Describe How Active Participation Benefits An Individual

Describe How Active Participation Benefits An Individual Introduction Recent decades have seen a greater emphasis on service user participation than had previously been the case (Beresford, 2001). In the past, decision making in social care and associated policy development had been led by practitioners, politicians and academics, with service users and citizens having minimal say in what services they received and how services were provided (Beresford, 2001). This study examines how active participation of service users has developed over the last 20-30 years and how the progress made in encouraging participation has benefited individuals and the overall quality of service provision. For the purposes of this study, there is primarily a focus on the service user as the individual who engages in active participation although it should be accepted that family members and carers have their own separate and sometimes conflicting needs for participation (Roulstone et al., 2006). Service users are described by Beresford (2001, p.9) as â€Å"people who receive or are eligible to receive social care services† and it is important to note that people can self-identify as a service user. However, active participation of people outside of the health and social care arena will also be discussed as there is evidence that participation in community activities can be beneficial to citizens who are not in receipt of social care services. Policy and Legislation A shift towards more active participation has a basis in the policies and legislation introduced under New Labour. Government took a view that greater participation would be a way of increasing the number of citizens who would be active citizens (Millward, 2005) and the Health and Social Care Act 2001 was at the forefront of extending service user choice and the enablement of people to decide on their own services through schemes such as Direct Payments. Other relevant legislation and guidance has included the White Paper Our Health, Our Care Our Say (Department of Health, 2006); Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001); the National Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health, 2001). With specific reference to social care, Putting People First (2007) set out a commitment to closer working between central and local government, and the health and social care sectors, alongside better partnership working with service users and carers. More recently, under the Coalition Government consultations such as A vision for social care: Capable communities and active citizens (DH, 2010) and Caring for our future: Shared ambitions for care and support (DH, 2011) have continued to encourage participation with an expectation that it can help people to live healthier and more independent lives. It is evident from cross-party support that active participation is something supported across the political spectrum. Participation is seen as something that encourages better citizenship and it can also be argued that it offers a form of low level democracy. Participation is also something that pulls back direct state intervention in people’s lives. What is Active Participation? Active participation can be defined in a number of ways and can be related to both individuals who are in receipt of health and social care services and those who live independently in the community without service provision. Definitions such as ‘consultation’, ‘partnership’ and ‘involvement’ are often used to explain participation (Roberts, 2002). In social care terms participation might be seen as allowing and individual to have control over day to day decisions such as what time meals would be taken or when personal care services would be delivered; at a more strategic level, participation might involve giving a say in how services are commissioned and delivered to a wider group of service users (Mordey and Crutchfield, 2004). Service user consultation groups or local forums for citizens to discuss how services are prioritised and delivered are examples of this broader level of active participation. The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has developed some useful definitions for participation. It uses the word participation as being â€Å"to talk about actively working together on a particular project or activity† (SCIE 2004, p.2). It also sets out a number of key values and principles which should inform participation work. These include a belief in citizenship; the promotion of empowerment; developing a human rights culture in social care; giving equal priority to all opinion; developing new approaches to participation; being inclusive; and making it clear what people can and cannot be involved in (SCIE 2004). The final point is important. Active participation is rightly seen as a positive development for service users but there still has to be a line where organisations can make decisions irrespective of service user participation. Adult safeguarding is an example of this, where sometimes decisions may have to be made without the participation of an individual in order to protect his or her welfare. Nonetheless, the link between participation and social work values is a positive one. It suggests that participation is grounded in a commitment to human rights and equality, something that should bring benefits to the individuals who take up the opportunity to participate. SCIE also draws a distinction between the different types of participation that can be found in social care, suggesting that participation can range from providing information and actively listening to service user views, to providing assistance or even financial support to allow people to research or provide services (SCIE, 2004). Participation can also be applied to a range of service user groups including older people, children and families, people with disabilities and people with drug and alcohol misuse problems (SCIE, 2004). The Personalisation Agenda The personalisation agenda in health and social care has been critical in promoting the idea of active participation. Personalisation is primarily a new way of providing social care support which puts the person requiring a service at the centre of the assessment process and allows individuals and their carers a real say in identifying their needs and making choices about how services will be provided (Carr, 2010). It recognises that people are individuals with diverse strengths and preferences, and aims to empower people through better provision of information and advocacy, early intervention to get the right support in place and also recognising the rights of carers (SCIE, 2012). Given these aims of personalisation, one of the key benefits for the individual would be having greater control over services provided and consequently there being a greater chance of the rights services being provided, with positive outcomes. Another key point about personalisation and participation is that it still has to be facilitated by agencies and policy makers. As much as people may want to participate in service delivery or more simply just in community work, they still require the tools to do so and also the autonomy to make their own decisions. Benefits of Participation Greater participation in how services are delivered can bring a number of benefits to service users. Active participation can help develop more customer/service