Kelly McGonigal "How to Make Stress Your Friend" S/R Catherine Holmes

In Kelly McGonigal’s “How to Make Stress Your Friend”, McGonigal reveals the priceless importance of viewing stress positively, because it will increase mental confidence, enhance social outreach, and benefit the health of one’s body. She introduces this concept to her audience by communicating the idea that all people deal with stress. As a health psychologist, showing others how to deal with their stress is her job. However, Kelly McGonigal believes that she has taught people how to cope with stress in the wrong way, because stress can actually be beneficial when viewed positively. A study was conducted at Harvard known as the “Social Stress Test”, in which students were put under high pressure and discouragement. Prior to the test, these students were told to view their stress as helpful tool, or a physical response designed to prepare them for their challenges. While going under the Social Stress Test with optimistic reactions to their stress, the students felt more mentally prepared and ready to take on whatever they were asked to face. Interestingly, their bodies had a similar response. When under stress, one’s veins will constrict and significantly reduce blood flow, which wears down the heart. In contrast, the veins of the students remained open, allowing more blood to flow back to the heart. McGonigal argues that having a more healthy view of stress is also healthier for one’s body. Another physical reaction to stress is the releasing of a hormone called oxytocin, which actually influences people to reach out to others. In times of heavy stress, one is motivated to seek support and to support other people, which is why stress causes people to be more social. This same hormone also helps to heal heart cells from stress-induced damage. In other words, stress has a built-in mechanism to relieve stress. In “How to Make Stress Your Friend”, Kelly McGonigal outlines why it is so critical to view stress more hopefully; approaching stress positively makes one more mentally confident, motivates people to be social, and is healthier for the heart and body.

Response

Kelly McGonigal's "How to Make Stress Your Friend" illustrates the amazing power which thought has over one's body, because what one believes dictates not only how they feel, but how their body reacts to certain situations. Her effective use of astonishing facts paralleled with stories created a noteworthy presentation. McGonigal spoke clearly and with fervor, slowing down at times to emphasize the importance of a word. She began her talk in a very unique way; by asking a captivating question, producing immediate audience engagement. Her utilization of repetition made sure that there was no allowance for getting off topic. McGonigal’s message was straightforward, and the scientific evidence that she used supported it.

Her argument: approaching stress positively causes a bodily reaction which is healthy, no matter how great of stress one is under.

This ridiculous concept, if true, should change the world.

And true it is.

Thought, a dynamic mechanism, can change the way that people’s bodies react to a particular circumstance. To test this theory, the Karolina Hospital conducted an experiment which examined the placebo effect on the circulatory system. 80 heart patients in need of a pacemaker were divided into two groups. One group received pacemakers that were activated immediately. The other received pacemakers which were never turned on, providing no help whatsoever. The results were astonishing! After three months, both groups experienced significant heart function improvement, “This was incredible news: a simple placebo effect created life saving improvements for patients whose pacemakers were never turned on” (“A”). Just believing that they would get better helped restore the hearts of 40 people. Kelly McGonigal shared a similar experiment with the same results. Harvard University students who were told to view stress as a positive reaction to challenges underwent the Social Stress Test. While stress normally causes blood veins to constrict, the students’ veins remained open, generating no damage to the heart. But why would mere belief influence something as complex as the body? Scientists who wondered this same question found the answer through PET and MRI scans. They discovered that thinking something to be true actually created brain chemistry which acts like medicine. Dr. Selzer explains this process, “...belief in a placebo taps into processes in your brain that produce physical results that really shape how your body responds to things...” (“Mind”). This life-changing discovery, however, is useless if never put into practice. Although the world will not get better in a day, there are small steps which society can take to lessen stress and unhealthiness globally. To start with, educators must be educated that stress and illness can be combated with thought and belief. Health psychologists like Kelly McGonigal have the ability to dramatically alter the lifestyles of many people, but they must first listen to this concept. Also, more research should be conducted which proves the placebo effect. This way, the world can know just how effective it really is. As more people learn about the power of thought over one’s health and body, they will share it with their friends, and it will not be too long until the Earth becomes a little more positive, and a little more healthy.

