State and defend the deductive argument that God is required for the Essay

State and defend the deductive argument that God is required for the existence of objective moral laws - Essay Example The first premise is that if objective moral law standards exist, they point to the existence of a God. Here, it is assumed that all laws have a lawmaker, and since the laws are objective, then they must be made by a person who is not human. By definition, objectivity requires autonomy from human interferences (Reppert 34). The second premise is that objective moral standards exist, which means that regardless of preference or convention, some things are always right or wrong; a typical example is killing someone for no reason. Truths are self evident, and one is justified if it reasonable to believe in it; in this regard, if a person sees a red object, then they can assume that it is colored. The third premise comes from the first two premises and thus concludes that because of the above, a God exists. Some people respond to the first premise that draws associations between God and moral standards. These opponents state that sometimes laws can exist without a lawmaker. A case in point is Platonic realism in which it is explained that abstract objects exist outside of time and space; these objects stay constant and have no cause. Examples of such abstract objects include laws of mathematics and logic; number 3 exists independently of one’s thought, while laws of morality like fairness and justice are abstract. Therefore, platonic realism illustrates that since morality laws are brute facts (have no explanation), then there is no need for a lawmaker. A response to the second premise is that objective moral laws do not exist as postulated in moral nihilism, moral subjectivism and cultural relativism. Moral nihilists say that moral realities are absent as truth does not exist in ethics. Moral subjectivists claim that actions depend on the one holding them rather than some objective standard. Cultural relativists say that moral laws depend on the societies to which

Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example It comprises of Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats. Strengths are internal factors that can be concluded as advantages to the business (current advantages). Factors such as a focused management, hardworking employees, low costs are positive points for the firm. For Jengo Ltd, a high regard for their clothes by the customers is an impressive point for the future of the business. Weaknesses are internal factors as well that maybe termed as disadvantages for the firm (current disadvantages). Negative factors like a poorly trained workforce, ageing equipment etc need to be evaluated for a solution to arise. For Jengo Ltd, the failure to produce budgets or forecasts for the financial year hints weak planning on the part of the management. However, Opportunities are potential areas for expansion of the business (advantages that can arise in the future). These areas are obtained after an external audit in the market the firm operates in. Identifying new markets, expansion of t he product portfolio and favorable government policies amalgamates in outdoing competitors. Moreover, threats are not to be forgotten while forecasting future business plans (problems that may arise in the future). These usually comprise of the macro environment factors that alter the economic environment, strength of the competition, globalization etc. Jengo Ltd should be careful about changing customer demands as it operates in a highly uncertain business. SWOT analysis draws the primary sketch for foreseeing the future for any business. It is an effective way of gathering information and generating interest in the business activities quickly, mostly used to plan the marketing strategy (Hall, D et al. 2004) Factors in the macro environment effect decisions by the top management. Demographic change, government laws, trade barriers etc are some examples of macro change (Varoufakis, Y. 2007). These factors can be categorized by the PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors). Political developments regionally, nationally and internationally might effect a business’s strategy. Political decisions can change vital areas of the company such as education for the employees, health benefits, infrastructure, and subsidies for instance. Economic factors may involve the effect of consumer demand patterns, willingness to spend, inflation, fiscal and monetary policies, exchange rates, fixed and variable costs, and changes in the labour market on the business. Businesses may also need to plan out the effects of government policies to haul out the country from a recession (Hall, D et al. 2004). Changes in social trends can create competitive advantages for businesses. Falling birth rate, ageing population, increase in life expectancy can all effect a business. An ageing population would mean a shift in the sort of products demanded and more pensions paid to employees. Pressure groups can also force a business decision leading to serious consequences. Technology uplifts products and processes. Online shopping, bar coding, CAD and CAM are all technological advancements that aid in the advent of superior products. Furthermore, environmental factors might include a legislation to control pollution or views of certain groups about the ingredients of the product. Major climatic changes due to global warming have significantly impacted many industries and external factors related to a

The Third Gender The Hijra Sociology Essay

The Third Gender The Hijra Sociology Essay In western culture, gender and sex have been described under two distinct realms-male and female. These identities to some are determined solely biologically, and many are oblivious to the fact that in many cultures, different genders are present. One of the most prominent third genders is based in South Asia, specifically India. Known as the hijra, they have grown to become a prominent and well-known member of Indian society, but have suffered from discrimination and have struggled for their basic fundamental rights. Based in India, the hijra are physiological males who identify themselves as females at an early age, wearing womens clothing and performing stereotypical female gender roles. Indian society refers to the hijra as a third gender. They are not female nor male, but a separate entity who carries their own culture, values and traditions. In relation to the western world, the closest form to the hijra would be known as a transgender. The hijras trace their origins back to the religious era of the deity Ram. As told in the Ramayana epic, just before his sojourn into the wilderness, Ram instructed all men and women who had come to see him off to return to their village. The hijras, being neither men nor women stayed at Rams point of departure until his return years later. Upon seeing their devotion, Ram blessed them and promised them the right to rule during the final age of mankind (Amisha_2010:835). As religion is a major aspect of Indian culture, much of the hijras history is based off the Indian polytheistic religious era. As religion is of great importance to the hijra, this event historically marked their first interaction with the Indian gods. Many hijra undergo a painful castration process known as nirvan to officially identify as a hijra. This process of the upmost importance as it ends with the new hijra embracing the femininity he has identified himself with his entire life. The process has been documented: His transformation is nearly complete as he prostrates his naked body before the murti of Bahuchara Mata, praying for her blessings. When he stands, his chela (guru) will complete the ceremony with two swift slices of the long blade, permanently severing his manhood. The remaining blood that gushes from the cut is considered the last of the male part. Hot sesame seed oil will be poured over the open wound, which will later be prodded repeatedly to ensure that the urethra remains open. No anesthesia or surgical tools are available, for it is believed that medically performed castration would diminish the spiritual experience of the ritual. (Patel_2010:835) Once the castration process is completed, the hijras both physically and spiritually feel as though they have transformed themselves. As the hijra undergo a physical transformation, they also follow a strict household structure. Members of the gharana, the communal hijra household, ardently support the hijra code. The hijras maintain the basic family hierarchy. The GWU report states, An elder naik oversees the basic running of the household, and chelas initiate hijras and turn over a portion of their earnings for household expenses. In addition, all hijras pay a fee to the jamat, or congregation of hijra house leaders recognized within the larger community. (Patel_2010:836) Many houses are situated relatively close together. As much of Indian society and culture rejects the hijra, the hijra feel it is necessary to isolate themselves from the mainstream culture. Not only does this give