Quotes Attributed to Epictetus

Quotes Attributed to Epictetus Epictetus (A.D. c. 55 - c.135) To a reasonable creature, that alone is insupportable which is unreasonable; but everything reasonable may be supported.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. ii. The rational and the irrational are naturally different for different persons as are good and evil and profitable and unprofitable. For this reason we need to learn how to adjust our conceptions of rational and irrational and keep them in harmony with nature. When we determine the rational and the irrational we use both our estimates of external things and the criterion of our own character. This makes it most important that we understand ourselves. You must know how highly you value yourself and at what price you will sell yourself; different men sell themselves at different prices.Epictetus - Discourses 1.2Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. When Vespasian sent word to Helvidius Priscus not to attend the Senate, he answered: It is in your power to forbid me to be a member of the Senate, but so long as I am one I must attend its meetings.Epictetus - Discourses 1.2.Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. If every man could be convinced heart and soul in the belief that we are all begotten by Zeus, father to both men and gods, I think he could no longer have any ignoble or mean thought about himself. If Caesar adopts you no one will be able to endure your conceit, but if you know you are a son of Zeus shouldnt you be elated? Two elements are commingled in us: the body which we have in common with the brutes and intelligence which we have in common with the gods. Many of us incline towards the former which is unblessed and mortal and only a few incline towards the latter which is divine and blessed. Clearly, every man is free to deal with things according to his opinions of them, and those few who think that their birth is a call to fidelity, self-respect and unerring judgement cherish no mean or ignoble thoughts about themselves, whereas the multitude do quite the opposite and cleave to their animal part and become rascally and degraded.Epictetus - Discourses 1.3.Courtesy of translat or Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. He who is making progress has learned that desire is for things good and that aversion is for things evil, and further, that peace and calm are only achieved as a man gets the things he wants and avoids the things he doesnt want. Since virtue is rewarded with happiness, calm and serenity, progress towards virtue is progress towards its benefits and this progress is always a step towards perfection.Epictetus - Discourses 1.4.Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain, nor anything of this kind is the real cause of our doing or not doing any action, but our inward opinions and principles.Epictetus - Discourses Chap xi. Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xii. O slavish man! will you not bear with your own brother, who has God for his Father, as being a son from the same stock, and of the same high descent? But if you chance to be placed in some superior station, w ill you presently set yourself up for a tyrant?Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xiii. When you have shut your doors, and darkened your room, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone; but God is within, and your genius is within, and what need have they of light to see what you are doing?Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xiv. No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xv. Any one thing in the creation is sufficient to demonstrate a Providence to an humble and grateful mind.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xvi. Were I a nightingale, I would act the part of a nightingale; were I a swan, the part of a swan.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xvi. Since it is Reason which shapes and regulates all other things, it ought not itself to be left in disorder.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xvii. If what the philosophers say be true,that all mens actions proceed from one source; that as they assent from a persuasion that a thing is so, and dissent from a persuasion that it is not, and suspend their judgment from a persuasion that it is uncertain, so likewise they seek a thing from a persuasion that it is for their advantage.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xviii. Practise yourself, for heavens sake, in little things; and thence proceed to greater.Epictetus - Discourses Chap xviii. Every art and every faculty contemplates certain things as its principal objects.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xx. Why, then, do you walk as if you had swallowed a ramrod?Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xxi. When one maintains his proper attitude in life, he does not long after externals. What would you have, O man?Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xxi. Difficulties are things that show what men are.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xxiv. If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xxv. In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside.Epictetus - Discourses Chap. xxvi. Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise mans task.Epictetus - Discourses. Chap. xxvii. Everything has two handles, one by which it may be borne; another by which it cannot.Epictetus - Enchiridion. xliii. When a man prides himself on being able to understand and interpret a difficult book, say to yourself: If the book had been well written this man would have nothing on which to pride himself.Epictetus - Encheiridon 49.Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. My object is to understand and follow Nature, so I look for someone who understands her and I read his book. When I have found a man of understanding, it is not for me to praise his book but rather to act on his precepts.Epictetus - Encheiridon 49.Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. Once you have fixed on you governing principles, you must hold them as laws that you cannot transgress. Pay no heed to what is said of you for it is beyond your control.Epictetus - Encheiridon 50.Courtesy of translator Giles Laurà ©n, author of The Stoics Bible. The appearanc e of things to the mind is the standard of every action to man.Epictetus - That we ought not to be angry with Mankind. Chap. xxviii. The essence of good and evil is a certain disposition of the will.Epictetus - Of Courage. Chap. xxix. It is not reasonings that are wanted now; for there are books stuffed full of stoical reasonings.Epictetus - Of Courage. Chap. xxix. For what constitutes a child? Ignorance. What constitutes a child? Want of instruction; for they are our equals so far as their degree of knowledge permits.Epictetus - That Courage is not inconsistent with Caution. Book ii. Chap. i. Appear to know only this, never to fail nor fall.Epictetus - That Courage is not inconsistent with Caution. Book ii. Chap. i. The materials of action are variable, but the use we make of them should be constant.Epictetus - How Nobleness of Mind may be consistent with Prudence. Chap. v. Shall I show you the muscular training of a philosopher? What muscles are those? A will undisappointed; evils avoided; powers daily exercised; careful resolutions; unerring decisions.Epictetus - Wherein consists the Essence of Good. Chap. viii. Dare to look up to God and say, Make use of me for the future as Thou wilt. I am of the same mind; I am one with Thee. I refuse nothing which seems good to Thee. Lead me whither Thou wilt. Clothe me in whatever dress Thou wilt.Epictetus - That we do not study to make Use of the established Principles concerning Good and Evil. Chap. xvi. What is the first business of one who studies philosophy? To part with self-conceit. For it is impossible for any one to begin to learn what he thinks that he already knows.Epictetus - How to apply general Principles to particular Cases. Chap. xvii. Every habit and faculty is preserved and increased by correspondent actions,as the habit of walking, by walking; of running, by running.Epictetus - How the Semblances of Things Are to Be Combated. Chap. xviii. Whatever you would make habitual, practise it; and if you would not make a thing habitual, do not practise it, but habituate yourself to something else.Epictetus - How the Semblances of Things Are t o Be Combated. Chap. xviii. Reckon the days in which you have not been angry. I used to be angry every day; now every other day; then every third and fourth day; and if you miss it so long as thirty days, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.Epictetus - How the Semblances of Things Are to Be Combated. Chap. xviii. What saith Antisthenes? Hast thou never heard? It is a kingly thing, O Cyrus, to do well and to be evil spoken of.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - VII Whereas if Caesar were to adopt you, your haughty looks would be intolerable; will you not be elated at knowing that you are the son of God?Epictetus - Golden Sayings - IX There is petrifaction of the understanding; and also of the sense of shame. This happens when a man obstinately refuses to acknowledge plain truths, and persists in maintaining what is self-contradictory.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXIII If what philosophers say of the kinship of God and Man be true, what remains for men to do but as Socrates did; never, when asked ones country, to answer, I am an Athenian or a Corinthian, but I am a citizen of the world.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XV But there is a great difference between other mens occupations and ours. . . . A glance at theirs will make it clear to you. All day long they do nothing but calculate, contrive, consult how to wring their profit out of food-stuffs, farm-plots and the like. . . . Whereas, I entreat you to learn what the administration of the World is, and what place a Being endowed with reason holds therein: to consider what you are yourself, and wherein your Good and Evil consists.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXIV True instruction is this: to learn to wish that each thing should come to pass as it does. And how does it come to pass? As the Disposer has disposed it. Now He has disposed that there should be summer and winter, and plenty and dearth, and vice and virtue, and all such opposites, for the harmony of the whole.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXVI Concerning the Gods, there are who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself nor ha s forethought for anything. A third party attribute to it existence and forethought, but only for great and heavenly matters, not for anything that is on earth. A fourth party admit things on earth as well as in heaven, but only in general, and not with respect to each individual. A fifth, of whom were Ulysses and Socrates are those that cry: I move not without Thy knowledge!Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXVIII You must know that it is no easy thing for a principle to become a mans own, unless each day he maintain it and hear it maintained, as well as work it out in life.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXX What you shun enduring yourself, attempt not to impose on others. You shun slavery beware of enslaving others! If you can endure to do that, one would thing you had been once upon a time a slave yourself. For Vice has nothing in common with virtue, nor Freedom with slavery.