user-friendly versions of existing services and give individuals more say in how their services are run and how they can access them. Participation gives service users – who are also tax-payers – a greater say on how money is spent on services in their area and also helps individuals become co-designers and co-producers of the services that they use (Leadbetter, 2004). At a wider level, it can be argued that active participation allows for self-organisation by communities, rather than service provision being dictated by external agencies or distant central government. Participation also supports the development of greater citizenship. Participation and influence over how public funds are spent can be seen as being an important part of the democratic process and the concept of citizenship lends itself to ideals of equity and collective provision which are embedded in public services. For the individual, participation in public service can increase a sense of civic attachment and impress on the individual what it means to be a member of a democratic society (Leadbetter, 2004). Participation and Young People Discussions around personalisation and participation generally have an emphasis on the participation of adult service users but active participation can also have a positive impact for young people who access social care support and services. Legislation and guidance including the Children Act 1989 and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child have a focus on the child’s right to participate in decision making and there are a number of benefits for both young people and the organisations that provide services. For young people, active participation can help them gain new skills and experience, develop self-confidence and influence the decisions that affect their lives. They can develop social networks and begin to understand how organisations work. Participation can also quite simply be fun for young people, and it can help them feel valued and empowered (Wright et al., 2005). Active participation can be particularly beneficial for children and young people who might be consider as disadvantaged or vulnerable. Groups such as looked after children, young offenders, care leavers, young carers and gay and lesbian young people are easily marginalised and many agencies tend to direct them rather than engage with them. They face a number of barriers to participation such as a lack of motivation to engage; mistrust of adults and a feeling that their views will not be listened to because of their past experiences (McNeish, 1999). Research studies highlight a number of positives from individual participation projects which could be used as a benchmark for future initiatives. In Hampshire for example, a Care Action Team (CAT) was established bring together members and officer from the County Council to work with people who were in, or had been in care. Regular meetings to gather the views of young people led to a number of improvements in how services to young people were delivered. These included development of a new sleepover policy making it easier for looked after children to spend the night with friends; involvement of young people in the inspection of children’s homes, and a Children’s Homes Education Policy which improved the educational support for looked after children. A more general improvement from the establishment of the CAT was that young people developed a greater sense of worth and awareness that they were not alone in their experiences (Wright et al., 2005). For organisations, encouraging active participation by young people can also bring improvements to service delivery. It helps them become more responsive to the needs of children and young people; it increases the accessibility of organisation and makes them more efficient in providing effective services (Wright et al., 2005). Active Participation in the Community Active participation has benefits for society as well as the individuals involved. We live in a nation with an ageing population and many older people have greater expectation of both opportunity and support from public services in later life. An Audit Commission report (2004, p.2) stated that â€Å"the shift in proportion, composition and attitudes of the older age group has profound implications for public services. We need to start taking action now to shape things for the better†. Active participation does not only relate to people who are in need or receipt of social care services however. Participation in the community can also benefit individuals who do not require social care provision. Many older people for example, benefit from active participation in their local communities and government studies have suggested that active participation is linked to the overall well-being of individuals (Audit Commission, 2004). A number of strategies can be developed to encouraged independence and participation for older people. These can include work to support people ensuring that they have a safe comfortable home, and live in a neighbourhood close to friends and amenities. Good public transport networks allow people to get out and about whilst social and leisure activities promote social inclusion. Information for older people on how to access amenities encourages active participation as do healthy living initiatives which help people to stay active and healthy (Audit Commission, 2004). Active participation for older people is also a way of tackling the ageism that exists in society. Participation allows people to feel valued and able to challenge stereotypes that older people offer less to society that younger people. Participation allows them to have a say in decisions made about them both as individuals and as a wider group in society. A Department of Pensions report published in 2009 identified LinkAge Plus (LAP) pilots as initiatives which enable older people to become more active in their communities (Willis and Dalziel, 2009). Schemes to give opportunities to socialise through social, leisure and training activities help to address wider community and social wellbeing outcomes through the creation and development of social capital. Examples might include over 60s clubs providing activities ranging from Tai Chi to adult art classes. Network Centres establish social networks for older people which improve confidence and well-being and the DWP report concludes that people are â€Å"empowered when new or stronger bonds are created between themselves and the community in which they live† (Willis and Dalziel, p.45). Other examples of active participation demonstrate older people have an active role in local decision making and commissioning of services. The Gateshead Older People’s Assembly for example was funded to assess the appropriateness, accessibility and effectiveness of services for older people in the region. The benefits were twofold – the Assembly allowed a number of individuals the opportunity to become involved in stimulating research and study activities, whilst the conclusions were feedback into local service procurement, ensuring that the views of the wider population of older people were being heard (Willis and Dalziel, 2009). Criticisms and Obstacles Whilst most of the evidence points towards active participation being a positive opportunity for individuals there are some concerns about how it might delivered and that there will be obstacles to real and effective active