Sexual Sadism And Sex Offenders Psychology Essay

Sexual Sadism And Sex Offenders Psychology Essay Sexual Sadism is a type of paraphilia that may involve making a person suffer in some way that may or may not lead to death. It varies from extreme forms of torture to mild. It can be with a consensual partner who is a masochist and also the injuring of a non consensual person. Sexual sadists usually have mental disorders such as psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder which can explain their level of violence and their lack of empathy for their victims. Many sex offenders are diagnosed with Paraphilias and sexual disorders. Paraphilias are recurrent intense sexual arousing fantasies or urges involving nonhuman objects, suffering, humiliation of oneself or ones partner, children or non consenting persons (APA, 1994). For some people these fantasies are necessary to achieve erotic arousal whereas for others they are episodic and the individual can be stimulated otherwise. This type of behavior, urges and fantasies can cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning. It has to last over a period of at least six months (APA, 1994) .One of the most dangerous paraphilias is sexual sadism, which involves violence that may lead to death in which the offender gets sexual pleasure by inflicting pain on the victim. According to the DSM IV, sexual sadism is the act of humiliating, binding, beating, or making another person suffer in some way were sexual excitement is the result of control over the victim. It typically develops in adolescence with interests coming from masochistic masturbatory practices. Autoerotic asphyxia is a practice that constricts the oxygen during masturbation, accomplished with the use of a strangulation device. The purpose is to create a higher level of sexual excitement through the restriction of oxygen in the brain (Terry, 2006). The restriction of oxygen itself its not whats sexual exciting but its the combination of the behavior, lack of oxygen, danger and the fantasy. Sexual sadists are aroused by the torture and pain of the victim which can lead to death, but there offenders do not derive satisfaction from the murder itself. They are likely to mutilate and torture their victims becoming more aroused as there is an increase in the level of agony. Sexual sadism is usually not consensual and involves injury or death to the victim. The element of fear in the victim and complete control of the victim is the major stimuli in sexual sadism. Such as severe beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape and murder. Sexual offenders who are potentially most likely to meet the criteria of sexual sadism are typically those who sexually assault or who molest children. Some of the characteristics for sexual offenders are usually, schizoid, psychopath, antisocial, narcissist, lack or social skills and relationships. Sadists have been found to exhibit a large number of other paraphilias including transvestic fetishism, masochism, voyeurism, and exhibitionism. Some have alcohol and drug abuse, obsession traits, collects pornography, a history of impaired social relationships, physical and sexual abuse in childhood and extensive fantasy lives incorporating detailed sadistic fantasies (Kirch). Sex offenders who are sadistic usually lack empathy and emotion which might be a reason why they commit the most violence to their victims because they detach themselves. Deficits in empathy facilitate offending behavior, suggesting that offenders lack of awareness or sensitivity to other peoples feelings may impair their ability to appreciate the effects of their behavior on others (Kirsch). Emotions such as anger and shame are believed to fuel aggressive and retributive fantasies, and these fantasies are maintained and enhanced through the process of positive and negative emotional reinforcement. Feelings of inferiority are believed to be reduced during fantasy, while feelings of control, power, and dominance are enhanced. Sexual sadism may begin with fantasies and in some cases these may never be acted upon or be acted out in the more mild forms of consensual relationships. Sadistic fantasies and behaviors can include dominance, humiliation, bondage, biting, burning, whipping, penetration with foreign objects, strangulation, and mutilation of the body (Kirsch) Sadistic sexual fantasies are noted in certain adolescents. In some of these the fantasies serves rehearsal for future sadistic sexual acts, especially in adolescents with callous-unemotional personality who often emerge in adult life as psychopaths(Stone, 2010) . There is a difference in practicing sadism with a consenting partner and non consenting partner. In non-consensual cases, the behavior usually continues and often escalates over time as the perpetrator experiences a need for increased violence in order to stimulate the sexual response. The level of sadism varies from being in control, dominant and submissive in which the offender does this to a masochist person to injuring a non consensual partner. Sexual sadism is found predominately in males and usually onsets with puberty although sadistic behavior may be evident earlier in children. In all male cases, it becomes evident by early adulthood. In cases of female sexual sadism, onset is often later and often triggered by relationships with men who want to be d ominated. Kraft-Ebbing suggested that mastering and possessing an absolutely defenceless human object is part of sadism. He sub- classified sexual sadism into several categories including lust murder where there was a connection between sexual arousal and killing which may extend to cannibalism. These men are thought to rarely derive sexual satisfaction from the assault or murder and this distinguishes them from lust murderers for whom aggression and sexuality become fused into a single psychological experience sadism in which aggression is eroticized (Myers, W.C., Burgess, A.W., Burgess, A.G. and Douglas, J.E., 1999. Serial murder and sexual homicide. In: Van Hasselt, V. and Hersen, M., Editors, 1999. Handbook of psychological approaches with violent offenders, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 153-172.Marshall,2003)Then theres the offender who mutilates the corpses, those who like to injure females, defilement of women, symbolic sadism, ideal sadism or sadistic fantasies alone without acts, sadism with other objects and sadistic acts with animals. MaccCulloch argues that the wish to control that is the primary motivating force in sadism, and because there is a range of degrees and kinds of control which can be applied by one person to another, sadism may manifest itself in a variety of ways. Normal sexual relationships include elements