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XLI Above all, remember that the door stands open. Be not more fearful than children; but as they, when they weary of the game, cry, I will play no more, even so, when thou art in the like case, cry, I will play no more and depart. But if thou stayest, make no lamentation.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XLIV Death has no terror; only a Death of shame!Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LV That was a good reply which Diogenes made to a man who asked him for letters of recommendation. That you are a man , he will know when he sees you; whether a good or bad one, he will know if he has any skill in discerning the good or bad. But if he has none, he will never know, though I write him a thousand times.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LVII God is beneficent. But the Good also is beneficent. It should seem then that where the real nature of God is, there too is to be found the real nature of the Good. What then is the real nature of God?Intelligence, Knowledge, Right Reason. Here then without more ado seek the real nature of the Good. For surely thou dost not seek it in a plant or in an animal that reasoneth not.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LIX Why, wert thou a statue of Phidias, an Athena or a Zeus, thou wouldst bethink thee both of thyself and thine artificer; and hadst thou any sense, thou wouldst strive to do no dishonour to thyself or him that fashioned thee, nor appear to beholders in unbefitting guise. But now, because God is thy Maker, is that why thou carest not of what sort thou shalt show thyself to be?Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXI Since then every one must deal with each thing according to the view which he forms about it, those few who hold that they are born for fidelity, modesty, and unerring sureness in dealing with the things of sense, never conceive aught base or ignoble of themselves: but the multitude the contrary.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - IX You also must show the unlearned man the truth, and you will see that he will follow. But so long as you do not show it him, you should not mock, but rather feel your own incapacity.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXIII It was the first and most striking characteristic of Socrates never to become heated in discourse, never to utter an injurious or insulting word on the contrary, he persistently bore insult from others and thus put an end to the fray.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXIV When we are invited to a banquet, we take what is set before us; and were one to call upon his host to set fish upon the table or sweet things, he would be deemed absurd. Yet in a word, we ask the Gods for what they do not give; and that, although they have given us so many things!Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXXV Knowest thou what a speck thou art in comparison with the Universe? That is, with respect to the body; since with respect to Reason, thou art not inferior to the Gods, nor less than they. For th e greatness of Reason is not measured by length or height, but by the resolves of the mind. Place then thy happiness in that wherein thou art equal to the Gods.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XXIII Who would Hercules have been had he loitered at home? no Hercules, but Eurystheus. And in his wanderings through the world how many friends and comrades did he find? but nothing dearer to him than God. Wherefore he was believed to be Gods son, as indeed he was. So then in obedience to Him, he went about delivering the earth from injustice and lawlessness.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXI The reason why I lost my lamp was that the thief was superior to me in vigilance. He paid however this price for the lamp, that in exchange for it he consented to become a thief: in exchange for it, to become faithless.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XII No labour, according to Diogenes, is good but that which aims at producing courage and strength of soul rather than of body.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXII But thou art not Hercules, thou sayest, and canst not deliver others from their iniquitynot even Theseus, to deliver the soil of Attica from its monsters? Purge away thine own, cast forth thencefr om thine own mind, not robbers and monsters, but Fear, Desire, Envy, Malignity, Avarice, Effeminacy, Intemperance.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXI If a man would pursue Philosophy, his first task is to throw away conceit. For it is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he has a conceit that he already knows.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXII The question at stake, said Epictetus, is no common one; it is this: Are we in our senses, or are we not?Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXIV One who has had fever, even when it has left him, is not in the same condition of health as before, unless indeed his cure is complete. Something of the same sort is true also of diseases of the mind. Behind, there remains a legacy of traces and blisters: and unless these are effectually erased, subsequent blows on the same spot will produce no longer mere blisters, but sores. If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend its increase.