Determination of Water Hardness Essay

Introduction: In this lab a total of six titrations are to be performed. Three of them will be done using a known Ca2+ solution, (1.000 g CaCO3 /L solution) and three of them will be done using an unknown solution obtained from the stock room. The objective of this lab is to determine the hardness of water, using the data collected from each titration performed with the unknown sample. Since the hardness of water arises from the presence of metal ions, we can use disodium salt of EDTA and the indicator Eriochrome Black T to determine the concentration of M 2+ ( Mg 2+ or Ca 2+) metal ion impurities. Chemical principle or theory involved in this lab: To determine waters hardness we will use a technique called a chelometric titration. â€Å"When a neutral molecule or anion (lewis base) donates electron pairs and attaches itself to a metal ion center (a Lewis acid), the resulting cluster of atoms forms a single ion called a complex. When such complexes form the electron donating groups are called ligands. When ligands with more than one binding site form complexes with metal ions, we call this process chelation, where the ligand used is called a chelating agent. † (lab manual) In this lab the chelating agent used is Na2EDTA. Our Indictor Eriochrome Black T, is a dye, and will form a pink complex in the presence of a metal cation. As EDTA solution is added to the solution, the metal ions will complex to the EDTA solution leaving the indicator solvated. The chemical equation, with the known calcium ion solution, looks as follows: Where H2In ¯ represents the solvated indicator Erichrome Black T dye. H2In ¯ + Ca 2+ â‡Å' CaIn ¯ + 2H (blue) (pink) As EDTA is added to the solution, it grabs the Ca ions away from the Erichrome Black T dye molecules to form a more stable complex. When solvated, and alone in the solution, the Erichrome Black T dye will produce a blue color; it can be represented by the equation below: EDTA 4 ¯ + CaIn ¯ + 2H → H2In ¯ + CaEDTA 2 ¯ (pink) (blue) Procedure or Method: First prepare your disodium EDTA solution by weighing out 0.7- 0.8 grams of Na2EDTA and dissolve it in 500 mL’s of deionized water. Place in a sealed container and shake vigorously. Standardize the Na2EDTA solution using calcium ion stock solution: Add 10 mL of calcium solution to a flask, and add 30 mL’s of deionized water. Add 3 mL’s of ammonium chloride buffer under the fume hood and stir. Add 4 drops of the Eriochrome Black T indicator dye, then titrate with the disodim EDTA solution within 15 min’s. At the endpoint the color changes from pink to violet to blue within 3-5 seconds. Note the volume of Na2EDTA that was used delivered from the burret, and repeat the titration 2 more times. Obtain an unknown water stock solution from the stock room taking note of the unknown number, then titrate with the standardized disodium EDTA solution: Mix 25 mL’s of the prepared water sample with 20 mL’s of deionized water, then under the fume hood, add 3 mL’s of ammonium chloride buffer and stir. Add 4 drops of the Eriochrome Black T indicator dye, then titrate with the disodim EDTA solution within 15 minute’s Repeat the titration 2 more times, and calculate the hardness of the prepared water sample from each of the titrations. Observations and Calculations: Amount of Na2EDTA solution Amount of Na2EDTA solution   required to titrate calcium Ion solution required to titrate unknown H2O sample Trial 1 25.0 mL15.7 mL Trail 2 23.8 mL14.9 mL Trial 3 23.6 mL15.5 mL Because EDTA chelates Ca 2+ ions in a one-to-one molar ratio we can calculate the moles present of Na2EDTA using the following formula(s): Trial 1: [Na2EDTA] = 10.00 mL CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1.000 g CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol Na2EDTA 25.0 mL Na2EDTA 1 L CaCO3 100.1g CaCO3 1 mol CaCO3 =.004 moles Na2EDTA Trial 2: [Na2EDTA] = 10.00 mL CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1.000 g CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol Na2EDTA 23.8 mL Na2EDTA 1 L CaCO3 100.1g CaCO3 1 mol CaCO3 =.004197 moles Na2EDTA Trial 3: [Na2EDTA] = 10.00mL CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1.000 g CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol CaCO3 Ãâ€" 1mol Na2EDTA 23.6 mL Na2EDTA 1 L CaCO3 100.1g CaCO3 1mol CaCO3 =.004233 moles Na2EDTA Mean of all 3 trials = .004 + .004197 + .004233 / 3 = .004143 Absolute deviation: Estimated Precision(ppt): Trial 1: |[.004143] – [.004] = [1.43 x 10^-4]| .02229 X 1000 = 23.09 ppt .004143 Trial 2: |[.004143] – [.004197] = [-5.4 x 10^-5]| Trial 3: |[.004143] – [.004233] = [-9 x 10^-5]| H2O hardness Calculated: Trial 1: 15.7 mL Na2EDTA X .004143mol Na2EDTA X 1mol CaCO3 X 100.1g CaCO3 0.02500 L CaCO3 1L Na2EDTA 1mol Na2EDTA 1mol CaCO3 Trial 1 H2O hardness = 260.44 ppm Trial 2: 14.9 mL Na2EDTA X .004143mol Na2EDTA X 1mol CaCO3 X 100.1g CaCO3 0.02500 L CaCO3 1L Na2EDTA 1mol Na2EDTA 1mol CaCO3 Trial 2 H2O hardness = 247.17 ppm Trial 1: 15.5 mL Na2EDTA X .004143mol Na2EDTA X 1mol CaCO3 X 100.1g CaCO3 0.02500 L CaCO3 1L Na2EDTA 1mol Na2EDTA 1mol CaCO3 Trial 3 H2O hardness = 257.12 ppm Average H2O hardness for unknown # 127 = 254.91 ppm Conclusion: The average water hardness for unknown 127 is 254.91 ppm. City of Gilberts average water hardness in 2011 was in the range of 41- 330 ppm (http://www.3mwater.com/medi/documents/ WaterReport_GilbertAZ.pdf). This is a large range but is a range that my unknown water sample would fall within. According to Fairfax Water, a value over 180 ppm is considered â€Å"very hard†, and according to the lab manual water with more than 200 ppm is considered hard. Based on this information I would conclude that my unknown water sample has a high amount of metal ions present. References: Lab Manual City of Gilbert, â€Å"http://www.3mwater.com/medi/documents/WaterReport_GilbertAZ.pdf† FairFax Water, â€Å"http://www.fcwa.org/water/hardness.htm†

John Rawls’ Theory of Justice: Contribution to Solve Some Political Issues in the Philippines

John Rawls is perhaps the most significant intellectual in philosophical ethics to have written in the past hundred years. It is nearly impossible to address ethics in contemporary philosophy without saying something about John Rawls. Central to his theory of justice are the concepts of fairness and equality from behind what he terms a â€Å"veil of ignorance†. Rawls's veil of ignorance is a component of the way people can construct society. He refers to an â€Å"original position† in which a person is attempting to determine a fair arrangement for society without any preconceived notions or prejudices. In this original position, people are behind what Rawls calls a â€Å"Veil of Ignorance† and do not know where they will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, disability, and other relevant factors. Rawls is a Kantian liberal in that he believes that principles of justice should be universalizable, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. A person behind the â€Å"veil of ignorance† does not know which side of a social contract he or she will be on, does not know his or her race, class, sex, or status in society. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper A person who does not know what privileges he or she will be born with (or without ) is, in Rawls' view, more likely to construct a society that does not arbitrarily assign privilege based on characteristics that should have no bearing on what people get. Rawls believes that a society cannot be just without fairness and equality and believes this veil of ignorance both reveals the biases of current society and can help to prevent biases in establishing future social arrangements. Rawls is often thought of as a liberal philosopher given his position emphasizing fairness regardless of social status. His philosophy can be used to justify programs like affirmative action but has also been used by the more politically conservative to argue that the American political system allows each person a fair chance and that most people would choose the American political system from behind a veil of ignorance. Source: John Rawls-A Theory of Justice

Theories: Criminology and Capable Guardians

Individual Theories Maria Silva CJS/240 Farrell Binder 02/16/2013 There are several theories that influence adolescents are motivated to commit crimes, while other adolescents in similar situations are not. The theories that consist of adolescents committing crimes are based on the routine activities theory, general deterrence theory, specific deterrence theory, biochemical theory, neurological theory, genetic theory, psychodynamic theory, behavioral theory, and cognitive theory.I will talk about the routine activities theory and the general deterrence theory and focus on the bad issues in which adolescents choose to commit a crime. The routine activities theory consist of three variables; â€Å"the availability of suitable targets, the absence of capable guardians, and the presence of motivated offenders. † (Juvenile Delinquency: The Core, 2005) First, the suitable targets; homes that seem very wealthy are more easily to be the crime target. Wealthy homes can contain valuable things such as, jewelry, safe box with cash, cameras, DVD’s, and anything worth value for the offender to make quick money.It is stated that many delinquents do not like to travel to commit their crimes they look around their surroundings, and speak to other children about what they have inside their homes. This is fairly easy for delinquents to commit crimes, and engage other to join in on the crime. They look for unlock homes, expensive cars and valuables worth stealing. Second, the lack of capable parents, in which adolescents feels that if they commit a crime they will unlikely to get caught. Since they believe that their crime will not be caught by a police officer, neighbors, parents, relatives, and homeowners, they will continue to commit crimes.Adolescents or delinquents look for specific safe places to commit their crimes and go undetected from certain types of guardians. Adolescents look around and see where there’s no movement around neighborhoods, where ho mes are left unattended and these become the easy targets for the offenders. In certain neighborhoods, where society is highly, there is more monitoring from guardians such as patrolling of officers, friends, family, and neighbors are less likely to be the target of their homes, and be burglarized, and broken into. Other types of capable guardians are video cameras, and alarm systems and help capture these offenders.Third, variable for routine activities theory would be motivated offender, in which adolescents are more highly motivated to commit a crime. They consist of mostly teenage boys, and unemployment. Motivated offenders select their targets based upon on the value, visibility and accessibility. Motivated offenders may choose not to break-in an unoccupied home, because the presence of a suitable target, because he feels that a guardian, such as a neighbor may spot him, captures him, or phone an officer. Another theory that is motivated in adolescents for them to commit a crim e would be general deterrence theory.General deterrence; â€Å"concept holds that the choice to commit delinquent’s acts can be controlled by the threat of punishment. † (Juvenile Delinquency: The Core, 2005). Offenders will fear of committing crimes, if they know how severe the punishment may be, if they commit the crimes. General deterrence focusses on the prevention of crime and does not focus on the offender, but the offender receives punishment in the public eye or media in order to deter other citizens to commit crimes. As well, that general deterrence theory tries to reduce the probability of committing crimes in the general population. General deterrence results from the perception of the public that laws are enforced and that there is a risk of detection and punishment when laws are violated. † (www. sociologyindex. com) All these theories have a huge effect, routine activities theory and general deterrence theory is more important for adolescents to be aware of. For instance, general deterrence theory is effective for the public, because it shows the punishment of an offender may be and at times it can be severe, helping others not to commit the same crime or any other form of crimes.Routine activities theory are helpful, but needs more of it, for example, more patrolling officers, neighborhood watch committees, more camera surveillance, and more activates or programs for adolescents. Having these types of surveillance, might help reduce crime, because offenders would see that they are watched constantly, and might be afraid to be caught. References: Juvenile Delinquency: The Core, 2005 www. sociologyindex. com

Leading and Training a Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leading and Training a Team - Essay Example A., & Zaccaro S. J. 1992). This definition has the virtue of generality. It does not limit the leadership concept to formally appointed functionaries or to individuals whose influence potential rests upon the voluntary consent of others. Rather, it is applicable to all interpersonal relationships in which influence attempts are involved. Relationships as apparently diverse as the superior-subordinate, the staff-line, the consultant-client, the salesman-customer, the teacher-student, the counselor-counselee, the husband-wife, or the parent-child are all seen as involving leadership. Thus here we will discuss leadership skills and training contribution towards teamwork. I believe, Training can typically be clustered into two categories with distinctly different content orientations: (a) task, knowledge, and skill-based training designed to provide the individual with the attributes necessary to effectively interact and utilize the hardware capabilities of a system; and (b) attitude, expectation, and perception-based training designed to provide the individual with the attributes necessary with which to effectively interact and utilize the human and social attributes of a system. Effective Leaders has the capability to offer voluntary vision and motivation to employees (Ehrenberg, R.G. and R.S. Smith. 1994). A leader values the self-esteem of the individual moreover distinguish the significance and control of freedom. They work to persuade, convince, and guide others to a vision of what desires to be done, and, in so doing, make dedication towards that vision. By doing this, leaders are capable to provoke, infuse, and motivate others with inspiration to carry out the view or vision. Leadership integrates an extensive vision of the circumstances that has deference for the forces at play, for inner capabilities of the supporters and self-reliance in and recognition of one's own position in showing those capabilities. To offer leadership, then, is for a person to distinguish all of the essentials of the circumstances and to be capable to release the leadership prospective in it to make somewhat happen. Leaders are extremely excellent at inspiring their team's feeling, raising their prospect, and intriguing them in new directions. Though, leaders usually endure from neuroses and have a propensity toward egotism and concern (Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. 1993). Leadership is established not simply on grand events, though. Nor is it constantly carries out on a large scale by people officially accepted as leaders. Leadership can be applied at all stages not simply by managers and supervisors although also by peers and individuals, at times in ways that persuades those with much greater recognized power. Leadership simply takes place while others keenly implement, for a phase of time, the aims of a group as their own. therefore, leadership disquiets building unified and objective leaning teams; there is a fundamental and definitional connection linking leadership and employee's performance. (b)YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEMATIC TRAINING CYCLE Training has typically been micro in its team orientation, with a center on