of dominance and submission, and hence control: indeed, modern manuals of sexual behavior often include bondage games as part of a suggested repertoire of sexual activity He defines sadism as the repeated practice of behavior and fantasy which is characterized by a wish to control another person by domination, denigration or inflicting pain, for the purpose of producing mental pleasure and sexual arousal whether or not accompanied by orgasm in the sadist. The range of controlling behavior under consideration forms a continuum from subtle verbal control through various types of psychological control to actual physical intervention such as bondage, imprisonment, hypnosis, anesthesia and even blows to render the victim unconscious or dead. As sadistic behavior gives pleasure to the sadist, and self-pleasuring behavior almost always has to be contrived, it would be expected that sadists devise situations which enable them to practice their sadism. If a central feature of sadism is control, then sadists would be expected to seek out actively and create situations where they have control. The concept that assailants stage-manage their control over others in order to give themselves pleasure provides a new frame of reference (Kuhne, 1962) Among sexual sadists ritualistic behaviors are one of the defining features. Not all the men violate the letter of the law, however much they may violate the spirit of the law. Some seek, and manage to achieve, attachment to willing partners (Stone, 2010). Researchers Janet Warren and Roy Hazelwood interviewed female partners of sexual sadists. Seven of the 20 sexual sadists with whom these women had affiliated had also murdered some of their victims .The relationships with these women were consensual, at least in the early phases; women had histories of having gone through physical abuse from a parent, or nine of the women were victims of incest by a father, brother, or even a female relative. These experiences these women experienced at an early age from their care takers allowed them to somehow expect, tolerate, and in some instances, even desire sadistic treatment at the hands of their sexual partners. The sexual sadists themselves initiated their partners into sadistic practices through a series of stages. In the candy and flowers stage, the man would win a woman with gifts, be a gentle man and be tender towards her, but then progress to a stage in which he expanded her sexual repertoire well beyond, and alien to, her prior experience. This might take such forms as forced anal sex, bondage, urinating on the woman, measured choking with release before unconsciousness occurred, etc. The mans quest for domination and total control might proceed to cutting the woman off from relatives and friends, such that she were now his sexual slave. If she were lucky, the pattern would progress no further. But in some cases, the drama would end in her death. Those sexual sadists who maintained ongoing relationships with a wife or girlfriend might lead a kind of double life, in which they exacted pain and suffering of a controlled sort with their partners, but also had a secret life in which they trolled for other women whom they tortured and murdered. In a number of examp les, the female partners were forced into becoming the inadvertent accomplices of sexually sadistic torture murder of other women. Some of these women, having been compliant in the beginning, desperately wanted out of the relationship toward the end but they were routinely threatened with torture and death themselves if they dared to exercise that option. Robert Anderson is an example of a sexual sadist who abducted Piper Streyle and ended up killing her. Her husband Vance Streyle remembered him coming to their trailer days before his wifes abduction to inquire about enrolling his kids into bible camp for the children. Several witnesses had seen Robert parked around the Streyles trailer in his black truck. When interviewed by the investigators he denied knowing anything about Pipers abduction or her whereabouts. It wasnt until the investigators got a search warrant to search his car and home. When investigators searched his car they found a wooden platform that had holes drilled into it. It was believed that it was made as a restraining device in which a persons ankles and hands could be tied to metal hoops that were strategically inserted into the board. The investigative team also found hairs attached to the wooden platform, which genetically matched pipers. More gruesome physical evidence was discovered around the river, which included several lengths of rope and chains, eyebolts, a vibrator and a half burned candle. It was believed that these items were used to torture Piper. According to investigators Hazelwood and Michaud, there was sufficient proof that Anderson was a sexual sadist who was excited by the physical and psychological suffering and helplessness of his victim. Their opinion was based on four factors one of them being that Anderson displayed an obvious interest in sexual bondage, a hallmark of the sexual sadist, which was represented by the restraints, d ildo, partially burnt candle, eyebolts, handcuff , keys, duct tape and plywood platform. The evidence found by investigators clearly indicated physical torture. It was surmised that after Piper was abducted, Anderson drove her to a wooded area near Baltic. While there he may have bound her to the platform, gagged her with duct tape, sheared her shirt off and then methodically tortured her with the dildo and candle before raping her. It is believed that he then murdered Piper and disposed of her body. Anderson admitted to police and friends that he liked anal sex, a preference his wife did not share. Research conducted by Hazelwood and Michaud found that sexual sadists prefer this form of sex. They believed that the dildo was used by Anderson to act out his fantasy. Conclusion Reference Page Stone ,M.H.(2010). Sexual Sadism: A portrait of Evil. Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis Dynamic Psychiatry, Vol 38, 133-157 Kirsch,L.G, Becker,J.V .(2007). Emotional Deficits in psychopathy and sexual sadism: Implications for violent and sadistic behavior. Clinical psychology review. Vol 27, 904-922 Marshall,W.L, Kennedy,P.(2003).Sexual sadism in sexual offenders: An illusive diagnosis. Agression and violent behavior, Vol 8, 1-22 MacCulloch,M.J et al (1983). Sadistic Fantasy, Sadistic Behavior and Offending. Brit . J. Psychiat, 143, 20-29 Rachel,B .(2003) Robert Anderson: Awakening The Devil.Retrieved May 2,2010 from trutv website: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/robert_anderson/8.html Terry, K.J. (2006) Sexual Offenses and Offenders: Theory, Practice, and Policy. Pgs 84-91

