Natsume Soseki has written Kokoro

Natsume Soseki has written Kokoro in such a way that the reader be acquainted with Boku and Sensei.   Through them, Soseki believed that a person’s actions should be coming from their true emotions and not by what others perceive of it.   A person should always do things in accordance to what he thinks is right and not by merely considering what the people dictates to him.   Sometimes people tend to live up to what the people tell them because their reputation is at stake.   Just like the planned graduation party of Boku[1].   Even though Boku did not want to have a party, his parents insisted because his father has a reputation to maintain in their community. Kokoro was also written in such a way that there is a special connection between Sensei and Boku in being able to see their imperfections by means of their shallowness.   Despite the two characters having different worldly views, they still found company in each other’s presence.   Boku is somewhat a person who wants to know who Sensei really is and Sensei was not the type of person who would reveal the real him. The style of the first part of Kokoro resembles that of a detective novel, and helps first to establish the reader’s curiosity towards Sensei. Narrator Boku provides no self-introduction and no adequate explanation for his interest in Sensei. Instead, he continuously feeds the reader small ‘clues’ – pieces to the puzzle of Sensei – to gain the reader’s curiosity. ‘â€Å"I cannot tell you why,† Sensei said to me, â€Å"but for a very good reason I wish to go to that grave alone. Even my wife, you see, has never come with me.† [End of passage]’[2] Sudden breaks in narrative are often used to leave these clues hanging, helping to compound the suspense felt by the reader. Additionally, despite having already experienced all the events he describes, Boku chooses to present them in the original chronological order and to narrate his original thoughts regarding each event.    â€Å"I wondered also why Sensei felt the way he did towards mankind.†[3] Revealing his thoughts and experiences in this manner assists Boku in linking with the reader, as it constructs between them a shared interest towards Sensei. Soseki seeks to direct this interest, as evident in the sentence: â€Å"Had I been curious in an impersonal and analytical way, the bond between us would surely not have lasted.†[4] This explanation of the nature of Boku’s curiosity can be interpreted as a suggestion to the reader; in order to complete the puzzle of Sensei, the reader needs to explore Sensei on a more personal level – not simply to analyse from a third person perspective, but rather to attempt to interpret Boku’s regard for Sensei by examining the similar attitudes and values that the two espouse. In the third part of Kokoro, Soseki switches to a new narrative frame, and we read Sensei’s letter through the eyes of Boku. Sensei directly addresses Boku in the letter – driving us as readers even closer to Boku, as we to try to interpret Sensei’s words through the mindset of Boku. Contrastingly, despite the title ‘My Parents and I’, part two of the novel serves to distance the reader from Boku’s family. As readers, our interest draws to a peak when Sensei agrees to tell Boku about his past. However, Sensei does not, and instead Boku’s father’s illness forces Boku to leave for home. This is frustrating for Boku, and for the reader, as is revealed in the passage: ‘†¦ there was much that I did not know about Sensei. He had not told me about his past, as he had promised. I could not be content until he was fully revealed to me.’[5]  Even as Boku’s father lies on his deathbed, Boku’s thoughts wander towards Sensei – physically represented by his moving back and forth between his bedroom and his father’s bedroom. In the process of affiliation with Sensei and Boku, the reader is exposed to the two characters’ disdain towards external appearances and opinions.  Both Sensei and Boku show their disregard for academia. Boku shows little regard for his diploma – he ‘pretends his diploma is a telescope’ surveys the world outside his window in it, and then throws it down on his desk. Similarly, Sensei does not know where he put his diploma.  In contrast, Boku’s parents hold Boku’s diploma in the highest regard. They scold Boku for not having taken better care of the diploma, and display it in the house. Boku’s narration shows that he also is not interested in the appearance of things.   He tends to observe, conclude and investigate on it.   Just like what happened when he saw Sensei at the beach centre.   He overlooked at Sensei’s appearance and focused his attention more on his behaviour thus speculating Sensei’s state of mind.  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He was always aloof and [†¦] seemed totally indifferent to his surroundings†.[6] Sensei bears a similar disregard towards appearances to others and describes it:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I used to consider it a disgrace to be found ignorant by other people. But now, I find that I am not ashamed of knowing less than others †¦Ã¢â‚¬ [7]  Sometimes people tend to pull themselves down because they think they know less about things.   But come to think of it, even though a person does not graduate high school or college, it means that he is more ignorant than those who have graduated.   People know different things and not all individuals can learn everything. With these, it forms a sharp contrast with Boku’s parents.   The parents of Boku have a high regard for the physicality of things while Sensei and Boku do not.   Boku’s parents seem to relate the physical aspect of a thing with its value just like the diploma.   For them, being able to have a diploma is something that should be cherished, treasured and be well cared of.   While for Sensei and Boku, a diploma is somewhat like a representation of the knowledge acquired while in the university.   A diploma is just a paper, nothing more, nothing less.   What is important are the learning obtained during the years studying in the university. In conclusion, Kokoro is a classic example of presenting two characters that may turn out to be indifferent from one another at first but later on saw their similarities.   Even though these two characters obviously come from different generations, they still were able to find a common ground.   These two started out as complete strangers and tended to avoid the fact that they needed each other’s company but in the end, it just proves that no matter the distance of two persons, they still are close when always remembered. Bibliography Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro (Part 2) Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1957. 21 Jan. 2000. http://www.eldritchpress.org/ns/k2.html [1] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Online Version, 2001. part 2                                                                                                                               [2] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p11 [3] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p22 [4] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p11 [5] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p65 [6] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p5 [7] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p37