participation. Some commentators suggest that the whole personalisation agenda will simply tie up social workers in drafting support plans and assisting with finances, rather than providing a more person-centred social work support, whilst there are also concerns that the introduction of personal budgets will be seized upon by individual who have motives other than the well-being of services users (Needham, 2010). There are also concerns that personalisation is simply a way of implementing public sector budget cuts and introducing a level of consumerism into social care for vulnerable people. The emphasis on individuals managing their own finances could possibly lead to financial abuse or simply people mismanaging their personal budgets (Needham, 2010). Even outside of social care, a cynical view of encouraging people to find their own ways of participating in the community could be that it is simply a way for the state to withdraw from provision of leisure services and have people fund and manage them themselves. A final concern around active participation is that it could lead to discrimination against vulnerable groups if they were to become more active and visible in the community. Services users with physical and learning disability who try to manage their own care in the community may be probe to physical, emotional or financial abuse by neighbours and Burton et al. (2012) also suggest that disabled people trying to live ordinary lives in the community, and participating in community activities, may cause some hostility. Conclusions The evidence available suggests that participation is a positive thing. The applies equally to participation in service delivery and review for those in need of social care, and to those in the community who simply wish to remain active members of the community. In social care, the personalisation agenda and the move towards self-directed support and personal budgets has promoted active participation. It puts individual service users in greater control of what services they receive and allows services user groups to have a greater say in how services are commissioned and delivered. This benefits individuals as it allows them to have a real say in how they receive support; it should also assist the organisations that provide services to develop and improve the services that they provide. Similar principles apply in social care provision for children and young people, as active participation allows their voices to be heard and should give decision makers a better understanding of what is needed to support vulnerable young people It is important to note that active participation in social care can be linked into some basic social care values. Good social work practice should involve putting the individual first (SCIE, 2012) and initiatives such as personalisation and can help demonstrate a commitment to respect for the individual and self-determination. Social workers that encourage active participation will generally be demonstrating a person-centred or child-centred approach that will enable an effective and non-discriminatory relationship with the individual that they are trying to help. Again, this is further evidence that active participation is largely beneficial to the individual. Active participation for people outside of the social care system also appears to have a positive effect on people’s lives. It promotes social inclusion and the evidence suggests that being active in the community promotes well-being and helps people to live more fulfilling lives. In a modern, democratic society, there is no reason why active participation should not be commonplace. It demonstrates that as a society we value the views and opinions of all citizens and that when people need support, they can have a say in how it is provided, rather than the state simply imposing a service that may not meet the individual’s need. By encouraging more general participation in society, active participation also demonstrates that we value the input of all members of society into the community, regardless of age or disability. Cynics might argue that active participation is a way for local and central government to save money and pass the onus for some tasks back to service users and the local community. Whilst their might be an element of truth in this, the reality is that active participation is largely a positive development. Many citizens want to participate in decision making both for themselves and their local communities and the evidence suggests that this participation produces good outcomes. Bibliography Audit Commission. (2004). Older People – Independence and Well-being – the challenge for public services. London: Audit Commission Publications Beresford, P. (2001). Service users, social policy and the future of welfare. Critical Social Policy, 21 (4): 494–512. Burton, J., Toscano, T. and Zonouzi, M. (2012) Personalisation for Social Workers. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Department of Health. (2001). National Service Framework for Older People. London: TSO Department of Health. (2006). Our Health, Our Care Our Say. London: TSO Department of Health. (2011). Caring for our future: Shared ambitions for care and support. London: TSO Leadbetter, M. (2004) Personalisation Through Participation. London: Demos Millward, L. (2005). Just because we are amateurs doesnt mean we arent professional: the importance of expert activists in tenant participation. Public Administration, 83 (3): 735–751. Needham, S. (2011). Personalising Public Services, Bristol: Policy Press McNeish, D. (1999). From rhetoric to reality: Participatory approaches to health promotion with young people. London: Health Education Authority. Mordey, M. Crutchfield, J. (2004). User involvement in supported housing. Housing, Care and Support, 7 (1): 7–10 Roberts, K. (2002). Exploring participation: older people on discharge from hospital. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 40 (4): 413–420. Roulstone, A., Hudson, V., Kearney, J., Martin, A., with Warren, J. (2006). Working Together: Carer Participation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. London: Care Institute for Excellence. SCIE (2004) SCIE Participation Strategy [online] Available: [http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/corporate/files/participationstrategy.pdf] accessed 10th October 2014 SCIE (2012). Personalisation: A Rough Guide. [online] Available: [http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/guides/guide47] accessed 10th October 2014 Willis M. and Dalziel, R. (2009) LinkAge Plus: Capacity building – enabling and empowering older people as independent and active citizens. DWP Research Report 571 [online] Available: [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/186778/rrep571.pdf] accessed 9th October Wright, P., Tirner, C., Clay, D. and Mills H. (2005) The participation of children and young people in developing social care. SCIE Participation Practice Guide 06 [online] Available: [http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/guides/guide11/files/guide11.pdf] accessed 10th October 2014

A critical analysis of The Great Gatsby Essay

