Guns Germs and Steel

I've learned a lot during the first half of the semester. The new information that I have gained over the last few weeks includes the life of humans on Earth and how they came to be scattered across the various continents. The materials I've studied in class have also made me understand how various processes, such as democracy, work in real life. Class materials have altered my perspective on a variety of issues, such as how I see diverse cultures and the food we consume today. My perception has been developed as well as a result of the things that we have discussed over the past weeks include the existence of the human being on earth and how they came to be spread through the different continents on earth. The materials that I have learned in class have also helped me to understand how different systems such as government work in real life. Class materials have changed my perception about various things, such as how I look at the different cultures or the food that we eat today. My perception has been developed as well as a result of the things that we have discussed over the past weeks. The knowledge that I have acquired over the period has additionally given me the insight of how I can apply it in my life and in future. This paper will detail what I have acquired in class, how these things have changed my perception, and how they influenced some of the decisions I have made recently.
The first chapter of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies highlights the distribution of human beings across the planet. I have come to understand that unlike now, the movement of people from one place to another was caused by various issues. In addition, the removal was easy due to the lack of borders. The few people were scattered over a large area, and running into one group was more difficult. However, migration was also difficult due to the nature of the transportation system. There were no cars or airplanes that could hasten the movement. In essence, it took thousands of years for human beings to relocate from one place to another. The cause of the movement included war with neighboring communities, diseases, and search for food. The issue of security is highlighted in the second chapter. The book explains how the Maori massacred thousands of the Moriori people in New Zealand (Diamond 57). This is a good example of the issues that engulfed the people during the earlier years of human civilization.
In this book, I have realized that not much has changed since. There are still millions of people, moving from one area in search of a place to settle down. This can be witnessed by the different people in a certain area, emanating from different culture. The United States is a good example of a country that has citizens from different cultures, such as Chinese, Indians, Africans, Russians, or Japanese. All these individuals are as a result of movement or rather migration from one place to the other just like thousands of years ago. In addition, I have learned that in terms of war, people have not changed. Over history, there have been multiple wars that have wiped some civilizations from existence. However, the same thing still occurs in the current world. For example, terrorists attacked the American people, but the retaliation by American forces led to multiple deaths, including women and children. Currently, ISIS is murdering innocent Syrians, and many have fled to European countries. In essence, it can be identified that as much as time has passed, some of the things happening now is just the same version of it in a different time.
Through the lectures, I have learned that food has played an important role in the growth and security of the different population. Initially, the human species relied on a hunter gatherer lifestyle. This kind of life did not offer food security, and it was the downfall of the initial human population. Hunters and gatherers spent much of their term on the search of food compared to the modern people, who only tend to their crops for a certain period. I have learned that we as human beings have come a long way to a point that we can relax due to the effectiveness of our food production. The human population has diverted the extra time to improving their lifestyle and being innovative in most fields, such as medicine and technology.
During the discussion of the book, I experienced a mixture of emotions, ranging from how lucky I am as a person living in the 21st century to how painful it was, knowing that the same injustices that happened hundreds of years ago still occur. By now, people should have learned how to live together in peace and harmony. However, the same issues still divide us. Wealth and class is one of the main points of disconnection among the people. Additionally, politicians continue to divide the people due to their insensitive statements. A good example is the President-elect Donald Trump statements about Mexicans and Muslims in the United States. There are many good people, but such statements cause a rift between the people further. During the lectures, I also experienced pity for the many civilizations that were murdered by other communities. Most did not mean harm, but were still killed. It is evident that the human has the capability of causing harm without any provocation of any nature. We probably still have the same character traits as animals that make us killers without any reason.
The article Seoul Mayor’s Welfare Plan Sparks Political Spat shows the same problems that human beings face on a daily basis. The problem arises from two politicians competing, and essentially one wants to have an upper hand during the election (Herald). Welfare for the unemployed is not a bad thing for the people. However, if it does not have a proper plan and the people do not receive equal or rather deserving welfare, the system is a failure. During this discussion, I learned that politicians could do anything to safeguard their future. I additionally learned that South Korea has the same problem that many countries face. There is an increased unemployment rate in many cities. Welfare is what keeps these individuals from being poor. Finland is such a country that has successfully implemented this strategy.
This article has changed my perception about the way welfare should work. In the article, only a few numbers of youths will receive the welfare. The strategy is not fair, and some people will be left behind. Well-being should help every individual. However, there are others, who need it more. As much as every individual should be considered, others should first be in line because of their situations. I believe in a fair society, and this article raised questions for me as to the best way, in which welfare should be distributed to the people. I think the best way is to look at those individuals that have an additional source of income. By eliminating such individuals, the rest can, therefore, be given the well-being. I, however, think that welfare may result in laziness among the people rather than making them aggressive in the society. From this article, I learned that giving freebies to the poor is not the answer, but looking at the various ways in which these individuals can be employed while being paid this amount is the way forward.
The article Decision Fatigue: Why Many Presidents and CEOs Wear the Same Thing Every Day allowed me to question the kind of clothing that the people wear on a daily basis. Mark Zuckerberg, for instance, has been comfortable with his t-shirts, although he has the capability to buy thousands of clothing. During this discussion, I experienced a feeling of shame due to the amount of time I take to make a decision regarding my choice of clothing (Haltiwanger and John). This is a big problem that afflicts many people. The issue arises from the way society judges an individual. For instance, in high school, a poor choice of clothing could result to a never ending abuse. This is the issue that has caused the problem of choosing clothes carefully. I have been abused about my dressing when I was still in my middle grades. My choice of a sweater then was not good, and it negatively affected me through the years. Decision fatigue is a great problem, especially across young people in the United States.
The article Do You Suffer from Fatigue? further emphasizes on simplicity. Most CEOs, including Barack Obama, decided to have only one type of clothing style to avoid having to make choices about what to wear (Tierney). From this article, I realized that simplicity is easy and should be essential for every person. It is not worth it to dress just to impress people, who probably would not help you in any way. After reading this article and discussing it in class, my perception changed regarding dress choices. It would be easier, if I also changed my dress choices and just had the simple ones. For example, it is difficult to judge someone wearing a t-shirt, while it is also fashionable. The article has additionally changed my ability to respond to people’s perception about my choice of dress. It is easier, if I concentrate on my opinion about myself rather than that of other people.
In conclusion, decision fatigue is a real problem for the people. In a world that we have to memorize many passwords, make hasty decision ranging from what to eat, which cab to drive to which work you should start, reducing the decision making opportunities is essential. Dressing is an easier example of the things that can reduce decision making choices for a person. What we have read in class has changed my perception about many things. From what I have learned in the book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies and the articles read in class, the world is dynamic, and being static will only lead to complications for a person, such as decision fatigue. Moreover, it can be recognized that some of the ancient elements of a society still exists, such as war or stupid disagreement between different communities. In addition, politicians continue to hold power over the common people. As a result, the class materials have helped me to broaden my knowledge and further understand how the society can be improved.
Works Cited
Diamond, Jared M. Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York: Spark Pub, 2003. Print.
Haltiwanger, John. “The Science of Simplicity: Why Successful People Wear the Same Thing Every Day.” Elite Daily. 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 5 Jan. 2017. http://elitedaily.com/money/science-simplicity-successful-people-wear-thing-every-day/849141/.
Herald, T. “Seoul Mayor’s Welfare Plan Sparks Political spat.” The Korea Herald. 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 5 Jan. 2017. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20151119001181.
Tierney, John. “Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue?” New York Times Magazine. 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 5 Jan. 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html.