Rousseau On Civil Religion Essays - Religion And Politics

Rousseau On Civil Religion Religion is a component of almost every society. Knowing this, one might look at the function it serves. For Jean-Jacques Rousseau, religion, specifically a civil religion established by the Sovereign, is an instrument of politics that serves a motivating function. In a new society people are unable to understand the purpose of the law. Therefore, civil religion motivates people to obey the law because they fear some divine being. For a developed society, civil religion motivates people to maintain the habit of obedience because they grow to understand and love the law. First of all, it is necessary to clarify Rousseau's ideas on religion. In Chapter Eight of On the Social Contract, Rousseau distinguishes four types of religion. The first of these is the"religion of man." According to Rousseau, this type of religion is"without temples, alters or rites." It is "limited to the purely internal cult of the supreme God and to the eternal duties of morality--is the pure and simple religion of the Gospel, the true theism, and what can be called natural divine law" (SC, Bk IV, Ch. 8) In addition, he describes the "religion of man" as Christianity. However, it is different than the Christianity of today in that it is focused on the Gospels and "through this holy, sublime, true religion, men, in being the children of the same God, all acknowledge one another as brothers, and the society that united them is not dissolved even in death" (SC, Bk IV, Ch. 8). Rousseau finds fault in this type of religion. True Christianity of this sort would require every citizen to be an equally good Christian for peace and harmony to be maintained. In addition, Rousseau argues that it would be unlikely for every man to be concerned only with heavenly things. He anticipated that "a single ambitious man, a single hypocrite, a Cataline, for example, or a Cromwell, he would quite undoubtedly gain an upper hand on his pious compatriots" (SC, Bk IV. Ch. 8). Rousseau defines the second type of religion as the "religion of the citizen." He states, The other, inscribed in a single country, gives it its gods, its own titulary patrons. It has its dogmas, its rites its exterior cult prescribed by its laws. Outside the nation that practices it, everything is infidel, alien and barbarous to it. It extends the duties and rights of man only as far as its alters(SC, Bk IV, Ch 8). Rousseau believes this type of religion is good because it unites "the divine cult" with love of the laws. On the other hand, this type of religion has the potential to make men superstitious and intolerant. When the boundary between Church and state is clouded, men may begin to "believe they are performing a bold action in killing anyone who does not accept its gods" (SC, Bk IV, Ch 8). Rousseau points out a third type of religion which in his own words is "more bizarre." He calls this "religion of the priest" and states "in giving men two sets of legislation, two leaders, and two homelands, it subjects them to contradictory duties and prevents them from being simultaneously devout men and citizens." An example of this type of religion is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholics are subject to the law of the Church as well as the law of the state. They are subject to the authority of the pope as well as the authority of the leader of the state. Also, they are commanded subject to the rule of the Vatican as well as the rule of their homeland. For Rousseau, "religion of the priest" is "so bad that it is a waste of time to amuse oneself by proving it. Whatever breaks up social unity is worthless. All institutions that place man in contradiction to himself are of no value" (SC, Bk IV, Ch 8). Because Rousseau finds serious faults with the first three types, he calls for people to adhere to a fourth kind of religion. He defines this as "civil religion." He asserts that it is the Sovereign's duty to require a "purely civil profession of faith" and to establish the dogmas of a civil religion. Rousseau elaborates on this by stating, The dogmas of the civil religion ought to be simple, few in number, precisely worded, without explanations or commentaries. The existence of a powerful, intelligent, beneficent divinity that foresees and provides; the life to come; the happiness of the just; the punishment of the wicked; the sanctity of the social contract

Stalin v. Hitler essays

Stalin v. Hitler essays Stalin and Hitler ruled over regimes considered totalitarian by the definition that they maintained extreme control on political, social, and economic aspects of life in their respective countries with the purpose of pursuing their own ideological ends. Although these two regimes are very similar in many respects they, like red apples and green apples, are clearly in-exchangeable. The Soviet Union, under Stalin, was ruled with an iron fist. Death was the punishment exacted for being useless to the ends of the government. Stalin was the government, and the government was Stalin. Zero factionalism could be expressed, else one would meet death. He maintained complete control over everything. Stalins goal was to bring Russia up to par with the standards of the western world. In lieu of this ideology, Stalin actively took over the economy. With the express intent of making industry a staple of the economy in Russia, Stalin sold all grain produced by Russia, and injected that money into the industry of the country (at the cost of his people having grain to consume). He then set up Gosplan, a central economic planning agency, whose duty was to create broad goals for all sections of business in Russia. Thus, Gosplan became the economy of the Soviet Union. This was an inefficient form of economic control which, due to its lack of dependence upon producer and consumer choices, traded the well-being of the people for the good of the ideology. Through this intense control of the economic and political aspects of life, Stalin, too, controlled the social lives of his people. Gosplan determined where one would live and work, and a belief in the ideology that Stalin preached caused citizens to report any insubordination to Stalin and his ideals. Those that resisted would simply be killed. The KGB, the Russian secret police, were Stalins agent that was responsible for carrying out most of Stalins ordered death in the ...