It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.† (Ecclesiastes 2:26). The â€Å"it† in this case, F Scott Fitzgerald’s groundbreaking novel The Great Gatsby, refers to the exhaustive efforts Gatsby undertakes in his quest for life: the life he wants to live, the so-called American Dream. The novel is Fitzgerald’s vessel of commentary and criticism of the American Dream. As he paints a vivid portrait of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald defines this Dream, and through Gatsby’s downfall, expresses the futility and agony of its pursuit. Through Gatsby’s longing for it, he depicts its beauty and irresistible lure in a manner of which the Philosopher himself would be proud. The aspects of the American Dream are evident throughout Fitzgerald’s narrative. Take, for example, James Gatz’s heavenly, almost unbelievable rise from â€Å"beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher† (Fitzgerald 95) to the great, i.e. excessive, Gatsby, housed in â€Å"a colossal affair by any standard†¦ with a tower on one side†¦ a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 11). The awe in which Fitzgerald presents his awakened phoenix clearly conveys the importance of improvement, or at least what one thinks is improvement, in the American Dream; it is not necessarily a life of excesses and wealth Fitzgerald defends as the Dream, for the audience sees clearly their detriments in the novel through Tom and Daisy, but rather a change in the style of life, reflecting the equally-American pioneering spirit. Nevertheless, wealth does certainly play an important role in the American Dream. With wealth, supposedly, comes comfort, as Nick mentions regarding his home: â€Å"I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbour’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires† (Fitzgerald 11). Wealth, states Ross Possnock in his quoting of Karl Marx, is the great equalizer of inequality: I am ugly, but I can buy the most beautiful woman for myself. Consequently, I am not ugly, for the effect of my ugliness, its power to repel, is annulled by money†¦ does not my money, therefore, transform all my incapacities into their opposites? (Possnock 204). Read Also:  Critical Response Essay Topics Gatsby’s incapacities, generally of an emotional nature, inhibitions preventing his successful capture of his long-lost love, Daisy, are washed away with the drunkenness provided by the dollar: However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was a present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders†¦ He took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously – eventually he took Daisy one still October night (Fitzgerald 141). Once armed with the lucre, however, he is prepared to contribute equally to the relationship, making it truly an equal relation of love. Love represents the other side of the coin of wealth: as opposed to material wealth, it refers instead to emotional wealth. Whatever its plane of existence, love plays a pivotal role in the American Dream, in Gatsby’s Dream. Perhaps love is the most valuable of the aspects presented thus far of the Dream; â€Å"He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes† (Fitzgerald 88). Such is his love for her; the bootlegging Gatsby values this emotional wealth to the extent that he essentially abandons the material for just a moment, losing himself in the winds of passion stirred up by the swaying of Daisy’s dress as she inspects Gatsby’s lookout tower for the green light. His emotional wealth is so suddenly multiplied that â€Å"none of it [his possessions] was any longer real. Once he nearly toppled down a flight of stairs† (Fitzgerald 88). Sharing the same side of the coin is the need for social acceptance. Gatsby prides himself on his openness; his lavish parties where strangers â€Å"came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission† (Fitzgerald 43), proof of not only his tolerance, but also of his acceptance of those whose drinking make him grow â€Å"more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased† (Fitzgerald 51). Gatsby certainly wants the people on his side: from his house labeled a  Norman â€Å"Hotel de Ville,† or City Hall, open to the public, to Lucille’s replacement dress from Croirier’s, courtesy of Gatsby, no expense is too great in his quest to win others support. Gatsby needs as much popular support as he can get, in the face of such random acts of contempt as â€Å"he killed a man once† (Fitzgerald 45) to â€Å"he was a German spy during the war† (Fitzgerald 45). Improvement, wealth, love, popularity: all contribute to the definition of the American Dream. What is missing from the preceding list is, however, perhaps the most important quality of all: that the American Dream is exactly that, a mere dream. â€Å"Our eyes can never see enough to be satisfied; our ears can never hear enough† (Ecclesiastes 1:8). The key words here are â€Å"never† and â€Å"satisfied†; it is the essence of the American Dream, satisfaction. Unfortunately, the quest for satisfaction and happiness is unending, like eternally chasing one’s tail; hence the â€Å"never.† It is a vicious circle, one of many traps laid out by Fitzgerald for the sake of educating his audience of the perils of imagination. Indeed, given the thin line between the intrinsic desire for self-improvement and the waste and futility of pursuing mental illusions, and the consequences of the latter, the peril is quite extreme. Esteemed Gatsby inquisitor Marius Bewley succinctly defines the American Dream as â€Å"life on a level at which the material and the spiritual [i.e. imaginary] have become inextricably confused,† (Bewley 37) whose â€Å"blackest devils [are] limit and deprivation† (Bewley 38). Higher and higher the summit of its ideals climb, until surely and eventually the mountain becomes insurmountable for mortal man. â€Å"What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again† (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Such is Gatsby’s battle cry as he marches off on a mission to re-discover, or rather to re-implant, the passion he found years earlier in the person of Daisy: † ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!†¦ I’m going to fix everything just the way is was before,’ he said, nodding determinedly. ‘She’ll [Daisy] see’ † (Fitzgerald 106). So begins the heartbreaking circle which started on that selfish day â€Å"in the middle of spring with the arrival of Tom Buchanan†¦ The letter reached Gatsby while he was still at Oxford†Ã‚  (Fitzgerald 144). Just as Daisy re-enters Gatsby’s life and sets the circle moving, does she fulfill the reverse: she, in an equally shocking and abrupt manner, flees Gatsby, his eyes still scintillating in the reflection of the Dream, thus bringing this aspect full-circle and pounding in the first nail in the Dream’s coffin. The second nail to further seal the coffin is the revolving door quality of the rise and fall from rich to poor as the pocketbooks of the Dreamers lines with money, their moral character is chipped away. Once the conscience is destroyed, one can predict that as the money runs out, character returns. Proof of this circle is offered towards the end of the novel: heading back into East Egg from the city after a tense incident on a scorching summer’s day, Gatsby and Daisy spend their last moments together in the car; upon her return to East Egg, Daisy, Gatsby’s most valued possession, the standard against which â€Å"he revalued everything in his house† (Fitzgerald 88) leaves him and returns fully to Tom, thus leaving Gatsby â€Å"bankrupt.