In Depth Analysis Of Euthanasia

In Depth Analysis Of Euthanasia Euthanasia, also called Mercy Killing and Physician Assisted Suicide; is a term in medical ethics for the practice of interfering or intervening in a natural process towards death. In other words it is accelerating the natural course of death in terminally ill patients, when all treatments become ineffective or much too painful for the patient to bear. In short Euthanasia is ending a human life with the intention of relieving the person from an unbearable pain. Haris (2001) precisely defines Euthanasia as a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering. The issue of Euthanasia has always remained controversial and still has failed to carry legal and constitutional support in most parts of the world. Suicide in any form and by any means is either punished or at least disapproved in human history. There is no permissibility of such a killing/suicide in Islam so Euthanasia can never be the part of Muslim law in Islamic world. Therefore the origin and development of this concept can be historically located in the non Muslim countries especially of the west. Back in 400 BC when the father of medicine Hippocrates formulated the oath still taken by the fresh medical graduates dictates I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel., speaks against physician assisted suicide. Even in the 19th century, the US legislation proclaimed that if a suicide is committed on the advice of another person, the adviser would be guilty of a murder. In the early 20th century, the Supreme Court reevaluated its judgments concerning living will and focusing how best to ensure the dignity and the independence for the end of life with considerable changes in the health laws. In 1920 the book Permitting the Destruction of Life not Worthy of Life was published, in which the author Hoche advocated the death assistance be given under very controlled conditions. In 1935 Euthanasia society was formed in England to support mercy killing. 1939s Nazis Euthanasia became very popular when Hitler ordered mercy killing of the sick and disab led. From 1995 to 2008, Euthanasia has been legalized in countries like parts of Australia, Netherland, Belgium and few states of the United States of America. There are several forms or kinds of Euthanasia; each form has its own ethical issues. Active Euthanasia: is the one which causes immediate death of the patient, by the direct and deliberate action of the physician. For example when a lethal injection is given to the patient or an overdose of a pain killer when the physician knows the after effects of such a dose. Passive Euthanasia involves an indirect action by the physician for the death of the patient. This may include withdrawing or withholding the required treatment. For example switching off the life supporting machine like ventilator or not doing the required surgical procedures that can keep the person alive though for a short time. Voluntary Euthanasia:- takes place with the will of the patient, usually on his request to the physician. Non-Voluntary Euthanasia occurs when the patient is unconscious or in comma for a long time, or unable to make decision for example a very young child, or a mentally retarded person. Therefore someone else related to the patient makes the decision of ending the patients life. Involuntary Euthanasia:- is oftentimes equated to murder because in this case the patient does not opt for death but he is killed as the doctor thinks it to be in his benefit. Indirect Euthanasia: does not involve the intentional killing by the physician, but the side effects of the treatment, usually given to reduce the pain accelerate the death of the patient. Assisted Suicide:- includes cases when the patient seeks help from his physician to die. This can include making the lethal drugs available for the patients. The most common argument given by the proponents of Euthanasia is its effective way of relieving excruciating pain. To this one argument there can be two counter arguments. Firstly the advancements made today in the field of medicine, especially in pain management weakens the justification for Euthanasia. Secondly research shows that terminally ill patients choose suicide not because of the physical pain but because of depression. A study of terminally ill patients published in The American Journal of Psychiatry in 1986 concluded: The striking feature of [our] results is that all of the patients who had either desired premature death or contemplated suicide were judged to be suffering from clinical depressive illness; that is, none of those patients who did not have clinical depression had thoughts of suicide or wished that death would come early. Researchers believe that a person diagnosed with terminal illness should be given time and support to pass through the five stages of the process denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, and killing them before they come to terms with the situation is nothing less than a murder. Boston Globe survey of 1991 shows that patients with incurable illnesses who see suicide as an option are mostly those who are neither tired of pain or of restricted life style, nor the fear of machine dependency but rather the feeling of being a burden on their family. Sometimes its the family who advocate Euthanasia for the terminally ill patient, considering his life unworthy, and therefore a burden; which in turn throws the patient in the abbeys of depression. One should be afraid of the day when legalization of the right to die will become duty to die, pressurizing the already tormented patients to select Euthanasia as an only option. If we look at Euthanasia from another angle it is not a right to die but gives someone a right to kill. A right given to doctors and the relatives of a person to intentionally end his life. There is a need