the hijra a sense of community, but it also preserves their security and safety. Despite these protective measures, hijras remain a marginalized group in a country that continues to ostracize them. India is two-sided in its social perception of the hijra lifestyle. As a community, Indian society treats hijras with a combination of fascination, revulsion, and fear (Patel_2010:836). As a means of survival, hijras predominantly participate in begging and prostitution. For a small fee, they also perform badhai-local families sometimes welcome them into their homes to bless auspicious births or weddings (Patel_2010:836). For the most part, however, sex work is the most profitable option for the hijra. As a result, Indias hijras struggle as an ostracized social class, subject to gender violence and various other human rights violations. There are very few domestic policies protecting hijras. Although there have been recent pushes for their rights, few have been successful. The hijra have struggled to enjoy the basic human rights many Indians enjoy. Most importantly, Indian law does not recognize them as a third gender. This denies them the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry and the right to claim formal identity through any official documents such as a passport or driving license. Accessing healthcare, employment or education becomes almost impossible. In the face of such odds they are forced to earn money any way they can (Harvey_2008:html1). Hijras are regularly robbed and sexually assaulted on the street at the hands of gangs and other local thugs. A hijra who served as chairperson of a human rights organization said, We have no constitutional rights. That is the problem. We dont have voting rights; often we cannot get housing. This is not allowing us to have an identity of our own (Harvey_2008:html1). Reports show however, that attitudes are gradually beginning to change. An initial difficulty in addressing the rights of sexual minorities is in recognizing the differences between the concepts of sex and gender. Sex, by definition, operates within the classic binary biological model, in which the human species is clearly divided into neat categories of either male or female (Patel_2010:836). Gender, however, is a more inclusive term, which includes social constructs of personal belief and sexuality that have deeper meaning than the traditional biological sex distinction (Patel_2010:836). In addition, the classic Western binary models of sex-male and female-and sexuality-homosexual and heterosexual-do not fit neatly into Indias traditional concepts of gender and identity. As a result, hijras are the unknown-the intersex gender between male and female in India. Although the hijra have been ostracized for many years, conditions are slowly starting to improve. As technology and media communication have vastly improved in India, more people are beginning to not only notice the presence of the Hijra, but also appreciate it. The Hijra have formed unions to organize protests for their human rights and will continue to fight for legislation until they are satisfied. India has taken many steps toward recognizing transgender rights. In recent years, hijras have become increasingly visible in the political arena. After gaining the right to vote in 1994, a few have held political office in various states in India, and often have the support of religiously affiliated majority parties as safe candidates. In 2000, Kamla Jaan, a hijra in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was elected mayor of Katni after running as an indepen- dent. Indian society perceives hijras as un-entrenched political candidates-secular, casteless, and asexual-simultaneously able to understand the plight of the downtrodden and able to gather the support of outsiders. Furthermore, mainstream society has recast these candidates as embodiments of respect and morality, above traditional corruption that permeates Indian politics. As a result of their improved prominence, India has taken some effective measures in acknowledging the legal status of hijras. For example, there are three distinct gender classification choices available on the Indian Passport-ma le, female, and others' (Patel_2010:836). In addition, the prominence of hijras in the media has fostered increased social acceptance of transgendered individuals. Thus far, the state of Tamil Nadu seems the most accepting. There, a transsexual hosts a local talk show called Ippadikku Rose. The state also hosts an annual transgender festival to facilitate accept- ance of hijras into mainstream society. In addition, hijras are making appearances in the fashion industry, and recent Bollywood films portray them in a positive light. In 1994, the South Indian film Tamanna portrayed the life of a hijra who saves a young girl from life on the streets and later adopts her. In 2008, a hijra was cast as the first transgender in the country with a lead role in a mainstream Tamil movie. Despite receiving some recognition and social acceptance, hijras remain an ostracized and differentiated social class. Hijras struggle to reconcile their physical visibility with the invisibility of their community as a whole. In the end, however, community invisibility makes hijras susceptible to gender violence and other human rights abuses. By creating and recognizing transgender rights, India has the capacity to battle its current HIV/AIDS epidemic in a meaningful way, give real effect to the human rights of sexual minorities, and serve as a model for other nations to recognize gender-based rights. In order to accomplish these goals, however, India must repeal current discriminatory laws and enact equal opportunity legislation on the basis of gender and sexuality. In order for there to be meaningful change, formal legislation must be passed, and with the help of the human rights activists and unions, the legislation could very well happen. Works Consulted Amisha, R. P. (2010). INDIAS HIJRAS: THE CASE FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS[dagger]. The George Washington International Law Review, 42(4), 835-863. Nick Harvey http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2008/05/hijras-indian-changing-rights (Hijras Indian Changing Rights) The Hijras of India http://lisa.cs.duke.edu/~john/finalproject/ Khan, S. I., Hussain, M. I., Parveen, S., Bhuiyan, M. I., Gourab, G., Sarker, G. F., . . . Sikder, J. (2009). Living on the extreme margin: Social exclusion of the transgender population (hijra) in bangladesh. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 27(4), 441-51. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/docview/202996682?accountid=14816

Two Rivers :: essays research papers

Two Rivers, Wisconsin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If one were to travel 36 miles Southeast of Green Bay they would run into a small town known as Two Rivers. Two rivers is located on the coast of Lake Michigan. Two Rivers is surrounded on three sides by the majestic Lake Michigan. Not far from Two Rivers is its sister city Manitowoc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  French Canadians as well as the Chippewa Indians founded two Rivers. The Chippewa Indians called the area Neshotah that means â€Å"a junction of 2 rivers†, since the twin rivers join together before entering Lake Michigan. The Chippewa Indians also named the twin rivers. The West River is known as â€Å"Neshoto† meaning west, and the East river is â€Å"Mishicot† meaning east. Two Rivers is obviously named after these twin rivers. The rivers themselves are almost geographically the same. The rivers are split between the city capital that is located in the center of downtown, and then rejoin together right before they hit Lake Michigan. There is more than seven miles of clean and wide white sandy beaches along the city’s edges for the town’s people as well as the tourist to enjoy. Swimming, wind surfings, beach coming, or just even to take a brake and relax in the sun are just some of the things you can enjoy in Two Rivers. Not t o mention one of the biggest activities to enjoy is the fishing. Fishing charters is a major tourist attraction, the Kiwanis fishing derby brings anglers from throughout the Midwest. You can fish on or off shore in almost all of the four seasons. Not only are the Twin rivers a good resource for fishing they are a major and important resource for water. The rivers stream are usually calm and slow, which you could say it matches the way of life of Two Rivers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two Rivers is a town were the pace of life doesn’t get any slower. Its slow paced atmosphere and friendly townspeople make you feel like you are in the South. Trees line the quiet streets of the all American city. In the center of town are gracious old buildings that frame Central Park. Young and old gather here for festivals, or just to sit and talk. Band Concerts are also held in Central Park on a regular basis. Tourists shop at all the well-kept stores and are often greeted with a friendly smile. Two Rivers is a town were every body knows your name.