† As this decision transpires, Gatsby selflessly accepts the blame for the accident where Daisy, in control of the car, is at fault. Given the sheer number of its examples, the lack of morals in the materially-rich is indeed an element Fitzgerald wished to impress upon his audience. The lack of respect for life present in high society is demonstrated most strongly by Daisy’s relationship, or lack thereof, with her daughter, Pammy. Appearing only once or twice in the novel, Pammy’s non-existent role in the plot and Daisy’s life prove Daisy’s misplaced priorities as a mother and as a â€Å"successful† American Dreamer. Neglect becomes synonymous with high society in Chapter II; Myrtle’s Airedale, referred to simply as one of Mrs. Wilson’s â€Å"other purchases† (Fitzgerald 31), is last seen â€Å"sitting on the table with blind eyes through the smoke, and from time to time groaning faintly† (Fitzgerald 38) as â€Å"people disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere† (Fitzgerald 38). By the end of the book Pammy and the dog (Myrtle doesn’t even bother naming him)  are forgotten, victims of the American Dreamers’ quest for happiness. Daisy’s whims wreak havoc on other’s lives as she continues her quest for â€Å"happiness,† driving Gatsby’s car at supersonic speeds, plowing through Myrtle Wilson’s body†¦ and not even bothering to stop. Not only does she continue without batting an eye, Daisy allows Gatsby to essentially hang for her crimes without a simple â€Å"I’m sorry† or a token â€Å"I love you.† Tom, for his part, forgets the woman in favour of whom he cheats on Daisy. â€Å"There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together† (Fitzgerald 138). Fitzgerald sums up his judgement of the financially-superior/morally-inferior: They were careless people†¦ they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made (Fitzgerald 170). The mess they had made; the heaps of ashes left in their wake. Unfortunately, dreams don’t come cheap. Nor do they come without work. The dreams achieved by high society, such as the creation of the enclave known as East Egg, are built, as Marx would say, on the backs of the workers; the workers who sweat and toil for the benefit of the American Dreamers (or perhaps to join their ranks) creating and living in the vast ashheaps of America, separate from their economic rulers. They do not live the Dream; they don’t have the opportunity to. This exclusionary characteristic of the American Dream appears as the distinct snobbery evident through East Egg’s assertion of â€Å"membership in a rather distinguished secret society† (Fitzgerald 22). From â€Å"I [Nick] lived at West Egg, the – well, the less-fashionable of the two† (Fitzgerald 10), to † ‘my opinion on these matters is final,’ he [Tom] seemed to say, ‘just because I’m stronger and more of a man than you are’ † (Fitzgerald 13), to â€Å"Tom†¦ deferred to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train† (Fitzgerald 29), it certainly seems that East Egg suffers from a superiority complex: a condition due, no doubt, to their â€Å"success† in embodying the American Dream. â€Å"So I realized that all we can do is be happy, and do the best we can while we are still alive† (Ecclesiastes 3:12). The beauty of the American Dream is that, as an unattainable yet seemingly plausible goal for all intents and purposes, it continues to inspire humanity of all nationalities to stretch to a new level of existence, regardless of their current social status. The quest for happiness is perhaps the most venerable of all human institutions due to the natural human desire for a hedonistic existence: a simple pursuit, hardly; a palpable pursuit, possibly; a consuming pursuit, definitely. While the pursuit of the American Dream can easily be branded selfish and greedy, one must admire those American Dreamers with the gall to embark on its realization. The lengths to which Gatsby goes to bring his world to fruition are, to say the least, extensive. An example is his building of â€Å"gonnegtions† with less than scrupulous business partners to finance the erection of a tower from which to gaze at a green light, a task requiring years of work, as his partner Meyer Wolfshiem reminisces: † ‘My memory goes back to when I first met him [Gatsby]’, he said. ‘A young major just out of†¦ the war [1918].’†¦ ‘Did you start him in business,’ I [Nick] inquired. ‘Start him! I made him’ † (Fitzgerald 162). While one might criticize his hyperactive imagination and perhaps even his sanity, one must grant him credit for his seemingly innocent and juvenile idealism; he is a true romantic. One must also admire his tenacity and strength of will: where lesser men would have collapsed under the strain of reality, the strong Gatsby persevered against all odds and, for a moment, held â€Å"Daisy’s white face† (Fitzgerald 107) and â€Å"she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete† (Fitzgerald 107). The facing of such a challenge is no less heroic than catching a marlin or warding off a raging bull: all three require intense mental preparation, and though each expends different physical force, all three leave the hero exhausted physically and emotionally. Where Gatsby’s inferiors depend on alcohol to wash away their inhibitions and uncertainties – â€Å"Never had a drink before, but oh how I [Daisy] enjoy it† (Fitzgerald 74) declares a drunken, uncertain,  about-to-be-married Daisy in the face of mounting stress and anxiety over her commitment; or â€Å"the bottle of whiskey – a second one – [which] was in constant demand by all present† (Fitzgerald 37) at the heated scrutinize-Tom’s-relationships meeting in Tom’s/Myrtle’s apartment – Gatsby charges headfirst, conscious without anaesthetic, straight into the source of potential joy – and potential heartbreak. â€Å"I [Nick] wondered if the fact that he [Gatsby] was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the†¦ hilarity increased† (Fitzgerald 51). The pathetic hilarity with which the novel ends – with Gatsby dead, sincerely believing that Daisy will call back, and Tom and Daisy continuing on, living without memory of their brief affairs of the summer of 1922 – accomplishes two things: firstly, it validates Gatsby and the American Dream; Fitzgerald contrasts the unforgivable, despicable actions of Tom and Daisy with the seemingly innocent and juvenile fantasies of Gatsby. The latter earns the audience’s sympathy, while the former are condemned for their inhumanity. Secondly, it debunks the American Dream: in spite of all the efforts and labours Gatsby invests to bring his Dream to fruition, he and his bold vision are cut short, left to rot floating in a pool of blood, rejected by reality; a strong message that material existence does not take kindly to Dreamers. And the battle returns to its origin; Dreamers recommence their offensive, reality braces itself; and the story continues. â€Å"It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind† (Ecclesiastes 2:26). Or is it? Bewley, Marius. â€Å"Scott Fitzgerald’s Criticism of America.† Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Great Gatsby. Ed. Ernest Lockridge. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. 37-53. â€Å"Book of Ecclesiastes.† Good News Bible. Manila: Philippine Bible Society, 1980. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Possnock, Ross. † ‘A New World, Material Without Being Real’: Fitzgerald’s Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby.† Critical Essays on Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1984. 201-213.