to differentiate between suicide and killing. Suicide is an individual act, whereas Euthanasia is not a private act. It involves the will of the person or the relatives and action of the physician, and known by everyone around. It is therefore more close to public killing than suicide. Such a power to kill can be abused for the most vulnerable people in the population. There should be a public realization that if all forms of treatments fail or become ineffective or continuation of any medical or surgical procedure would increase the pain rather than alleviating it, the suffering soul should be given support in all possible ways and all efforts should be directed toward minimizing his agony and making whatever little time he has, comfortable. As followers of Islam such an option as Euthanasia can never cross our minds for ourselves or for our dear ones. I have a personal experience of accompanying a close kin of mine to the dialysis sessions, where patients were not only dependent on machines for their lives but were not even allowed to drink water during the warmest summers, but never did I once heard a patient or any of his relative praying for a quick demise. They would seek Allahs blessings during the hardest of times and a kind of hope would get them going. I saw doctors trying to look for options to improve the quality of life of such patients but any thought of eliminating the patients pain through killing them was out of question and option. As Muslims it is our firm belief that every life is sacred and Allah never creates and sustains anyone without purpose. In the holy Quran He says And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he has saved the life of whole people. (Quran 5:32). Allah further commands take not the life which Allah made sacred otherwise in the course of justice. If we equate voluntary Euthanasia with suicide, then again none of us has a right to take his own life. How can we have this right when we have not created ourselves, in fact how can we destroy something of which we are not the owners. Our bodies and souls belong to the Almighty and have been entrusted to us to be taken care of in the best ways possible. Suicide is a crime which is not only punishable in this world but also unforgivable sin in the hereafter. Prophet Mohammad warned the people against suicide by saying Whoever kills himself with an iron instrument will be carrying it forever in hell. Whoever takes poison and kills himself will forever keep sipping that poison in hell. Whoever jumps off a mountain and kills himself will forever keep falling down in the depths of hell. Our religion Islam not only emphasize on seeking all possible medical help during illness but further consoles the patients in pain by giving him the happy tiding for reward if he endures the pain with patience. In one of the hadith it is mentioned that when a true believer is afflicted with pain, even a prick of a thorn and he bears it with patience, then his sins will be forgiven and his wrongdoings will be discarded as the tree sheds off its leaves. Such words by the Holy Prophet can be a huge support for a sufferer of a terminal illness or of incurable and painful disease. Euthanasia cannot therefore be a part of the dictionary of a true believer. The weak value system of the west has come up with the idea of deserting the old, weak and the sick by leaving them in the old houses and hospitals. These so called facilities also sometimes cost them huge amounts, which make them claim that people who become unproductive for the society and a burden on the productive fellows should die for the good of the people around and for their own ease. But the east has still kept its value system strong. Our religious and social values dictate us to take care with respect and dignity of the old, weak, sick and the helpless. Allah has specially stressed upon respecting and serving the parents specially when they become old. and that you be kind to your parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt but address them in terms of honor. And lower to them the wing of humility out of compassion, and say: my Lord, bestow on them your mercy even as they cherished me in childhood (Quran 17:25- 25). As far as the issue of heavy cost is concerned to keep a terminally ill patient alive, Islam makes it a responsibility of the state and the society as a whole to cover the health care needed. Euthanasia might be categorized into several kinds but Islam emphasizes the intentions involved in the act. If for example physician intents to alleviate the pain of the patients but the dose somehow kill him, the doctor cannot be accused of murder, or cannot be said to have practiced Euthanasia. The doctor is expected to help the patient in the process of life and not in process of death. Important enough is to consider the relative nature of the terms like pain, suffering and agony. It really depends on the patience and tolerance level of each individual, which of course varies. What is suffering for one person might not be the same for the other, similarly excruciating pain for one can be bearable for someone else. Conclusion: Humans might be the wisest form of Gods creation but still not wise enough to be given a right to decide for their own death or for the death of another of their own kind. All lives are precious and sacred and only such value system can be the basis of a human society, where the sanctity of life is maintained. Euthanasia in any of its forms, involves the intention of killing or finishing a still living human weakens the fabric of the society and gives an altogether a different lens to the members to see death as the only solution for all pains and torments, which blurs the vision to see other possibilities to fight the situation. Euthanasia should therefore be discouraged in all its forms and in all parts of the world.