Works Cited

"Gayatri Pariwar Books." : Power of Thoughts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

"Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

"LETS IMPLEMENT OUR IDEAS ......" Changemakers. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

"Mind over Matter – Harnessing the Power Within." Mind over Matter – Harnessing the Power Within. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

"A Placebo Experiment That Makes You Think.. Wow! - Placebo Effect."Placebo Effect. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

Daniel Pink "Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us" S/R Catherine Holmes

Summary

In Daniel Pink's "Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us", Pink challenges society to rethink the concept of motivation by suggesting that it is not rewards that motivate people; but autonomy, mastery, and purpose, because extrinsic motivation (rewards) extinguishes those three things which inspire people to perform better. To start with, Pink argues that science defies the basic laws of behavioral physics. Such laws propose that if rewards are given for a behavior, that behavior will increase with better performance, and visa versa. This idea is true to an extent. A study at MIT concluded that for strictly mechanical tasks, extrinsic motivation does promote higher results. However, for any task which requires even the most basic cognitive thinking, rewards lowered performance tremendously. Students who were offered the highest prize achieved less than those offered nothing. This same experiment was conducted in a less prosperous country, with the same results. This means that motivation is not affected by situation or experience, but is driven by the same things for all of humanity. According to Pink, those things are autonomy (the desire to be self-directed), mastery (the urge to get better), and purpose (aspiration). Unfortunately, business today is not driven by autonomy, mastery, or purpose; but by management. While management does produce compliance, it hinders creativity and prevents engagement, which Pink expresses in a quote,

Pink advises that if society begins to apply the three fundamentals of motivation to business, not only will people be better off, but the world will be better off, because creativity and high performance will flourish.

Response

Daniel Pink’s “Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us” supports the tragic concept that education temporarily kills personal passion and creativity, because the current school structure transforms learning into a stressful, mandatory experience in which people are extrinsically motivated to achieve good grades because success is rendered impossible without them.

The use of animation for Pink’s video accentuated the deep meaning of his points and gave his audience a clearer understanding of his argument. Words written in different colors increased their importance, and the clever drawings captivated all who observed. With so many effective distractions, listeners were not able to zone out for even a second, and could not perceive any awkwardness in Pink’s presentation style, because he was not visible. Moreover, Pink’s stance on extrinsic motivation was easy to discern and is backed by both scientific and logical evidence. There are many others who share his same opinions. For example, the highly esteemed Sir Ken Robinson stated that, “We don’t grow into creativity, we get educated out of it” (Sir). Robinson believes that modern education is still rooted around industrial values in a world that desperately needs creativity. These industrial values are designed to prepare students for an industrial future, where math and science rule. The problem with this system is that children lose touch with their creativity because they are constantly told that originality is unimportant in the job world. Without creativity and other cognitive skills, learning is stripped of its fun qualities. As a result, youth are forced to turn to grades as the only motivator for the exhausting requirements of school. However, blogger “Liberty” reveals why this motivator is not as effective as passion, “While they may aim to keep their grades up, the intention is not to satisfy their love for learning but to get out of that school once and for all” (Liberty). This idea is also stated through the words of Neil Tyson:

The only reason that grades are effective is because they hold the keys; the keys to graduation, the keys to college, and the keys to financial success. In an industrial-run world, a person will repeatedly be told that they cannot sustain themselves without a stable job and money, thus the necessity to achieve sufficient grades. Consequently, because students are so focused on attaining the test scores they need to advance, they lose any desire to learn that they once had. Knowledge no longer is one’s own inventory to grow, but becomes a field of facts assessed by rigorous tests which do not allow for any individuality. Humans, who are so autonomically driven, give up their ability to self-direct something as simple as what they learn and who they want to be. This creates deep resentment for education in the hearts of children. Kids do not hate school because they hate to learn, but because school sucks enjoyment out of learning. Interestingly, this passion for learning often comes back when one is finished with school. That says something very unfavorable about the education system. Education is designed as a tool for learning. So why are the majority of people with passion for learning those who are not under its scrutiny? The only way to solve this problem is to reroute the approach to education:

