This essay discusses the long-standing cultural and policy divisions in South Korean politics between liberal and conservative parties.
The Stalemate
This stalemate stems from the government's view of the change as social conservatism and a break from the country's uniform government healthcare coverage. However, resistance to the proposal stems from its backing for opposition leader Moon Jae-in, as well as the impression of electoral scoring ahead of the upcoming elections. Personally, I think the Mayors move is called for, notwithstanding political inclinations. Since a similar program is implemented in some European countries like France and Germany, I believe that the move is not entirely political. As long as the sustainability of the program is guaranteed, I would advise the mayor to proceed with the policy enforcement.
Haltiwanger, John. "The Science of Simplicity: Why Successful People Wear the Same Thing Every Day."\u0094 Elite Daily, 14 Nov. 2014. Web.
The usefulness of time is evidenced in the decisions we make since some actions require limited thought and others require deep ones. As Haltiwanger observes, some decisions are wearisome and insignificant, like dressing, because they consume a lot of time. The philosophies of simplicity and same clothing are manifested in some of the World's strong personalities like Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, among others. However, in as much as I find simplicity to be a necessary attribute in life, the idea of wearing the same types of clothes every day seems tasteless. Other equally successful people adorn different clothes daily, besides Zuckerberg and company. Personally, I would plan what to wear a week ahead and arrange my wardrobe accordingly. This way, I will avoid the daily decision fatigue of cloth selection, thereby focusing on other urgent things.
Mark Zuckerberg Wears the Same Thing Every Day.
The desire to focus on other things makes people lessen their energy and zeal on some of the activities. Dressing is one of them. For Mark Zuckerberg, the need to create excellence in Facebook and provide connection to a billion plus users makes him less focused on his wardrobe and more towards building the company. According to Zuckerberg, spending less time selecting his clothes allows him to redirect his willpower towards Facebook's success in a bid to minimize the decision fatigue. Personally, I believe that Zuckerberg makes crucial points. He has become momentously prosperous for a man of his age, and it is probable that his personal and business philosophies have been essential ingredients. Nonetheless, I still think that it is improper to universalize Zuckerberg et al.'s clothing opinions to gauge their prosperity and success and imposing them on other individuals. Besides, if everybody focused on wearing the same clothing, then the multi-billion dollar fashion industry will be threatened. Therefore, I think that individuals should design their wardrobe philosophies in a way that minimizes time and avoids decision fatigue.
Tierney, John. "Do you suffer from Decision Fatigue?" The New York Times, 17 Aug. 2011. Web.
Everyday experiences like traveling, shopping, eating, and other activities require critical decision-making. And since decisive power is directly connected to mental capacities and willpower, the depletion of the latter makes it hard for one to make choices. As Tierney observes, human activities are closely linked to energy expenditure and glucose supply, in the essence that sugar is needed to help in the selection of options. The more choices an individual makes, the more their energy supplies get exhausted, making them unable to rationalize decisions eventually. I find this article necessarily useful regarding willpower and the inability of individuals to make decisions during the latter hours of the day. I am a victim of the said occurrences since I find it difficult to make major decisions in the evening and tend to be influenced by what my friends say or do. As a result, I believe that my mental abilities get exhausted in the course of daily decision-making, and the article proves useful for the avoidance of such habits.
Reflective Learning Experience
Introduction
From the moment I took this class, I knew I would learn new knowledge and probably get acquainted with new concepts and ideas as well. I was aware of the geopolitical histories of the various nation-states and communities, but none of that came close to the insightful discourses I came across while attending the class. The course content was both challenging and refreshing, as my once-held beliefs and prejudices about other civilizations metamorphosed into an appreciation and sensitivity towards other sociocultural and traditional practices besides conventional Western types. I will apply the knowledge and associated changes in my beliefs and perceptions to objectively relate with other cultures in a way that does not promote Western dominance or allied cultures.
