhem-Quine thesis, since experimental results at the periphery of the conceptual scheme directly affect conceptions at the very core. I. Ever since Thomas S. Kuhn pointed out the importance of the history of science for the philosophy of science, it has become customary for philosophers of science to support their philosophical considerations by appeal to real-life science. From the often historical material the philosopher seeks evidence for some general principles about the nature of science. If there is a common territory between science and philosophy, as many writers have affirmed, (1) it must also be possible to go from science to philosophy. This is indeed what some of the greatest scientific minds throughout the centuries have attempted to do. Their reflections fall into the oldest branches of philosophical thinking: ontology or the question of what the basic constituents of nature are; epistemology or the question by which tools the human mind can acquire knowledge about the external world; ethics or the question of what moral responsibility scientists have with respect to their discoveries. In such contributions, scientists, prompted by the most recent discoveries in their respective fields, provide interpretations of science and the natural world and thereby contribute to their understanding. The heartbeat of science is at its most philosophical rhythm when major conceptual revisions or revolutions are afoot and scientists feel the need to go beyond the mathematical expressions of natural processes to reach a level of understanding which assigns some physical meaning to the mathematical comprehension of the natural world or offers a re-interpretation of the nature of the scientific enterprise. What is interesting in this process from a philosophical point of view is that empirical facts filter through to the conceptual level and bring about changes in the way the world is conceptualised. 'Old notions are discarded by new experiences', as Max Born once said. The common territory between science and philosophy lies in this interaction between facts and concepts.

Rules of Relationships in of Mice and Men and the Breakfast Club

Rules of Relationship Kyle and I decided to research relationships as they are portrayed in movies for our presentation. Between us, we watched â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, â€Å"Dead Poets Society†, â€Å"Fried Green Tomatoes† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men. † Today I'm going to discuss how rules of relationships were used in â€Å"The Breakfast Club† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. I will list the rules portrayed in these movies and provide you with insight on the happenings of each movie. I think that â€Å"The Breakfast Club† and â€Å"Of Mice and Men† did an excellent job of demonstrating the rules of relationships. Of Mice and Men† is a classic story with a timeless message. It's very good movie and novel. This movie is great drama for anyone from thirteen to ninety-nine years of age. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, there are two rugged men, Lenny and George, who are good friends. Lenny, played by John Malkovich, is a soft sp oken, big, and gentle character, who is unfortunately mentally disabled. Because of Lenny's problem keeping a job, the brothers are forced to move frequently. Lenny likes to touch things that appear to be soft or comforting to touch: hair for example.Lenny loves animals. George, played Gary Sinise, tries his hardest to be a good friend. He seems to be trapped by the fact of having a life that is full of unhappy things. George is about 35-40 years old. He is hard working, trustworthy, patience, caring, and a very responsible man. Throughout the movie, George seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. At the same time, I feel that George's meeting Lenny also had a positive impact on George. George learned a great deal of patience from his friendship with Lenny. This story ends in trajedy.George is forced to do what he thinks is best for all by killing Lenny after Lenny accidently killed a woman. With Lenny's death, George is given a chance to move on with his life and not have t o worry about taking care of his friend. The other movie I'm going to discuss is â€Å"The Breakfast Club†. This movie would be enjoyed by people ranging in age from junior high to middle aged. It's more of a younger portrayal of how life was and is in high school. It's a story of how five supposedly completely different students end up in detention on a Saturday and how they discover and use their similarities to make the day more enjoyable.As the story progresses, they learn not only about each other but also about themselves. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, Andrew Clark, the jock played by Emilio Estevez , always seems to be pleasing other people: his father, his coach, his friends. They all see him as a person that he doesn't necessarily WANT to be. Rather than disappoint them, he simply becomes who they think he is. This creates a lot of internal anger, which surfaces often throughout the movie. Brian Johnson, Anthony Michael Hall, excels academically but has little self-confidence to show for it.He tends to be hard on himself, and can't handle failure. Straight-laced and timid, he rarely bends the rules. My favorite character in the movie, by far, is John Bender, played by Judd Nelson. He has a lot of issues he doesn't care to talk about, and he deals with them by using dry humor and sarcasm. Allison Reynolds is a basket case. She's screwed up. One thing's for sure, Allison Reynolds, played by Ally Sheedy, LOVES attention. So she's got her quirks. She uses dandruff as â€Å"snow† on a picture she's drawn. She eats Cap'n Crunch and sugar from a Pixie Stix on bread as a sandwich.She doesn't speak for the first half of the movie, and when she finally does start talking, she doesn't stop. Allison leaves you wondering who she really is, but weird or not, she's certainly likable! Claire Standish, the spoiled brat played by Molly Ringwald, reminds me of the girls that I couldn't stand in high school! She places herself above everyone else in the movie. Sure, she's got her problems, just like all teenagers. But somehow, to everyone else, her family's wealth and power and her alliance with the â€Å"in† crowd seems to diminish whatever problems she may have.To the other characters, she's just conceited Claire. â€Å"The Breakfast Club† takes place Saturday, March 24, 1984 in Shermer High School. Shermer High School is located in the town of Shermer, Illinois. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† takes place in California sometime in the 1800's. It was never exactly stated when it took place, but it was when slavery was still in use. I chose to apply the â€Å"Rules of Relationships† according to Argyle and Henderson. The â€Å"Rules of Relationships† is defined in eleven rules, listed on page 261 of the Communications Mosaics textbook.A few of the rules are as follows, stand up for a friend when they aren't around, share your successes and how you feel about them, give emotional support, and trust and confide in one another. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, I found that eight of the rules were used. For the most part George is always sticking up for and defending Lenny, giving support, trust and confiding in Lenny, helping him, making him feel good, is not too critical of Lenny, protects Lenny's confidences, and leaving his faults alone. Lenny uses what he knows as far as rules of relationships go.Lenny is mentally challenged, so he does what he can by giving support and just being a good guy. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, three of these rules are used. They all give one another emotional support, they trust and confide in each other, and they make each other feel good. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club†, they fight, but now matter what they're talking about, they seem to take sides and defend their case. Although Bender made Claire cry, he gave her support soon there after. All the teens trust and confide in each other by telling what they did to end up in detention.Ea ch of them seems to have a terrible story of why or how they ended up in detention. Each story has great weight on ruining who they are or ruining their reputation. To help his new friends feel good, Bender gets everyone high off of smoking weed in the movie. In â€Å"The Breakfast Club† not many of the â€Å"Rules of Relationships† were displayed, but that is greatly due to the fact that they began as strangers put together by circumstances beyond their control and grew to become friends through the course of the movie. â€Å"Rules of relationships† describe how an ideal relationship would be.A movie uses some of these rules, but for dramatic and real-to-life purposes relationships like this aren't usually seen. I think that â€Å"The Breakfast Club† shows us what more modern relationships act like. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† gives us a more sincere, true-to-life feeling of true friendship. I think that a movie like â€Å"The Breakfast Club† ma y not have a profound impact on the American way of life, but for now and maybe for another short while longer, this movie will display how high school's function. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a timeless movie, which displays friendship to be a great thing. The ethics of both

Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay - 775 Words

Sonnys Blues If you were not able to talk to anyone, nor did people want to listen to what you have to say, would that affect you? In the short story, Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin, Baldwin writes about two brothers, Sonny and the narrator, who lose communication between one another because Sonny goes to prison. The narrator, having to make a promise to their mother before her death, was to take care and watch over his young brother Sonny no matter what. This turned out not to be the case and the narrator did not pay much attention to his brothers goals as well as doings. By the end of the story, the audience realizes that the only place where the narrator can understand and feel for his brother is at the place where Sonny†¦show more content†¦This was the way he was able to speak which was not possible when done verbally. Listening is fundamental in communicating with others. The narrator hardly listened to his brother regardless if it was about his goals in life. When Sonny first brought up the idea of becoming a jazz musician, his brother responded by saying, Are you serious (p.90). In addition, Sonnys brother did not take his brothers remark seriously and told him to start thinking about his future. The narrator wanted Sonny to finish school and get a decent job, anything besides playing jazz for a living. I gave up. I decided, if he didnt change his mind, that we could always talk about it later (p.91). This clearly exemplifies that the narrator ignored his brother. He must have looked at Sonny as his younger brother, where he thought Sonny was not able to make the right decisions because of his age at the time and needed guidance. The narrator lacked patience in listening as well as replied with negative responses that demonstrated bad communication. In order to solve this problem, Sonn ys brother should have listened to Sonny more thoroughly and responded in a positive manner so Sonny would not have the sense of loneliness and seclusion. Listening helped the narrator get a glimpse of where his