Micro Final Paper

Micro Final Paper Micro Final Paper Term Paper: The Economics of Domestic Poverty December 11, 2014 Table of Contents: Page 2-5: Evaluation of poverty rate and suggested improvements Page 6-8: Causes of U.S income inequality Page 9-10: Describe and evaluate the welfare reform efforts of the past decade. What measures are still needed? Page 10-12: Scriptures View On Poverty Page 13-14: Bibliography Evaluation of poverty rate and suggested improvements Who are the poor in United States? The World Bank defines the poor as those who live on less than $2 a day. In the United States, however the most common way of measuring poverty is if a family’s income falls below the official â€Å"threshold of poverty†. The United States Census Bureau defines those being below the threshold of poverty as, â€Å"households who do not have a sufficient income to meet minimal food and basic needs.† The poverty threshold varies between households with more or less occupants and members under the age of 18 or over the age of 65. For example a household with one member under the age of 18-65 in 2014 has a weighted threshold average of 12,119 per year, while a household with one member over the age of 65 have a threshold of 11,173 (Census Bureau, 2014). U.S. poverty was first measured in the 1960’s through the Social Security Administration1, under the help of economist Mollie Orshansky. Orshansky helped establish the official poverty threshold, by using the cost of the Department of Agriculture’s economical food plan. She estimated families in United States spent on average a third of their income on food and, thus conceived the poverty threshold should be three times the of minimal food requirements for adequate living. In 1969, the U.S. government adopted her poverty threshold as the official statistical definition of poverty (Kolesnikova and, Liu 2012), One very disconcerting finding of the poverty threshold is it has seen little to no improvement overtime. In 1973 we had a poverty level of 11.1%, which is slightly lower compared to 2005 of 12.6%. Economists conversely have found many problems with the official measure of poverty especially with comparing poverty rates between decades (Eberstadt, 2006). The official poverty threshold most importantly fails to include changes in: food prices, higher standards of living, and government in-takes services. The official poverty threshold is based on three times food consumption, however food prices are not stagnated and have changed drastically over the years. Orshansky found the poorest fifth of American families were forced to devote nearly 30 percent of their expenditures to buying food, however in 2004 the poorest fifth of American families spent only one-sixth on food. In the 1960’s hunger and undernourishments were common problems regarding those living in the poverty threshold, however ironically today we face the opposite issue. Most poor households today in fact eat too much, which is why government programs like â€Å"Lets Move!† have rose in order to reduce obesity (Let’s Move, 2014). Eight percent of Children in low-income homes for example were surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control to be underweight; on the other hand in 20014 the rate was below 5 percent. The lower percent spent on food per families, means that Orshansky’s multiplier of three used for calculating the poverty threshold has become outdated and the poverty threshold needs to adjust accordingly (Kolesnikova and Liu, 2012). Food is one of the many improvements provided over the years. Housing in 2004 for example had only six percent of the country's poor households living in crowded dwellings2 compared to 25 percent in 1970 (Census Bureau, 2014). Poor households have many new modern luxuries such as telephone service or televisions. According to the Department of Energy survey in 2001, â€Å"most poverty households have microwaves, VCRs or DVDs, and cable television.† The poor have also seen improved health records over the years. The CDC's National