Decision Fatigue
This area was fascinating. I am one of those individuals who get anxious after screening a host of options for the best available alternative. I often find myself struggling as to whether to cook or eat out, the kind of clothes to wear, making a shopping list, and a plethora of other simple daily activities. After plunging myself into indecisiveness, I always ended up being angry with myself or at a friend and occasionally calling myself "stupid and silly." This class has facilitated my knowledge of the problems I experience while doing my usual undertakings. The reality of exhausting my willpower through myriad options was the only logical explanation for my erratic behavior. This topic has changed my perception of the entire decision-making process and my alertness to unnecessary choices that could deplete my willpower before the day ends. I will use this class to plan for my daily activities and avoid the rush of exhausting my mental abilities through unimportant selection criteria that could consume my time and energy and render me less rational as the day progresses. I will change my personal diary to focus on the essential issues instead of the less essential ones and plan my time well by regularizing most of my duties. This way, I will minimize the occurrences of noncritical decisions.
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (CGS)
2. Prologue: Yali's Questions
My experience with this topic was apprehensive and challenging, having shared some of the prejudiced views about non-Westerners as exhibited in the book. I felt that the question was rather obvious, knowing that the West had equipped itself with the necessary technological, sociocultural, and political resources to facilitate their dominance of the world. Personally, I thought that Yali's question was rather ridiculous, and so did some of my colleagues. However, we realized that we were feeding our egos to rubberstamp Western influence on other countries, as we lacked empathy and sensitivity to their histories or civilizations. I learned to understand the historical anecdotes of other communities and nation-states before jumping to prejudiced conclusions. I have changed my perceptions towards them and would like to visit some of the cultures someday. In the future, I will use this turnaround to appreciate the uniqueness in Western and non-Western sociocultural and related attributes since the differences between the two rest in their dissimilarities in environments (Diamond 26).3. The Maori vs. the Moriori: Their Similarities and Differences
I experienced shock, astonishment, and utter disgust in this topic and subsequent ones. In as much as I knew Eurasia to be overly aggressive, ambitious, and expansive, I had little understanding of the extent to which Westerners could go to exert their dominance on other people groups. It is evident that Europe and related regions could be likened to the Maori, while other groups resemble the Moriori, which, despite a common ancestry, linguistic and traditional settings, culminated into major exterminations that led to the Maori supremacy. From this history, it is evident that my understanding of Western dominance has been misplaced, as I have come to learn that other communities have been co-existing with one another peacefully and the desire for war and competition was non-existent. The experience through this class has altered my perception of development since its realization has been sacrificed on the altar of the death and extermination of other people groups. I believe that this reality will lessen my view of the said communities as primitive and would facilitate my better interactions with them in the future.
Personal Impression on Chapter 2 to Chapter 9
I found the chapters to be bold and refreshing. Diamond knows how to weave his scientific intellect with American English to create an authoritative and persuasive look at the history of the different communities in the world. The chapters answer all questions regarding the development of humanity.
Conclusion
This class has taught me that decision fatigue is a likely occurrence for ordinarily rational and high-minded individuals. I have also learned that variabilities in development statuses between Western and Non-Western nation-states do not warrant the former's dominance over the latter's since evolutionary histories and environmental adaptations were crucial in the realization of development. The lessons transformed my perceptions and beliefs on human development.
Works Cited
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York, NY: W.WNorton & Company. Pdf.
Haltiwanger, John. "The Science of Simplicity: Why Successful People Wear the Same Thing
Every Day. Elite Daily, 14 Nov. 2014. Web.
Jun-suk, Yeo. Seoul Mayors Welfare Plan Sparks Political Spat. The Korea Herald, 19 Nov.
2015. Web.
Mark Zuckerberg Wears the Same Thing Every Day. YouTube, uploaded by Stage_5, 11 Nov.
2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkHzvEnFsZ0.
Tierney, John. Do you suffer from Decision Fatigue? The New York Times, 17 Aug. 2011.
Web.