Death of the salesman Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death of the salesman - Assignment Example He manifested an inability to maintain a 9-to-5 job to support his life and to meet the high expectations of Loman. On the other hand, Happy has a steady job but keeps on playing around with girls and has not gone far in business. The two brothers only came back home to visit their parents and stayed in the bedroom where they used to share as boys. Restlessness and troubled thoughts preoccupied Willy when he returned home from an aborted sales trip. His wife, Linda, noticed Willy’s difficulties and urged him to speak to his boss and request a position that would not require travelling. Willy recalled the times when he was still a young father full of vitality, had an optimistic business outlook, and dreamed of success. Likewise, he also reminisced on his brother Ben, who left for Africa to mine diamonds and became financially successful. Happy and Biff found Willy’s behavior erratic and asked their mother about things that bothered Willy. The two brothers learned that Willy has lost his salary and worked only on commission. Linda also told the brothers that Willy tried to kill himself. Learning these, Biff came to a realization that he had to change his life and find a decent job to help his parents. The next day, Willy has been upset of knowing that he has been fired from job. His neighbor Charlie offered him a job but he refused to accept it because of pride and instead, borrowed money from Charlie to pay for the bills and insurance premium. In a restaurant, Willy met his sons and end up shouting because of Biff’s constant failure and Willy’s verbalization of the loss of job. The two sons left Willy who became tormented again with fragmented thoughts. Back at home, Linda argued with her sons why they left Willy but Biff broke down with anger due to Willy’s suicide attempts. Willy reflected that to manifest love, he decided to commit suicide so that his life insurance policy would provide

Bomb Squad Guidelines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bomb Squad Guidelines - Research Paper Example ene include the establishment of a command, request for emergency services, identification of the hazards at the scene, identification of the witnesses and victims as well as the preservation of any physical evidence that may be considered as potential and transient. With these, it is possible to identify, collect, locate and preserve evidence which is valuable in order for it to undergo examination that makes it possible to produce information that is both useful and effective (Pyrek, 2010). Some of the topics that need to be updated in this book include the areas that are concerned with the collection and examination of debris from an explosion and bombing crime scene. In this sense, there was a need to improve the recognition of consistent evidence as well as the other procedures involved in handling. This also includes the area that is related to training where the amount of information possessed by an individual is supposed to be upgraded. The other area that needs to be upgraded in the book is concerned with the securing of the required resources. This can be done through reevaluation, being aware of the safety alert concerns and the establishment entry and exits paths to be used by personnel. All these practices and procedures are mainly concerned with the evaluation and assessment processes of the procedure (NIJ, 2014). These topics need to be updated because of the importance associated with the proper identification, examination and collection of forensic evidence that is highly relevant. In this way, it will make it possible to ensure the performance of more successful investigations. In this sense, this kind of revision will affect the community that deals with forensic science and the criminal community since it relates to the collection of evidence and preservation in the sense that it will encompass a wide range of areas that include most of the agencies involved in law enforcement, forensic laboratories, fire departments, government agencies and

Petroleum water injection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Petroleum water injection - Essay Example For the formation of this petroleum reservoir worth producing various geological elements are required. These elements include; porous reservoir rock which stores the petroleum, organic rocks which are the source of generating the gas or oil and lastly some kind of traps to prevent leaking away of the oil and gas (Souza at el). Usually these traps are found in predictable areas like next to faults, top of anticlines and under sandstone beds. The traps are of three types; structural, hydrodynamic and stratigraphic traps. Hydrodynamic traps are not common types of trap. They usually caused by water pressure differences that are as a result of water flow which creates a tilt of hydrocarbon water contact. Structural traps are bents and deformed areas beneath the surface that hold oil and gas. Mostly the traps are simple domes or more complicated faults. A fluid, which is water, oil or gas, fills the pores. Gas move to the top as it is the lightest, followed by oil then water stays down. Stratigraphic traps are depositional in nature as they are formed frequently by porous sandstone body or limestone getting enclosed in