Comparing the two poems Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess Essay

By comparing the two poems Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess, explore how Browning deals worth the theme of jealousy. Jealousy is a theme that occurs quite regularly in Browning’s poems. This was particularly noticed in both of the poems ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ where in both cases, the male protagonists were jealous of the extra attention that their lovers received from other admirers. When studying both poems, the reader can create in their mind a vivid picture of both the female characters. However, because the male protagonists gave their view on their lovers, the reader is only given details about the male protagonists’ feelings, not about his features or qualities. Because of this, it needs to be taken into account that the reader is assessing the situation from only one particular point of view. In both of the poems ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ the reader is told that the male protagonist has murdered their lover as a result of jealousy. However, the murders are entirely different. In ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ the relationship between Porphyria and her lover is very positive and the reader can sense a strong bond between the two characters. Lines 29-34 show how strong the bond is between Porphyria and her lover. ‘For love of her and all in vain: So, she was come through wind and rain. Be sure I look’d up at her eyes Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipp’d me surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew’. Because of this strong bond between the two characters, there is evidence in the poem that Porphyria’s lover could not handle the thought of them not being together, and for this reason the lover murders Porphyria in a moment of passion. The reader c... ...actions. For this reason it would be correct for the reader to assume, that both of the female characters are partly to blame for the male protagonists’ actions. This is because the female characters were not focusing on their actual partners’ feelings, and were just pleasing themselves, regardless of how the situation was affecting their partner, or loved one. I think that Browning has dealt with the theme of jealousy in great depth and has shown the male protagonists’ feelings very thoroughly, making it possible for the readers to even sympathise with the male protagonists. Because of the way in which the theme of jealousy is portrayed, the reader can have a great understanding of the emotions the male protagonists are feeling throughout the poems. This makes the poem and the consequences of the female character’s actions, a lot easier to understand.