Marketing to Uncle Sam- Contract administration and management Essay

Marketing to Uncle Sam- Contract administration and management - Essay Example A good example of an aspect that has been developed for vendors by GSA is the Vendor Toolbox. This entails a collection of resources that assist the vendors in deciding whether having a GSA Schedule is their priority (Stanberry, 2012). A Vendor Toolbox is made up of three major steps. These include research, analyze and decide. One of the notable methods that I would use to market my products or services to the US government is through internet. In its effort to ensure effective communication and coordination among its agencies, the US government has ensured that every federal agency has a website. Thus, as an owner of a small business I should as a first step visit such websites. In this way I will become aware of the services that are demanded by the agencies. Through the use of FedBizOpps, I will be in a position to identify the federal procurements that are available. My preference for websites and FedBizOpps is based on the fact that each business day, large numbers of notices are posted on the agencies

Personal Musical Soundscape and Its Role in my Life Essay

Personal Musical Soundscape and Its Role in my Life - Essay Example It is said that music is sometimes food for the soul. It soothes the heart and gives the mind a line for meditation. This is because it sometimes triggers a string of thoughts and reflections about different aspects of an individual’s life. This is no exception for me when I listen to shidaiqu music. I was born and raised in China, therefore I am Chinese. I was born in Daqing, which is located in the North Eastern part of China. Known for its large petroleum deposits and high production of petroleum, Daqing is highly cosmopolitan and hosts very many tourists during peak tourism seasons of the year. This is because of some its tourist attractions such as Lianhuanhu area and Linhua Lake. This has caused some of the tourists to settle in the area and thus make it cosmopolitan and brought significant western influences. I attended school in Daqing area and went to Daqing Tieren High School. The system of education here allowed students to study art subjects and thus I decided to s tudy music. Here, I was exposed to different other types of music and was able to understand the history and development of my favorite music.

The growth of Gulliver's madness in Part IV of Gulliver's Travels Essay

The growth of Gulliver's madness in Part IV of Gulliver's Travels - Essay Example He descends further into madness because he cannot (and does not want to) think clearly. Indeed, Gulliver’s madness is a result of pride that is founded in disception. Gulliver refuses to accept the truth about his race because it means accepting the truth about who he is. He would rather live a liar and in deception. Discussion Gulliver’s madness started when he becomes unable to control events. His madness started slowly and with his interaction with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. In a sense, his madness is the result of his inability to accept and discern what he has encountered. He knows what is happening but he cannot make real sense of it other than wants he wants. Gulliver’s madness becomes evident when he begins to think of his own â€Å"kind† as less than acceptable. His interaction with the Houyhnhnms makes Gulliver to admire them greatly. He tells us that their ideas and viewpoints â€Å"opened my eyes and enlarged my understanding, that I bega n to view the actions and passions of man in a very different light† (250). He admires the Houyhnhnms and, as a result, begins to despise anything else, including those of his own race. The fact that Gulliver wants to be accepted as a Houyhnhnm is also an indication that he is slipping into insanity. Gulliver believes, â€Å"the Yahoos . . . were observed to be the most unteachable of all brutes† (227). Indeed, Gulliver belittles himself when he belittles the Yahoos. Gulliver knows what he is but believes that he can change because of the Yahoos repulsive nature. Gulliver is an example of what can happen to us when we allow our minds to become clouded and refuse to think for ourselves. Gulliver loves the Houyhnhnms and essentially begins to hero-worship them. For example, as he continues to stay with them, he begins to think of his friends, family, and the â€Å"human race in general† (272), as â€Å"Yahoos in shape and disposition† (272). It should come a s no surprise then, when Gulliver’s master tells him that he is considered to be a Yahoo that his mind snaps. His master has no choice but to â€Å"employ† (273) Gulliver like the â€Å"rest of his species† (273) and orders him to â€Å"swim back† (273) to the place from which he came. Because Gulliver has already disassociated himself from the Yahoos and his own race, this news is unacceptable and too much to live with. Gulliver has already gone too far in his appreciation of the Houyhnhnms and cannot go back to the way things were. Gulliver thinks too much of himself to consider life as a Yahoo. Further evidence of Gulliver’s madness can be seen in his thoughts regarding Don Pedro of whom he considered â€Å"like an animal which had some little portion of reason† (281). Gulliver does not want to return home to those that he considered Yahoos. When he does return home, he brings himself to â€Å"tolerate the sight of yahoos† (284). H ere we see how Gulliver’s has taken him over because he does not consider himself a Yahoo but better than them and the ultimate sign of his diseased mind is when he considered that fact that by mating with one of the Yahoos and fathering more of them causes him the â€Å"utmost shame, confusion, and horror† (284). He does want to touch the Yahoos and admits that he cannot â€Å"endure my wife or children in my presence; the very smell of them was intolerable†

English composition Writing Skills and Techniques db 1 Essay

English composition Writing Skills and Techniques db 1 - Essay Example This point will also address why police officer consider areas outside major urban areas as safe havens. I will also address the effects of police misconduct to both the police force and the public. Finally, I will address the future of the police force in relation to the ongoing misconduct. In this juncture, I will tackle possible consequences to the police force and relevant reforms that needs to be made in order to create a balanced police force in the United States. The purpose of this essay will depend on the interest of the reader or audience. Firstly, the essay will be an informative essay. This is because it will inform the public and relevant authorities that, police misconduct is rife despite the cover-up measures taken to conceal information. Secondly, the essay will act as a cause an effect essay since it will analyze factors that promote police misconduct and the resultant consequences (Silverman, 2009). Analyzing the cause and effects of the problem will be aimed at finding solution for the

How does the power of the media affect Chance, and how does his Essay

How does the power of the media affect Chance, and how does his consumption of media affect itself - Essay Example Chance is a total product of this broadcasting style, and as such is the darling of the televised world as it feeds on the incestual nature of the meaningless clich. The constant and total exposure to television had left Chance existing in a world that in fact did not exist. Chance can turn the world on and off as he wishes. We see in his thoughts the ethereal quality of his world when he muses, "As long as one didn't look at people, they did not exist. They began to exist, as on TV, when one turned ones eyes on them." (14). The world, like television, did not exist if it wasn't being watched. Chance did not exist, except when viewed by the few servants of the house and then only in brief encounters. The death of the Old Man would change all that. He would now go out into the public and be viewed and in doing so would be brought into existence. His persona would be the barren mind of inane comments and meaningless chatter. Television, like the people it has molded, would be anxious to attach deep meaning to the most baseless comments. The self-promoting arrogance of television purports to know what should be important and feeds the public a steady diet of sound bites. Viewers, wishing to not be seen as uninformed and uneducated are quick to attach meaning to almost anything. Chance's repetition of other people's words is enough to make him seem interested and interesting. Chance is the ambiguity that television needs to satisfy a diverse audience fed on hyperbole. As EE thought of Chance, she noted, "From the beginning, she noticed the meticulous care he took to insure that nothing he said to her or to anyone else was definite enough to reveal what he thought of her or of anyone or, indeed, of anything" (75). Chance, like television could be nothing at all and in doing so would seem to be all things to all people. This is where television excels and this is what Chance brings to the world and the notoriety that it brings with it. The mystery that lies behind the elusive and vacant mind of Chance has made him all the more interesting. Like the television he knows, his remarks, or lack of them, are viewed with an air of inquisitiveness. The sense that he was an important man makes his comments seem worthy, and tycoons, politicians, and viewers are eager to attach meaning in an attempt to elevate their own self worth. The mystery of this elusiveness is shown by EE's interest in Chance as she remarks, "Do you know that you're very brainy, very cerebral, really Chauncey, that you want to conquer the woman from within her own self,[...]" (79). Chance, like television, is all things to all people by being absolutely nothing at all. It is this sense of mystery that lulls the crowd into a seductive state of desire as viewers are treated to experts and pundits. We are told that the information is credible, yet we make of it what we will, each for our own purpose. Television feeds on this phenomena just as it celebrates Chance's meaningless musings as deep-seated wisdom of a financial guru. Speaking about the only subject he knows, gardening, television is able to attach a misplaced meaning to his words. Chance tells the host, "It's a good garden and a healthy one; its trees are healthy and so are its shrubs and flowers, as long as they are

Prostitution in Dutch Flemish Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prostitution in Dutch Flemish Art - Essay Example They captured each emotion and took care of every little detail that could change the subject of the painting. These artists were meticulous enough when it came down to the choice of color palette and how to convey the message they bear in mind in a stabilized yet innovative manner. The different themes that represent the most notable era for the world of art and culture were historical paintings, portraiture (both group and single entity), genre paintings, landscapes and still life paintings. Historical paintings presented the real heroic scenes from the history with a touch of religious and national background. Portrait paintings included famous groups of people and their luxurious lifestyle and royal structures of various landmarks. Genre paintings on the other hand, gave a visionary meaning to mundane life along with an illustration of many Dutch quotes, proverbs and moralistic messages. Landscape paintings beautified the Dutch landscapes with the innovative imagination that made these artists produce such classic works of art. Still life paintings provided the Dutch painters to experiment with different textures and surfaces along with a merit of creating magic by the help of lighting effects. The socio-economical, political and religious position of the Netherlands helped in the emergence of a lucrative environment for the sphere of art. A great number of pictures and artists emerged during the 'Dutch golden age'. The popularity of genre paintings increased in between the span of 1600 to 1650 that well-preserved the scenes from everyday life while capturing the rhythm and thought provoking life back in the sixteenth century. Dutch genre paintings particularly in the sixteenth century were an excellent source of inspiration when it comes to the portrayal of family values, gratitude, social and moral responsibilities and duties. The mid-century genre paintings mostly portrayed women busy in indoor activities and taking care of the household. However, paintings which had depictions in them of women who were busy in any of the outdoor activities were often questioned and strongly criticized on moral grounds, specifically indicating towards the provocative character of a woma n. Dutch Culture and Prostitution: It is believed strongly that prostitution as per the Dutch culture is an expression of art and ingenuity which clearly predicts the existence of prostitution as a part of their culture and custom. Amsterdam, the Dutch capital is using prostitution as an instance to make way for artistic excellence along with cultural values and a representation of the Dutch people since it became a part of the global map. The Dutch culture and the candidness to prostitution within it has compelled the Dutch people to accept it as a legal part of their constitution which distinctly states that prostitutes can pursue their profession legally along with the payment of mandatory taxes. This quite evidently means that prostitution is acknowledged as standard and treated just like any other job that provides an individual with a monetary outcome. Therefore, the Dutch society who always fairly accepted the notion of prostitution because of its evident existence in their antiquity now has accepted prostitute s as legal workers having a legal job moreover, a contributing part of the society. In the

INTERPOL etc. communications between international law enforcement Essay

INTERPOL etc. communications between international law enforcement agencies - Essay Example These law enforcement agencies are to some extent, geographically restricted in their ability to apply law enforcement powers. The LEA may be capable of applying its powers within a nation, for instance, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or within a partition of a country, such as the Australian state's Queensland Police, or, across a group of nations, like global organizations such as the Interpol. These law enforcement agencies that operate across an assemblage of countries help out in law enforcement activities, rather than directly enforcing laws by smoothing the progress in the sharing of information necessary for law enforcement between other enforcement agencies within different countries. In the forefront of battling international criminal elements is the Interpol. Founded and established in Vienna, Austria in 1923, The International Criminal Police Commission works for the objective of instigating global collaboration of criminal police forces (Deflem, 2000, pp. 601-640). Essentially, the ICPC was instituted as an international cooperative set-up of national police organizations with systems for worldwide telegraphic and radio communications and a journal published on a regular basis which conveys significant information among its member-states. By 1940, the Commission embodied more than 40 states, which included many known European powers like France, Germany, and Italy as well as some non-European countries, such as Bolivia, Iran, and Cuba. Basically, the International Criminal Police Organization-Interpol is the only worldwide organization of its kind with 177 member nations of which the General Secretariat is located in Lyons, France. The most important task of Interpol is to prop up police forces and the services of its member countries in their effort to thwart crimes and to carry out criminal investigations as competently and successfully as possible. So as to provide this support to member countries, Interpol conducts all its activities within the following three fundamental functions (UN, 2006, PP. 2-4): Secure international police communications services The essential prerequisite for worldwide police collaboration is to enable police personnel to communicate with each other safely and in real time globally, So as to give the international law enforcement community the best channels of communication, Interpol has crafted and executed a high-tech, global communications structure, commonly dubbed as the I-24/7. It facilitates the transmission of significant data about individuals and crimes, including photographs, fingerprints and DNA profiles, to its member countries, in a safe method within a matter of seconds. Currently, 183 of its 184 member countries are connected to this system. Operational data services and databases Once law enforcers can communicate globally, they need access to information to aid in their investigations or to take the necessary steps to deter transgressions and felonies. Hence, Interpol developed and maintains an extensive array of global databases, covering major data like names of criminals and suspected individuals, search requests for wanted persons, fingerprints,

