Hope, I just need a ray of that

Unity in Community

We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.            

Why are people inclined to stereotype members of different groups?

Why do people risk their lives to help others? Why do some marriages flourish and others fail? How do orderly crowds turn into violent mobs?

           

Much of what social psychologists have learned about human behavior is invaluable (extremely useful, crucial, necessary, indispensable). Social psychological research on such topics as judgment and decision making, social influence and how people function in groups is relevant to many fields (business, public health, social work, education, law and medicine, as well as regular influences on government policy).

            Individual differences are people’s unique and stable patterns of thoughts, feelings, motives, and behaviors. We take cues for appropriate behavior; therefore, situations have the power to determine behavior, and in a STRONG situation, personality and individual differences and obscured. The main situational influences on our behavior are the actions of other people who cause us to be kinder or meaner, smarter or dumber, lazier or more hardworking. We rely on other people for clues about what emotions to feel in various situations and even to define who we are as individuals: The Power of the situation. The presence of others can be real, such as talking to a friend, imagined, such as preparing for a date, or implied, like stopping at a stop sign.

            We are the only species that forms large societies of genetically unrelated individuals in which people divide labor and cooperate for mutual benefit. Citizenship in the United States of America is a lifelong responsibility to the common good of your political community and the world. The common good depends on people taking action. Many people in American history have acted on the responsibilities of citizenship to achieve change. Individual action can inspire whole groups of people to get involved, and people working together is a more powerful and effective way to create change.

           

Some would say the most active citizens are those who devote their lives to the military or to political office. In 1774, George Washington was already a retired soldier and successful plantation owner in the American colonies when he led a meeting to discuss growing problems. That year, his fellow Virginians selected him to represent their colony at the First Continental Congress, a meeting of leaders from across colonies. The next year he would resume his military career, serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and leading the colonies to defend their independence in the Revolutionary War. Washington then served as he country’s first president, always viewing himself as a public servant.

            In 1845, Frederick Douglass traveled the country and internationally, leading the fight against slavery and assisting various organizations in the fight for abolition. In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and began her famous trips back into the South to help family members and other slaves escape through what became known as the Underground Railroad. She risked he life over and over to help others. In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was a prominent woman’s suffrage leader in the later 19^th century, founding two organizations devoted to the cause. In 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; an organization that brought leaders of African American churches together to protest against racial inequality. His message and leadership live on today, memorializing him as one of the greatest activist citizens in American history.

           

Each of these people was a leader and part of a larger movement. They cannot claim sole credit for the effects of their actions, but their responsible citizenship inspired many others and helped create change. Many Americans know that service in an important citizen responsibility. Service is valuable; it is helping other people, being active in your community and contributing to the common good. The possibilities for service are endless. United, we serve to improve community’s ability to meet needs, to bring people together for a worthy cause, to improve quality of life, and to encourage understanding among people from different backgrounds. One person may belong to several communities. The nation’s history is the Foundation for certain values and principles that serve to unite Americans: Equality, Freedom, and Justice.

            In American politics, responsibility for upholding our system of laws and justice is dependent on both the government and the people. The government creates, enforces, and settles disputes over laws and provides order and safety to citizens. The government protects our basic rights; moreover, certain principles prevent the government from abusing people’s rights.

What is your New Year's Resolution?

New Year’s Resolutions

reflect upon self-improvement annually

New Year, New Me?

How?

Problem #1

Percent of Americans who usually make New Year's Resolutions	45 %
Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year's Resolutions	38 %

Problem #2

Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. (Religious origins)

Problem #3

Various wrecks in various stages of repair.

What are New Year’s Resolutions?

            It should be noted that the 46% of those who made common resolutions (e.g. weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were over ten times as likely to succeed, compared to only 4% who chose not to make resolutions.

            Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something -- the action of solving a problem, dispute, or controversial matter.

-       Commitment to chivalry: Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is a code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood, which developed between 1170 and 1220.

-       One is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness.

-       Responsibility: Accountability

Accountability: the principles and practices of ethical accountability aim to improve both the internal standard of individual and group conduct as well as external factors, such as sustainable economic and ecologic strategies. That is, accountability is linked to considering carefully, and being open to challenge in relation to, one's choices concerning how research agendas are framed and the styles in which write-ups of research "results" are created.

Political accountability is the accountability of the government, civil servants and politicians to the public and to legislative bodies such as a congress or a parliament. The introduction to the Declaration of independence states the purpose of government in terms of social contract theory, that people create government in order to secure their rights. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. It includes individual rights the government must respect. Moreover, it guarantees the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

Worldwide: duty to protect the people and their natural rights, natural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are rights individuals are born with, that no government can take away. People have interpreted those words to determine rights that give people protection of their personal selves, their material goods, and the ability to determine their future without interference. Article 2 protects your right to life. Moreover, we must bear in mind other human rights. It is our individual duty to behave conscientiously in respect of other people’s rights in order to prevent misconduct. Public authorities should also consider your right to life when making decisions that might put you in danger or that affect your life expectancy. In some circumstances, public authorities may need to help you enjoy your right to a private life, including your ability to participate in society. More importantly, to convey an opinion ethically, one must proportionately restrict his or her freedom of expression.

I believe that the first step is for us to be tolerant to people’s views and seek to understand different visions before trying to change other’s opinions. It allows us to actually think and contemplate in order to state reasonable arguments. It is imperative to avoid arrogance and stubbornness and most importantly, we have to use respect. Human beings must reciprocate their kindness on respecting and tolerating each other’s opinions before imposing their views.

We meet and hear from people nationwide who are desperate for answers and are about to give up on themselves, their friends, or their family because of some bondage in their lives. The numerous battles we face are spiritual; spiritual strongholds that get into our lives and into our families, unless we know how to find them and get rid of them. ‘New Year’s Resolution’ should be the spirit we allow to control our life, and the journey varies greatly among individuals. It is not a click away or a year away; it is a reminder to reflect on yourself, to recognize your accomplishments and to accept your setbacks. Unfortunately, nothing is automatically going to be perfect; however, success begins with MOTIVATION.

Motivation is the essential desire to do things, the reason behind actions. Motivation is the psychological stimulus that directs people to act in a certain way to achieve their individual goals. Bernard Weiner's attribution theory of motivation describes the way in which we strive to maintain our positive self-image. A person's motivation to attempt a task is directly related to his or her confidence in a positive outcome. Each day we strive to be better and I assure you that any act of kindness, no matter how small, goes far.

 I take New Year's Resolutions very seriously...