40 Quotes About Writing That Are Keeping It Real

40 Quotes About Writing That Are Keeping It Real Wondering what its really like to be a prolific, famous writer? Wish you could learn from the masters how to craft a great story that readers cant put down? Here are some quotes from some of the best writers on the process of their craft and some brutal truths about writing that keep it real.Im a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he cant and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing.William FaulknerWhen you catch an adjective, kill it.Mark TwainMy own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.Anton ChekhovWriting a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.E. L. DoctorowYou learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The moneys in novels, but writing short sto ries keeps your writing lean and pointed.Larry NivenEverywhere I go Im asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they dont stifle enough of them.Flannery OConnorEverybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people dont see any.Orson Scott CardFinishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.Truman CapoteAll good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.F. Scott FitzgeraldRead, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! Youll absorb it. Then write. If its good, youll find out. If its not, throw it out of the window.William FaulknerHere is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show youve been to colle ge.Kurt Vonnegut Jr.,†¯A Man Without a CountryLet me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.Sylvia Plath,†¯The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia PlathWriting is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.Virginia WoolfWriting books is the closest men ever come to childbearing.Norman MailerA blank piece of paper is Gods way of telling us how hard it is to be God.Sidney SheldonAnd by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.Sylvia Plath,†¯The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia PlathThe most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them – words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when theyre brought out. But its more than that, isnt it? The most important things lie too clos e to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what youve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. Thats the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.Stephen KingDont tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.Anton ChekhovThere are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.W. Somerset MaughamIf you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories - science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.Ray BradburyAlways be a poet, even in prose.Charles BaudelaireA short story is a different thing altogether – a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger.Stephen King,†¯Skeleton CrewI write differently from what I speak, I speak differently from what I think, I think differently from the way I ought to think, and so it all proceeds into deepest darkness.Franz KafkaLearn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.Pablo PicassoWhat an astonishing thing a book is. Its a flat ob ject made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and youre inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.Carl Sagan,†¯CosmosAny word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.Stephen Kinggreat writers are indecent peoplethey live unfairlysaving the best part for paper.good human beings save the worldso that bastards like me can keep creating art,become immortal.if you read this after I am deadit means I made it.Charles Bukowski,†¯The People Look Like Flowers at LastA non-writing writer is a monster courting i nsanity.Franz Kafka [Letter to Max Brod]The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date. Otherwise you begin excusing yourself. You must see the writing as emerging like a long scroll of ink from the index finger of your right hand; you must see your left hand erasing it.Margaret Atwood,†¯The Blind AssassinThe first step ― especially for young people with energy and drive and talent, but not money...the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. To model and demonstrate the kind of world you demand to live in. To write the books. Make the music. Shoot the films. Paint the art.Chuck PalahniukAdvice? I dont have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If youre writing, youre a writer. Write like youre a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and theres no chance for a pardon. Write like youre clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and youve got just one last thing to say, like youre a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for Gods sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that were not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or dont. Who knows, maybe youre one of the lucky ones who doesnt have to.Alan W. WattsIf you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.Stephen King,†¯On Writing: A Memoir of the CraftI write almost always in the third person, and I dont think the narrator is male or female anyway. Theyre both, and young and old, and wise and silly, and sceptical and credulous, and innocent and ex perienced, all at once. Narrators are not even human - theyre sprites.Philip PullmanIndeed, learning to write may be part of learning to read. For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.Eudora Welty,†¯On WritingIf youre just starting out as a writer, you could do worse than strip your televisions electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far. Just an idea.Stephen King,†¯On Writing: A Memoir of the CraftFinishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.Truman CapoteThe poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the necessity, but until the people themselves apprehend it, nothing can happen ... Perhaps it cant be done without the poet, but it certainly cant be done without the people. The poet and the people get on generally very badly, and yet they need each other. The poet knows it sooner than the people do. The people usually know it after the poet is dead; but thats all right. The point is to get your work done, and your work is to change the world.James BaldwinThe author must keep his mouth shut when his work starts to speak.Friedrich NietzscheYou know how writers are... they create themselves as they create their work. Or perhaps they create their work in order to create themselves.Orson Scott CardFind out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.Rainer Maria Rilke