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Essay This paper tackles the categorical imperative theory of Immanuel Kant as well as its first and second formulations and how they apply to a particular case of infidelity. Introduction In his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant defines an imperative as any proposition that declares a certain action or inaction to be necessary and practical (Kant, 1993, p. 413). The categorical imperative is a type of imperative which states what one ought to do under certain circumstances and it implies the moral requirement that we should act directly and unconditionally in order to achieve some end or purpose (p. 417). In the Groundwork, Kant distinguishes between the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. The hypothetical imperative states that if one wants to do A, then he should do B, or he may choose not to do B or even A (p. 414). On the other hand, the categorical imperative requires that if one wants to do A, then he really ought to do B. It therefore follows that doing B is of an absolute necessity, is considered a moral duty, and is unconditional (p. 420). An Ethical Situation and the Action Taken The situation that is to be considered for the analysis is that of a young man who has a girlfriend and who once swore to love her and only her and not to cheat on her in whatever way especially by having flings with another girl. For many months he has kept this promise in order to make her happy and make the relationship work. However, one day this young man just happens to get to know one extremely beautiful young girl on Facebook, a girl who is more beautiful than his own girlfriend judging from the same standards. After a few secret exchanges of messages on the same social networking site, the young man meets up with her without telling anyone and they have a date that ended up in a sexual encounter. Evaluation of the Situation Based on the First Formulation For any imperative to be a categorical imperative or a true moral proposition, Kant proposes that this imperative should possess universality. This means that it must not concern itself with the particular physical details and circumstances surrounding the present situation, including the seemingly most pressing instinctual needs of the individual on which the ethical situation is focused. Kant therefore states that there is only one categorical imperative and it is this: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† (p. 421). In the situation, the young man clearly does not obey the categorical imperative when he decides to exchange messages with the girl on Facebook and later on meet up with her. If the young man made a promise of loyalty, then it is his moral duty to do so (p. 422). This means that if the notion of promising to be faithful to one’s lover and breaking it is universalized, then, based on the first formulation of the categorical imperative, there would be no promises at all and no such thing as honest oaths between lovers. The young man is therefore, according to Kant, never justified in the infidelity that he committed. Evaluation of the Situation Based on the Second Formulation Another characteristic of the categorical imperative is that it should not only be a principle but that it should also be an end in itself, unlike a hypothetical imperative on which many human moral decisions are based. Thus, if a hypothetical imperative goes like, â€Å"If you want to do A, you should do B,† the categorical imperative should go like, â€Å"Do B,† for doing B is an end in itself and not a means to any other end like A. Kant therefore states, â€Å"Act in such a way that you treat humanity†¦always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end† (p. 428). In our situation, the young man, based on the second formulation, has clearly violated the categorical imperative and this violation lies in the young man’s making an oath of faithfulness to his girlfriend in order to make her happy and to make the relationship work. According to the second formulation, if you have made a promise in order to make someone happy and to make the relationship work, then you are not acting out of moral duty; because if you are, then you will have made such a promise as an end in itself. The young man should have made the promise of loyalty just out of pure reverence for promise itself in exactly the same way as one decides to love not for the happiness of the other but for the sake of love itself. For Kant and the categorical imperative, true morality is doing one’s moral duty without concerning himself with the results (p. 417). The young man in the situation tried to concern himself with the results. Owing to this, his promise was therefore not purely made and such a fact may have even been the reason behind his subsequent immoral act. Conclusion Kant teaches us that an action is good and moral not because it is based on reason as what the rationalists contend nor because it has good results as what the utilitarians say, but that it is done in obedience to an inner sense of duty – the categorical imperative. According to this principle and based on the scenario presented, one should make a promise of love and keep it because the fulfillment of a promise is universal. One should also keep a promise of love not for any other reason such as the happiness of the other but for the sake of the promise itself, for true moral duty is self-sufficient and does not concern itself with results. References Kant, I. (1993). Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by James W. Elington. 3rd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 413-428.

History of Food

History of Food WILD FOOD HISTORY About 8000 BC gathering was the main basis of food. Round 10,000 BC, in the New Stone Age, people started farming, and then spent a smaller amount of period gathering. Present they cultivated grain as a replacement for gathering it. People also started to grow figs and lentils and parsnips and peas. But they kept back on pick many of other wild foods like berries, apples, pears, olives, and nuts. They collected snails from the bushes. By the Bronze Age (round 3000 BC) people planted many other kinds of food and collected less. People of Bronzed Age Cultivated grains and vegetables and also planted olive trees and fruit trees. Still, people pick berries, herbs, mushrooms, and nuts in the wild. Actually, the condition has not changed so much from past till now. Nowadays, so many people still collecting nuts and berries and they also still gather herbs and mushrooms. Its seem like collecting is a quite lazy, unsystematic kind of method to get foodstuff, and they dont want much information. But truly it is very complex. They have to knowledge about where are the plants like where the berry bushes and nut trees are developing. They have to know growing conductions of each of them will come ready (ripe), so that they dont miss to collect all the berries. They have to organize stuffs so that they are in the correct place at the correct time. Then also, they have to pick the berries they also have to preserve it and collect it in the store: they have to separate the dry the berries and the grains and herbs and the fruits, and pickle the olives. Mainly people who grow the most of their food from gathering and have a fixed way that they travel round every year, so that they will be at the right place at the right time period to get ripe nuts from the nut trees and at the olives when the olives become ready to collect. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Reference: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/201395414563255124/ ) BACKGROUND Non-commercial wild food contains fish, insects, animals and plants that are harvested or hunted for own feeding. Such collecting of wild food stuff is not matter to observing or risk organization in the way that commercially presented food. It is analysis of non-commercial wild food stuff undertaken by NZFSA. NZFSA decided that wild food is risk free to the public health in New Zealand. But, the review did expose a lack of information about harvesting and eating patterns of wild food and also how to safely harvest food (plants) and consume wild foodstuff, and also about the bacterias like the sources of foodborne illness. It is based on the presently available records. The three wild food groups with the maximum risk status are deer, shellfish and pigs. NZFSAs Strategy for Relating MÄ ori in the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Issues will support the application of the Wild Food Project for MÄ ori peoples. NZFSA has established the educational resources for the Mao ri communities a Wild Food Safety DVD and two opposite booklets, Food Safety for Seafood Gatherers and Food Safety for Hunters. NZFSA displays that the shellfish toxicity concluded the Marine Bio toxin Programmed, so that customers of non-commercial shellfish can be advised when shellfish in their zone then it is unsafe to have it and collect it. The other two foods (deer and pigs) that were recognized as potential high risk. (Reference: http://waterlegacy.org/saving-wild-rice-sulfide-mining-pollution ) CULTURE OF WILD FOOD Still there were associations tries to describe wild culture, there was not any accepted definition of it. Smith chosen his colleagues and audiences to find the meaning of wild cultures throughout the titles of the tasks in which it looked, where the social background was at play; that is, that it existed a serious-sounding and perchance honest academic magazine printed by a preserving culture with a lengthy name, all devoted to a topic no one recognized anything about. Assigning the serious and the non-serious in a method that made logic and interested became part of the artistes work. Previously there was Smiths fresh description of wild culture (the articulated ecotone between what people do and why they cant control in nature), no single clarification happened around which the S.P.W.C artists effort was completed. Some people said that it was the vagueness of the knowledge, the incapability to title it down that made it so eye-catching. In the lack of real explanation, Smith open a metaphor, which he has freshly changed: On the surface of a clear painting is the human physical reality that is portion of our ordinary life, and in the related are basics of nature, unseen and seen, that are very much active but that people arent always alert of, whether out of apathy, convenience, ignorance, or any state of blackout or selfishness that donates to the interruption from our original history and our current psychic hold on the home land. Wild culture is the two planes, background and foreground, seen together. (Reference: http://farmprogress.com/story-indian-country-bringing-revolution-wild-food-culture-9-120453 ) INNOVATIONS Sparkling soft drinks are also as a great demand in Africa. To build additional growth on this market, WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients resents novelties featuring new flavor profiles created on its original fermentation equipment. WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients ideas for still drinks also give builders possible for additional growth. Food drinks technology in Africa, WILD tastes and Specialty Ingredients shows its competency in this part with product ideas counting emulsion-based decisions as well as milk and juice variations. These answers meet the demands of customers in Africa who want premium-quality drinks which have a flavorful taste. The most popular flavors here are tropical fruits like guava and mango. In adding, WILD Flavors and Specialty Ingredients displays non-alcoholic border drink ideas such as juice-based drinks with pià ±a colada and sangria flavors. PRODUCTION METHOD The cultivated technique called Wild Farming. It is a growing different to factory farming. It consists of implanting crops that are extremely associated and kind to the natural ecosystem. It includes intercropping with inborn plants, resulting the contours and geography of the land, and backup to the local food chains. The goal is to produce large crop yields, while still indorsing a healthy environment. Wild farming is a reaction against the control of factory farming. Up till the mid-20th century, farming crop yields depend on natural inputs such as natural soil resources, rainfall patterns, built-in biological control mechanisms and recycling of organic matter. Presently, agricultural performs have been conventionalized to contain large mono cropped fields and use of synthetics: fertilizers and pesticides. Avoiding the conventional farming practices, wild farming adopts many practices from sustainable agricultural systems such as Greywater systems, permaculture, forest farming, a nd agroecology. SOCIAL INFLUENCES OF WILD FOOD Community effects have been shown to be very significant to overcome food neophobic in young children. But, there is no. experimental proof about whether social effects on food acceptance are specific, that. is if models eating the same food as the child are more effective in sponsoring food acceptance than .eating a different food. We measured childrens behavior towards novel foods when an adult model [A] was not eating (Presence condition), [B] was eating a food of a Different color (Different color condition), and [C] was eating a food of the same color (Same color condition). We tested 26 children (ages 2-5 years old) enrolled from The Pennsylvania State University day care amenities. Grades show that kids accepted and ate their novel food additionally in the same color form rather than different color and in the Presence conditions. Hence, in young children food acceptance is promoted by specific social influences. These data show that children are more love to eat new food if o thers are eating the same type of food than others are merely present or eating another kind of food.