The amount of homework must be condensed, and the grading system must lose some of its power. Work in general should not take priority over one’s family, relationships, or health. If grades do not correctly represent intelligence, it is unfitting that they should dictate one’s future and career. To bring back young people’s passion for learning, schools should incorporate more classes that enhance creativity, and ought to allow students to write their own schedule. Classes like mathematics and history are still important, but their weight must be reduced so as not to inhibit students from learning other things. Although the current education system suppresses young people’s passion for learning temporarily through unbalanced methods and unreasonable management, children's desire to grow in knowledge can be restored through a fresh approach to education.

Works Cited











"A Take on the Indian Education System." A Take on the Indian Education System. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

"Daniel H. Pink Quotes and Sayings." Quotes of Daniel H. Pink About Control, Motivation, Joy, Reward, Achievement, Greatness, Economics. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

"Drape's Takes." : My Turn @ Inpirational Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

"Education Quotes." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

Liberty. "How To Kill Passion: The American Educational System." Libertarian Money. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

"RSA Animate - Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

"Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?" YouTube. YouTube, 06 Jan. 2007. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

"Billy Graham: On Technology and Faith" Summary/Response Catherine Holmes

 

Summary

In "Billy Graham: On Technology and Faith", Billy Graham reminds his audience that although technology has made incredible advances, there are still deeply-rooted issues in society that technology has not and cannot solve; problems such as 

human evil:

                                          

human suffering:

and death:

Graham introduces his first point using the story of a man from the Bible: David, the king of Israel. During David’s reign, the discovery of iron transformed the ways that people did things. However, David noticed that there were three issues which iron was not fixing. One of these was human evil, which advancements in science and technology have not solved even today. Graham concludes that the reason humans cannot escape violence, destruction, and hatred is because the problem is within us. Mankind is separated from its creator and needs to be restored. 

Another troubling phenomenon that torments society despite modern medicine is human suffering.The most progressive nation in the world still has poverty, where people are faced with immovable obstacles, and there is not a single soul that does not have to worry. Graham argues that science has made advancements in fields such as medicine which can decrease some pain, but the deeper causes remain unresolved. Like human suffering, there is one last obstacle that science has not overcome which all people come to face eventually; death. Graham affirms that most people live as if they are never going to die, partly because of the convincing facade that technology presents society with. People look as alive on screens as they did in real life, which is why death is often not thought about until the last moments of one’s life. Graham then goes on to illuminate how King David reacted to these three unresolved issues: he wholeheartedly trusted and submitted himself to God. Billy Graham concludes his presentation with a hopeful message, that with Jesus Christ, one does not have to despair when confronted with human evil, suffering, or death, because the savior of mankind will conquer all.

Response

"Billy Graham: On Technology and Faith" reinforces my belief that although scientific advancements and technology can make life less painful, the deep problems that exist within society can only be solved with God. Graham, a brilliant and wonderful man, gave realistic arguments of why technology has not solved the problems within humankind. However, some of his points may not have had full effect on the audience due to the first impression he made. Understandably, Graham had trouble establishing himself on stage as a result of old age. One comment he made in particular likely caused some people to feel slightly uncomfortable. His first story, a humorous one, told of the disappointment a man was met with when he saw Graham in person after hearing of his accomplishments. Graham then said to the audience, “I hope you all aren't disappointed with me” (“Billy”). Although very sweet and obviously intelligent, the way that he delivered that comment increased any awkward tension in the room. Nonetheless, his logic was indisputable. Yes, current technology and the tasks it can perform are truly amazing. 