China Is Going to Become the Next Superpower Assignment

China Is Going to Become the Next Superpower - Assignment Example Before embarking a discussion specifically in a China-centric context, it will be really pragmatic to delineate the salient characteristics of a superpowerFirst and foremost, a superpower always has a robust and stable economy that is sufficient enough to churn out the resources for its fast-expanding ambitions. A superpower is also backed by a strong army, navy and air force that could well do the job of projecting it as a power throughout the world. A superpower also needs to have a strong and well-developed culture that is worthy of extending the requisite philosophical and ideological influences, that well demark and define the approach and strategy of that superpower. Geography can certainly play role in consolidating and encouraging the superpower status of a country, as it did in the case of the erstwhile USSR and the USA. A country that has a vast sea and land area under its control is mostly not only endowed with abundant and rich natural resources but does also enjoy a dist inct tactical advantage in the case of a war. If one takes into consideration the contemporary economic and military power of China and the other related attributes like culture, geography and the like, no doubt China qualifies to be an ideal candidate for becoming the superpower of the future (Mahtaney 7).  Also, not only the Chinese goods are flooding the Western markets, but rather China has emerged as a manufacturing hub for the entire world. China also has embarked on an ambitious plan to modernize its military. It goes without saying that in the recent times, China’s sway in the world affairs has increased over time and China is doing its best to gain a strategic edge not only over its rivals in Asia but also over the Western powers (Mahtaney 4). All these facts constitute a good reason as to why China is poised to achieve a superpower status in the future. China’s Economy In the last three decades, China’s economic growth has been quietly impressive and the nation does seem to have the potential to sustain this growth in the times to come. Simply speaking, China has one big population that not only serves the purpose of creating a big and lucrative domestic market but also extends to China ready access to cost-effective and affordable labor. Not to mention that China is a country endowed with ample natural resources and big sea and land area, which further contribute to and facilitate its economic growth. It was Deng Xiaoping who introduced economic reforms in China in the late 70s. Since the introduction of these reforms, the Chinese economy has developed spectacularly. In the period 1979-1993, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of China registered an average growth rate of 9.3 percent (Cass, Williams & Barker 91). It was indeed a great achievement, going by the fact that in the same time period, the average growth rate of the entire world stood at 2.6 percent (Cass, Williams & Barker 91).  

The Artificial Nigger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Artificial Nigger - Essay Example Their trip was filled with conversations, with each grandfather and grandson asserting his wisdom. One point in particular that the child said is, the trip is his second, the first being when he was still a baby. Moreover, he insisted that he would know what a nigger looked like once he saw one because he was born in a city where they abound. The old man said he could not have known any of what he was talking about because he did not have the intelligence then and the boy got his first test on the train when Mr. Head asked what kind of man was the one who passed them by. When he did not get the answer he was expecting, he pointed out to the boy what he previously said, that he would be able to know a nigger when he sees one but then he proved not to be able to do so. When they got off the train, the old man who looked at himself as a sage who is supposed to fill the mind of the young boy with learning soon discovered he also had a lot to learn. Nelson in turn learned the lessons his grandfather authored for him and more and therefore decided not to go back to the city. The aforementioned circumstances came about due to an instance wherein the boy was placed in a dilemma when he hurt a woman who was carrying some groceries when he went frantic looking for his grandfather who left him at a distance, trying â€Å"to teach him a lesson†. When Mr. Head was threatened by the women who were trying to seek justice from the accident his grandson caused, he denied that he knew the boy. Nelson, who looked up to him as a savior at such a dire situation was angry that his own grandfather would disown him. When the two continued to find their way to train station, the old man learned how it felt to need mercy and forgiveness because this was still the first time he had ever failed his grandson. Nelson in turn learned how he needed his grandfather. The story is meant to show how an educator needs to be educated as well. The grandfather does not just represent old age b ut also wisdom which should be gained through years of experience. Mr. Head knows that his grandson should learn many things about his birthplace and decides to make him experience how it is to live in the city. His intention is to make Nelson see that there is nothing to boast about in being born in the city so just as he gained wisdom through experience he contemplates that the best way to open the eyes of the young boy is to let him experience a day in the city. Although Mr. Head only meant the trip for the learning of the boy, he is to find out that there is also a lesson waiting for him. The grandfather, being an old man, always thought he is better than his grandson and when they got lost, he still was too prideful to admit his mistakes. He insists on concentrating in teaching Nelson that the place they are in is where he was born and that there is nothing good about it that he should be proud of. When the two realize that they left their lunch at the train, the boy blames his grandfather of getting them lost and leaving their food. However, instead of admitting his lack of judgment, the old man tried to blame things back to the young boy. The old man is too proud to stoop down and admit his mistakes to his young grandson. On the other hand, the young boy learns little by little