brother was coming from. The narrator finally gives his brother a chance to talk while he listened in page 96. The two brothers were talking to one another while there wasShow MoreRelatedRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin993 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of people all over the world. Although racial bias has been around for many years, it only seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. While Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny, the audience infers the idea the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayedRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin956 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, to a single mother in Harlem. After his mot her married his stepfather David Baldwin, who was a Baptist minister, he was adopted by him. Growing up, he didn’t feel as if he was accepted the way his other siblings were, though. In some of Baldwin stories, they often have a similar story line where it seems he is the less favored child over everyone else. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† a similar scenario is presented in some ways. While the unnamed narrator often speaksRead More Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay517 Words   |  3 PagesSonnys Blues by James Baldwin Sonnys Blues is a story about two brothers, their past, and how their differences came between them. They were apart for several years while Sonny was in jail, but once he got out they had a chance to mend their pasts. Sonnys Blues is a well written story that teaches a lesson that has value in every day life. The tone is melancholy and reminiscent. The brother is remembering the past and reflection on the mistakes he and Sonny made. He is sad over theirRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin935 Words   |  4 Pagesare dealing with all over the world. Racial bias has been around for quite sometime now, and it only seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes on the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny. The audience has to infer the reasoning behind what the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factorRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin1139 Words   |  5 PagesKelly J. Warner Professor Carol Wittig EN 234 – Introduction to Fiction 31 August 2017 A Second Chance The story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin hits home to my own personal life. In the story, a man learns that his brother is in jail and he is hooked on drugs. This story relates to my life because I have experienced something similar. Not only do I think that it can relate to my life, but so many other people who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. My father passed away due to a drugRead MoreAdversity In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin892 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† utilizes race, poverty, stereotypes, and adversity to shine a light on the struggle to escape circumstance. Throughout the text, Baldwin describes the hardships leaching the life out of Harlem’s black community from the narrator’s perspective. Sonny, the narrator’s brother, struggles with his identity and ability to feel emotion leading him to the world of music and drugs, â€Å"To be aware of oneself, Baldwin believes , is to feel a sense of loss, to know where we are andRead More Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay1228 Words   |  5 PagesSonnys Blues by James Baldwin A captivating tale of a relationship between two troubling brothers in Harlem, Sonnys Blues is told from the perception of Sonnys brother, whose name is never mentioned. Baldwins choice of Sonnys brother as a narrator is what makes Sonnys Blues significant in terms of illustrating the relationship and emotional complications of Sonny and his brother. The significance of Sonnys Blues lies in the way Sonnys brother describes their relationship based onRead MoreEssay on Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin1316 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Sonny’s Blues† revolves around the narrator as he learns who his drug-hooked, piano-playing baby brother, Sonny, really is. The author, James Baldwin, paints views on racism, misery and art and suffering in this story. His written canvas portrays a dark and continual scene pertaining to each topic. As the story unfolds, similarities in each generation can be observed. The two African American brothers share a life similar to that of their fath er and his brother. The father’s brother had a thirstRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin1293 Words   |  6 PagesIn the story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, written by James Baldwin, the narrator and his younger brother, Sonny, interact with musical elements that serve as a redemption for Sonny. Baldwin believes in the power of music to rescue or minimize the suffering that people go through. Both characters isolate themselves with several instances of music and issue their reactions toward it. Sonny is an uprising musician that wants to portray his life by playing the piano. This story is about Sonny’s Blues. His sadnessRead MoreEssay about Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin1003 Words   |  5 Pages There are many things we learn of Sonny and his nameless brother in Sonnys Blues. We learn their mannerisms, hobbies, occupations, and even their addictions. It seems we learn nearly everything about the pair; minus the narrators name, as previously s tated. Hearing of their histories and the pains theyve under gone, we see how they deal with their pain, which often truly tells character. Sonnys Blues isnt a story of two brothers living in a rough city; one of whom is a talented musician