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXV No man can rob us of our Willno man can lord it over that!Epictetus - Golden Sayings - LXXXIII Wouldst thou have men speak good of thee? speak good of them. And when thou hast learned to speak good of them, try to do good unto them, and thus thou wilt reap in return their speaking good of thee.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - L The beginning of philosophy is to know the condition of ones own mind. If a man recognises that this is in a weakly state, he will not then want to apply it to questions of the greatest moment. As it is, men who are not fit to swallow even a morsel, buy whole treatises and try to devour them. Accordingly they either vomit them up again, or suffer from indigestion, whence come gripings, fluxions, and fevers. Whereas they should have stopped to consider their capacity.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XLVI In theory it is easy to convince an ignorant person: in actual life, men not only object to offer themselves to be convinced, but hate the man who has convinced them. Whereas Socrates used to say that we should never lead a life not subjected to examination.Epictetus - Golden Sayings - XLVII

AIG turism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

AIG turism - Essay Example However, because the portions of the securities which AIG had guaranteed were judged to be almost risk free, there was not much thought that had been given to the scenario. At the end of the year 2007, through the different swaps, AIG had covered around $61 billion in securities with exposure to the different subprime mortgages. There are several prominent people that were involved in the fall of AIG, the most prominent was Martin J. Sullivan who at the time was the CEO of the company. Sullivan was blamed on taking on tens of millions of risk that was associated with the mortgages. Sullivan did not purchase any reinsurance on the risk as it was the norm Robert Willumstad, the chairperson of AIG Board of directors was also another prominent person involved in the fall of AIG. Joseph Cassano who was the AIG financial production division was accused of insuring to more than $441 billion value of securities that were in the first place rated AAA. Several companies were associated with the fall of 2008, they included the European Investment bank referred to as Goldman Sachs. Morgan Stanley and Merrill were also involved in the mess that came with the fall of AIG. AIG credit default swaps were insurance contracts that were unregulated, therefore, AIG did not put anything any capital as collateral and consequently it maintained what can be described as an AAA credit rating. Further, the company did not build any capital to back the insurance that they had sold and the profits it booked in any way never materialized. The default rates that were on mortgage securities were underwritten in the year 2006, and the year 2007. The underwritten securities increased in their worth and the by the last part of the year 2007, the securities that were in the banks which they claimed were AAA rated ended up being worth around $0.15 on the dollar. In the year 2008, there was the collapse of the credit default swap market which also meant that most investment

Community teaching work plan proposal Assignment

Community teaching work plan proposal - Assignment Example The theory is very significant because it incorporates both cognitive and behavior learning theories. The theory shall be utilized during teaching to change the behavior and attitude of the audience through giving them real examples on the advantages of healthy eating habits. Video shall be shown to the audience on how to plan their daily diet, and the audience shall be expected to practice that daily. NWS-10 Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are considered obese. There is increased number of children and adolescents who are obese in the countr, and the number is escalating at alarming rate. Poor eating habits have been associated as the major cause of this escalation. Obesity is one of the leading lifestyle diseases that cause morbidity and mortality in US. According to Alma ata health for all global initiative, one of the pillars is to increase healthy life expectancy to all. Therefore, this objective is anchored on this pillar since it aims at enhancing health. I shall evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching plan after teaching the audience; this shall be done immediately after the lesson. I shall achieve this through self-videotape during my teaching as well asking a colleague to observe me while I am teaching and offer me a genuine feedback on the overall teaching. The process of evaluation shall encompass: I identifying the program and setting objective, designing lesson to meet the objectives, carry out the learning activities, assess the audience learning, and finally use the assessment results to improve the program and objectives Some of the potential barriers shall be like: coping with grammar and jargons by the audience. I shall overcome this by the use of simple terms and avoid medical jargons. Another barrier can be of technological breakdown for example computer crash or problem with the overhead projector. This shall be overcome through the use of other backup system like having the teaching information printed on

Time Travel Essay Example for Free