It would take 95 years for a human to do what a computer can in one second (“One”). One second. Artificial limbs have been invented which allow those who are missing arms or legs to run and jump and dance. Medicine has come so far that diseases such as pneumonia which killed thousands of people in the 20th century can be cured with simple antibiotics. And yet, despite these incredible victories from science, 15% of America lives at or below the poverty line (“America’s”). In the most prosperous nation in the world, 1 in 10 adults are depressed (“An”). Violence has increased tremendously, partly because of technological advancements. School shootings, murder, bombings, and wars still plague society. Why? Because we need Jesus. As Graham so accurately declared, “Our problem is that we’re separated from our creator, which we call God, and we need to have our souls restored” (“Billy”). Some would argue that if an all powerful, perfect God exists, then he would not allow evil in the world. However, the Bible explains that God did not create evil, it entered the world through the fallenness of man. God could have made robots of people who were perfect, but instead He desired to have a meaningful and real relationship with us because He loves us.

According to Josh.org, “Genuine love cannot exist unless freely given through free choice and will, and thus man was given the choice to accept God’s love or to reject it” (“Why”). The only way that human suffering, evil, and death could be defeated is if Christ removes it and enters into the hearts of all people. That is why Christians can have hope. Revelation 21:4 states, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." One day Christ will come back and reestablish his Kingdom here on Earth, ridding the world of all evil. Billy Graham says that for many youth today, “death doesn’t even cross their minds” (“Billy”). If we rarely think of the possibility of ourselves dying, we must never wonder, “What if Christ came back right now?”

People must start thinking, they must start asking questions about God. If man never wonders, he will never discover the truth for himself. Schools need to start educating children to look deep into the things that matter, to question what is thrown at them as fact, because it may not be true. Only God can rid the world of evil. If people do not question the existence of God, then they will never come to know Him as their savior, and they will not have eternal hope.  Although it is not people who can ultimately remove evil in the world, we can start the process by educating youth to question and wonder, and then providing them with multiple answers to their questions. This means not just teaching one viewpoint in schools, but all of them. This way, students can find out the truth for themselves. Through an excellent presentation, Billy Graham shows that technological and scientific gain cannot solve the problems that lie deep within our hearts, because we are separated from God and need to be renewed so that we can have hope for the future.

 

Works Cited

"America's Shameful Poverty Stats." The Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"An Estimated 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Report Depression." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

"Billy Graham: On Technology and Faith." TED. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

""I've Been Contemplating Evil"" Kathy Howard. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Journey to Truth." : "Unanswered Questions Are Far Less Dangerous than Unquestioned Answers" N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Main Page." Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

"One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Blog." How Fast Are Computers in Everyday Terms? —. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"SPIRIT TIPS | Maintaining Your RELATIONSHIP with GOD." MOTIVATE MAGAZINE. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Teach Girls, End World Poverty." Productive Flourishing. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Technological Progress." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Why Does a Good God Allow Evil to Exist?" Joshorg. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"How Schools Kill Creativity" S/R Catherine Holmes

Summary:

In Sir Ken Robinson’s, “How Schools Kill Creativity”, Robinson reveals that the lack of creativity being encouraged in education is harming the future of society and individuals, because it creates an unbalanced world where people are proficient in “industrial” subjects, when the future may not rely on industrialism at all. He begins by introducing the concept that humans are capable of amazing and creative things, which is why the future is so unpredictable. To make the future more predictable, society has incorporated the process of education. Because of this, there is a paradox between school systems and the future, “It is education which is meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp” ("Sir"). Because society cannot grasp what the future should look like, the current school systems are preparing children for an industrial future because that is what has led previous generations to thrive. However, it is unwise to be so heavily educated only in subjects pertaining to industrialization,because the future may hold something completely different in store. Furthermore, this narrow approach to  education squanders the innate creativity and originality in children. Take a little girl Robinson knows named Gillian, for example. She was always moving in class and could not sit still. Her teachers thought she had a learning disorder, so her parents took her to see a specialist. This specialist discovered her ability to dance, and her parents put her in dance school. Gillian Lynne grew up to be extremely successful, is a multi-millionaire, and produced “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats”. 

Robertson hints that if Gillian had stayed in standard schooling for her entire life, the brilliant creativity inside of her would have been suppressed until it was barely visible, and the world would be without two internationally famous works of art. Not only is this damaging to individuals, but also to society because if education prepares for the future, and the future does not run on industrialization, then the nation will fall backwards because it was unbalanced and unprepared. Society will be in need of people whose gifts do not exist anymore due to the effects of schooling in their past. Thus, Robertson believes that the only way to give society a firm foundation for the future is to increase the value of creativity in schools, so that the gift of originality in children will grow and not be diminished.