Influences on Human Nature Essay

Human nature is the central characteristics, including the ways of thinking, acting, and reacting that are shared by most or all human beings, and which humans display naturally. Each one of us is a unique being and various facets of human nature determine our individual personalities. The question posed by personality theorists is, what factors influence the development of our personalities? Simply stated, how did we become who we are? Who we are is not determined by any one characteristic or concept of human nature, but by combination of influences. Is human nature determined by our own free will or is it pre-determined by our past experiences and forces which we have no control? Are we dominated by our inherited nature and genetic composition or the nurturing environment of our background and education? Are we dependent or independent of our past? Is human nature unique or universal? Are our life goals motivated by the simple satisfaction of physical needs, or are we driven by a deeper need for growth and progress? Is man kind’s outlook one of optimism or pessimism? Do humans develop relationally or individually? Questions about human nature focus on these central issues and theorists attempt to answer this question, while defining their image of human nature. Free Will versus Determinism The ability to make choices unrestricted by certain factors is called free will. In contrast to free will, determinism dictates that there are forces over which we have no control. These forces externally shape our personality and that each event is determined by preceding events. How can we have free will if everything is determined for us? On the other hand, if everything is determined, how can we have free will? Free will and determinism are companions and you cannot have one without the other. We need to feel that our will is free and not determined for us. We need to be able to assign responsibility, bestow blame and praise, and allocate punishments and rewards. If we do not have free will, are we then not responsible for the choices we make? If we are not responsible for our actions, then we should not be punished when our behavior justifies it. The decisions we make, and the emotional reactions we feel, about the choices we make, are a learning process. When we make a choice, we learn from the outcome. The next time we are in the position to make a similar choice, we draw on our experiences and either choose similarly, or differently, depending on our previous outcome. In this sense, it can be said that determinism is a strong factor. The choice made is determined by the outcome of previous decisions. We cannot learn to choose more wisely, unless we can recognize a particularly good or bad choice. Gordon Allport held a balanced position on the free will versus determinism debate. Allport bestowed free choice in our considerations about our future. However, Allport also recognized that some behaviors are determined by personality traits and personal dispositions. Once the behaviors are formed, they are difficult to modify (p. 203). Inherited Nature versus Nurturing Environment For the purpose of the nature versus nurture debate, nature is defined as inherited traits and attributes. Nurture is the characteristics of our environment (nurturing influences of education, childhood, and guidance). Given that genetics and environment both influence human nature and personality, which plays a greater role? The genes we inherit determine physical characteristics about us from the color of our eyes, hair, and skin to how tall or short we will be. However, behavioral tendencies and personality attributes are not hard-wired. As human beings, we are features of our environment and the conditions by which we live shape our personality and our intelligence. We come by our personality traits through observed behaviors, not through genetic endowment. At birth a child’s mind is a blank slate. How he develops from birth is determined by the knowledge he obtains and his experiences. Adopted children support this position. A baby girl is surrendered by her biological parents and adopted. As she grows, she receives high marks throughout school and is accepted to a prestigious college. Is this child academically successful because of her genes, or is her success a result of the enriched environment her adopted parents provided? Adoptive and foster parents have a much greater impact on the personalities of their adopted and fostered offspring than the genes inherited from birth parents. The nurturing environment is the dominant influence on development and behavior. Erik Erikson supports this position in his theory. Erikson held that personality is affected more by learning and experiences and less by hereditary. Psychosocial experiences have a greater influence on personality, not biological forces (p. 172). Dependent versus Independent of Our Past Is personality more influenced by our past events? Or are people independent of the past, with personalities more powerfully shaped by events which occur later in life? For some, personality is dependent on childhood and subject to little change over the course of life. For others, personality is independent of the past. These individuals are influenced by their own experiences, as well as by their objectives and ambitions. For those independent of their past, early experiences do contribute to the formation of personality, but not permanently. On the issue of whether we are shaped more by past experiences, or events which occur later in life, there is no one size fits all answer. Every psyche is unique and each one of us draws on the more powerful determinant. Human nature is both dependent and independent of our past. In one individual the events he experiences in childhood and adolescent years may be a strong contributing factor to his personality. In another, the here and now events of her later life may be the stronger factor in who she has become. An example is given for both sides of the continuum. A brother and sister, one year apart, are raised by the same mother and the men who enter and exit their lives. The two children lead a dysfunctional childhood fraught with homelessness, neglect, poor adult guidance, and mental, physical, and sexual abuse. From adolescence on the brother takes a dark path. He murders a third sibling and is institutionalized. Within a short time of his release from the sanitarium, he commits arson (burns down his sister’s apartment) and is sent to state prison. Upon his release from state prison he leads the life of a drifting loner with anti-social tendencies. Now a 42 year old man he has no family of his own (a good choice given the danger he presents to others at times); possesses only an eighth grade education; is paranoid schizophrenic and suffers from delusions; and cannot maintain employment for extended periods of time. The male child is an example of historical determinism. The extremely unfortunate serious of events of his childhood have made him who he is. His personality is dependent on his past; it was mostly fixed in the early years and has changed little throughout his life. The sister half of the equation began her adolescent and early adult years coping with her past in her own dysfunctional way. While early on she turned to methamphetamine use and sexual promiscuity as escapes from the past, she made a cognitive choice in her 30s not lead the life of her mother. The trigger of a life change for her was predominantly self-motivated by her hopes and aspirations for a future. However, it was influenced by negative events she had experienced in her present situation, as well as positive relationships she formed. She is now 43 years old, married and has four beautiful children. She works full time, owns a beautiful home, is growing in Christ, working toward a college degree, and has goals and aspirations for a fantastic future. Her personality is one completely independent of the past; it was not fixed by the tragic events of her childhood. While childhood and adolescent experiences may have contributed negatively early