Development Of Modern Capitalism History Essay

Development Of Modern Capitalism History Essay Weber viewed that the protestant ethic spawned encouraged the spirit of capitalism. He was it more than simply a capitalistic activity. According to him it was the essence which underlies the economic system. During the sixteenth century, this spirit embodied in the societies of the Europe provided the impetus for capitalism to emerge as the dominant economic system of the world. He saw capitalism more than simply an accumulation of wealth. It had its roots in rationality. He insisted that the capitalism was the triumph of rationality over tradition .Explicit in his views of capitalism was a disciplined labour force and the regularized investment of capital. He asserted that this combination took place only in Europe most strongly in protestant nations such as England, Holland Germany To specify the distinctive characteristics of modern capitalism in the protestant ethic, weber first of all separation off capitalistic enterprise from the pursuit of gain such as.The desire for wealth has existed desire in most times nations in itself nothing to do with capitalistic action, which involves a regular orientation to the achievement of profit through economic exchange. Capitalism thus defined in the mercantilist operations for instance has existed in various forms of society; in Babylon Ancient Egypt, China, India Europe. But only in the west capitalistic activity become associated with the rational organisation of formally free labour. By rational organisation of free labour means its routinized calculated administration with in continuously functioning enterprises. A rationalised capitalistic enterprise implies two things-a disciplined labour force the regulated investment of capital. Each contrasts profoundly with traditional types of economic activity. It is associated with an outlook of very specific kind-the continual accumulation of wealth for its own sake, rather than for the material rewards than it can serve to bring. Man is dominated by the making of money, by acquisition as the ultimate purpose of his life. Economic acquisition is no longer subordinate to man as the means of stratification of his material needs. This according to weber was the essence of the spirit of modern capitalism. The notion of calling accords to weber did not existed either in Antiquity or in Catholic theology; it was introduced by the Reformation. It refers basically to the idea that the highest form of moral obligation of the individual is to fulfil his duty in worldly affairs. This project religious behaviour into the day-day world stands in contrast to the catholic ideal of the monastic life, whose object is to transcend the demands of mundane existence.Moreover,the moral responsibility of the Protestant was cumulative i.e. the cycle of sin, repentance forgiveness, renewed throughout the life of the Catholicism was absent in Protestantism. The idea of calling was already present in Luthers doctrine but it became more rigorously developed in the various sects; Calvinism, Methodism, Pietism and Baptism .The weber was mostly concentrated on the Calvinism. Calvinism was the faith over which the great political cultural struggles of the sixteenth seventeenth centuries were fought in the most highly developed countries, the Netherland, England France. The four tenets of Calvinism were (a) God is all powerful and transcendent. One can never reach or understand God. (b)Doctrine of pre-destination: God has already preselected who will be saved and who shall be condemned. (c)Disworldly Asceticism: Do worldly things but in a balanced manner. Accumulated wealth but not to spend luxuriously. In fact re-invest. (d)The notion of calling: that all people have a calling. And to pursue this calling means doing God will. It views grace as irresistible, has a rigid doctrine of predestination, and originally had a theocratic view of the state. Calvinist doctrines look on Gods will as sovereign, and church should not be subject to the state (although it did not frown on a church dominated society). The doctrine of predestination was of utmost important, stressing the absolute sovereignty of Gods will, held that only those whom God specifically elects are saved, that this election is irresistible, and that man can do nothing to effect this salvation. Weber noted that Calvins interest was solely in God, and people existed only for the sake of God. Only a few are chosen and the rest are damned. Human merit or guilt plays no role in whether or not one is elect. This doctrine produced unprecedented inner loneliness of the single individual. (Protestant, p. 104). The individual Calvinists connection with God was carried on in deep spiritual isolation. (Protestant, p. 107) e.g. Pilgrim in Pilgrims Progress. Weber viewed this as pessimistically disillusioned type of individualism rather than the spirit of enlightenment. No one could save the individual, no priest, not the Church, no sacraments. This, the complete elimination of salvation through the Church and the sacraments was what formed the absolutely decisive difference from Catholicism. (Protestant, p. 105). Weber regards this as the logical conclusion of the elimination of magic, that is, a rational development in religion. For Calvin, people are on earth only to glorify God. The duty of the Christian was to show Gods glory in a calling. This meant doing ones daily tasks, and this often means fulfilling the job in a rational organization. The elected Christian is in the world only to increase this glory of God by fulfilling His commandments to the best of his ability. Brotherly love is expressed in the first place in the fulfilment of the daily tasks given. This makes labour in the service of impersonal social usefulness appear to promote the glory of God and hence to be willed by him. (Protestant, pp. 108-9). The Calvinist Christian was concerned with the question of whether he or she was one of the elect. Since this caused suffering on the part of the individual, two forms of pastoral advice were given. See quote 12 on predestination. First, it was an absolute duty to consider oneself chosen, and to combat all doubts as temptations of the devil, since lack of self-confidence is the result of insufficient faith, hence of imperfect grace. a duty to attain certainty of ones own election and justification in the daily struggle of life. (Protestant, p. 111). Second, in order to attain that self-confidence intense worldly activity is recommended as the most suitable means. It and it alone disperses religious doubts and gives the certainty of grace. (Protestant, p. 112). This contrasts with Lutheranism, whereby God promises grace to those who trust in God. Faith was thus identified with the type of Christian conduct which glorifies God. Works were not a means of purchasing salvation, but of getting rid of the fear of damnation. In practice this means that God helps those who help themselves. (Protestant, p. 115). But this is not done through occasional good works, or a gradual accumulation of points toward salvation, but rather in a systematic self-control which at every moment stands before the inexorable alternative, chosen or damned. (Protestant, p. 115). This means that the Christian must have a life of good works; there is no room for the very human Catholic cycle of sin, repentance, atonement, release. Of the elements in Calvinism that which seeks special attention was the doctrine of predestination-that only some human beings are chosen to be saved from damnation, the choice being predetermined by god. In its extreme inhumanity, he comments this doctrine must above all have had one consequence for the life of a generation which surrendered to its magnificent consistencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a feeling of unprecedent loneliness. From this torment, weber holds that the capitalistic spirit was born .He talked about the two developments at the pastoral level-it became obligatory to regard oneself as chosen, lack of certainty being indicative of insufficient faith; the performance of good works in worldly activity became accepted as the medium whereby such surety could be demonstrated. Success in a calling eventually came to be regarded as a sign never a means of being one of the elect. The accumulation of wealth was morally sanctioned in so far as it was combined with a sober, industrious career; wealth was condemned only if employed to support a life of idle luxury or self-indulgence. Calvinism supplied the moral energy drive of the capitalistic entrepreneur.weber speaks of its doctrine as having an iron consistency in the bleak discipline which it demands of its adherent. The elements of ascetic self-control in worldly affairs was certainly there in the other puritan sects but they lack the dynamism of calvanism.Their impact was mainly upon the formation of moral outlook enhancing labour discipline with n the lower middle levels of capitalistic economic organisation. Such as the virtues favoured by pietism were those of the faithful official, clerk, labourer or domestic worker. The protestant ethic acc. To weber traces only one side of the casual chain i.e.-the connection of the spirit of modern economic life with the rational ethics of ascetic puritanism. He specifies a number of fundamental socio-economic factors institutional bases which played major role distinguished the European experience that of India china. These included (a)The separation of productive enterprise from the household which, prior to the development of industrial capitalism was much more advanced in the west (b) the development of the Western city, with a trading structure independent of the surrounding rural areas(c) Western law, including the separation of corporate and personal property; (iv) the nation state, with a bureaucracy that could take care of necessary state activities; an organized territory under unified control of a single ruler or government, so that there was a unified framework within which commerce and capitalism could develop; (v) double entry book-keeping, al lowing business to keep track of all items and determine a balance; allowing rational calculation of all the inflows and outflows, leading to an analysis of where the profit or loss occurs, and what is the source of profit; (vi) the rational capitalistic organization of (formally) free labour. A lot of critique has been laid on the webers work said that webers characterisation of Protestantism was faulty. The major critique directed to webers treatment of the reformation, his interpretation of the puritan sects in general the Calvinism particularly. (a)It has been held that weber mistakenly supposed that Luther introduced the concept of calling which differ from anything previously available in scriptural exegesis; that Calvinistic ethics were anti-capitalistic rather than sanctioning the accumulation of wealth (b) Weber misinterpreted catholic doctrine. Critics have pointed out that weber apparently did not study Catholicism in any detail, although he talked about the difference between the Catholicism Protestantism in respect of economically relevant values. It has been held that post-medieval Catholicism involves elements positively favourable to the capitalist spirit that the Reformation was seen as a reaction against the latter rather than as a clearing ground fo r its subsequent emergence (c) The connectivity between puritanism modern capitalism was based upon unsatisfactory empirical materials. Fischer Rachfahl has echoed about this in several forms.Weber only study the numerical analysis of the economic studies of Catholics Protestants in baden,1895.They argued that webers source was mainly Anglo-Saxon claimed that research into economic development in the Rhineland, the Netherland Switzerland, in the sixteenth seventeenth centuries didnt reveal any close association between Calvinism capitalistic enterprise. One of the criticisms of Weber is that he misunderstood what Franklin was saying. In their article, In Search of the Spirit of Capitalism: Webers Misinterpretation of Franklin, Tony Dickson and Hugh McLachlan disagree with Weber that Franklin was talking about an ethic in the selection quoted above. Far from demonstrating a commitment to the spirit of capitalism and the accumulation of wealth as an end in itself and moral duty, Franklins writings is in fact evidence against the existence of such a spirit. Dickson and McLachlan point out that the title of the work from which Weber quoted is Necessary Hints to Those That Would Be Rich. They assert, This suggests that what Franklin is offering is prudential advice, rather than insisting on a moral imperative. The gist of Dicksons and McLachlans argument is that Weber misinterpreted Franklins writings as moral ends when they were simply virtues to be practiced because of the benefits they will bring to those who practice them. They deny that Franklin was preaching a Protestant work ethic and assert that all Franklin was saying was that if a person is interested in being successful in life and commerce, here are some virtues to follow. Dickson and McLachlan conclude with a clear statement of their criticism of Webers hypothesis: It seems clear that Weber misinterpreted Franklin and that the latter was not imbued with the ethos which Weber attributes to him. It is not in dispute that a methodological lifestyle is conducive to the accumulation of wealth. What is at issue concerning Webers Protestant Ethic thesis is the impetus for such a lifestyle. Webers misinterpretation of Franklin does not in itself invalidate his methodology or his Protestant Ethic thesis. Nonetheless, it does suggest a rather cavalier attitude towards evidence, particularly as the writings of Franklin are the only evidence that he presents in his original essays to demonstrate the existence of the spirit of capitalism. H. M. Robertson, in A Criticism of Max Weber and His School asserted that the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches stressed the same precepts in the 16th and 17th centuries. He states that Webers assertion that the concept of the calling was novel to Luther and Protestantism was not established in Webers writings. He supported his thesis by quoting Aquinas: There seems to be no essential difference between the doctrine of the Catholics and the Puritans on the point of the calling. Amintore Fanfani, an economic historian, shared Robertson criticism of Weber but from a different aspect. In his article Catholicism, Protestantism, and Capitalism, Fanfani disagrees with Weber concerning the role that Protestantism played in the development of a capitalist spirit in Europe. In the first paragraph, he states his argument: . . . that Europe was acquainted with capitalism before the Protestant revolt. For at least century capitalism had been an ever growing collective force. Not only isolated individuals, but whole social groups, inspired with the new spirit, struggled with a society that was not yet permeated with it. Once we have ruled out that Protestantism could have produced a phenomenon that already existed, it still remains for us to enquire whether capitalism was encouraged or opposed by Protestantism. Fanfani argued that it was not the Protestant Ethic which encouraged the growth of capitalism but the fact was that many Protestants were forced to leave Catholic countries to escape persecution which fosters in the emigrants an internationalism that is no small element in capitalist mentality. He further says that many early Protestant leaders opposed capitalism, including Luther and Calvin: Luthers conservatism in economic matters, to which his patriarchal ideas on trade and his decided aversion to interest bear witness. Even Calvin . . . condemns as unlawful all gain obtained at a neighbours expense, and the amassing of wealth. The Huguenots and Dutch Reformers also preached against various aspects of capitalism: . . . through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries a continual repetition of the prohibitions of usury were issued by the synods of the Huguenots and by those of the Dutch Reformers, whose ethical code also condemned even excessive labour, as robbing time and energy fr om the service of God, and held action born of desire for gain to be a sign of madness. Fanfani agrees with Weber that capitalism flourished after the Reformation, but he parts ways with Weber as to the causes. Fanfani argues that capitalism as we know it today was born in the Italian merchant states under the religious umbrella of Catholicism, but he discounts the effect that religion of any kind had on the growth of capitalism as the major world economic system. He concludes his article by stating, The creation of a new mentality in the economic field cannot therefore be considered as the work of Protestantism, or rather of any one religion, but it is a manifestation of that general revolution of thought that characterizes the period of the Renaissance and the Reformation, by which in art, philosophy, morals, and economy, the individual emancipates . . . himself from the bonds imposed on him during the Middle Ages. Malcolm H. MacKinnon, bases his disagreements with Weber on the idea that Weber misinterpreted what the Calvinists were saying about the concept of the calling and good works. He states early on in his article, There are two fundamental theological flaws in Webers line of reasoning, flaws that mean that Calvinism did not give a divine stamp of approval to earthly toil: (1) There is no crisis of proof in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the dogmatic culmination of seventeenth-century Calvinism upon which Weber so heavily relies, and (2) in Christianity generally and Calvinism in particular, works have nothing to do with mundane activities. As soteriologically conceived in relation to salvation, works are spiritual activities that call for obedience to the Law. MacKinnon goes on to explain that Webers major failure is his misunderstanding of the Calvinist meaning of the calling. Using the Westminster Confession as his primary source, MacKinnon explains what the term calling meant to the Calvinists: There is a heavenly calling and an earthly calling or callings, the latter disqualified from making a positive contribution to our deliver ance. . . Above all else, the devout must ensure that their mundane callings in no way impede the prosecution of the greatest good of all: their heavenly calling. Believers are sanctioned to choose that employment or calling in which you may be most serviceable to God. Choose not that in which you may be most honorable in the world; but that which you may do most good and best escape sinning. MacKinnon concludes by stating that it was Webers misfortune to choose part of the Calvinist philosophy which, upon close examination, not only fails to support Webers thesis but in fact undermines it. Again, the significant point here is that temporal obligations are at best indifferent and at worst sinful; they cannot make a contribution to the realization of celestial paradise. It is a grim twist of irony that Weber would choose such a spiritually worthless vehicle to realize his causal ambitions. R. H. Tawney, Webers most famous critic, agreed with Weber that capitalism and Protestantism were connected. However, Tawney saw the connection going in the opposite direction from that which Weber postulated. Tawney, in his 1926 work, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism, states that Protestantism adopted the risk-taking, profit-making ethic of capitalism, not the other way around. Tawney claims, with some good measure: There was plenty of capitalist spirit in fifteenth century Venice and Florence, or in south Germany and Flanders, for the simple reason that these areas were the greatest commercial and financial centers of the age. The development of capitalism in Holland and England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were due, not to the fact that they were Protestant powers but to large economic movements, in particular the Discoveries and the results which flowed from them. The strongest connection that Tawney saw between capitalism and Protestantism was rationality. Protestantism was a revolt against traditionalism and as such advocated rationality as an approach to life and business. Tawney proposed that the rationality inherent in capitalism became a tenet of Protestantism because rationality was diametrically opposed to the traditionalism of Catholicism. Early Protestant leaders recognized that hard work and rational organization of time were capitalist virtues which fit very nicely into the concept of living ones life in the service of God. Tawney saw the capitalist concepts of division of labor and planned accumulation as being reflected in the dogma of Protestantism which urged its followers to use ones calling on earth for the greater glory of God. According to Tawney, capitalist precepts and Protestant dogma fit hand in glove. As an historian, Tawney did not see a linear relationship between capitalism and Protestantism. He thought that Webers thesis a little too simplistic to explain historical events. History tends to be non-linear, and attempts to draw straight casual lines between events are shaky at best. As Tawney put it, The Protestant ethic, with its insistence on hard work, thrift, etc., had contributed to the rise of capitalism, but at the same time Protestantism itself was being influenced by an increasingly capitalistic society. The last critic I will cite in this paper is an economic historian, Jacob Viner, who used pre-eighteenth century Scotland as a case study to demonstrate that where Calvinism was a state religion, it tended to have a restraining rather than a freeing effect on economic development. He quotes a letter from John Keats in support of his thesis: . . . the ecclesiastical supervision of the life of the individual, which, as it was practised in the Calvinistic State Churches almost amounted to an inquisition, might even retard that liberation of individual powers which was conditioned by the rational ascetic pursuit of salvation, and in some cases actually did so. Viner points out that until well into the eighteenth century, Scotland was a desperately poor country. Contemporary commentators often remarked on the lack of economic initiative and ambition and on the general lack of enterprise and economic discipline of the population. Several of these reporters attributed Scotlands economic backwardness in large part to the deadening effect of Calvinist doctrine as forcibly applied by both Church and State. Viner quotes Henry T. Buckle who, in his 1857 treatise Introduction to the History of Civilization in England, wrote concerning the economic teachings of Scottish Calvinists in the seventeenth century as follows: To wish for more than was necessary to keep oneself alive was a sin as well as a folly and was a violation of the subjection we owe to God. That it was contrary to His desire was moreover evident from the fact that He bestowed wealth liberally upon misers and covetous men; a remarkable circumstance, which, in the opinion of Scotch divines, proved that He was no lover of riches, otherwise He would not give them to such base and sordid persons. To be poor, dirty, and hungry, to pass through life in misery, and to leave it with fear, to be plagued with boils, and sores, and diseases of every kind, to be always sighing and groaning, . . . in a word [sic], to suffer constant affliction, and to be tormented in all possible ways; to undergo these things was deemed proof of good ness, just as the contrary was a proof of evil. The opposition of Scottish Calvinism to capitalism was so well known in Europe that some English commentators such as Roger LEstrange urged English businessmen to look at the record of the Scottish Presbyterians in interfering with commerce and industry for religious reasons before supporting Cromwells cause. In conclusion, the critics of Webers Protestantism/capitalism theory have reasonable and logical criticisms. As a historian, I find the Tawney non-linear argument to be very compelling. There is no doubt that capitalism in various forms existed in Europe prior to the Reformation. The Italian merchants and the Dutch clothiers operated under a rational economic system. Double-entry bookkeeping was invented in Italy and adopted by other merchants throughout Europe. I think it is obvious that several factors were at work in Europe during the long sixteenth century, which led to the growth and dominance of capitalism. All of this taken into consideration, Webers thesis still stands. His thesis is not perfect; it has all the flaws pointed out by the above critics. However, none of the critics I have read managed to destroy the basic premise by which Weber sought to explain the growth of capitalism. Something happened in the long sixteenth century which saw an explosion of capitalist economic activity, free thought, and religious rebellion. Whether the relationship among these is causal or coincidental will be grounds for conjecture for years to come. History shows us that in fact those nations which were predominantly Protestant showed economic growth much greater than those which were predominantly Catholic. Even Jacob Viners argument that the repressive nature of Scottish Calvinism does not damage Weber, since he acknowledged that once a religion becomes a creature of the state it then tends to oppress people rather than free them.