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Philosophy - Essay Example Modern philosophical thinking tries to explain the theory of cognition thereby trying to explain why and how the events take place and subsequent pattern of behaviour of man under certain condition involving emotional and metaphysical reaction. Philosophy can be broadly defined as an attempt to explain the sequence of events or happenings around us that directly or indirectly influence our actions and reactions in our daily life. It makes special efforts to examine and evaluate the thought processes and principles regarding truth, duty and knowledge about the things in general. Hence, philosophy is that branch of social science that tries to interpret everything and anything in the wider empirical consideration of our experiences of conscious and unconscious manifestations of our being. It therefore, can be said that each of us, follow a definite philosophy which guides our actions and our efforts to gain knowledge. Philosophy, with its wide ranging implications and its inherent tendency of examination and evaluation of ideas and events, is amalgamation of all areas of learning and encompasses all fields of social sciences. â€Å"Philosophy is the most inclusive of all branches of learning, and acts as a touchstone to all other aspects of human knowledge† (Sw. Krishnanand). Where all other branches of social sciences like biology, physics, sociology, history etc., work towards explaining and researching subjects and areas that come within its precinct, philosophy and philosophical thoughts promote learning through the application of various fields of social science as well as explaining through the metaphysical aspect of the experiences and events. Various philosophers like Aristotle, Pluto, Hume etc. have espoused philosophies regarding different aspect of our life’s ideologies and concept of living a moral and ethical life. The philosophy is part and parcel of every human being and he or she exhibit

Psychology Reflective Essay Example for Free

Psychology Reflective Essay After having various lessons, I would like to have a deeper evaluation of the chapter â€Å"Behavior in Social and Cultural Context† especially the concept of attributions . It is known that there are two types of attributions which are internal attributions and external attributions that we generally use to explain our own or other’s behaviors. Internal factors concern a person’s traits while external factors concern the external environment. In addition, I am actually shocked by the fact that there is a fundamental attribution error when we are explaining others’ behaviors. There is a real-life example that I would like to share. Last Monday, I was stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour on Nathan Road. I had a lesson at 8:30 am in Core A and I reached the pedestrian bridge at 8:25 am, so I was rushing to the classroom. At that moment, a scene annoyed me most and stopped my way to school. A boy who was around six years old was too energetic. He dashed and rushed around on the footbridge that disturbed others’ way. He also guffawed and touched or played with anything and everything he saw. Suddenly, he paced around and glared at his mum. Don’t walk like a stupid pig! Do you know how to walk? I have been waiting for you for so long! †He shouted at his mum. At that moment, I was very angry and strongly believed that the boy was so naughty and disrespectful that he showed his emotions with no restraint and did whatever he likes without regard for consequences. Based on the above case, the correspondence bias leads me to explain the boy’s behavior by ignoring the influence of situation on behavior. For example, actually he is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so he cannot be patient and always dash around. However, we tend to emphasize the dispositional attribution that the boy is so naughty and disrespectful. Apparently, we tend to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors when explaining others’ behavior. After understanding the concept of fundamental attribution error, I have an enquiry related to it. Is there an error too when we explain our own behaviors? In order to find out the answer of it, I do some researches on it. Afterwards, I found out that the concept of actor-observer bias which is proposed by E. E. Jones and R. E. Nisbett in 1971 gives a clearer picture on the error of explaining our own and others’ behaviors. It states that we as an actor are more likely to attribute our own actions to the particular situation than to a generalization about our personality while the reverse asymmetry held for people being an observer and explaining others’ behaviors. Nevertheless, I have doubts about both the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias. In my opinion, I think that both of the ideas only firmly established when describing negative events. For instance, on the one hand, as an actor, when we get bad result on an exam, we usually attribute the reason to the difficult exam (situational). On the other hand, as an observer, when our friends get bad academic result, we usually attribute the reason to his or her lazy character (dispositional). If the event is positive, the reverse error occurs. With the same example but with the condition that both we and our friends get high marks in the exam, we will attribute the reason to hard-working (dispositional) and easy exam (situational) to explain behaviors respectively. Malle (2006) agrees that a reverse asymmetry held for positive events after conducting a mental-analysis. He states that the discrepancy may indicate a self-serving pattern in attribution that we attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors. Therefore, I believe that we are explaining others’ by using both the self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error. Overall, the lessons build up my foundation for the psychological concepts and theories and we need to explore the psychological world by ourselves in order to find out more details, conflicts about and relationships between different ideas. For instance, in order to finish this reflective journal, I used Google scholar to search about the actor-observer bias and the criticisms about it that I did not learn on the book and in lessons. By experiencing the searching process, I have deeper understanding on it and it strongly impresses on my memory. The process also enhances my analysis skill, to determine which sources are useful and which sources are not related to my topic. Therefore, I enjoy the process of exploring the psychological knowledge by ourselves.