shale. The oil and gas are kept from getting away by the shale. Petroleum reservoirs are generally located beneath the surface at 1000 to 30000 feet. They vary in size, type and age. They often extend over hundreds of kilometers, plus include a number of oil wells spread out across a big area. Petroleum reservoir formation can be divided into; planktons, algae and protein rich life buried beneath sand layers and mud at source rock this involves sand accumulation, lastly buried reside transfer into liquid hydrocarbons. Topographical characteristics play an important role in the petroleum reservoirs formation. Petroleum reservoirs were discovered in the 19th century when Edwin Laurentine discovered that rock oil produces a distilled product for lanterns he then did the first well drill in 1859.The success of this drill which was close to an oil seep mo tivated further drilling in the same area, which soon led to same explorations in other places. The growing need for petroleum products led to petroleum reservoirs drilling in several states and countries. Petroleum reservoirs can be accidentally discovered, this mostly happens when oil seeps to the surface or it seeps into water supply thereby exposing its presence in that area. In some instances, it is necessary to deliberately explore different regions by the application f geographical and scientific knowledge with the intention of discovering locations A petroleum reservoir may be discovered by accident, as has happened when the oil seeps to the surface or when the oil seeps into water supply, consequently revealing its presence in that location. Other times, it is often necessary to intentionally explore different regions through the application of scientific and geographic knowledge with the view of discovering other places that may contain petroleum reservoir. Petroleum explo ration and production which is the way to get gas and oil is performed by geologists, engineers and geophysicists. Geologists examine areas of the earth where sediments gather together. They then analyze the areas of interest closely to find out whether or not reservoir rocks and source rocks are present in the area. Examination of the rocks is done at the earth surface and drilled wells in the area. Geologists also use satellite images

Physics Behind the Dambuster’s Bouncing Bomb

Physics Behind the Dambuster’s Bouncing Bomb Brookie Trant Introduction The Dambuster Raid and the bouncing bomb played a key role in WW2. The aim was to disrupt industrial productivity of Germany. The Raid was also a well-publicised success story when Britain was stretched to breaking point during the war. The bomb was used to destroy the Mohne and the Edersee Dams and flood the Ruhr Valley, thereby destroying a large proportion of the Germans manufacturing power; thus having the desired knock on effects for the German war effort. The bomb was initially conceived by Dr Barnes Wallis in April 1942 in a paper he wrote called ‘spherical bomb – surface torpedo’[1]. The concept was then taken up by Air Chief Marshal the Hon Sir Ralph Cochrane of the Royal Air Force a strong advocate of precision bombing. Also important to bringing the concept to fruition was Air Marshal Arthur Harris commander of Bomber Command. Through these influential commanders Wallis’ idea was brought to a committee and it given the go ahead. Wallis faced a range of practical issues such as: the size-to-weight ratio of the bomb with the ability of the aircraft to physically lift and deliver it; how much backspin was needed to be imparted to the bomb in order for it to have a controlled and accurate flight; speed of flight; height from which to drop it and the velocity of the aircraft at point of delivery. All these factors needed to be understood and overcome in order that the bomb could be delivered to the optimum point on the dam wall and then detonated. In answering this question this study will consider four key factors: the weapon design, the delivery of the weapon, the detonation and how all of these had a great enough affect to destroy the dam. It is useful at this point to qualify the definition of the bouncing bomb. The use of bouncing to describe the Operation Chastise bomb is loose. The physics of bouncing by definition requires a level of elasticity which as the object hits a solid, a fluid or a powder results in a permanent or non-permanent change in the objects form (elasticity). This doesn’t occur with the ‘bouncing’ bomb. It is better to define the Chastise Bomb as ricocheting but for the purpose of this study the phrase bouncing bomb will be used[2]. Weapon Design This was where the bomb started. A key area which needed to be addressed was the shape of the bomb. This had a major role in providing a reliable and successful bomb. This section explains the reasoning behind the cylindrical shape and how this affected the bombs delivery. The shape of the bomb was a key issue. Wallis’ initial trials used spherical models, so that identical contact with the water would be made throughout its flight; however the bounces were often too unpredictable due to release and water surface conditions. Therefore, to achieve greater stability Wallis experimented with a cylindrical bomb. This negated the unpredictability but did not stabilise the issues of trajectory and keeping it level. He realised that by using backspin these problems could be