on to shaping her personality, it was not permanent. She is influenced by events and experiences in the present and they have modified her early personality traits to make her a happy, healthy, productive member of society. Albert Bandura supports the position that behaviors can be modified. He believed that our self-efficacy and a set of ideal behaviors are established in childhood. However, these early experiences can be reversed later in life, and performance standards and behaviors may be replaced (p. 344). Carl Jung also believed we are affected more by our experiences in middle age and our hopes and expectations for the future (p. 102). Unique versus Universal The position that personalities are unique holds that each person’s action has no complementing action or behavior in any other individual. There is no comparing one person to another. The universal position follows that there are overall patterns of behavior among people. That within individuals of the same culture, there are similar identifiable behaviors. Is there such a thing as an innate universal characteristic of human nature? Our experiences shape our behavior; however, two people with a universal pattern (such as those from the same tribe); still grow into two separate and unique individuals. The human personality is both unique and universal. While fully functioning persons share some universal characteristics, we all possess traits unique to the individual. Maslow reinforces uniqueness of personality in his theory. Maslow believed that incentive and needs are universal, but how the needs are met differs between individuals because behaviors are learned. He went on to state that even self-actualizers, despite the fact they share certain abilities, do not have identical behaviors (p. 256). Satisfaction versus Growth Theorists break down the issue of our life goals to opposing motivating factors. Are we driven by satisfaction or growth? If satisfaction is the goal, we are content as long as balance is maintained and our needs are met. In contrast some theorists believe our major motivation is growth. The choice of growth or satisfaction is different from one individual to another. A man in his forties has a comfortable home, a family who love and respect him, plays golf on Saturdays, goes on vacation once a year, and has a job with a decent salary. While he has not reached his fullest potential, or all of the goals he initially set out to attain, this man is satisfied. His position is one that his needs are met, and he sees no need to expend the energy or stress for further growth or development. He may even ask himself, what more could I want? Sigmund Freud took the satisfaction position in his pessimistic view of human nature. Freud believed that we continually experience stress and conflict and that the ultimate goal was to reduce stress (p. 61). While some individuals are satisfied as long as their needs are met and they can sustain a stress free life, others crave knowledge and growth of body and mind. A woman in her forties is in a similar situation as the man in the above example. She has a comfortable home, a family who love and respect her, goes on vacation once a year, and a job with a decent salary. However, the woman is not satisfied. She is driven by her desire for growth, and the need to improve herself. She has aspirations for the future, a longing to help others, and recognizes she has not achieved full potential. While she can certainly live comfortably in her present situation, she knows that she has not reached self-actualization. She realizes that she would not only be cheating herself, but those who surround her and society, by not persevering until she reaches her goals. Carl Rogers supports this position in his theory. Rogers believed our outlook is progressive rather than regressive, toward growth rather than stagnation. In his opinion we seek challenge and stimulation, instead of the satisfaction of familiarity (p. 274). Optimism versus Pessimism For centuries theorists have examined the question of optimism or pessimism. Do humans have an essentially optimistic outlook on life, a positive, upbeat, and hopeful view? Or is the human personality one of a pessimistic outlook, a negative, hopeless view? On the issue of whether our virtues outweigh our shortcomings, in general most of us are optimistic. Collectively, we are socially conscious, unselfish beings with a drive to improve the world around us. People are basically good, caring, and kindhearted. To believe anything else would create a dark portrait of human nature, one of despair and hopelessness. Pessimists would argue that there are wars being waged all over the world, entire cultures being treated as second-class citizens, and poverty is rampant. However, these occurrences do not originate from our human nature. They are activated under given conditions, enabled or hindered by social environments. Gordon Allport presents an optimistic view of adults in control of their lives. We rationally attend to current situations, plan for the future, and form and identity (p. 203). Erik Erikson had an optimistic view of human nature. He believed that although not everyone successful in their goal to attain hope, wisdom, and the other merits of intrinsic worth, we all possess the ability to do so (p. 172). Individual versus Relational Personalities are formed both individually and relationally. When we are born we develop relationally. We form bounds with our parents, siblings, and care-givers relying on them for our needs. During this phase of life, how we grow individually is determined by these early relationships. In return, our relationships often motivate and nurture us to grow individually. For healthy development of the psyche, personalities must form individually and relationally. My own growth is an example of how this continuum is not a matter of individual or relational, but instead individual and relational. For more than ten years I was a lost soul struggling with methamphetamine addiction, depression, periods of homelessness, and all around selfish bad choices. During this dark period, I did not have healthy relationships. At that point in my life, I had lost sight of who I once was and did not like the person I saw in the mirror. When I made the decision to reclaim my life, initially I could not form healthy relationships, or repair damaged ones. I first needed to concentrate on healing myself and developing as an individual. During this healing period, I made a friend and my relational growth fostered my individual growth. Because of this one individual, I have grown individually and reached goals I never would have dreamed possible without the inspiration and love fostered by this relationship. We all have relationships which stimulate our individual growth. In contrast, there are also situations where we cannot develop relationally until we are secure as individuals. The individual versus relational issue was not a continuum addressed in the text book, nor could scholarly information on theorist’s positions on the question be found in my search. Conclusion Human nature is a combination of instincts and environment which compose how we decide on which actions to take. There is no right or wrong answer to the questions about human nature posed by personality theorists. It is easy to see why theorists such as Fromm, Murray, Jung, and Erikson leaned neither right nor left on three or four of the six issues. When first assigned the project, I held a firm position on where I stood on each of the issues. In an attempt to better understand the fundamental issues themselves, I began to read what surely amounted to hundreds of pages of material on the questions about human nature. These essays, papers, definitions, and postulates were written by psychologists, theologians, students, and (I’m ashamed to admit) the folks at Wikipedia and Ask. com. The more I read, the more I began to drift from my previous position on most of the issues. To counter this, I would read more viewpoints in a fruitless search to find something, anything, which held a firm position one way or another on any of the questions. I was desperate for an answer that would lead me back to a firm right or left position on the issues. I discovered that on the questions about human nature, there is no black and white answer; the answers are different for each of us.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 4~5