Response:

Sir Ken Robinson’s captivating presentation, “How Schools Kill Creativity,” flawlessly portrays why education systems need to change if society hopes to prosper in the future. His gentle and humorous speaking manner capture the audience’s attention immediately, as Robinson replaces any tension in the room to that of a friendly conversation. The use of jokes and personal stories draws his listeners in, allowing them to make individual connections to their own experiences and relate to what he is trying to get across. His points were concise and spot on, as the school systems today are failing to grasp the importance of creativity and originality, but continue to stifle them. In fact, children adopt education’s feeble view of creativity and lose it as they age. Author Daniel Pink outlines this situation perfectly in his novel A Whole New Mind. Pink describes an experiment in which a man walks into a kindergarten classroom. Pointing out the artwork on the walls, the man asks the students, “How many artists are there in the room?”, and every child thrust their hand into the air. In second grade, about 75% raise their hands, although less eagerly. In third grade, only a few children hold up their hands. By 6th grade, there are no more artists left. It is remarkable that within six years, a child could go from being a confident artists of simple drawings to understanding artistry as “deviant behavior”, as Pink puts it. This situations begs the question, “When and how was artistry labeled as ‘deviant behavior’?” The answer, revealed by Sir Ken Robinson, is current education. There is a hierarchy of classes in the school system. A hierarchy which pins “core” classes, such as math and English, at the top, and the arts at the bottom. It is through labels like this that children quickly learn what is valued in education, and it is not creativity. If education is preparing us for the future, it needs to be modified to fit the future, and not the past. According to Daniel Pink and Sir Ken Robinson, we are heading into an uncertain future. which is why we need to instill and develop originality and creativity in youth today; because they will determine that future. As Daniel Pink puts it, “The future belongs to a certain kind of person with a very different kind of mind- creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers” (Pink). If we do not develop creative capacities in children for the richness they are through education, then the school system will fail its purpose.

Works Cited

"Beaconfire Wire » Blog Archive » Creativity Is Dead (long Live Creativity)."Beaconfire Wire RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

"Congratulations to the First Lucky Draw Winners!" MylifesGood: June 2010. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

 "Opositando Espero." : Enero 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.

"Presentation Zen: Sir Ken Robinson: We Need to Transform Education."'Presentation Zen' N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

"Pure Energy: WHAT KILLS CREATIVITY?" Pure Energy: WHAT KILLS CREATIVITY? N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

"Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?" YouTube. YouTube, 06 Jan. 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Summary/Response Benjamin Franklin's Quote

In a quote from 1759, Benjamin Franklin confronted the human race by declaring that a person who would give up their rights for temporary safety deserves neither liberty, nor safety. He illustrated that the amount of security society could attain by giving up their freedoms was not worth the cost. Franklin’s words resonated with society 250 years ago, and still do today.

Now that it is 2014, Benjamin Franklin’s quote is not accurate in its argument because the dangers in this world have surpassed those of Franklin’s time, and in order to save countless people, society must be able to give up a few rights. When Benjamin Franklin was alive, the biggest fears of the people included government takeover, losing money, or not having enough to keep warm and fed in the winter. Nowadays, people have to worry about things like terrorists, nuclear warfare, and mass murders. The advancement of technology has posed threats to society that Ben Franklin’s culture never had to deal with, such as school shootings. Had Franklin been alive now, he may have thought differently. Furthermore, because of the imminent danger that exists in the world presently, many of people are at risk. It is better to save millions of people and give up a few minor rights, than to live with the guilt of having full rights while innocent people die. Due to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, airport security has increased and privacy rights may have been violated. However, plane flights have been made much safer in the process, and the U.S. has prevented another 9/11 from happening. While Benjamin Franklin’s argument made sense in the 1700’s, it is not applicable now because the world has changed, the danger has increased, and it is necessary to give up a few liberties to save the lives of a great number of people.