College Students and Anti-Depressants :: Depression Psychology Drugs Essays

College Students and Anti-Depressants Starting college can be a stressful time for any adolescent. For students suffering from depression it can be a traumatic experience. Worlds feel turned upside down. Even for those who manage to â€Å"cope,† pressures can cause these students to feel overwhelmed. Upon meeting Katelyn*, no one would ever suspect this tiny, thin blonde with a bubbly personality to be shy, much less depressed. Katelyn is a 19-year-old Northeastern University sophomore, who has been suffering from depression for about three years. â€Å"Sometimes everything seems like a big blur,† said Katelyn. â€Å"I have so much to do, so much to think about, and suddenly none of it seems important. It’s like the more I have to do and get done, the less motivated I feel.† As Katelyn talks, she transforms from an average college student to one with a serious illness, a condition that almost 24% of college students had been diagnosed with in 2003, at one time in their life. â€Å"Being depressed is not something that everyone can easily understand. There’s such a stigma that comes along with the term. So many people just see it as some fake, made-up condition that I should just be able to snap out of. What they don’t understand is that it’s not something that I can just will away,† said Katelyn. Katelyn’s story isn’t so different from other depressed college students nationwide. In college, young adults meet new peers and enter environments much different than high school. For many students, it will be the first time living on their own, away from the comforts of home. For the average student, this situation is extremely stressful and uncomfortable. For students who suffer from depression, these feelings are multiplied. According to an article by Josephine Marcotty in Minneapolis’ Star Tribune from April 10, college students lead â€Å"hyper-enriched lives,† said Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College. That’s what makes this generation of students distinct from its predecessors, he said. That is why more students who cannot cope with these feelings end up at college counseling centers with â€Å"increasingly serious mental-health problems.† 15 to 20 percent of college students nationally were diagnosed with depression. The second most common diagnosis was severe anxiety. According to the article, it is not unusual for mental-health issues to become apparent during a student’s college years. According to Roseanne Gotterbarn, a psychologist from New York, college students who are depressed should seek professional help and, if necessary, help from medication as well. College Students and Anti-Depressants :: Depression Psychology Drugs Essays College Students and Anti-Depressants Starting college can be a stressful time for any adolescent. For students suffering from depression it can be a traumatic experience. Worlds feel turned upside down. Even for those who manage to â€Å"cope,† pressures can cause these students to feel overwhelmed. Upon meeting Katelyn*, no one would ever suspect this tiny, thin blonde with a bubbly personality to be shy, much less depressed. Katelyn is a 19-year-old Northeastern University sophomore, who has been suffering from depression for about three years. â€Å"Sometimes everything seems like a big blur,† said Katelyn. â€Å"I have so much to do, so much to think about, and suddenly none of it seems important. It’s like the more I have to do and get done, the less motivated I feel.† As Katelyn talks, she transforms from an average college student to one with a serious illness, a condition that almost 24% of college students had been diagnosed with in 2003, at one time in their life. â€Å"Being depressed is not something that everyone can easily understand. There’s such a stigma that comes along with the term. So many people just see it as some fake, made-up condition that I should just be able to snap out of. What they don’t understand is that it’s not something that I can just will away,† said Katelyn. Katelyn’s story isn’t so different from other depressed college students nationwide. In college, young adults meet new peers and enter environments much different than high school. For many students, it will be the first time living on their own, away from the comforts of home. For the average student, this situation is extremely stressful and uncomfortable. For students who suffer from depression, these feelings are multiplied. According to an article by Josephine Marcotty in Minneapolis’ Star Tribune from April 10, college students lead â€Å"hyper-enriched lives,† said Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College. That’s what makes this generation of students distinct from its predecessors, he said. That is why more students who cannot cope with these feelings end up at college counseling centers with â€Å"increasingly serious mental-health problems.† 15 to 20 percent of college students nationally were diagnosed with depression. The second most common diagnosis was severe anxiety. According to the article, it is not unusual for mental-health issues to become apparent during a student’s college years. According to Roseanne Gotterbarn, a psychologist from New York, college students who are depressed should seek professional help and, if necessary, help from medication as well.