Chapter Four Red and White and Dead all Over Rapoc stuffing and chicken feathers lay in great, fluffy drifts across the room, along with the shreds of their clothing, the futon cover, pieces of a fuzzy, Muppet-skin rug, and the crushed remains of a couple of cheap-ass Pier 1 paper lanterns. Sparks crackled from the bare wires over the breakfast bar, where the pendulum light fixtures used to hang. The loft looked as if someone had thrown a hand grenade into the middle of a teddy-bear orgy and the only survivors had had their fur blown off. â€Å"Well, that was different,† Jody said, still a little breathless. She was lying across the coffee table, looking out the window at a streetlight from an upside-down angle, naked except for one sleeve of her red leather jacket. She was smeared with blood from head to toe, and even as Tommy watched, the scratches and fang marks on her skin were healing over. â€Å"If I'd known,† Tommy said, panting, â€Å"I'd have grown a foreskin a long time ago.† He lay across the room where she had thrown him, sprawled on a pile of books and kindling that had once been a bookshelf, also smeared with blood and covered in scratches – wearing only a sock. As he pulled a pencil-sized splinter of bookcase out of his thigh, Tommy thought that he might have been a little hasty about yelling at Jody for turning him into a vampire. Although he couldn't really remember much of it, he was pretty sure he'd just had the most amazing sex ever. Apparently what he had read about vampire sex being all about drinking the blood and nothing else – it was just another myth like the changing into a bat and the inability to cross running water. â€Å"Did you know that was going to happen?† Tommy asked. â€Å"I had no idea,† Jody said, still on the coffee table, and looking more to Tommy every minute like a murder victim, except that she was talking, and smiling. â€Å"I was going to make you buy me dinner and take me to a movie first.† Tommy chucked the bloody bookcase splinter at her. â€Å"I don't mean did you know we were going to do it, I mean did you know that it was going to be like that?† â€Å"How would I know that?† â€Å"I thought maybe the night you spent with the old vampire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jody sat up. â€Å"I didn't do him, Tommy, I just spent the night with him trying to find out about how to be a vampire. And his name is Elijah.† â€Å"Oh, so now you're on a first-name basis.† â€Å"Oh, for the love of God, Tommy, would you stop thinking? You're taking what was an amazing experience and sucking all the life out of it.† Tommy fidgeted on his pile of rubble and started to pout, but winced when he tried to push out his lower lip and it caught on his fangs. She was right. He'd always been like that, always overthinking, overanalyzing. â€Å"Sorry,† he said. â€Å"You have to just be part of the world now,† Jody said softly. â€Å"You can't put everything into categories, separate yourself from experience by putting words on it. Like the song says, let it be.† â€Å"Sorry,† Tommy said again. He tried to push the thoughts out of his head, closed his eyes, and listened to his heartbeat, and Jody's heartbeat coming from across the room. â€Å"It's okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Sex like that does sort of beg for a postmortem.† Tommy smiled, his eyes still closed. â€Å"So to speak.† Jody stood up and crossed the room to where he was sitting. She offered him her hand to help him up. â€Å"Careful, the back of your head is kind of stuck in the dry wall.† Tommy turned his head and heard plaster cracking. â€Å"I'm still starving.† She pulled him to his feet. â€Å"I'm feeling a little drained myself.† â€Å"My bad,† Tommy said. He could remember now, her blood pulsing into him, at the same time that his was pulsing into her. He rubbed a place on his shoulder where the punctures from her fangs hadn't quite healed yet. She kissed the spot he was rubbing. â€Å"You'll heal faster when you've had fresh blood.† Tommy felt an ache, like a sudden cramp in his stomach. â€Å"I really need to eat.† Jody led him into the bedroom, where Chet the huge cat was cowering in the corner, hiding unsuccessfully behind the wicker hamper. â€Å"Wait,† Jody said. She padded back out into the great room and came back a few seconds later wearing what was left of her red leather jacket (really more of a vest now) and her panties, which she had to hold together on one side where they'd been torn off. â€Å"Sorry,† she said, â€Å"I'm not comfortable being naked in front of strangers.† Tommy nodded. â€Å"He's not a stranger, Jody. He's dinner.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Jody said, nodding and shaking her head at the same time, making her appear like a bloodstained, bobble-head doll. â€Å"You go. You're new.† â€Å"Me? Don't you know some superanimal hypnotism to call him to you?† â€Å"Nope. Go get him. I'll wait.† Tommy looked at her. On top of the blood that streaked and smeared her pale skin, there were gobs of futon stuffing stuck to her here and there, as well as white chicken feathers in her hair from one of the exploded cushions. He had feathers and cat hair stuck to his chest and legs. â€Å"We're going to have to shave him first, you know?† Jody nodded, not looking away from the huge cat. â€Å"Maybe a shower first.† â€Å"Good idea.† Tommy put his arm around her. â€Å"But just washing. No sex!† â€Å"Why, we already lost the cleaning deposit?† â€Å"Those shower doors are glass.† â€Å"Okay. But can I wash your – â€Å" â€Å"No,† she said. She took his hand and dragged him into the bathroom. It turned out that superhuman vampire strength came in handy when shaving a thirty-five-pound cat. After a couple of false starts, which had them chasing Chet the huge shaving-cream-covered cat around the loft, they discovered the value of duct tape as a grooming tool. Because of the tape, they weren't able to shave his feet. When they were finished, Chet looked like a big-eyed, potbellied, protohuman in fur-lined, duct-tape space boots – the feline love child of Golem and Doddy the house elf. â€Å"I'm not sure we needed to shave all of him,† Tommy said, sitting on the bed next to Jody as they considered the bound and shaven Chet on the floor before them. â€Å"He looks creepy.† â€Å"Pretty creepy,† Jody said. â€Å"You'd better drink. Your wounds aren't healing.† All her scratches, bruises, and love bites were completely healed, and except for a fleck of shaving cream here and there in her hair, she was as good as new. â€Å"How?† Tommy asked. â€Å"How do I know where to bite him?† â€Å"Try the neck,† Jody said. â€Å"But sort of feel around for a vein with your tongue before you bite, and don't bite hard.† She was trying to sound confident in her instructions, but she was in unexplored territory as much as he was. She was enjoying teaching Tommy about the particulars of vampirism, just as she enjoyed teaching him how to do grown-up human things like how to get the power and phone turned on in the loft – it made her feel sophisticated and in charge, and after a series of boyfriends for whom she had been little more than an accoutrement, whose lifestyles she had affected, from heavy-metal anarchists to financial-district yuppies, she liked being the pacesetter for a change. Still, when it came to teaching him about feeding on animals, she couldn't have been winging it more if she really could turn into a bat. The only time she'd ever considered drinking animal blood was when Tommy had brought her two large, live snapping turtles from Chinat own. She hadn't been able to bring herself to even try biting into the armored reptiles. Tommy had named them Scott and Zelda, which hadn't helped. Now Zelda was functioning as a lawn ornament in Pacific Heights and Scott was encased in bronze and standing next to the old vampire in the great room. The biker sculptors downstairs had bronzed them, which is what had given Tommy the idea to bronze Jody and the old vampire in the first place. â€Å"Are you sure this is okay?