overcome. Backspin was also a key aspect in the delivery of the weapon to the detonation point. This vital aspect will be further discussed in this study in the delivery method section. Once at the point of detonation the bomb was required to explode underwater. On explosion a shock wave would be created, enough to destabilise the dam wall. The weight of water would then provide the breach. Wallis started with trying to find the correct measurements for the amount of explosive needed to breech the dam. He used a model on a scale of 1/17 of the real thing. He then used 100g of gelignite 1.2m away from the wall giving the same effect as a 10 tonne bomb 60m away from the dam. This had no effect. He continued his trials until he achieved 150g of explosive 0.3m away from the dam, which meant that he had to use 13 tonnes of explosive 15m away from the dam. When scaled back up, this would need 18 tonnes of casing which would give a 31 tonne bomb to match the effect required. This was a significantly larger bomb that could be dropped by the aircraft to be used. It was clear that he would have to find a different method. He reduced the mass to 4.3 tonnes and would use multip le bombs to breech the dam[3]. The final dimensions of the bomb were 60 inches long and 50 inches wide[4]. This is roughly 1.52m in length and 1.27m in width, with a final weight of 9,250[5]. See figure 1. Delivery Method His next problem was working out speed of the bombs, how far above the surface they needed to be dropped, the distance from the dam and the best way to control the skips of the bomb. His first trials were conducted in his garden at home. He fired marbles across a bucket of water to see whether it would bounce off the surface. It worked and he could control the skip by adjusting the catapult. He now needed to discover if he could control the bomb when it was using multiple skips. For this he needed a slightly larger apparatus and used a huge ship tank at Teddington. Starting with a spherical bomb, he tested different size-to-weight ratios and by using backspin he could control the bounces. This also helped the bomb to sink in a predictable manner when it reached the wall. Here he had success, however Wallis found the flight of the bomb was often unpredictable. He found if he increased the mass significantly it became more stable however for reasons already stated a larger bomb was impractical. Wallis had realised that stability could be achieved by using a cylindrical casing and imparting backspin. This would keep the barrel on its axis and stop it from tilting and therefore follow its correct trajectory. Much like a child’s spinning-top toy, the more backspin you gave the bomb the harder it would be to knock it off its axis, this is angular momentum (this is explained in the paragraph below). He tested the idea in the tank trying out the different revolutions. He also found that by varying the size-to-weight ratio of the cylinders he could keep a 5 ton barrel level on the water and then get it to spin down the dam once it hit the water[6]. Also by rapidly spinning the device backwards this would counteract the forward velocity of the aircraft. Wallis calculated how many bounces would be required before reaching the dam. This calculation needed to include the drop distance from the dam, the elevation of the aircraft and its forward velocity. Importantly with each bo unce the bomb would slow due to the viscosity of the water and the drag effect that it had. Using this equation Wallis was able to calculate the speed of the spin to ensure that the bomb had slowed down to almost zero velocity by the time it reached the dam[7]. He measured that the cylinder would need to be going at 450 to 500 revolutions per minute2 in order to achieve this effect. Angular momentum has the same role as linear momentum but in rotation. The equation for angular momentum is. The equation for linear momentum is â€Å"†. In the equation for angular momentum the ‘I’ replaces the ‘m’ and the ‘ω’ replaces the ‘v’. The ‘I’ is the moment of inertia which is an objects reluctance to change its state of rotational motion[8]. The equation for the moment of inertia changes with the different shapes it is acting on. For a cylinder the moment of inertia is. This meant that by increasing the mass and the radius the moment of inertia will increase making it more stable. However Wallis was restricted by the size of the planes and their ability to carry a heavy bomb. So he used the largest diameter as possible and then put the majority of the weight of the bomb as close to the edge of the cylinder as possible. This way it would have the same effect as a flywheel giving the barrel lots of m omentum. The ‘ω’ is the angular velocity which is how quick the cylinder is rotating its unit is rad s-1. The equation for ω is which shows as you increase the frequency then the ω will increase by a considerable amount. When you put the moment of inertia and angular velocity together you get the angular momentum of a rotating object. It also shows you that by increasing the angular velocity makes it much more difficult to knock the barrel off its axis. Going back to the spinning top the faster you spin it the more difficult it becomes to knock it over. This is what gave the bouncing bomb a clean flight and made sure that it remained on course and didn’t tilt off its axis. The backspin had a