Anthem :: Anthem Essays

Anthem As the novel opens Equality 7-2521 states that what he's doing is a sin. In his society it is a sin to do things that do not involve others, and the words he thinks and writes are for no one eyes to see or hear, but his own. In his society everyone thinks the same, and if you were to be the different one you would be sent to the palace of correction and detention. Equality 7-2521 actually had a mind of his own. As you can see Science fascinated him. For example in chapter 1 while it was dark Equality 7-2521 would sneak into a dark tunnel in which he would spend 3 hours doing scientific research, and experiments. He would also steal manuscripts from the scholars, and every night he would study. This went on for two years. The difference between Equality 7-2521 and his society is that he actually wanted to succeed, while the rest of his society would settle for what they were told to be. The "glass box", can also be referred as a light bulb. After countless nights of experi menting, Equality 7-2521 succeeds in connecting the power of electricity to re-invent the electric light. This invention that he came up with can benefit to society, but he doesn't know how to tell them. Remember, you can't do anything that others can't do. That was the philosophy that the society believed in. He figured that since the council wouldn't appreciate his work, he would rather show his invention to the scholars. When the World Council of Scholars arrives in his city, he will present to them, as his gift, the "glass box with the power of the sky." One night while Equality 7-2521 was working on an experiment in his tunnel, he totally lost track of time. He rushed out, and then the council questioned him on why was he late. Equality 7-2521 refused to answer and therefore he was sent to the palace of correction and detention. He was able to escape and retreat back to the tunnel. He found everything the same way that he had left it. He was then getting prepared f or the arrival of the scholars.

God Is Great

‘God is great, God is good, now we thank him for our food. ’ This simple prayer reflects twin commitments in Christian belief to God’s greatness and God’s goodness. Yet Christian theodicies have often averred to God’s greatness to the detriment of his goodness. Let us interpret God’s greatness in a manner other than power. Indeed, let us consider God’s greatness, as the medievals understood God’s goodness, in terms of being: goodness and being are interchangeable; 1God is the most real being; hence, God is the greatest being. God is great. Let us interpret God’s goodness in a manner analogous to human goodness. I take God’s goodness as analogous primarily to the parent-child relationship; God is good, according to this analogy, as a father or mother is to his or her children. 2Caring for one’s children is a paradigm metaphor in Scripture for God’s carefor his creatures. God is good. The purpose of this essay is to explore the ramifications of these two views for the problem of evil and especially for the problem of hell. Judgements typically viewed hell as an eternal torture chamber perhaps with God himself as the torturer. I shall expound both views of divine goodness, present some arguments in their defense, and then locate them within the context of a Theodoric of human suffering. I shall argue that neither is singly adequate as an understanding of the divine nature; but, if both are maintained, a trilemma arises for the traditional doctrine of the eternal punishment of the damned. That is, I shall argue that one can hold the following three views only on pain of inconsistency: 1. God is great. 2. God is good. 3. There is a hell (an eternal torture chamber).

Morality and Monkey Essay

Monkey is created by the author as an individual entity that resembles the characteristic of an ordinary human being. It is quite obvious that the audience would better understand the idea hidden in the literature if the characteristics of the protagonist are closely related to those of the reader. In Monkey , the author carefully parallels the traits of Monkey to the lives of human beings. Then why does the author portray so much resemblance between Monkey and human? The author’s approach in attracting the audience by using symbolism successfully accomplishes the intention in the novel. All humans feel a need, a hunger for the things that benefit their way of living. Monkey easily symbolizes many ordinary humans in this world. Monkey’s life represents a journey that reflects the lives of most human beings. From the beginning of the novel,Monkey expresses hunger that is overpowered by greed. Similar to human beings,Monkey first seeks knowledge, then power, and finally enlightenment. Monkey’s arrogance brought by greed is displayed when he proclaims, â€Å"why do you not bow down to me as your king? † . Monkey’s desire to acquire more than the apparent limit is more understandable to the audience, because human beings are able to empathize with this greed felt by Monkey. All people fight with human nature to alter the natural phenomenon that occurs in life. In comparison, Monkey struggles to alter nature by demanding immortality. Human beings struggle to change nature in order to achieve higher status in society or personal satisfaction. Monkey seeks immortality to prevent nature from taking its course so that he may be able to rule his kingdom forever. Readers are able to better understand Monkey’s adventure to find the impossible in life. Man looks for opportunities to expand his potentials just as Monkey strives to increase his powers. During the course of life, there are obstacles that hinder the path to acquiring the impossible powers. The forces of good and evil goes up against each other throughout the novel. The tension between good and evil comes natural throughout the book just as human beings experience hardship in everyday lives. Another similarity portrayed between Monkey’s world and human civilization are the values and the customs they hold. Chinese moral.