† Tommy said, bending over Chet the huge shaved cat. â€Å"I mean, you said that we were only supposed to hunt the sick and the weak – the black auras. Chet's aura is shiny and pink.† â€Å"It's different with animals.† She had no idea if it was different with animals. She'd eaten a moth once, whole – snatched it out of the air and downed it before she could think about it. She realized now that there were a lot more questions she should have asked Elijah when she had had the chance. â€Å"Besides, you're not going to kill him.† â€Å"Right,† Tommy said. He put his mouth on Chet's kitty neck. â€Å"Like thith?† Jody had to turn away to keep from laughing. â€Å"Yeah, that looks good.† â€Å"He tathes like thaving cream.† â€Å"Just go,† Jody said. † ‘Kay.† Tommy bit and started to moan almost immediately. Not a moan of pleasure, but the moan of someone who has his tongue stuck on the ice-cube tray in the freezer. Chet seemed strangely calm, not even struggling against his kitty bonds. Maybe there was something to the vampire's power over his victims, Jody thought. â€Å"Okay, that's enough,† Jody said. Tommy shook his head while still feeding on the huge shaved cat. â€Å"Tommy, let off. You need to leave some.† â€Å"Nu-ih,† Tommy said. â€Å"Stop sucking the huge cat, Tommy,† Jody said sternly. â€Å"I'm not kidding.† She was kidding, a little bit. Tommy was breathing hard now, and a little color had come into his skin. Jody looked around for something to get his attention. She spotted a vase of flowers on the night-stand. She pulled out the flowers and tossed the water on Tommy and the huge cat. He kept feeding. The cat shuddered but otherwise remained immobile. â€Å"Okay, then,† Jody said. It was a heavy, stoneware vase, something Tommy had picked up to hold some apology flowers he'd brought her from the grocery store where he worked. He'd been good that way, sometimes bringing home apology flowers before he'd even done anything to apologize for. Really, you couldn't ask for more than that from a guy – which is why Jody slowed to half speed as she brought the vase around in a wide arc that ended with it smacking Tommy in the forehead and knocking him back about six feet. Chet the huge shaved cat yowled. Miraculously, the vase did not break. â€Å"Thanks,† Tommy said, wiping the blood from his mouth. There was a crescent-moon-shaped dent in his forehead that was rapidly filling in, healing. â€Å"Sure,† Jody said, staring at the vase. Great vase, she thought. Elegant, fragile porcelain was all well and good for the collector's case or the tea party, but for the girl who finds herself in need of a vessel that can deliver a wallop, Jody was suddenly sold on the sturdy value of stoneware. â€Å"Tastes like cat breath,† Tommy said, pointing to Chet. The punctures from Tommy's fangs had already healed. â€Å"Is it supposed to?† Jody shrugged. â€Å"What's cat breath taste like?† â€Å"Like tuna casserole left out in the sun for a week.† Being from the Midwest, Tommy thought everyone knew what tuna casserole tasted like. Having been born and raised in Carmel, California, Jody knew it only as something eaten by the extinct people on Nick at Nite. â€Å"I think I'm going to pass,† Jody said. She was hungry, but not cat-breath hungry. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about feeding. She couldn't very well try to live off Tommy anymore, and regardless of the rush and the sense that she was serving nature's cause by taking only the weak and the sick, she didn't like the idea of preying on humans – strangers anyway. She needed time to think, to figure out what their new life was going to be like. Things had been happening too quickly since Tommy and his friends had taken down the old vampire. She said, â€Å"We should get Chet back to his owner tonight if we can. You don't want to lose your driver's license – we may need a valid ID to rent a new place.† â€Å"A new place?† â€Å"We have to move, Tommy. I told Inspectors Rivera and Cavuto that I would leave town. You don't think they'll check?† There had been two homicide detectives who had followed the trail of bodies to the old vampire, and ultimately the discovery of Jody's delicate condition. She'd promised them that she'd take the old vampire and leave town if they'd let her go. â€Å"Oh yeah,† Tommy said. â€Å"That means I can't go back to work at the Safeway either?† He wasn't stupid, she knew he wasn't stupid, so why was he so slow to see the obvious? â€Å"No, I don't think that would be a good idea,† Jody said. â€Å"Since you're going to pass out cold at sunrise, just the way I do.† â€Å"Yeah, that'd be embarrassing,† Tommy said. â€Å"Especially when sunlight hits you and you burst into flames.† â€Å"Yeah, there's got to be company policy against that.† Jody screamed in frustration. â€Å"Jeez, kidding,† Tommy said, cringing. She sighed, realizing that he'd been goofing on her. â€Å"Get dressed, cat breath, we don't want to run out of dark. We're going to need some help.† Out in the great room, the vampire Elijah Ben Sapir was trying to figure out exactly what was going on around him. He knew he had been constrained – bound inside a vessel, and whatever held him was immovable. He'd even turned to mist, which relieved his anxiety somewhat – there was an ethereal mind-set that accompanied the form, it took concentration to not let yourself just float off in a daze – but the bronze shell was airtight. He could hear them talking, but their comments told him little except that his fledgling had betrayed him. He smiled to himself. What a foolishly human mistake to let hope triumph over reason. He should have known better. It would be days before the hunger was on him again, and even then, without any movement, he could last indefinitely without blood. He could live a very, very long time constrained like this, he realized – it was his sanity that would suffer. He decided to stay in mist form – drift as in a dream at night, sleep like the dead during the day. This way, he would wait, and when the time came, and it would come (if nothing else, living for eight hundred years had taught him patience), he would make his move. Chapter Five The Emperor of San Francisco Two in the morning. Normally, the Emperor of San Francisco would have been tucked in behind a Dumpster with the royal guard snuggled around him for warmth, snoring like a congested bulldozer, but tonight he had been undone by the generosity of a Starbucks froth slave in Union Square who had donated a bucket-sized Holiday Spice Mochaccino to the cause of royal comfort, thus leaving the Emperor and his two companions jangled, wandering the wee hours on a nearly deserted Market Street, waiting for breakfast time to roll around. â€Å"Like crack with cinnamon,† said the Emperor. He was a great, boiler tank of a man, an ambling meat locomotive in a wool overcoat, his face a firebox of intensity, framed with a gray tempest of hair and beard such as are found only on gods and lunatics. Bummer, the smaller of the troops, a Boston terrier, snorted and tossed his head. He'd lapped up some of the rich coffee broth himself, and felt ready to tear ass out of any rodent or pastrami sandwich that might cross his path. Lazarus, normally the calmer of the two, a golden retriever, pranced and leapt at the Emperor's side as if it might start raining ducks any minute – a recurring nightmare among retrievers. â€Å"Steady, gents,† the Emperor chided. â€Å"Lets us use this inopportune alertness to inspect a less frantic city than we find in the day, and determine where we might be of service.