Cause and Effect in David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understand

Cause and Effect in David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume states, â€Å"there is not, in any single, particular instance of cause and effect, any thing which can suggest the idea of power or necessary connexion† (Hume, 1993: 41). Hume establishes in section II that all ideas originate from impressions that employ the senses (11). Therefore, in order for there to be an idea of power or â€Å"necessary connexion,† there must be impressions of this connection present in single instances of cause and effect; if there are no such impressions, then there cannot be an idea of â€Å"necessary connexion† (52). To illustrate his statement, Hume examines four situations: bodies interacting in the world, mind causing actions of the body, mind causing ideas of ideas, and God as the source of power. I will highlight Hume’s reasons and outline his arguments to establish that there is no â€Å"connexion† between cause and effect on the basis of singl e instances. Hume’s first reflection focuses on worldly bodies. Assuming that a â€Å"necessary connexion† exists between cause and effect, this effect could be determined, without prior experience, through reasoning, upon observation of the cause alone. We, however, observe the body and we observe the effect on the body or system but â€Å"the power or force, which actuates the whole machine [universe or chain of effects] is entirely concealed from us, and never discovers itself in any of the sensible qualities of body† (42). Hence, this situation demonstrates no impression of, and therefore no idea of, â€Å"necessary connexion† in â€Å"single instances of their (bodies) operation† (42). The second reflection in... ...out being ever able to comprehend any thing like connexion between them† (46). He expresses that this conjunction through similar experience is what allows us to relate cause and effect relatively accurately. On the other hand, Hume entertains the situation that â€Å"it is God himself, †¦ which we erroneously attribute to our own power and efficacy† (47). Hume argues that â€Å"there must arrise a strong suspicion †¦ (when we arrive at) conclusions so extraordinary, and so remote from common life and experience† (48). Further, Hume illustrates that no matter how ignorant we are â€Å"of the manner in which bodies operate on each other† we are equally ignorant of the supreme mind; we should reject the more unintelligible prospect (48). Works Cited Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2nd edition. Hackett Publishing: Indianapolis. 1993. Cause and Effect in David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understand Cause and Effect in David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume states, â€Å"there is not, in any single, particular instance of cause and effect, any thing which can suggest the idea of power or necessary connexion† (Hume, 1993: 41). Hume establishes in section II that all ideas originate from impressions that employ the senses (11). Therefore, in order for there to be an idea of power or â€Å"necessary connexion,† there must be impressions of this connection present in single instances of cause and effect; if there are no such impressions, then there cannot be an idea of â€Å"necessary connexion† (52). To illustrate his statement, Hume examines four situations: bodies interacting in the world, mind causing actions of the body, mind causing ideas of ideas, and God as the source of power. I will highlight Hume’s reasons and outline his arguments to establish that there is no â€Å"connexion† between cause and effect on the basis of singl e instances. Hume’s first reflection focuses on worldly bodies. Assuming that a â€Å"necessary connexion† exists between cause and effect, this effect could be determined, without prior experience, through reasoning, upon observation of the cause alone. We, however, observe the body and we observe the effect on the body or system but â€Å"the power or force, which actuates the whole machine [universe or chain of effects] is entirely concealed from us, and never discovers itself in any of the sensible qualities of body† (42). Hence, this situation demonstrates no impression of, and therefore no idea of, â€Å"necessary connexion† in â€Å"single instances of their (bodies) operation† (42). The second reflection in... ...out being ever able to comprehend any thing like connexion between them† (46). He expresses that this conjunction through similar experience is what allows us to relate cause and effect relatively accurately. On the other hand, Hume entertains the situation that â€Å"it is God himself, †¦ which we erroneously attribute to our own power and efficacy† (47). Hume argues that â€Å"there must arrise a strong suspicion †¦ (when we arrive at) conclusions so extraordinary, and so remote from common life and experience† (48). Further, Hume illustrates that no matter how ignorant we are â€Å"of the manner in which bodies operate on each other† we are equally ignorant of the supreme mind; we should reject the more unintelligible prospect (48). Works Cited Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2nd edition. Hackett Publishing: Indianapolis. 1993.

Comparing Red Badge of Courage and Great Expectations :: comparison compare contrast essays

Red Badge of Courage and Great Expectations The hero of The Red Badge of Courage, which was written by Stephen Crane in the late 1800s, was a young private named Henry Fleming, who was fighting for the North in the American Civil War. Like Pip, in Great Expectations, Henry was a commoner. He was new to the Army and few people knew his name. The main difference between Henry and the earlier heroes is that Henry was not born with leadership qualities or traits like bravery. In fact, in the first battle he fought, he proved himself to be a coward by running from it. Henry's flaws were very similar to those of Pip and the Greek heroes. Arrogance was a flaw that many Greek mortal heroes, especially Odysseus and Oedipus, had. When Henry realized that none of his fellow soldiers were aware that he had run from the first battle, he regained his self-pride and self-confidence. Before long, he had convinced himself that he was "chosen of the gods and doomed to greatness." At first, Pip believed that status and wealth determined the "goodness" of a person. Henry had similar illusions. He believed that a war hero was a person who could manage to escape every tight situation he got into, and also a godly figure people looked up to and were fascinated by. His other illusions were that the only the best could survive against the hideous "dragons" of war, and that the enemy was a machine that never tired or lost will to fight. An important difference between Henry and the Greek heroes was that Henry's flaws were recognized by the people of Crane's day, whereas the Greeks did not see any flaws in their heroes, like Odysseus (they thought traits like arrogance were cool). Another difference between Henry and the Greek heroes can be seen in their heroic acts. Greek war heroes were praised for their outward bravery and military genius (how many enemy soldiers they killed, or how they were able to trick the enemy). Near the end, Henry was a war hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers and commanding officers (he fought fearlessly and led charges), but what was truly heroic about Henry was the way he changed and developed.