Identity the ftre written Essay

Introduction Identity Theft is considered to be major problem which has affected thousands, more than 9 million victims of credit identity theft were reported in 2003, it was estimated that the victims were deprived of more than 52 billion dollars through identity theft; the victims included established businesses and individuals. It has been learnt that ‘sophisticated organized criminals’ (Richard, 2003) were involved in identity theft. Identity theft is considered as an intimate abuse that is mainly responsible for the financial losses of the grieved victims. Identity Theft is ‘appropriation of another’s personal information’ (Whilk, 2003), the purpose of the exercise is to practice fraud, and the victim is impersonated by the culprits in this practice. Identity theft is mainly linked with the leakage of confidential information that is later misused by the culprits to achieve benefit. It has been observed through past cases of Identity theft that most of the culprits have enjoyed access to the victim directly, or the information related to the victim through different dealings. The nature of the dealing is not particular, in some of the cases associates and acquaintances have been involved have been found guilty of Identity Theft. According to studies, Identity theft involves three parties that include the victim, the perpetrator and the creditor. Victim is the person who fells prey of the criminal activities without any knowledge of it; the perpetrator is the individual who impersonates the victim, and executes identity theft, the perpetrator in many of the cases have the access to the information of the victim. The creditor is the personal who is familiar to both the perpetrator and the victim, the creditor support and develop the perpetrator plan. In some of the cases the fourth party is ‘the source of the personal information that is being abused’ (Whilk, 2003). Types of identity theft Pretexting Pretexting is considered to be one of the forms of Identity Theft; in this exercise one culprit impersonates the victim, ‘such that one calls under the pretext being that person’ (Richard, 2003). The exercise is normally performed to secure personal information that includes telephone records, and details of bank accounts. According to studies it has been observed that in many of the cases the4 victims are unable to detect their identity theft through pretexting. Credit Card fraud The evolution of internet has made it easier for the interested customers to avail deals through internet. Credit card facilities launched by several banks have tried to facilitate the customers, and have provided them with an easy opportunity to avail deals through electronic transaction via credit card. Unfortunately the sharing of information has often been leaked, and many of the cases of identity theft have been reported. According to study, ‘running up charges on another’s credit card, or passing checks of another, is a form of identity theft’. Identity theft is this case is practiced through appropriation of ‘the signature, account number, and other aspects of another’s identity’, the purpose of the entire exercise is to secure financial benefits on other expenses through unethical and illegal practice. New account fraud Identity theft has been reported through malpractices related to the opening of new accounts. In such case, the criminal uses the identity of the victim, and then after fulfilling the formalities of credit card companies borrow the money. Criminal identity theft In some of the cases it has been reported that criminals impersonate innocent people after their arrest, and have managed to escape successfully. In such cases, the innocent individual then has criminal record, and in some of the cases arrest warrants have also been issued. It has been researched that it is easier for the criminal to link their personality with the victim, and later manage to escape, however in the police records many such individuals are blacklisted who have reported their ignorance about the incident, and have proved their presence in foreign country at the time of criminal activity. Identity Theft as Abuse In the survey which was conducted in 2004, it was observed that domestic abuse has direct relationship with Identity Theft; it was observed that more than 15 percent reported that ‘they were also victims of domestic harassment and abuse from the perpetrator’. Identity theft is also conducted by the strangers, and in some of the cases organized criminal networks are involved in such practices. The identity theft is solely conducted to achieve economic gains through false identity, there it is expected that an authority with financial stability is likely to be the victim, ‘domestic violence is sometimes accompanied by economic abuse, such as controlling access to wealth or destruction of property’ (John, 2002). Much because it is difficult to trace the culprit involve in the identity theft, the practice is considered to be extremely lucrative for the abuser, where as the malpractice has ‘long lasting and debilitating’ (Robert, 2003) impact on the status, repute and character of the victim. The survey revealed that, ‘identity theft victims spend a median of one hundred hours rectifying the damage, and lose thousands of dollars in lost wages and other expenses’ (John, 2002), more than 50 percent of the victim have complained that they are subjected to repeated interrogations and false implications by the law agencies even after 2 years after the revelation of their identity theft, whereas as some reported that they are subjected to false implications for more than decade. According to the Stalking Resource Center at the National Center for the Victims of Crime, explained that ‘stalking as a course of conduct directed at a specific person when one knows or should know that the course of conduct would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of a third person; or suffer other emotional distress’ (Kristin, 2004), therefore stalking can be considered as a derivative of the stalking. The discussed surveillance, pretexting, and credit identity theft are directly related to stalking. Pretexting is not considered as an offence of extreme tribulation for the victim, the pretexter can only secure the right to access the accounts, and telephone record. Therefore the expected threats and damages through pretexter include the cancellation of the victim’s account, electric, gas and credit car accounts. However the cases of identity theft related to credit cards have subjected the victim under serious consequences. The survey report found that, ‘distress caused by credit identity theft is real, the victims report rage and anger; personal financial fears; fears for family financial safety; a sense of powerlessness and of feeling defiled’ (Kristin, 2004). Preventive Measures The measures to be necessarily adopted by the public to avoid any incident of victimization through identity theft include issuance of the credit report periodically. The public should also ensure that their credit limit is not too high, so that even in case of any manipulation the financial loss can be adjusted. The public should avail the scheme for the monitoring of their credit, through which unexpected financial dealings can be tracked. It has been learnt that Fair Credit Reporting Act has provided the public with an opportunity to place a fraud alert on their credit report, through such scheme the creditors have the right to access to verify their credit. References 1. Kristin Loberg. Identity Theft: How to Protect Your Name, Your Credit and Your Vital Information. Silver Lake Publishing. 2004. 2. Robert J. Hammond, Robert J. Hammond, Jr. Identity Theft: How to Protect Your Most Valuable Asset. Career Press. 2003. 3. John R. Vacca. Identity Theft. Career Press. 2002. 4. Whilk, Nathanael. Identity Theft: Preventing Consumer Terrorism: An Attitudinal Approach. Silver Lake Publishing 2003. 5. Richard M. Stana. Identity Theft: Prevalence & Cost Appear to Be Growing. Prentice Hall. 2003.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the 14th Amendment in the Constitution of the US Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Generally speaking, the major strength of the 14th Amendment is that it ensured the equal distribution of rights amongst the citizens of the United States. One of these rights that were equally distributed by the 14th amendment was the right to citizenship that has been outlined in the Citizenship Clause. The clause states that individuals who experienced birth within the United States were to be considered as citizens of the United States. Due to this law, all the individuals belonging to the minority section of the United States, especially those who belonged to the black race were even considered as American citizens. Before this amendment, individuals belonging to the black race were considered as a slave and were treated in an inhumane manner. Due to this clause, the individuals belonging to the white race were not able to discriminate against the blacks. Another right that was protected by the 14th Amendment was the right to be considered as a single citizen of the United Stat es. This right is protected under section 2 of the 14th amendment which states that every individual should be considered as a single individual and not as a portion of an individual. We will write a custom essay sample on Strengths and Weaknesses of the 14th Amendment in the Constitution of the US or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Before the 14th Amendment, the slaves were considered as 3/5 of a human being and due to this their representation and their votes were less in number (Shannon 106). This helped in increasing the vote count of the United States and it even ensured that the citizens of the United States received equal representation in the government of the United States. Another major strength of the 14th Amendment is that it ensured the equal distribution of rights amongst the citizens of the United States. One of these rights that were equally distributed by the 14th amendment was the right to citizenship that has been outlined in the Citizenship Clause. The clause states that individuals who experienced birth within the United States were to be considered as citizens of the United States.