Time Travel Essay People often wish that they could go back to the past and correct their wrong behaviors or go to the future and see what it turns out to be like. The idea of time travel has been the topic of science fiction movies and novels, and has been studied by great scientists throughout history. â€Å"Ideas of time travel have existed for centuries, but when Albert Einstein released his theory of special relativity, he laid the foundation for the theoretical possibility of time travel. As we all know, no one has successfully demonstrated time travel, but no one has been able to rule it out either. Time has fascinated people throughout the dawn of civilization. People have spent their life thinking about these concepts and the ideas behind them† (Kulkarni,2011). Although the possibility of time travel has been criticized, a lot of modern scientists still argue that time travel is possible. This paper attempts to prove that time travel is possible. To better understand this assertion, we first need to study where this concept started and primarily the theories supporting this claim. Then, how it would be possible to travel to the future and to the past. Also, the philosophical understandings which include paradoxes and other arguments that tend to disprove the possibility of time travel. Ideas about time travel has been passed from generations to generations and it could be traced back to the years before the birth of Jesus Christ. â€Å" Time travel is the concept of traveling forward and backward to different points in time, much as we do 4 through space† ( Crystalinks, 2010). Many of the early works featuring elements of time travel have been claimed to be the earliest so there is no widespread agreement as to which written work should be recognized as the earliest example of a time travel story. Ancient folk tales and myths sometimes involved something the same to traveling to the future in time for example, in Hindu mythology, Mahabharata and Urashima Taro which is a Japanese tale. â€Å"Memoirs of the Twentieth Century† by Samuel Madden was an early story with ideas of time travel backwards. The first time travel was described through the book of Charles Dicken entitled â€Å" A Christmas Carol† , Ebenezer Scrooge, as the main character, is transported to Christmas past, present and yet to come. Two stories entitled â€Å"El Acronopete† and â€Å"The Time Machine† written by Gaspar y Rimbau and H. G. Wells respectively are the first stories to feature time travel with the aid of time machines. Again, a lot of people have been talking about the concept of time travel since years before the birth of our Lord and until now. What are the theories about time travel and what are Einsteins theories supporting it ? The answers are the most notably theories of time travel: forwards and backwards and supported by the theories of relativity: the special and general relativity. According to Brian (2001) â€Å"Einstein’s theories of general and special relativity can be used to actually prove that time travel is possible†. In 2011 Kulkarni claimed that â€Å"the special theory gives a unified account of the laws of mechanics and of electromagnetism. Einstein rejected the concepts of absolute space and time and made two postulates (a) the laws of nature are the same for all observers in uniform relative motion and (b) the speed of light is the same for all such observers†. Therefore, with the knowledge and understanding of the ideas of physics particularly on the theory of special relativity of 5 Einstein, one will be able to believe that time travel is possible. â€Å"In 1915, Einstein developed his ideas to form the General Theory of Relativity, in which he considered objects that were being accelerated with respect to one another. He compared the forces of acceleration and gravity and found them to be indistinguishable. For example, an astronaut standing in a rocket on a launch pad would feel himself pressed against the floor because of gravity. If the same rocket was in outer space and not affected by gravity, but with its engines turned on so that it was accelerating, the astronaut would again be pressed against the floor. If the acceleration due to the engines were the same as the acceleration due to gravity, the astronaut would have no way of telling whether the rocket was at rest on the earth or accelerating in outer space unless the looked out of the window. Einstein stated that the attraction to the Earth of a rocket that is resting on a launch pad is equivalent to the acceleration of the rocket. So although in three-dimensional space, the rocket remains stationary, in four-dimensional space-time the rocket is in motion along its world line. The upshot of this motion in space-time is that gravity also makes time run slower†( Kulkarni, 2011). What are the kinds of time travel and what are the ways that will help scientists prove that time travel is possible? The two kinds of time travel are time travel forwards and time travel backwards, which will be made through time dilation, time perception, the use of wormholes, and special-spacetime geometries. Studies conducted by scientists reveal that there is a possibility to time travel to the future. There are two ways presented by them in which a person can time travel forwards: time dilation and time perception. Hawking (2010) states â€Å"I do believe in time travel. Time travel to the future. Time flows like a river and it seems as if each of us is carried 6 relentlessly along by times current. But time is like a river in another way. It flows at different speeds in different places and that is the key to traveling into the future. This idea was first proposed by Albert Einstein over 100 years ago. The first course is to use the idea of time dilation. It has recently been claimed ( Cutnell and Johnson, 2006, p. 610) that â€Å"An observer who is in motion with respect to the events and who views them as occurring at different places measures a dilated time interval. The dilated time interval is greater than the proper time interval, according to the time dilation equation†. For example, an observer might take a trip away from the Earth and back at