secondary effect. By dropping the bomb without backspin the device would naturally receive a turning effect through the horizontal axis in the opposite direction; the net result of this would be that the bomb would not slow in a uniform or predictable manner and therefore likely skip out over the dam rather than slowing and dropping down the inside face. Forward spinning the bomb would have a similar effect to that experienced by a bicycle wheel being rolled at a curb. It wants to keep going[9]. There is a third effect achieved by imparting backspin. This is the key relationship that Wallis would have been aware of and used to calculate speed, height and turning effect. This effect is the Kuttas Lift Theorem or the Kutta–Joukowski Theorem. Developed by German Martin Wihelm Kutta and Russian Nikolai Zhukovsky (Joukowski), in the early twentieth century, the theorem demonstrates the aerodynamic relationship between lift, speed of a rotating cylinder and density of the substance it is moving through (air or fluid)[10]. This theorem sometimes known as the Magnus effect when applied to the conditions of the Dam Buster raid allowed the bomb to ‘crawl’ down the face of the dam wall. The water surrounding the cylinder in conjunction with the back rotation caused striking hydrodynamic forces that pulled the bomb back towards the wall[11]. As seen in figure 2. All three of these effects were identified, quantified, understood and overcome by Wallis, through his thorough trials and experiments and his deep knowledge of physics. Detonation Mechanism The aim of Operation Chastise was to blow up the dam; the easiest way to do this would be to blow the explosive charge on the water side of the dam at the optimum depth. This would make the most of the explosive power. With the weight of the water behind the explosion, it would increase the affect of the force of the bomb. This weight would pressure the dam to breaking through whatever weaknesses had been caused by the initial force of the bomb. The bomb contained three hydrostatic pistols which measured the water pressure as the bomb sank, the bomb would then detonate at a depth of 30 feet. It also had a time fuse that would detonate after 90 seconds as a backup. This was reasonably well developed technology drawn from the experiences of the First World War naval fighting and the ongoing anti-submarine war effort. In essence the hydrostatic pressure, used in the hydrodynamic pistol, increases uniformly according to the simplified equation of P = p g h (where P is hydrostatic pressur e, p is the fluid density (kg/m3), g is gravity and h is height of the water)[12]; the change in the hydrostatic pressure would trigger the hydrodynamic pistol to explode at a depth of 30 feet (9.14m)[13]. Target Effect Once delivered to the detonation point against the dam wall at the correct depth the weapon exploded. This maximised the benefits of the bubble pulse effect typical of underwater explosions, greatly increasing its effectiveness of the explosion and the pressure. The dam wasn’t going to fall by just using the explosive power of the TNT and RDX applied to the external wall of the dam, but by using the pressure of 30 foot (9.14m) of water pressing down on the explosion. The initial force exerted by the exploding bomb was meant to weaken the dam; the water would do the rest. Compared to air water has a significantly higher density than air. Water has a higher quotient of inertia than air. Although this makes water more difficult to move it does mean that it is an excellent conductor of shock waves from an explosion. The damage achieved by these shock waves will be amplified by the subsequent physical movement of water and by the repeated secondary shockwaves or â€Å"bubble pulse †[14]. The small seemingly insignificant cracks formed by the bomb would then be exploited by the water forcing the gaps to get larger until the point where the dam couldn’t hold it any longer. The dam then crumbled. The equation for pressure is (P=pressure, F=force, A=area) this can be rearranged to give this shows us that the pressure will make a huge difference to the force of the explosion. Summary In summarising this study of the physics behind the dam buster raid it is important to recognise the breadth of Barnes Wallis’s experimentation and trials. He overcame the issues of weapon design: its explosive effect and detonation method and issues of casing; the delivery method in terms of speed, height and skip effect; the detonation method; and then the weapon effect on the target. A clear understanding physics and a deep understanding of fluid mechanics, hydrodynamic pressure and the crucial consequence of Magnus Effect were essential for Wallis’s concept to succeed. Bibliography 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncing_bomb I used wikipedia just to gain some background knowledge and to use in my introduction. 2 Johnson, W. (1998). Ricochet of non-spinning projectiles, mainly from water Part I: Some historical contributions. International Journal of Impact Engineering (UK: Elsevier) – this was from the same Wikipedia page but the extract was taken from this paper written by W. Johnson. 