† The Emperor believed that the first duty of any leader was to serve the weakest of his people, and he made an effort to pay attention to the city around him, lest someone fall through the cracks and be lost. Clearly he was a loon. â€Å"Calm, good fellows,† he said. But calm was not coming. The smell of cat was tall in the air and the men were jacked on Java. Lazarus barked once and bolted down the sidewalk, followed closely by his bug-eyed brother-in-arms, the two descending on a dark figure that lay curled up around a cardboard sign on the traffic island at Battery Street, beneath a massive bronze statue that depicted four muscular men working a metal press. It had always looked to the Emperor like four guys molesting a stapler. Bummer and Lazarus sniffed the man beneath the statue, sure that he had to have a cat concealed among his rags somewhere. When a cold nose hit a hand, the Emperor saw the man move, and breathed a sigh of relief. With a closer look, the Emperor recognized him as William with the Huge Cat. They knew each other to nod hello, but because of racial tensions between their respective canine and feline companions, the two had never become friends. The Emperor knelt on the man's cardboard sign and jostled him. â€Å"William, wake up.† William groaned and an empty Johnny Walker Black bottle slid out of his overcoat. â€Å"Dead drunk, perhaps,† said the Emperor, â€Å"but fortunately, not dead.† Bummer whimpered. Where was the cat? The Emperor propped William up against the concrete base of the statue. William groaned. â€Å"He's gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.† The Emperor picked up the empty scotch bottle and sniffed it. Yes, it had recently held scotch. â€Å"William, was this full?† William grabbed the cardboard sign off the sidewalk and propped it in his lap. â€Å"Gone,† he said. The sign read I AM POOR AND SOMEONE STOLE MY HUGE CAT. â€Å"My deepest sympathies,† said the Emperor. He was about to ask William how he had managed to procure a fifth of top-shelf scotch, when he heard a long, feline yowl echo down the street, and looked up to see a huge shaved cat, in a red sweater, heading their way. He managed to catch hold of Bummer and Lazarus's collars before they darted after the cat, and dragged them away from William. The huge cat leapt into William's lap and the two commenced a drunken reunion embrace that involved quantities of purring, baby talk, and drool, enough that the Emperor had to fight down a little nausea at the sight of it. Even the royal hounds had to look away, the two realizing instinctively that a maudlin and shaved, thirty-five-pound cat in a red sweater was clearly above their pay grade. There was just no doggy protocol for it, and presently they began to turn in circles on the sidewalk, as if looking for a good place to feign a nap. â€Å"William, I believe someone has shaved your cat,† said the Emperor. â€Å"That would be me,† said Tommy Flood as he came around the side of the traffic island, scaring the bejeezus out of everyone there. A pale and delicate hand reached out from behind the island, grabbed the collar of Tommy's coat, and snatched him back around the corner as if he were a rag doll. â€Å"Tommy?† called the Emperor. The big man stalked around the concrete art bunker. Bummer and Lazarus had headed back down the street toward the waterfront, as if they had just seen a particularly fetching porterhouse steak hopping around down there that needed to be investigated. The Emperor found his friend C. Thomas Flood, held tight in the clutches of his girlfriend, Jody Stroud, the vampire, who had her hand pressed tightly over Tommy's mouth and was furiously giving him noogies with the knuckle of her other hand. There was a hollow popping each time she connected, and muted cries from Tommy. â€Å"Jody, I must insist that you unhand the young man,† insisted the Emperor. And she did. Tommy twisted out of her grasp. â€Å"Ow!† Tommy said, rubbing his head. â€Å"Sorry,† Jody said. â€Å"Couldn't be helped.† â€Å"I thought you were going to leave the city with that fiend,† said the Emperor. He had been there, with the royal hounds and Tommy's crew from the Safeway, when they'd done battle with the old vampire at the St. Francis Yacht Club. â€Å"Well, yes, of course. He left already and I'm going to join him,† Jody said. â€Å"Just like I promised Inspector Rivera. But I wanted to make sure that Tommy was going to be all right before I left.† The Emperor liked Jody, and had been a little disappointed when he found that she was a bloodsucking fiend, but she was a pleasant girl nonetheless, and had always been generous with treats for the men, despite Bummer's dropping into yapping fits in her presence. â€Å"Well then, I suppose that will have to do,† said the Emperor. â€Å"It appears that our young writer does require some adult supervision before being set loose on the City.† â€Å"Hey, I do okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"You shaved the cat,† said the Emperor, raising a wild eyebrow that looked like a gray squirrel with a Mohawk. â€Å"I – uh, we were testing him out, to see if I should get a cat to keep me company after Jody leaves.† He looked at Jody, who nodded enthusiastically while trying to look wide-eyed and sincere. â€Å"And†¦ and,† Tommy continued, â€Å"I was chewing some bubble gum, you know, the kind that you can blow really big bubbles with – well, long story short, before I knew it, Chet had lunged at one of my bubbles and was completely covered with bubble gum.† Jody quit nodding and just stared at him. â€Å"So you shaved him,† the Emperor added. Now it was Tommy's turn to nod and look sincere. â€Å"Regrettably.† Jody was nodding again, too. â€Å"Regrettably,† she echoed. â€Å"I see,† said the Emperor. They certainly seemed sincere. â€Å"Well, the sweater was considerate.† â€Å"My idea,† Jody said. â€Å"You know so he doesn't get chilled. It's actually my sweater. Tommy washed it and put it in the dryer, so it's a little too small for me.† â€Å"And don't think it was easy getting a cat that size into a sweater,† Tommy said. â€Å"It was like trying to dress a ball of razor wire. I'm cut to ribbons.† He pushed his sleeves up to expose his forearms, which were distinctly not cut to ribbons. They were, in fact, unmarked, if a little pale. â€Å"Well, good show, then,† the Emperor said, backing away. â€Å"The men and I will be on our way, then.† â€Å"Do you guys need anything, Your Majesty?† Jody asked. â€Å"No, no, we have been most fortunate this evening. Most fortunate indeed.† â€Å"Well, take care, then,† Jody said, even as the Emperor backed around the corner and headed up the street. She can be deceptively pleasant for a blood-drinking agent of evil, the Emperor thought. Bummer and Lazarus were almost out of sight, four blocks ahead. They had known, the rascals. The Emperor was disgusted with himself, leaving William there like that, at the mercy of the fiends. There was no telling what they might do, the two of them, but he felt fear chilling his spine and he couldn't make himself turn around. Perhaps they wouldn't hurt poor William. After all, they had been sweet children in life, both of them. And even in her current state, Jody had shown a certain quality of mercy by waiting until now to turn Tommy. Still, he had a city he was responsible for, and he could not shirk that responsibility. It was a long walk to the Marina Safeway, but he had to reach it before the night crew left. As knavish as they might be, they were the only people in his city who actually had experience hunting vampires. â€Å"Bite him,† Tommy said. He was standing over the huge cat guy, who had passed out again under the statue. Jody shook her head and shuddered. â€Å"He's filthy. Don't tell me you can't smell that.† Since she'd become a vampire, she'd only experienced nausea when she tried to eat real food, but she was nauseated now, despite the hunger grating in her core. â€Å"Here, I'll clean off a spot.† Tommy fished a tissue out of his coat pocket, licked it, and cleaned a spot on William's neck. â€Å"There. Go for it.† â€Å"Yuck.† â€Å"I bit the cat,† Tommy said. â€Å"You said yourself that you were starving.† â€Å"But he's hammered.† Jody said. She was taking little steps in place like a little kid who has to pee. â€Å"Bite him.† â€Å"Quit saying ‘bite him. I don't think of it like that.† â€Å"How do you think of it?† â€Å"I don't really think of it. It's sort of an animal thing.† â€Å"Oh, I see,† Tommy said. â€Å"Bite him before some cops come along and take him away and you miss your chance.