Law of Attraction

Law of Attraction The law of attraction is a powerful tool that you can use to manifest the life of your dreams. However, before you begin to use it, you need to learn how to set clear intentions, use energy to fuel those intentions, release your limiting beliefs and allow your desires to manifest in ways that you cannot yet imagine. The Secret to Making the Law of Attraction Work Intention Set a clear intention, and be specific. If you want to make more money, specify exactly how much more money you want and what time period you will give yourself to make it.If you want a better relationship, write down the qualities you are looking for in your future partner. Keep the details in mind and state your intention using those details. Energy Put as much energy as you can into stating your intention. Use creative visualization to imagine yourself as if you have already obtained your goal. Imagine what you will be wearing, smelling, hearing, tasting and saying when you have achieved your g oal. These visuals will motivate you to take action in the areas of your life that need improvement, and things will begin to fall into place once you begin to take those actions.Release If you have trouble using visualization techniques, you may have some limiting beliefs that are preventing you from letting go. For example, you may feel deep down that you do not deserve to make more money or be in a healthy relationship. These internal blocks will actually repel what you want instead of attract what you want. You can release these beliefs using the very simple but effective methods of EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, or the Sedona Method. Look at the websites Emofree. com, Mygenie. tv, Tapping. com and Sedona. com to learn how to release your limiting beliefs easily and quickly.Allow You may find that the hardest part of using the law of attraction is to stay calm and confident in your belief that you will eventually receive what you have asked for. It is easy to grow impatie nt and wonder when and how your intentions will manifest in your life. However, if you do this, you will open the door for more limiting beliefs to sabotage your progress and you will have to start all over again. You can remain relaxed and focused by allowing yourself to be open to the possibility that your intentions will come to you in ways that you never dreamed possible.You can do this by telling yourself everyday that you can't wait to see how this is all going to come together for you and it eventually will. Facts about â€Å"Laws of Attraction† At its core, the laws of attraction are a restatement of the principle of the power of positive thinking and the belief that like attracts like. Serendipity, coincidence, karma, luck and fate are just a few of the words that describe the laws of attraction, according to author Michael J. Losier. The principle includes several basic beliefs and rituals. Law of Attraction BasicsThe law of attraction is based upon the belief that a person can influence his environment by his thoughts, actions, emotions and beliefs, both conscious and unconscious. This is based upon the assertion that a person's thoughts create energy that is released into the universe. In response to this energy, the universe creates an equal reaction. This principle applies to both positive and negative thoughts and, under the laws of attraction, a person who thinks positive will attract positive whereas a negative-thinking person will attract negative results.Accordingly, the law of attraction instructs practitioners to learn to focus the mind and thoughts in order to bring about the desired outcome. The Steps The law of attraction is based upon three steps. First, you must know what you want and ask the universe to deliver. Second, you must feel and act as if you have already received your desired result. Finally, you must be open to receiving the result you desire. According to proponents, performing each of these steps is necessary in o rder to receive what you desire from the universe and a person who does not see results should evaluate whether they have properly completed each step.Tools of Laws of Attraction Proponents of the laws of attraction encourage practitioners to use several tools in order to encourage positive thinking and desired results. Participants are encouraged to make lists of the goals they wish to accomplish and refer to these lists to focus their thoughts. Participants are also encouraged to write down positive affirmations and repeat these statements to themselves or out loud in order to focus the mind on creating these positive results. Vision boards are another tool used by practitioners of laws of attractions.Creating a vision board consists of gathering visual representations of your goals, such as pictures, words or phrases. These pictures are then placed on a board and displayed in a visible area. The practitioner then refers to the vision board throughout the day in order to visualize her goals and focus her thoughts on achieving those goals. Critics While many support the principles of the law of attraction, there are those who criticize the belief and related teachings. Criticisms of the practice include claims that it is a fad and encourages materialism.Additionally, medical professional suggest the principle leads to a mentality that blames the victim as it encourages the belief that negative conditions are the result of your own thoughts. These professionals claim that this way of thought can prove dangerous to those suffering from mental illness. Other critics claim the laws of attraction do not place enough emphasis on action. It instead encourages followers to simply think about what they want without any discussion of the actual work needed to achieve the results. How to Use the Law of AttractionThe law of attraction states that every positive or negative event that happened with you was attracted by you. Say that special friend loaned you money when yo u didn't have any. You attracted that, even without your awareness of using the law. Say that teacher, classmate, client, or co-worker gave you a hard time during the day. You attracted that, too. Again, we are using the law every second of every day. You've even attracted reading this article! There are really only three basic steps: ask, believe, and receive. However, the point of this article is to break those three steps down into simpler, more concise ones. . Relax your mind. Meditate  for 5 to 10 minutes. Doing this will increase brain power and have your mind at that relaxed state. This step is optional but recommended. 2. Be sure about what you want and when you do decide don't doubt yourself. Remember that you're sending a request to the Universe which is created by thoughts and therefore responds to thoughts. Know exactly what it is that you want. If you're not clear/sure, the Universe will get an unclear frequency and will send you unwanted results. So be sure it is som ething you have strong enthusiasm for. 3. Ask the Universe for it.Make your request. You don't have to actually speak or use words because it doesn't hear words. Send a picture of what you want to the Universe. The Universe will answer. See this thing as already yours. See  How to Visualize. The more detailed your vision, the better. If you're wanting that Nintendo Wii, see yourself sitting down playing a game on it. See yourself feeling the controller, playing your favorite game(s), touching the console. If there's that person you have a crush on, see yourself walking with her/him, touching or caressing the person, or even kissing the person.You get the idea. 4. Write your wish down. Start with â€Å"I am so happy and grateful now that†¦ † and finish the sentence (or paragraph) telling the Universe what it is that you want. Write it in the present tense as if you have it right now. Avoid negation terms (see Warnings for more on this). Every day until your wish comes t rue, close your eyes and imagine your desire as if it's happening right now. 5. Feel it. Feel the way you will now after receiving your wish. You must act, speak, and think as if you are receiving it now.This is actually the most important, powerful step in using the Law of Attraction because this is where it starts working, and sometimes if you do this you don't feel like you need it anymore because you FEEL like you already have it! and then the universe will manifest this thought and feeling and you will receive it. 6. Show gratitude. Write down all the things the Universe has given you. Be thankful for what you already have and be thankful for all the things the Universe has given you. The Universe has done a lot of things for us.Paying the Universe back with some gratitude will motivate the Universe to do even more things and will draw more things into your life. If you were once bullied and that person stopped, that's one thing to be thankful for. If the person you're crushing on likes you back, or doesn't but she/he didn't send their lover out to hurt you, that's another thing to thank the Universe for. You should also thank the Universe for this process too. Showing gratitude will turbo boost the Universe to manifest your request faster. 7. Trust the Universe.Imagine an alternate dimension that is almost exactly like the real world but whatever you truly desire comes true in an instant. See yourself in that dimension, where whatever you ask the Universe for comes to you in an instant. Don't  look for  what you asked for; this is where people tend to mess up. If you have to keep an eye out for an event that manifests your wish, it's only telling the Universe you don't have it and you will attract†¦ not having it. Be patient. Don't get upset if these things don't happen immediately. Don't stress the â€Å"how† of things. Let the Universe do it for you.When you take the Universe's job of worrying about the â€Å"how†, this says you' re lacking faith and that you're telling the Universe what to do when the Universe has far greater knowledge and power than human mankind. Tips * Try this†¦ if you experience an event that makes you so happy and overjoyed that you want to attract more into your life then try and remember your inner emotion you had (your heart beating faster/ stomach jumping) whatever it was try and replicate that by remembering the event and then if your vibrational energy is the same as you felt in that joyous moment then the it will manifest and you will attract it into your life. Have a  vision board  or a picture from a magazine to help you see and feel what you want, look at that picture everyday (better to do this in the morning since this will help you to feel better throughout the day), and focus on emitting happy feelings to the Universe. * Focus as often as you can on what you DO want rather than on what you don't want. For example, if you are angry or upset about a war/conflict t hat has been going on, do your best to be ‘pro-peace' rather than ‘anti-war' – focus on the peace, and the kinds of solutions that you would like to see, instead of whatever it is that you do not like about the situation. Good feelings = good reality. Feel GOOD. Put on your favorite song, paint a picture, have fun with your pet, or think of someone or something that you love, something that makes you happy, and just shut your eyes and dwell on this. These can be called Frequency Shifters, so have a few up your sleeve. Different thoughts work for different situations, so think of a few now you can use later. Warnings * You can't use the Law of Attraction to control people. However, if you have a friend who you haven't seen in a long time and you want her to come to you.Instead of saying â€Å"I want my friend to show up at my door,† just say, â€Å"I want to walk down the street and see her pass by,† or something like that. * Avoid using those negatio n terms. For example, if you want to get out of debt and you say â€Å"I want to get out of debt,† the Universe only see the word ‘debt' and will send more along your way. It pays no attention to negation terms like, ‘no', ‘not', ‘none', ‘out' and so fourth. Instead say â€Å"I am in rich/wealthy/ have lots of money. * â€Å"Be careful what you wish for because you just may get it,† is not a statement to joke around with.This law is so powerful your request could manifest instantly and powerfully without warning. Remember, this Law could be used to create or destroy. * If you are constantly worried about bad things happening, or negative outcomes, then you are using the law of attraction AGAINST yourself. To worry is really to apply most of the above steps, towards a NEGATIVE outcome. You are visualizing the negative outcome and asking the universe for it with pictures of the negative outcome, you are feeling the feelings of the negative outcome †¦ Stop Worrying and follow step seven above. You can't have any resistance in your mind for example  : if you have just tried using the law of attraction and you say â€Å"this stuff isn't working† then the universe will give you more of ‘this isn't working'. The Law of Attraction  simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest. But  the Law of Attraction gives rise to some tough questions that don’t seem to have good answers. I would say, however, that these problems aren’t caused by the Law of Attraction itself but rather by the Law of Attraction as applied to objective reality.Here are some of those problematic questions (all are generalizations of ones I received via email): * What happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available? * Do children, babies, and/or animals pu t out intentions? * If a child is abused, does that mean the child intended it in some way? * If I intend for my relationship to improve, but my spouse doesn’t seem to care, what will happen? These questions seem  to weaken the plausibility of the Law of Attraction. Sometimes people  answer them by going pretty far out.For example, it’s been said by LoAers that a young child experiences abuse because s/he intended it or earned it  during a past life. Well, sure†¦ we can explain just about anything if we bring past lives into the equation, but IMO that’s a cop-out. On the other hand, objective reality without the Law of Attraction  doesn’t provide satisfactory answers  either — supposedly some  kids are just born unlucky. That’s a cop-out too. I’ve never been satisfied by others’ answers to these questions, and they’re pretty important questions if the Law of Attraction is to be believed.Some books hint a t the solution but never really  nail it. That nail, however, can be found in the concept of subjective reality. Subjective reality  is a belief system in which (1)  there is only one consciousness, (2) you are that singular consciousness, and (3) everything and everyone  in your reality is a projection of your thoughts. You may not see it yet, but subjective reality  neatly answers all these tricky Law of Attraction questions. Let me ‘splain†¦. In subjective reality there’s only one consciousness, and it’s yours. Consequently, there’s only one source of intentions in your universe — YOU.While you may observe lots of walking, talking bodies in your reality, they all exist inside your consciousness. You know this is how your dreams work, but you haven’t yet realized your  waking reality  is just another type of dream. It only seems solid because you believe (intend)  it is. Since none of the other characters you encounterà ‚  are conscious in a way that’s separate from you, nobody else can have  intentions. The only intentions are yours. You’re the only thinker in this universe. It’s important to correctly define the  YOU in subjective reality. YOU are not your physical body. This is not the egoic you at all.I’m not suggesting you’re a conscious body walking around in a world full of unconscious automatons. That would be a total misunderstanding of subjective reality. The correct viewpoint is that you’re the single consciousness in which this entire reality  takes place. Imagine you’re having a  dream. In that dream what exactly are YOU? Are YOU the physical dream character you identify with? No, of course not — that’s just your dream avatar. YOU are the dreamer. The entire dream  occurs within your consciousness. All dream characters are projections of your dream  thoughts, including your avatar.In fact, if you learn  lucid dreaming, you can even  switch avatars in your dream by possessing another character. In a lucid dream, you can do anything you believe you can. Physical reality works the same way. This is a denser universe than what you experience in your  sleeping dreams, so changes occur a bit more gradually here. But this reality still  conforms to your thoughts just like a sleeping dream. YOU are the dreamer in which all of this is taking place. The idea that other people have intentions is an illusion because other people are just projections.Of course, if you strongly believe other people have intentions, then that’s the dream you’ll create for yourself. But ultimately it’s still an illusion. Here’s how subjective reality answers these challenging Law of Attraction questions: What happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available? Since you’re the only intender, this is entirely an internal conflict — within YOU. You’re holding the thought (the intention) for both people to want the same position. But you’re also thinking (intending) that only one can get it. So you’re intending competition.This whole situation is your creation. You  believe in competition, so that’s what you manifest. Maybe you have some beliefs (thoughts and intentions) about who will get the promotion, in which case your expectations will manifest. But you may have a higher order belief that life is random, unfair, uncertain, etc. , so in that case you may manifest a surprise because that’s what you’re intending. Being the only intender in your reality places a huge  responsibility  on your shoulders. You can give up control of your reality  by thinking (intending) randomness and uncertainty, but you can never give up responsibility.You’re the sole creator in this universe. If