relativistic velocities, with the trip only lasting a few years according to the observers own clocks, and return to find that thousands of years had passed on Earth†. Indeed, â€Å" once spaceships are built that could fly faster than the speed of light a day on board would be equivalent to a year on Earth. Thats because -according to Einstein- as objects accelerate through space, time slows down around them† (Hawking,2010). Cutnell and Johnson (2006, p. 60) noted, â€Å"A striking confirmation was achieved in 1971 by an experiment carried out by J. C. Hafele and R. E. Keating†. Consequently, time dilation will genuinely help time travelers to time travel to the future if they are able to travel in space. In addition, time travel to the future would be possible through time perception, where the body temperature and metabolic rate of the creature is decreased. Some scientists research on the possibility of time travel to the past and the results demonstrate that it will become true. Certainly, they displayed two possible methods which will help an individual to be able to travel backwards, these are by using wormholes and through the idea of special space time geometries. One view (Brian, 2001) is that, â€Å"Wormholes appear to be the main way that time travel into the past would be 7 possible. Wormholes are holes in the fabric of four dimensional space-time, that are connected, but which originate at different points in space and at different times†. Crystalinks (2010) asserts that â€Å"A proposed time-travel machine using a wormhole would (hypothetically) work something like this: A wormhole is created somehow. One end of the wormhole is accelerated to nearly the speed of light, perhaps with an advanced spaceship, and then brought back to the point of origin. Due to time dilation, the accelerated end of the wormhole has now experienced less subjective passage of time than the stationary end. An object that goes into the stationary end would come out of the other end in the past relative to the time when it enters†. Although, it is hard to build a time machine like a huge spacecraft, still small time machines are possible to be made enabling human beings to travel backwards. Therefore, the use of wormholes is one of the best course to enable a man to time travel to the past. Likewise, time travel to the past will be possible through the idea of special space time geometries that describes the universe under a system of field equations, and there exists solutions to this equations. What is the paradox that hinder the possibility of time travel and what is its resolution? The answer is the grandfather paradox and the Novikov self-consistency principle. Grandfather paradox is a logical contradiction of time travel. Mendham (2005) states that â€Å"This is a very simple idea with serious repercussions for the concept of time travel. Lets say that I invent a time machine and travel into the past. I meet my own grandfather when he was a boy and kill him. The result? One of my parents is never born, therefore I can never be born† . But, a resolution of this paradox was discussed. Mendham (2005) further expained that â€Å"An interesting technical approach to resolving the paradox 8 is the Novikov self-consistency principle proposed by Dr. Igor Novikov. This essentially says that paradoxes wont happen its impossible to create a paradox however hard you try. In this view the universe is in some way self-righting. If you attempt to shoot your grandfather then something will go wrong youll miss, the gun will jam, etc. Or, if you succeed, youll later learn that your father was adopted; so he still gets born and still marries your mother. This reminds me of the anthropic principle: the universe is this way because if it wasnt we wouldnt be here†. Therefore, there is always a possibility traveling forwards and backwards . In conclusion, time travel is possible even though some say it is not. Studies confirmed that time travel is possible. Although others have presented a paradox, the resolutions have also been made. The methods of traveling forwards and backwards are elaborated and they really help in a way to make time travel possible. In addition, critics didnt clearly prove that time travel will be impossible. Therefore, the issue on time travel has been solved even though no one has actually experienced time travel much as we see in movies. In the end, the future development of our technology is in the hands of our scientists and the possibility of time travel is also at them. 9 Bibliography Brian. (2001). Brians View on Time Travel and Interdimensional Voyages. Available: http://www. brianbosak. com/ Crystalinks. (2010). Time Travel. Available: http://www. crystalinks. com/timetravel. html Cutnell, J. D. Johnson, K. W. (2006 ) . Essentials of Physics (1st ed. ). USA: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Gott, J. R. (2002). Time Travel in Einsteins Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time. Boston: Mariner Books. Hawking, S. (2010). Stephen Hawking: â€Å" Time Travel To The Future Is Possible†. Available: http://www. dailygalaxy. com/my_weblog/2010/07/stephen-hawking-time-travel-to-the-future-is-possible. html Kulkarni, D. (2011). thus Time Travel is Possible. Available: http://www. buzzle. com/editorials/6-20-2004-55679. asp Mendham, T. (2005). Time Travel Paradoxes. Available: http://www. horology-stuff. com/time/travel/paradox. html Miller, Kristie (2005). Time travel and the open future. Disputatio Nahin, Paul J. (2001). Time Machines: Time Travel in Physics, Metaphysics, and Science Fiction. Springer-Verlag New York Inc.. Toomey, David (2007). The New Time Travelers: A Journey to the Frontiers of Physics. W. W. Norton Company.