Root Cause Analysis- Delay in treatment Free Essay Example, 3000 words

However this delay in treatment could have been avoided had the doctor explained about the medicine to both the patient and the nurse. 2. Nurse Administers the Wrong Medication Due to Inadequate Checking of the Medication Nurse is interrupted in her task She either takes the wrong medication or is given the wrong medication Nurse does not check the medication Nurse administers the wrong drug to the patient Delay in appropriate treatment can also occur if the nurses themselves fail to check for what medication they provide to the patients. The nurse might not be aware of this mistake, however, end result is that there is a delay in treatment, that is, proper treatment, as the patient receives wrong medication. Furthermore, another factor here is that, when the nurse is interrupted in his or her task, and given other responsibilities, even if they have the correct medication in their hands, they might not be able to provide it to the patient due to other engagements. This also results in delay in treatment, as the patient has to wait till the nurse has finished the new task she was given. 3.We will write a custom essay sample on Root Cause Analysis- Delay in treatment or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The Wrong Medication is Given Either because the Prescription was not Filled Properly or it was for the Wrong Drug. Prescription is not properly filled / Prescription of the wrong medication Nurse is delivered with wrong medication Wrong medication given as a result of wrong prescription also leads to delay in treatment. First of all, it can be seen that significant time passes until the nurse or the doctor comes to know that the wrong medication was given. It maybe found out depending on when the next medication is to be given. Doctors or nurses will find out while giving the next dosage, as they will check the previous dosage details. Then there is a significant gap between replacing the wrong medication as well as providing the proper one. Thus, it becomes clear that this also causes delay in treatment. 4. Pharmacist Fills the Prescription Wrong Pharmacist takes the wrong drugs (mistaken for bottles that look alike) OR Pharmacist reads the prescription wrong (Illegible handwriting) AND Does not check the prescription properly Inaccurate filling of prescription Wrong medication when given out by the pharmacist also causes delay in treatment, as like in above-mentioned cases, the patient is in deed receiving wrong treatment. Thus, wrong drug handed out by the pharmacist also becomes a root cause for delay in the proper treatment. 5. Ineffective Check of Prescription for Wrong Drug Medication names of similar sounds Wrong prescription written by doctor OR Wrong medication selected by the doctor AND Inadequate check of the prescribed prescription Wrong medication prescription At times, the doctor may have lack of attention when he prescribes the medication, this will result in selection of wrong medicine, thus leading to delay in appropriate treatment.

Essay about WWI causes - 1164 Words

History Term paper What one thing do you think caused WW1? There in fact were many causes of WW1. One of the causes was imperialism. There was jealousy between the countries because some had more colonies then others. The major countries did not trust each other or get along. They were worried about the build up of each others army. Each country had great pride and nationalism. By 1914 all major countries had taken sides against one another and formed alliances. The immediate cause of WW1 was the assignation of the heir to Austria-Hungary’s throne. At the beginning of the war all countries were enthusiastic about it especially Germany. The countries were divided onto sides like so; Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. These†¦show more content†¦This quickly led to a government crisis because the Tsarina had been taken over by Rasputin, the man said to have the power to cure the Tsarina’s son Alexis of hemophilia. Russia was spending a lot of money on the war so they had to increase taxes. This meant that there was less food and m ore mouths to feed. Peasants started taking over landlord’s fields and crops for themselves. Lenin supported the peasants. Lenin was the leader of the soviets which was a council created of farmers and workers. The soviets created a political party called the Bolsheviks which created order #1. Order #1 said that soldiers should not listen to their generals. The new army commander, General Kornilov, wanted to put a stop to the revolutionary nonsense and wanted to replace the pro visional government with a military one which would act strongly against the soviets and Bolsheviks. In the elections to the soviets the newly Bolsheviks won. This is where order #1 came into place. Lenin created eight decrees. One was the decree on peace. This decree meant that Russia was immediately pulled out of the war and the fighting would stop. When Russia was pulled from the war it greatly impacted the German strategy. Germany had divided their troops in half. Half on the eastern front fighting Russia, the other half on the western front fighting France and Great Britain. Russia pulling out of the war meant that Germany could take all the troops from the eastern front to theShow MoreRelatedWwi Causes Essay906 Words   |  4 PagesAaron Carlson Period 2 – History III 3/29/10 WWI Essay – Causes of War Even today, the causes of World War one is still being debated and the great war started 96 years ago and ended 92 years ago. Yet today after so much time the main cause of the war still remains unexposed to this day. What triggered the whole war was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie of Austria-Hungary on June 28th 1914 by The Black Hand. 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Nietzsches Overman In The Will To Power Essay Example For Students

Nietzsches Overman In The Will To Power Essay The existential philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed that humanity nedded to be overcome. He viewed humans as weak creatures and slaves to the Christian religion. In The Will to Power, Nietzsche asserts the poer of the overman a creature beyond Christian good and evil to replace the passive man. To understand the book, it is first necessary to understand what Nietzsche means by The Will to Power. Denneson describes this as a psychological presupposition which assumes that humans are always attempting to inflict their wills upon others (Denneson, 1). When considering the use of the term ubermensch or overman in this work, it is also necessary to understand exactly what Nietzsche means by this term. This is seen by many as the way in which he refers to a superhuman. In the past, many comparisons wre made between Nietzsches overman and the Nazi idea of the superior race. However, this has been re-evaluated by many scholars, and the comparison is no longer seen in the same light. The overman is seen as the next step up from normal humans; this creature could even be interpreted as the next step up the evolutionary ladder. The overman is not isolated to just this work; we see Nietzsche talk about this creature in other works such as Thus Spoke Zarathustra and The Antichrist. The idea is not new, but at best, it is still controversial (Cross, 1). The Will to Power, which results from these two books, contains various metaphors and generalizations which display contradictions and tensions (Harman, 2). The philosophies which underlie all of Nietzsches writing are themselves contradictory; they both celebrate and embrace