you think about war, poverty, d isease, etc. , that’s exactly what you’ll manifest. If you think about peace, love, and joy, you’ll manifest that too. Your reality is exactly what you think it is. Whenever you think about anything, you summon its manifestation. Do children, babies, and/or animals put out intentions? No. Your own body doesn’t even put out intentions — only your consciousness does. You’re the only one who has intentions, so what takes precedence is what  YOU intend for the children, babies, and animals in your reality.Every thought is an intention, so however you think about the other beings in your reality is what you’ll eventually manifest for them. Keep in mind that beliefs are hierarchical, so if you have a high order belief that reality is random and unpredictable and out of your control, then that intention will trump other intentions of which you’re less certain. It’s your entire collection of thoughts that dictates how your rea lity manifests. If a child is abused, does that mean the child intended it in some way? No. It means YOU intended it. You intend child abuse to manifest simply by thinking about it.The more you think about child abuse (or any other subject), the more you’ll see it expand in your reality. Whatever you think about expands, and not just in the narrow space of your avatar but in all of physical reality. If I intend for my relationship to improve, but my spouse doesn’t seem to care, what will happen? This is another example of intending conflict. You’re projecting  one intention  for your avatar and one for your spouse, so the actual unified intention is that of conflict. Hence the result you experience, subject to the influence of your higher order beliefs, will be to experience conflict with your spouse.If your thoughts are conflicted, your reality is conflicted. This is why assuming responsibility for your thoughts is so important. If you want to see peace in the world, then intend peace for EVERYTHING in your reality. If you want to see abundance in the world, then intend it for EVERYONE. If you want to enjoy loving relationships, then intend loving relationships  for ALL. If you intend these only for your own avatar  but not for others, then you’re intending conflict, division, and separation; consequently, that’s what you’ll experience. If you stop thinking about something entirely, does that mean it disappears?Yes, technically it does. But in practice it’s next to impossible to  uncreate what you’ve already manifested. You’ll continue creating  the same problems  just by noticing them. But when you assume 100% responsibility for everything you’re experiencing in your  reality right now — absolutely everything — then you assume the power to  alter your reality by rechanneling your thoughts. This entire reality is your creation. Feel good about that. Feel grat eful for the richness of your world. And then begin creating the reality you truly want by making decisions and holding intentions.Think about what you desire, and withdraw your thoughts  from what you don’t want. The  most natural, easiest way to  do this is to  pay attention to your emotions. Thinking about your desires feels good, and thinking about what you don’t want makes you feel bad. When you notice yourself feeling bad,  you’ve caught yourself  thinking about  something you don’t want. Turn your  focus back towards what you do want, and your emotional state will improve rapidly. As you do this repeatedly, you’ll begin to see your physical reality shift too, first in subtle ways and then in bigger leaps. I too am just a manifestation of your consciousness.I play the role you expect me to play. If you expect me to be a helpful guide, I will be. If you expect me to be profound and insightful, I will be. If you expect me to be confused or deluded, I will be. But of course there’s no distinct ME that is separate from YOU. I’m just one of your many creations. I am what you intend me to be. But deep down you already knew that, didn’t you? The Fundamentals of the Law of Attraction The  Law of Attraction is the most fundamental of all universal laws. Out-pacing the laws of gravity and velocity, well-beyond the measurements of science, The Law of Attraction is the basis for who YOU are.For those who are new to conscious thinking, this idea that your thoughts create your reality might be as whimsical as a spotted leopard running free through the city streets. As a crazy notion, a â€Å"New Age† scam, even an â€Å"airy-fairy† mind twister, the Law of Attraction is not a new idea. This rather  fundamental concept has been around for ages, often hidden from the masses by those who wish to keep people â€Å"unconscious†. For those who have had some experience with this concept, they might find these words refreshing and fulfilling. This idea is not new to them but is a reminder of what they already know.Astrophysicist  Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson  was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, â€Å"What is  the most astounding fact  you can share with us  about the Universe? † This is his answer: â€Å"When I look up at the night sky, and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe,  we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up — many people feel small, ’cause they’re small and  the Universe is big, but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. † -Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson Your thoughts do ndeed create your reality. Thoughts are forms of energy that are sent ahead and eventually manifest as physical matter. The thoughts you think determine the outcome of your worldly experiences, from finances to h ealth, relationships to environment. In fact, there is no aspect of your life that is not affected by your thoughts. â€Å"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions. † -Albert Einstein â€Å"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. † -William James â€Å"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it.Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics. † -Albert Einstein/Bashar  (debatable) Most of us were taught to be sloppy thinkers. We remain frozen in worry or defeated by fear. We believe that we have become victims of our circumstances. As our thoughts remain negative or mostly unconscious, we end up attracting by default. We are stunned when we develop a horrible disease, become involved in a tragic car accident or suffer from financial failure. Without rea lizing it, the thoughts we have been thinking are all responsible for this.The ability to focus a thought becomes the driving force behind The Law of Attraction. Focusing on a single thought purely and clearly for a short duration of time becomes the starting point. Once you become adept at focusing your thoughts it will be easier and more efficient. Words do not matter much but the emotion behind the words does. The Universe works on vibration. Everything is vibration first and matter second. When you feel an affirming emotion when focusing thought you are now creating dynamic change. Pure thought with positive emotion is said to be the equivalent of 2000 action hours.The problem that many people run into is that they â€Å"pretend† to be positive on the outside but are really vibrating negativity on the inside. They might not even be aware of what it is that they are doing. The Law of Attraction is so powerful that it trumps all other laws and forces in the Universe. It nev er takes time off or breaks and it is always working. It supersedes science, viruses, bacteria, pathogens, parasites, natural disasters, bad luck, heredity, genetics, chance, random, poor diet, too much sugar, astrology, numerology, tea leaves and psychology.Under The Law of Attraction, there are no odds and statistics are meaningless. Nothing happens by mistake. The thoughts you think do indeed create your reality. There are two primary forces in the Universe — allowing and resisting. If your manifestation has not yet arrived it is only because you are resisting it. Here is how this works. Imagine driving your car with one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the brake at the same time. Your car might be moving forward but there will be quite a bit of resistance along the way, not to mention the damage done to the brakes.Most people become frustrated and stop believing in the power of their own thoughts only because they have unconsciously placed great resistance in front o f their dreams. Frustration will pull you even more into the negative thinking mode and create more mistrust in the Law of Attraction. Let's say that you desire to have more money. This is a positive thinking manifestation. You are now in a state of creation and allowing. You then might begin to worry about how complicated it will be to have all of this money. You imagine that you won't know how to manage it.Others will want some of it and you might not know how to say â€Å"No† to them. Now you are in a state of resistance. Your foot is â€Å"sharply pressing down on the brakes† in your â€Å"vibrational† world. This is why your creation has not yet arrived. When you are in a state of judgment you are also in a state of resistance. Imagine wanting an expensive new car but you have judgments about those who are able to afford expensive new cars. You are now in a state of resistance. Imagine that you want an easy life where you did not have to work so hard to get by.You keep yourself in a state of resistance when you judge others who already have an easy life where they do not have to work so hard. You can not belong to a club where you despise the current members. If you want your manifestations to arrive you must already be a vibrational match to them. Festering in a state of judgment is just pushing your desires away. The Four Levels of Consciousness There are four levels of consciousness. Most people never make it out of level one and are condemned to suffer in this self-imposed hell of an inner world. Here are the four levels of consciousness: 1.Unconscious Unconsciousness At this stage you are not even aware that you are unconscious. You attract negative things into your life at a rapid pace, as if you have developed a negative ball of energy rolling down hill. Nothing is ever your fault and you are always looking for someone to blame. 2. Conscious Unconsciousness Here you are aware of your negative thinking and the consequences that it might bring. You might see your negative pattern and have become aware of what it is that you are attracting. You may not like what you are attracting, but you have taken responsibility for it. 3. Conscious ConsciousnessYou deliberately decide to focus pure and positive thought on something and remove all resistance to its arrival. And, sure enough, it arrives. Your creation might be something as simple as visualizing a parking space opening up for you at the mall. You deliberately intended it, allowed it to come to you and acknowledged it when it arrives. 4. Unconscious Consciousness When you get to this point, you do not have to work so hard to create things in your life. You are a believer in how the mind game is played and you spend conscious time each day making your mind important. New creations come to you easily and quickly.You have built a positive ball of energy that continues to roll forward in your favor. People call you the â€Å"lucky one†. The Mind is  NOT   the Brain The scientific and rational community have spent an inordinate amount of time and money studying the brain. The belief among these individuals is that the brain is the ultimate part of who we are. They say that the brain controls everything. The mind, according to these scientific types, is just a function of the brain. This is akin to the belief that the brain secretes hormones through the glandular system, establishes electrical impulses through the electrical system and has many more functions.We are told by our scientists that the brain is the most important organ and the mind is just an activity that the brain performs. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The reality is that scientists and rational-minded individuals have it completely backwards. The mind is much bigger than the brain. The mind does not live in the brain but passes through the brain. The mind can pass into the smallest cell in one's body or can travel into the future or across thousands of mi les of empty space. Have you ever heard of someone who was â€Å"incurably sick† and learns how to focus his mind and heal his body? This happens every day.When you take your thoughts to Aunt Alice, thousands of miles away, and the next thing you know there is a telephone call from her, the brain did not do that. The mind, traveling far outside the body, reached out to make contact. Magic will begin to happen at even a quicker pace when we stop studying the brain (just an organ) and learn how to focus our minds. Scientists and brain researchers are far away from the leading edge of discovery. You can not study the mind with a microscope, X-Ray, MRI or a CAT scan. Using your mind to attract your reality is actually a very simple technique. First, make your thoughts important.Most people randomly shrug off their thoughts as not being important. They often get stuck thinking the same old negative thoughts all day long and can not begin to see the relationship between what they a re thinking and what is happening in their life. Three Ways of Attracting 1. Direct Asking You are angry that you have a beat up old car and every day you proclaim how much you despise this car and wish someone would just come along and crash into it to get rid of it. Lo and behold, you are involved in a traffic accident and your car is destroyed. You act surprised when this event transpires and you move into blame and anger.You believe whole-heartily that it must be the other driver's fault for not paying closer attention. 2. Fear You might have heard stories of how wild animals are attracted to fear so if you are approached by one do not run or act afraid. The Law of Attraction works the very same way. If you are afraid of â€Å"catching† a horrible disease you are still attracting it to you. If you are afraid of financial failure you are still attracting it. Whatever you are afraid of has a good chance of coming closer to you. This occurs because your thoughts are like mag nets, whether those thoughts are positive ones or negative ones. 3.Vibrational Alignment Emotional alignment is important when attracting. Imagine leaving the house feeling like a victim. Why does it surprise you when you spill coffee on yourself? This incidence only matches a vibration that you were already experiencing. Like attracts more of the same. A vibration of negativity will bring more negativity your way whereas a vibrational attitude of positivity will attract positive results. Mental Obesity Imagine what life might be like if you were three-hundred pounds overweight in your body? What would it be like to travel on an airplane, to walk up and down stairs and to try to go to the bathroom?Most people are three-hundred pounds overweight in their minds. Their minds are quite out of shape and their life is filled with struggle and blame. They are in denial that there is a problem (just like many physically obese people) and they do nothing to try to change the situation. If yo u were physically obese you might start slowly to make small changes in your life (dietary adjustments, beginning a walking program etc. ). Mental shaping up is no different. Begin by imagining all the lights turning green when you are driving down the road or the perfect parking space is waiting for you at the grocery store.Small steps add up to big changes. Blame If there were two words that I could eliminate from the English language they would be†victim†Ã‚  and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"survivor. †Ã‚  You hear these powerful words over and over again, through the media, through â€Å"support† groups and from the common person. These two conditions can only exist from someone who is â€Å"unconsciously unconscious. † This is a person who is not aware of the thoughts that he is thinking and the chaos that he is attracting. There are no â€Å"victims† and there are no â€Å"survivors. † There are only â€Å"conscious choosers† or â€Å"unconsci ous choosers. When you become an unconscious chooser you often remain in a state of â€Å"blame. † This situation occurs where you believe that it is always somebody else's fault that your life is going poorly. For instance, many people continue to blame the â€Å"poor economy† for their own lack of financial success. Yet, there are many who are thriving in this â€Å"poor economy. † Most often these â€Å"thrivers† will tell you that they are not interested in listening to the scarcity-minded pundits on television, but choose their own path to prosperity. They are consciously choosing a new way to think and thus have a prosperous lifestyle.They also say that they are not interested in participating in the â€Å"down economy. † Remaining in blame is just another way of saying that you are not willing to be responsible for the thoughts that you are thinking. Sabotage Why would someone deliberately choose to develop a horrible disease or choose to ha ve bad things happen to them? This is often a challenging question for many to understand. The answer is very simple. We all have a part of ourselves that is frozen in sabotage. Not everyone wants to feel well or to be wealthy. Most people have invested a great amount of time and thought into sabotage and this is what shows up.You might have heard the expression that says, â€Å"if you go looking for trouble then trouble is likely to find you. † A parent knows all too well how sabotage works. At one time or another most children will â€Å"develop† a cold or sickness to avoid a situation like going to school or visiting a relative. The child's thoughts are powerful enough to change the physical body so the child can escape a situation that he or she does not know how to handle (i. e. a test, a conflict etc. ). As adults, our powerful thoughts continue to