Predictably irrational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Predictably irrational - Essay Example As a result of these accounts of conscious perceptions, we often assume that the experiences constitute a single fundamental reality. Based on this broad judgment, Venkat further reaffirms that, â€Å"the imperative nature of consciousness is practically beyond logical doubt and rather evident through predictable behavior.† (n.pag). Many make the assumption that, they are actually settling for rational and smart choices, without taking into consideration the possibility that their behavior is actually predictable. After reading Ariely’s book, I came to realize that I am also predictably irrational, especially in my life as a student, as shown by analogies drawn hereunder between the authors’ illustrations and incidents in my life. According to Ariely, it is rather intriguing to note that, human expectations, societal norms and emotions, among other undermined aspects of life, which ordinarily seem illogical, often control our capability to reason. This is a concl usion that the author draws from the fact that people astoundingly make simple mistakes, yet repeat the same types of faults daily. The author’s line of thought begins when he asks â€Å"Do our first impressions and decisions become imprinted?† (25). He goes on to elaborate that we usually overpay for certain items when shopping, we also underestimate expenses and keep procrastinating duties we are supposed to carry out eventually. The author is keen to note that these misguided doings are not random, and neither are they senseless. Apparently, these actions are logical and foreseeable, as illustrated by the experiment showing how students’ social security numbers influenced their bids for wine (Ariely 28). This possibility is explicated by Ariely in various chapters of his book, as well as, in Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†, as discussed in subsequent paragraphs. In chapter six of his book, â€Å"Predictably Irrational†, Ariely focuses on the crucial aspects of self-control and procrastination (Ariely 109-119). Through a comprehensive experiment, the author realizes that his students tend to perform better in class assignments, when deadlines for work submission are spaced all through the semester, than when the deadline is set on the final day of the school term. This is an aspect he attributes to the tendency of learners to postpone work, when they think that they have sufficient time to finish writing the assignments, prior to the semester’s end. In the long run, students rush during the last minute only to do unsatisfactory work and, consequently, acquire poor grades. In contrast, spacing out deadlines and imposing potential grade or financial penalties, in addition to simplification of tasks, makes it easy for students to deal with their assignments early enough. This is because such efforts inspire self-control among students and lower incidents of procrastination. The occurrence of procrastination a mong individuals is also supported by O’Donoghue and Rabin, who suggest that â€Å"people may occasionally purchase items with high prices based on the notion that the price is

CRIMINAL JUSTICE Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - Term Paper Example II. It is also very important to understand the idea of victim in relationship to a hate crime.. A. According to Altheide and Coyle (2006) â€Å"Victims are but the personal side of crisis; a crisis is where victims reside. A personal crisis may affect ‘one victim’, but more generally ‘crisis’ refers to ‘social crisis’, involving numerous people. All take place in a time of fear. All of this requires that citizens have information and constant reminders of the pitfalls and hazards of life, whether potential or realized† (p. 289). B. The Anti-Hate Crime Movement began in the 1960s, but it has taken decades to make it a relevant social issue (Jenness & Grattet, 2004). III. As well, education about other cultures has allowed children to start seeing the beauty in difference rather than fearing it. A. Perry, Levin, Iganski, Blazak, and Lawrence (2009) discuss education of children in a globalized world in order to end prejudices as an investm ent into the future. B. The problem is continued as teachers are not prepared to understand or handle the problems that come from biased bullying and they do not know how to react when they see it or are told about it (Perry, Levin, Iganski, Blazak and Lawrence, 2010). ... Hate crimes can come from many different types of prejudice including gender, the color of skin, sexual orientation, and political differences. One of the greatest influences over the development of hate for people with differences from one’s self is through family built hatreds that sometimes go back for many generations. Although hate crimes have declined in the last few decades, there are still an alarming number in the United States. Decreasing the number of hate crimes happens over generations of decreasing the amount of prejudice in families, but other ways of stopping them can help to provide a quicker end to the problems. One of the ways in which the American government has approached hate crimes is through making the criminal offense carry a deeper sentence when it is associated or caused by hatred that is based on social ideas about classifying others. Teaching students about the differences of other cultures also helps to deter them from having prejudicial ideas tha t might lead to violence later in life. Abolishing ignorance about other cultures is a powerful way in which to approach the issue of hate crimes. An examination of hate crimes can help to understand why they are still occurring and to develop strategies through which a lower number of them will occur within the United States. To understand what a hate crime is first must be done through defining the topic. A hate crime is a crime that is committed because one individual hates something that another individual represents to them. As an example, the ideas that someone has about the Asian culture might provoke them to commit a crime against someone who is Asian. Stereotypes and profiling are two of the ways in which people evaluate others in order to