† â€Å"Ewww,† Jody said, kneeling beside William. Chet the huge cat looked up at her from William's lap, then put his head down and closed his eyes. (Blood loss had mellowed him.) Jody pushed William's head aside and reared back with her mouth open wide as her fangs extended. She closed her eyes and bit. â€Å"See how easy that was,† Tommy said. Jody glared at him without letting go, her breath rasping through her nose as she fed. She thought, I should have hit him harder when I had the chance. Finally, when she felt she'd taken enough to sustain her, but not enough to hurt the huge cat guy, she pulled away, sat down, and looked up at Tommy. â€Å"You've got a little – † Tommy gestured to the corner of her mouth. She wiped her mouth with her hand, came away with a little lipstick and a little blood. She looked at William's neck. It's was sort of a dirt-gray color, with a white spot rimmed in lipstick. The punctures from her fangs had already healed, but the lipstick sort of stood out like a target. She reached over and wiped the lipstick off with her palm, then wiped her palm off on the huge cat's sweater. Chet purred. William snored. Jody climbed to her feet. â€Å"How was it?† Tommy asked. â€Å"How do you think it was? It was necessary.† â€Å"Well, I mean, when you used to bite me it was kind of a sexual thing.† â€Å"Oh, right,† Jody snapped. â€Å"I planned all this because I wanted to fuck the huge cat guy.† She was feeling a little light-headed for some reason. â€Å"Sorry. We should get him off of Market Street,† Tommy said, â€Å"before he gets robbed or arrested. He's got to have some of the money left. That much alcohol would have killed him.† â€Å"The hell do you care, writer boy? You shaved and ate his cat. Or was that a sexual thing?† She was definitely feeling light-headed. â€Å"That was a mutual – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, bullshit. Bite him. See how sexual it is. Get a taste of that down-home human hemoglobin goodness, Tommy. Don't be a wuss,† Jody said. Well, he was being a wuss. Tommy stepped back. â€Å"You're drunk.† â€Å"And you're being a wuss,† Jody said. â€Å"Wuss, wuss, wuss.† â€Å"Help me. Take his feet. There's a sheltered alcove over by the Federal Reserve building across the street. He can sleep it off there.† Jody bent to take the guy's feet, but they seemed to move as she reached for them, and when she corrected, she missed, and fell forward, catching herself so that she was on all fours with her ass in the air. â€Å"Yeah, that worked,† Tommy said. â€Å"How about you take Chet and I'll carry the huge cat guy?† â€Å"Whadever, Mr. Wussyman,† Jody said. Maybe she was a little tipsy. In the old days, prevampire days, she'd tried to stay away from alcohol, because it turned out that she was sort of an obnoxious drunk. Or that's what her ex-friends had told her. Tommy picked up Chet the huge cat, who squirmed as he held him out to Jody. â€Å"Take him.† â€Å"You are not the head vampire here,† Jody said. â€Å"Fine,† Tommy said. He slung Chet under his arm and, in a single movement, scooped up the huge cat guy and threw him over his shoulder with the other arm. â€Å"Careful crossing the street,† Tommy called back to her as he crossed. â€Å"Ha!† Jody said. â€Å"I am a finely tuned predator. I am a superbeing. I – † And at that point she bounced her forehead off a light pole with a dull twang and was suddenly lying on her back looking at the streetlights above her, which kept going out of focus, the bastards. â€Å"I'll be back to get you,† Tommy called. He's so sweet, Jody thought.

Sample Strong Supplemental Essay for College Admissions

Sample Strong Supplemental Essay for College Admissions The supplemental essays for college admissions can be a stumbling point for applicants. Many students put significant time into their longer personal statement but then rush off the shorter supplemental section of the application. A typical result can produce a  weak supplemental essay. The strong essay below was written in response to the application to Duke Universitys Trinity College. The guidelines for the optional supplemental essay ask, If you are applying to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular at Duke that attracts you? Please limit your response to one or two paragraphs. Example Strong Supplemental Essay The question asked here is typical of many supplemental essays. Essentially, the admissions folks want to know why their school is of particular interest to you. When I visited the Duke campus last fall, I immediately felt at home. The Gothic architecture and tree-shaded walks created an atmosphere of peaceful but serious reflection. The place is at once Southern - which, as an Alabamian, is important to me - and universal as it reflects the traditions of Europe and the classical world. The Trinity College liberal arts curriculum also reflects this unique pairing of the modern South and the global past. For example, I am considering a major in history, and am very interested in the combination of geographic and thematic areas of study offered by Duke’s history program. The combinations of areas offer seeming endless areas of specialization. One interesting possibility is a focus in the geographic area of the U.S. and Canada, combined with a thematic study of Women and Gender or African Diaspora. By juxtaposing and intertwining these two foci, my understanding of the American South - and much more - would be greatly enriched. This i nnovative and flexible approach to both traditional and non-traditional subject matter is greatly appealing to me. I know by reputation and from a friend currently enrolled in Trinity College that the liberal arts curriculum is very challenging, but also rewarding. I believe I am more than prepared for these challenges, and that I will thrive in this climate. Duke University’s campus already feels like home; I believe that its academic opportunities will also provide a stimulating environment in which I feel I belong. Critique of the Supplemental Essay First, think about the prompt. The admissions officers want to know if there is something in particular at Duke that makes the applicant want to go there. A bad essay never discusses features that are unique to Duke. A good essay gets specific and shows particular knowledge of the school. The sample essay succeeds on this front. Although the essay is just a paragraph long, the author presents three specific features of Duke that make her want to attend: The attractive campus with its Gothic and Southern appealThe flexible nature of the history curriculumThe fact that she has a friend at Duke This last point doesnt matter much in the admissions process and the writer was correct to mention it only indirectly. The first point has moderate importance. Many colleges have impressive Gothic architecture, so the feature isnt unique to Duke. However, the writer connects the campus to her own Southernness. She also demonstrates that she has visited the campus, something that is not true of many applicants who haphazardly apply to a long list of prestigious schools. The second point about the history curriculum is key to this essays success. This applicant knows what lies beneath the universitys surface. She has clearly researched the curriculum. She is not applying to Duke simply because of its beauty or its reputation, but because she likes how the university approaches learning. Avoiding Supplemental Essay Mistakes In general, the author has avoided common  supplemental essay mistakes and written an effective response to the universitys prompt. Admissions officers will certainly take note of the fact that this applicant has done some research and has thoughtful reasons for wanting to attend Duke. If your supplemental essay to the question asking Why Our School? could be applied to numerous schools, you have failed to respond to the prompt effectively. This is not the place to be generic or lazy. Do your research, and articulate the unique reasons why the school is a good match for your interests, personality, and goals. Write your  supplemental essay  so it is strong, specific, and targeted toward that specific college.