sabotage our lives, only the outcome is often quite stronger.From putting on weight to financial hardships, if you a re not thriving then your thoughts are actively involved in sabotaging your greatest successes. You have invested in sabotage as the primary reference point in your life. Somehow you errantly believe that you are benefiting from sabotage just like the sick child feels a benefit by not having to attend school. For instance, many people create illnesses to rest, take a break from life, to be taken care of by others or to avoid an uneasy situation. Instead of learning to find the tools to resolve these conflicts, becoming sick is the easiest way to find relief.One could make the argument that hospitals are filled with people who are choosing illness as a way of getting relief from a mental conflict that they are unable to resolve any other way. Yes, your mind is that powerful and there are no exceptions. Children and Illnesses It might be difficult to understand why a child would choose to get sick and die. What most of us do not realize is that children too are thinking and creating t heir reality. Whether it is in the womb, infancy or adolescence, a child is still focusing thoughts, either positively or negatively, and is still creating his or her reality. Here is an example of how this works.A story appeared in a local newspaper of a fourteen-year old boy who mysteriously and â€Å"accidentally† hung himself while playing on a makeshift backyard rope course that he had built. Most people assumed this to be a horrible accident and a chance of fate. What most people do not realize is the actual story being created by this young boy. Two days before his death the teenager was kicked off the freshman football team at school. He was devastated. He felt his life was over. The expulsion from the team caused him so much despair that he did not believe that he could go on. He felt trapped and helpless and wanted relief from his suffering.His mind created a situation where he would find relief and still save face (his death would look like an accident). Conclusion While this way of perceiving the world might be difficult to digest for many, when you understand our investment in sabotage things become much clearer. We are all looking for relief from conflict. If we do not believe that we can resolve the conflict externally, we frequently create a situation that resolves itself internally. This is often seen in sports. When an athlete is not performing well or has an off the field conflict, he frequently suffers an injury.While the injury might be real (a pulled hamstring or a stiff back), the mind was busily at work creating the situation. Fans would much more likely support a player if he were injured than if he were having marital problems at home. After all, an athlete is expected to leave his personal issues off the field or court. You do not have to believe in the Law of Attraction for it to be working. Just like you do not have to understand or have knowledge of gravity, it is still working. Step off a balcony of a two story building an d whether you believe in gravity or not, you will most likely still come crashing to the ground.Most people create by default, meaning that they are not aware of what their thoughts are and hence take no responsibility when their manifestations arrive—for the better or worse. â€Å"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. † -Albert Einstein If you do not learn how to play the game then the game will certainly play you. We are talking about the mind game going on inside of you. When you are an unconscious attractor of your reality you often become a victim and are stuck in blame. This is when the game is playing you.A mind in a state of appreciation is a mind creating positive results. A mind looking for someone or something to blame is a mind creating more sabotage and chaos in one's life. Whether you believe in the Law of Attraction or not, it does not matter. The power of the mind is still at work and the results can still be felt. Don't you think it better off to learn how to focus your thoughts and start to receive all of the dreams that you have been asking for? Law of Attraction Quotes â€Å"What You Set Is, What You Get. † â€Å"If It’s In There, It’s Out There. † â€Å"At The End, Nothing Else Matters. † If you do not attract what you want to be, you will be what you are, FOREVER† â€Å"The Secret Was Never The Secret, But Was Used Secretly, Now It’s Revealed. † â€Å"A Small Shift In Your Perception Will Bring Big Change In You. † â€Å"Our Thoughts Are Boomerang, What Goes Out There, Will Bring More Of It. † â€Å"There Are No Coincidences Or Miracles In Life; Just That You Attracted Them At Some Point Of Time. † â€Å"Life Is A Canvas, Sketch Your Reality On It. † â€Å"Take The First Step In Faith, Rest Will Unfold, As You Go Along. † â€Å"You Are In Present, Is What You Attracted In Past, You Will In Future, What You Attracting Now. â€Å"You Are, Your Attraction. † â€Å"Your Attraction Causes Your Feeling, Feelings In Return Causes You More Of What You Attracted. It’s A Never Ending Process. † â€Å"Law Of Attraction Is A Universal Law; Power Law Of Attraction Is An Approach To Apply It For Instant Manifestation. † â€Å"Every Moment We Are Choosing, Out Of Our Sub Atomic Possibilities, Which Manifests As Real Atomic Experience, When We Attract Them. † Also check these links http://www. powerlawofattraction. com/ http://www. thelawofattraction. co. uk/quotes/ Some Questions and Answers related to law of attraction What Is Law of Attraction?Simply stated, law of Attraction states that â€Å"like attracts like†! Your  thoughts  are like magnet and attract to you whatever you think about, so everything that we experience is brought about as a consequence of our thoughts. The law of Attraction teaches us to increase our, emotio nal, physicals and even financial well-being. It encourages a more positive outlook on life and helps people learn how to deliberately attract their wishes and wants from their thoughts straight into their lives. Is The Law of Attraction  Working In My Life? Yes. Your thoughts and feelings create your reality minute by minute. This never stops.We make conscious choices about how to feel and more of it is attracted into our lives. How are you feeling now? Perhaps you feel like complaining about the harsh weather, rude boss or bad traffic. You’d only be attracting more things to complain about. Instead, have you been thankful today for having a roof over your head, a job and a car? By doing this, you will be aligning yourself up for more wonderful things to be thankful for. Why do Law of Attraction strategies sometimes fail to work? Remember that the Law of Attraction doesn’t fail; it is a universal law just like the  Law of Gravity. It can’t fail!So, it must be we, who are failing the law instead. It may not be working for you because of your inner resistance. It may be conscious or subconscious, but there is a part of you that doesn’t believe that you deserve a particular thing that you desire. How Can I Attract My Ideal Life? Keep your thoughts, ideas and feelings in alignment with your desires; and you will have it. A simple exercise would be to visualize your ideal life, perhaps make a dream board and look at it a few minutes every day. This will remind you of your aspirations and soon the universe will help you achieve your ideal life. What Is Vibration?Vibration is your thoughts in an energy form working to manifest your desires. Light, heat, electricity; everything has invisible vibrations that help it manifest into something very real and tangible. Every person has similar vibrations, which are powerful thought waves. Mastery over these vibrations can also help us conquer the law of attraction. How Can I Attract More Mone y? The first step towards achieving your desires is that you should know what exactly it is that you want. If you want more money, ask yourself how much you want and why. Be it a 25% raise at work or earning a million, before the end of the year. Then take action.Not even the Law of Attraction can make you rich if your only pastime is sitting on a couch. You will have to work towards your goal, once you have decided on it. How Can I Get More Of  What I Want? By asking for it! Once you know what you want, you decide to go after your goals relentlessly. How long does it take before I start attracting what I want? You are always attracting, so The Law of Attraction is always on! But you will start attracting your desires when you believe. Do away with all doubt and self- limiting beliefs and permit your requests to manifest instantly! Does this mean that I can be anything I feel like?Yes and no. The Law of Attraction allows you to reach goals and achieve happiness but it doesnâ€℠¢t mean that you won’t have to work hard for it. It is not some spell that will automatically grant your wishes. Be more grounded and realize that you are the ultimate power here, only you can take the steps and think the thoughts that will make a difference in your life. Question:  It’s hard not to be immobilized when so much change is required, so anything that could give me a daily kick start would be helpful, so when faced with negative thoughts etc, I could cling to the words of the day to keep me focused and strong in my conviction.Answer:  You can start writing out your own thoughts of the day. Every morning take 5 minutes while still in bed and think about your day, visualize what you would want it to be like, what are the main thoughts you would want to hold in your mind, then get up and write it down. Here you have your own thought of the day. I also highly recommend signing up for notes from the Universe at  http://www. tut. com. I love getting their d aily little reminders. Question: Why is it so easy to attract negative problems and so hard even with a good outlook for long periods of time, so hard to attract positive things?Answer: Do you see that this is the belief of yours that you keep reinforcing? You believe that it is hard for you to attract positive things and easy to attract negative ones. The Universe aligns itself according to your belief. You need to change the belief. How? Start by simply repeating to yourself–I attract positive experiences in my life easily and effortlessly. I will go over in more detail how you can get rid of your negative beliefs in my future videos and emails. Question:  Should I be doing it all: affirmations, visualization, vision board? Can I just pick one or two ways to manifest my desires?Answer:  Yes, you can definitely choose just one or two that works for you. No need to do it all and stress about it. Just choose what feels right and do it consistently. I highly recommend visua lization. I am going to cover some advanced visualization techniques in my course too. Question:  Getting in alignment is difficult. Can you give some tips? Answer:  You are in alignment when you feel good. Try this exercise-find something in your environment that you feel grateful for. It might be anything-your computer for example. Think about that object, feel really grateful for having it, feel that high vibration,  Ã‚  then move on to nother object. Think of everything that you are grateful for in your life  Ã‚  throughout the day. Not only material things, but your health, your family, your friends, your experiences, for you yourself. There is so much to be grateful for I bet! The more you feel grateful for all the good things you have already in your life the more you align yourself with all the other good things yet to come. Do it often, it works! I will share many more tips and techniques of getting in alignment later. Question:  It is difficult to keep my vibrati on positive and high, because we are surrounded with negative vibration.Answer: See the previous answer. Also there are lots of other things you can do to keep your vibrations high. Do something that you love and truly enjoy every day. Find something small, that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine like listening to your favorite music for example and do it every day. That should help raise your vibrations. Also try to avoid as much of the negativity as you can. Stop watching the news, violent TV shows, etc. All of that stuff doesn’t serve you in any way but putting your vibrations down. Question:  What does it mean â€Å"ask and forget all about it†?Isn? t it a contradiction? Answer:  No it is not a contradiction. When you ask and then let go, you pretty much show the Universe that you have faith, that you know with 100% certainty that what you want is yours already. You get yourself out of the way. Letting go is very important. I will show you some exact techniques on how to do it in my course. Question: I have a lot of doubts about the Law of Attraction and The 11 Forgotten Laws. I really want to know more about these and why the Law of Attraction doesn? t work without these 11 laws.Answer:  I personally don’t think that you need all of the 11 laws to see changes for the better in your life. Even though I read Bob Proctor’s book  11 Forgotten Laws  and think that it is excellent, I don’t think you truly need all of the 11 laws. I do believe that there are a couple of laws that you need to use in addition to the Law of Attraction. Like the Law of Detachment. Learning to truly let go of your desires is a very important skill. You need to let go and get out of the way for your desires to manifest quickly and easily. (source: http://daringclarity. om/law-of-attraction-questions-and-answers) 12 Ways The ‘Law Of Attraction' Can Improve Your Life Psychologists, New Age thinkers and religious leaders have been talking about the  Law Of Attraction  for years, though it gained popularity again when the book â€Å"The Secret† made waves in 2006. The law is simply this: We attract whatever we think about, good or bad. Oprah is a fan of the law and devoted an  episode of her show  to how it could change lives. Whether or not you believe in the power of the universe, there is  scientific research that proves the effects of positive thinking.You attract good or bad experiences based on your thoughts. â€Å"The one who speaks most about illness has illness. The one who speaks about prosperity has prosperity,† Esther and Jerry Hicks write. â€Å"You attract all of it. † By focusing on something, you make it happen. Thinking about something means you invite it in, even if you don't want it. â€Å"When you think a little thought of something that you want, through the Law of Attraction, that thought grows larger and larger, and more and more powerful,† according to the book. So keep your thoughts positive.The more you focus on something, the more powerful it becomes. This allows you to create your own reality by â€Å"attracting† the experiences you want to have. You probably brought bad things upon yourself by worrying about them, according to the laws described in the book. It's better to trust your emotions than over-think a decision. In other words: Listen to your intuition. Instead of overthinking your choices, let your emotions guide you toward what is right and what is wrong. This will result in a more satisfying life. You can make good things happen more quickly by thinking about them more.. Want† and â€Å"desire† consist of wanting â€Å"to focus attention, or give thought toward a subject, while at the same time experiencing positive emotion. When you give your attention to a subject and you feel only positive emotion about it as you do so, it will come very quickly into your experience,† the Hicks write. To make a change, you've got to see things as you hope them to be, not as they are. This is something that successful people know about. It's also called visualization. Michael Phelps  spoke about  picturing himself winning every night before bed. In order to effect true positive change in your experience, you must disregard how things are — as well as how others are seeing you — and give more of your attention to the way you prefer things to be,† the book says. You can increase your magnetic power by devoting time to â€Å"powerful thinking. † each day. Spend 15 minutes every day thinking hard about your goals, dreams and what you want from life. The Hicks say this increases your chances for success. Success isn't a finite resource; everyone can have it. Others being successful doesn't limit your success.And by attracting abundance to yourself, you are not limiting another, according to the book. Don't allow yourself to wallow in disappo intment. Being disappointed only attracts more stuff to be upset about and is only a sign that you're not getting what you want in life. So think about how to get what you want instead of what you don't have. Avoid TV shows that deal with negative experiences like crime or illness. Letting this stuff in makes you think about it more and increases the odds it could happen to you. â€Å"Your attention to anything is drawing it closer to you,† they say.Know that your relationships with people are bad because you made them that way. Giving your attention to the negative can wreak havoc on personal relationships. This mentality can help free us from bad relationships with relatives or a spouse. â€Å"Nothing can come into your experience without your personal attraction to it,† they say. Don't worry about what you're dreaming; instead use your dreams as a guide. Dreams might provide some insight into the psyche, but you're not in the process of â€Å"creating† while you're asleep, the book says. Also check these links Law Of Attraction Exercises ttp://ezinearticles. com/? 3-Advanced-Law-of-Attraction-Exercises-to-Manifest-Wealth;id=961248 http://www. lawofattraction123. com/law-of-attraction-exercises. html Popular Law Of Attraction Books http://www. goodreads. com/shelf/show/law-of-attraction http://www. ehow. com/how_4906557_use-law-attraction. html Modern Teachers of the Law of Attraction Rhonda Bhyrne ~ ‘The Secret' Wayne Dyer ~ ‘Manifesting your Destiny' Jerry and Esther Hicks (Teachings of Abraham) ~ ‘The Law of Attraction' Louise L. Hay ~ ‘You Can Heal Your Life' Neale Donald Walsch ~ ‘Conversations With God'