the humanity of man, whilst holding it in contempt and insulting it at the same time (Cross, 7). The concept oof the overman appears to be a contradiction in itself, reflecting the views that Nietzsche himself expresses about the human condition. The creature is dichotomy, seeing himself as superior and a master of his environment, but simultaneously he hates his human self, seeing his weaknesses and flaws. In this manner of representation, one must question if this creature could ever become a reality. Cross argues that the overmanis a contradiction in terms of existence which cannot be resolved due to the constraints which Nietzsche applies to this hypothetical creature. Cross states, this creature can only succeed in negating himself, and, in essence, can never truly exist at all. Nietzsche has the view that mankind as it exists is a disease of a sickness which is destroying itself, reflecting the porr nature of a modern man and his lack of pro-activism, being seen as a purely passive creature unalbe to rebel and define his life. Nietzsche further argues that the passive reaction of the occurrences in society are the result of the Christian religion (Cross, 2). Nietzches view of mans sickness reveals itself very strongly in The Antichrist, but The Will to Power also displays his view. This book reflects Nietzsches belief that all creatures, whatever they are, have a requirement and a need to follow commands of some sort. The freedom of the overman is that the individual despises what he is and has been, and in this is able to learn to command himself. However, this is a difficult and self-destructive process. The perception of the comand over power is an interesting one; it is not the straight forward meaning of control over others, but also the control over ones self. In The Will to Power, Nietzsche sees those who look to improve themselves as looking to the will to truth. However, he argues that in doing this, they are not really seeking new values, but that htey are trying to find a way of bringing all men under the same code of understanding. In effect, they are bringing them all further to the weaknesses for which he blames Christianity. .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .postImageUrl , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:hover , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:visited , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:active { border:0!important; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:active , .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2e6a56f192e543a9556f037c53b895cd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Requiem for an Aristocrat EssayNietzsche says he believes that a man who acts out of laziness, or does not act for the same reason is bad, and this passive stance allows the weaknesses of society to become more entrenched and accepted, this becoming of a self-fulfilling prophecy the more it happens, the more it will cause its continuation. The passive man does not display obedience to himself, but to society. The overman is obedient to himself, arguably hte hardest type of obedience. Therefore, the will to power is the power to set ones own values and ones own goals. The power is therefore not any type of physical brute force, but a strong and enduring self-determination. This shows the dichotomy that Nietzsche puts forward for how can a man full of self-loathing and sickness, aware of his own weaknesses, ever become this self-determanist creature, yet still aware of his faults (Cross, 7)?Nietzsche argues that the achieve this, a man must be free of the weaknesses of society; he must not be bound by the convention that the strong have to help the weak. This convention only leads both parties to become even weaker. Nietzsche believes that the only way of overcoming this sickness in society is for the next evolutionary step to be taken the weak be left to their own devices, whilst the strongest develop themselves. In eff ect, this is a representation of the survival of the fittest theory. This reflects his view that the current evolutionary process has been halted by mans weakness, and that it can only be restarted and the overman be attained by drastic measures (Cross, 10). However for man to change, he must want to change. See how he treats his fellow man with contempt. Yet, even in his own writing, this is a contradiction;One can enhance only those men whom does not treat with contempt; moral contempt causes greater indignity and harm than any crime (Nietzsche, 393). For this to be seen as possible, we must accept that the principle motivation behind man is not one of mere survival, but that is is one of betterment. The cost of self-imparement must not be at the expense of the weak. Arguably, it is an amorist view, which shows the reasons why so many scholars see Nietzsches questionalbe (Cross, 2). One may argue that if the overman represents total obedience to oneself and not to others, this change would herald the end of the state. There would no longer be any need for the state because there would not be a role for it to play. However even in this contradiction, a level of stability must be reached in the individual overman. However, Nietzsche also argues that it is stability which has ultimately lead to the stagnation which is currently the position of man. In stability, there will be no movement forward and no evolutionary progress (Cross, 6). In a final thought regarding the process and achievement of this overman statur, one can clearly see a difference in the state of mind in achieving it. The overman will not likely be satisfied in his position. The goal of the normal man, embodied by the masses, is that of pleasure. In this respect, Nietzsche argues with many other philosophers. However, this is different from the goal and reward which the overman receives. This Nietzsche sees the attainment of joy, yet with different outcome. Nietzsche views joy as being tinged with pain, in this way enabling the idea of joy to be appreciated in its totality. The whole idea of a superman, or overman has been seen many time through philosophy, but in the case of Nietzsche, it is a self-negating idea, and the theory would not work as it advocates to many imitations and a disregard for the social needs of man. The acceptance of this theory would be to disregard many of the social needs and the way in which society works. This theory advocates an abandoment of the current society in favour of total self-determination and obedience to the self. .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .postImageUrl , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:hover , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:visited , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:active { border:0!important; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:active , .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374 .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue86a0582fd0c20fe4986e18a07be7374:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Modern Day Slavery in Texas EssayHowever in considering this, the most basic message regarding the book The Will to Power must be that this was not written directly by Nietzsche. It is a collection of notes and observations, which are not finished or refined (Cross, 1). Here, we are in danger of misinterpreting his message, and the best and most complete way to rectify this flaw is to read his other books, which do present a final and polished perspective, rather than the unfinished rough outline. BibliographyDenneson, The Overman, pp. 1-16Cross, Will to Power pp. 43-46