Essay on The White Mountains and My Brother Sam Is Dead :: My Brother Sam Is Dead Essays

The White Mountains and My Brother Sam Is Dead During childhood and adolescence, we are all faced with decisions that will affect our futures. Even a simple choice such as choosing books to read or clothes to wear can make an impact on our lives. The decisions made by Will Parker in The White Mountains and Sam Meeker in My Brother Sam Is Dead, however, are of a much greater magnitude. Their difficult decisions change the lives of many other characters. By choosing to go against their families' beliefs, Will and Sam both become orphans. The two young men are cast out into a dangerous world and have to learn about independence and its hardships. From the very beginning of The White Mountains, Will Parker clearly observes that Capping is a questionable and unethical process: "Why should the Tripods take people away and Cap them? What right have they?" (19) He believes that each person should be allowed to control him or herself and that no machine should be in supreme command. Will's decision to leave home shows this, and his escape to the mountains proves that the Tripods can't make everyone a follower. Will and his friends experience many close calls but are never captured. Will also is tempted to become Capped by the lure of a pretty girl's face (Eloise). He learns that "Before Capping there might be doubts and uncertainties and revulsion. . . . When the Cap was put on the doubts vanished" (133). After hearing this, Will almost gives in to Capping, but then he realizes that in doing so, he would be going against all of his beliefs. In My Brother Sam Is Dead, Sam Meeker clearly shows what he believes by enlisting in the American Revolutionary Army. Even if it means losing his father's love and trust forever, Sam feels that what England is doing to the colonies is wrong. He also knows that if he doesn't fight on the American side, his soul would never rest. Sam Meeker risks everything, including his life, to support and defend the new United States and all of his beliefs. He and the other soldiers could have easily given up and gone home, but they know that by letting the British win, they would show everyone how weak the American army, as a whole, really is. His brave decision to stay does cost him his life, but it also helps to ensure that the Unites States would be free of England.

Tax Havens

TAX HAVENS DEFINING Tax Havens †¢ Def 1:A tax haven is a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all. †¢ Def 2: Tax haven or fiscal paradise are terms used to refer to a jurisdiction which enables its foreign residents or companies to reduce their tax liabilities from their homelands. †¢ Def 3: â€Å"What †¦ identifies an area as a tax haven is the existence of a composite tax structure established deliberately to take advantage of, and exploit, a worldwide demand for opportunities to engage in tax avoidance. (The Economist – description by Geoffrey Colin Powell ) †¢ Def 4: US Government Accountability Office was unable to find a satisfactory definition of a tax haven but regarded the following characteristics as indicative of a tax haven: 1) nil or nominal taxes; 2) lack of effective exchange of tax information with foreign tax authorities; 3) lack of transparency in the operation of legislative, legal or administr ative provisions; 4) no requirement for a substantive local presence; 5) self-promotion as an offshore financial center. TYPES of Tax Havens ) Universal Tax Haven is a country's offer to entrepreneurs and investors with a wide range of financial and tax benefits. Such havens include colonial territories and also mini countries. In order to attract both entrepreneurs and investors they offer attractive political, economic, fiscal and judicial arrangements. 