3 http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~stinner/stinner/pdfs/1989-dambusters.pdf this is another paper on the bouncing bomb providing information on the facts and figures on the bomb 4 http://everything2.com/title/bouncing+bomb again this is just facts about the bouncing bomb itself 5 http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/617-squadron-and-the-dams-raid/designing-the-upkeep-mine.aspx another with facts an about the bombs dimensions and weight ect. 6 http://simscience.org/fluid/red/DamBusters.html this is a paper for those doing a-level so has very relevant information on it and is a reliable source 7 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards#slide=16article=Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards this is using Wikipedia again but it is a general statement so not needing a confirmation reference 8 Advanced Physics (p.101/105) – this is a book used in the physics a-level it gives a great level of understanding and was a very useful book when wanting to look beyond the syllabus 9 A.M. Kuethe and J.D. Schetzer (1959), Foundations of Aerodynamics, John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York ISBN 0-471-50952-3. – this is a book and it explains basic aerodynamics which can also be related to the forces acting on an object in fluid which is the context used in this essay 10 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357684/Magnus-effect this briefly explains the Magnus effect which is used when the bomb is trying to sink down the dam face 11 Pascal’s law – found on http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pascal-laws-d_1274.html 12 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/dambusters.htm information about the bomb. 13 Fox, Robert; McDonald, Alan; Pritchard, Philip (2012). Fluid Mechanics (8 ed.). John Wiley Sons – another book used briefly to explain how the bomb created a large enough force to break the dam. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncing_bomb [2] Johnson, W. (1998). Ricochet of non-spinning projectiles, mainly from water Part I: Some historical contributions. International Journal of Impact Engineering (UK: Elsevier) [3] http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~stinner/stinner/pdfs/1989-dambusters.pdf [4] http://everything2.com/title/bouncing+bomb [5] http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/617-squadron-and-the-dams-raid/designing-the-upkeep-mine.aspx [6] http://simscience.org/fluid/red/DamBusters.html [7]http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards#slide=16article=Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards [8] Advanced Physics (p.101) [9]http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards#slide=16article=Why_did_Barnes_Wallace_decide_to_spin_the_dambusters_bomb_backwards [10] A.M. Kuethe and J.D. Schetzer (1959), Foundations of Aerodynamics, John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York ISBN 0-471-50952-3. [11] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357684/Magnus-effect [12] Pascal’s law [13] http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/dambusters.htm [14]Fox, Robert; McDonald, Alan; Pritchard, Philip (2012). Fluid Mechanics (8 ed.). John Wiley Sons.

Reading Between the Lines of Life :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

Reading Between the Lines of Life    Two years ago I was selected from a group of over fifty applicants to become an exchange student. It was not until later that I learned that Germany was where I was to be sent. Although at first I was apprehensive to go to Germany because I didn't yet know the language or much about the country itself, I soon discovered by living there that it was one of the best things that could possibly have happened to me. There were large changes that occurred in my life, but probably the most important and dramatic of these changes was the one that occurred most slowly.    Over the course of my time in Germany I learned to see that people think differently and have ideas that differ from my own. I learned not to be selfish and think that the only right is what I think -- but rather that others may also have ideas that are just as good and deserve to be more carefully looked at.    When I arrived in Germany I was overcome with a sense of awe mixed with anticipation for what was to happen. I saw all about me different scenes and one acts of the daily life which was constantly playing around me. Everything, which the Germans did, was so different, especially when it came to driving. I feared that I would not even survive the trip from the airport.    I did survive the trip to my host family's house. That is where I began to learn that people solve problems in a way that best suits their predicament. Due to the limited space at my first house they had a shared communal garden. They ate different foods than we Americans, they spoke in a different manner, and they even dressed slightly differently. All these differences, I later learned, stem from a difference in the way they thought. While at first these differences seemed uncomfortable I later learned to accept them for what they were.    I feel that my acceptance of the fact that we all have differences, was a major turning point in the way that I think. I saw that although opinions may differ that one person isn't necessarily right and the other wrong. Sometimes it is important to realize that people differ as do their ideas, but the most important fact is that we be able to work out our differences and realize that we are truly all working together.