2) Special Tax Haven allows for special types of activities. A result of such an orientation a situation may be created in which high taxes exist concurrently with the low fiscal rate for particular economic branches or tax payers. BENEFITS and ADVANTAGES of tax havens †¢ profit transfer is a term used to describe profits achieved from selling goods and services at cost. As a result profits are higher in the country where corporation tax is lower. †¢ rotary company is a company which can be bought or set up in one of the tax havens. Registration procedure is simple: the company's owner does not have to reveal his personal data and therefore can use fictional names. Such companies, often called rotary, are used for providing services, purchase transactions or particular joint stock companies sales. offshore company allows for income to accumulate in a low tax jurisdiction. and is used mainly by corporations and rich people from the world of art. †¢ treaty shopping helps tax payers avoid barriers imposed on them by a double tax agreement, which aim is to prevent people from seeking tax benefits in third countries. †¢ Personal residency †¢ Asset holding †¢ Trading and other business a ctivity †¢ Financial intermediaries DISADVANTAGES of Tax Havens †¢ Some people worry about the inaccessibility of their money as it is located in a far away offshore tax haven. However, in this day and technological age this is not an issue. With the advent of online banking, it is now possible and, indeed, expected in many offshore financial centres that their clients will conduct their transactions online. †¢ The main disadvantage for offshore companies located in tax havens is that many government and governmental agencies will not accept tenders from these types of offshore entities. These contracts would include defence, civil engineering, education, health authority and other such civil contracts. EXAMPLES of tax havens †¢ The U. S. National Bureau of Economic Research has suggested that roughly 15% of countries in the world are tax havens, that these countries tend to be small and affluent, and that better governed and regulated countries are more likely to become tax havens, and are more likely to be successful if they become tax havens. The following are designated as offshore financial centres by the IMF(International Monetary Fund ) or the FSF (Financial Stability Forum): Andorra ; Anguilla ; Antigua ; Aruba ; Bahamas ; Bahrain ; Barbados ; Belize ; Bermuda ; British Virgin Islands ; Cayman Islands ; Cook Islands ; Costa Rica ; Cyprus ; Djibouti ; Dominica ; Ghana ; Grenada ; Guernsey ; Hong Kong ; Isle of Man ; Israel ; Japan ; Jersey ; Labuan, Malaysia ; Lebanon ; Liechtenstein ; London ; Luxembourg ; Macau ; Malta ; Marianas ; Marshall Islands ; Mauritius ; Micronesia ; Montserrat ; Nauru ; Netherlands Antilles ; New Zealand ; Niue ; Palau ; Panama ; Philippines ; Puerto Rico ; Samoa ; Seychelles ; Singapore ; St Kitts and Nevis ; St Lucia ; St Vincent and the Grenadines ; Switzerland ; Tahiti ; Tangier ; Thailand ; Turks and Caicos ; United States (particularly, Delaware, but some other states have offshore characteristics) ; Uruguay ; Vanuatu OECD and Tax Havens: List of Uncooperative Tax Havens In a report issued in 2000, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ) identified a number of jurisdictions as tax havens accordi ng to criteria it had established. †¢ Between 2000 and April 2002, 31 jurisdictions made formal commitments to implement the OECD’s standards of transparency and exchange of information. †¢ Seven jurisdictions (Andorra, The Principality of Liechtenstein, Liberia, The Principality of Monaco, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, The Republic of Nauru and The Republic of Vanuatu) did not make commitments to transparency and exchange of information at that time and were identified in April 2002 by the OECD’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs as uncooperative tax havens. All of these jurisdictions subsequently made commitments and were removed from the list of uncooperative tax havens. †¢ Nauru and Vanuatu made their commitments in 2003 and Liberia and the Marshall Islands in 2007. †¢ In May 2009, the Committee on Fiscal Affairs decided to remove all three remaining jurisdictions (Andorra, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Principality of Monaco) from the list of uncooperative tax havens in the light of their commitments to implement the OECD standards of transparency and effective exchange of information and the timetable they set for the implementation. †¢ As a result, no jurisdiction is currently listed as an uncooperative tax haven by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs. THE END THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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