Why Intelligent People Fail Essay Example for Free

Why Intelligent People Fail Essay 1. Lack of motivation. A talent is irrelevant if a person is not motivated to use it. Motivation may be external (for example, social approval) or internal (satisfaction from a job well-done, for instance). External sources tend to be transient, while internal sources tend to produce more consistent performance. 2. Lack of impulse control. Habitual impulsiveness gets in the way of optimal performance. Some people do not bring their full intellectual resources to bear on a problem but go with the first solution that pops into their heads. 3. Lack of perserverance and perseveration. Some people give up too easily, while others are unable to stop even when the quest will clearly be fruitless. 4. Using the wrong abilities. People may not be using the right abilities for the tasks in which they are engaged. 5. Inability to translate thought into action. Some people seem buried in thought. They have good ideas but rarely seem able to do anything about them. 6. Lack of product orientation. Some people seem more concerned about the process than the result of activity. 7. Inability to complete tasks. For some people nothing ever draws to a close. Perhaps it’s fear of what they would do next or fear of becoming hopelessly enmeshed in detail. 8. Failure to initiate. Still others are unwilling or unable to initiate a project. It may be indecision or fear of commitment. 9. Fear of failure. People may not reach peak performance because they avoid the really important challenges in life. 10. Procrastination. Some people are unable to act without pressure. They may also look for little things to do in order to put off the big ones. 11. Misattribution of blame. Some people always blame themselves for even the slightest mishap. Some always blame others. 12. Excessive self-pity. Some people spend more time feeling sorry for themselves than expending the effort necessary to overcome the problem. 13. Excessive dependency. Some people expect others to do for them what they ought to be doing themselves. 14. Wallowing in personal difficulties. Some people let their personal difficulties interfere grossly with their work. During the course of life, one can expect some real joys and some real sorrows. Maintaining a proper perspective is often difficult. 15. Distractibility and lack of concentration. Even some very intelligent people have very short attention spans. 16. Spreading oneself too think or too thick. Undertaking too many activities may result in none being completed on time. Undertaking too few can also result in missed opportunities and reduced levels of accomplishment. 17. Inability to delay gratification. Some people reward themselves and are rewarded by others for finishing small tasks, while avoiding bigger tasks that would earn them larger rewards. 18. Inability to see the forest for the trees. Some people become obsessed with details and are either unwilling or unable to see or deal with the larger picture in the projects they undertake. 19. Lack of balance between critical, analytical thinking and creative, synthetic thinking. It is important for people to learn what kind of thinking is expected of them in each situation. 20. Too little or too much self-confidence. Lack of self-confidence can gnaw away at a person’s ability to get things done and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Conversely, individuals with too much self-confidence may not know when to admit they are wrong or in need of self-improvement.

Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy :: Entertainment Biographies Papers

Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy "He just got his music out of the air," said one neighbor. One cannot hear the word "ragtime" without thinking of the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin. He is clearly one forerunner in the field of American music, particularly at the turn of the twentieth century. Not only was he a genius in the musical frame of mind, he also displayed strong talents in other areas. He had a kinesthetic gift, as seen in the movements he created for his dramatic productions. It was often said that if times were different and not so segregated, he could have been a great choreographer. He was also talented in the interpersonal field, as his music touched so many people throughout the years. Through his efforts ragtime is now a respected form of music in our history, although he did not live to see this fulfillment of his dreams. Background Joplin's father, Jiles, was only a small boy when he was purchased in South Carolina and taken to Texas. He had the privilege of being one of the few black slaves to be a house worker, which decreased his chances of being sold. Jiles was freed in his late teens. Picking the last name of his former owner's son-in-law, he traveled south. There he met Florence Givens, who was freeborn. They married by "jumping over the stick," the only form of marriage available to blacks at that time. He was eighteen; she was nineteen. The Joplins were not a close family. It is said that the men "had traveling in their blood." Scott, the second of five children, was born on November 24, 1868. When he was a preschooler, they moved to the wild frontier town of Texarkana, Texas. Both Jiles and Florence were musically inclined and talented. Jiles played the violin, while Florence played the banjo and sang. They encouraged musical interest in the children, and all five had talent. Scott stood out above the rest. At an early age, he could pick out songs on his mother's banjo, on which he was proficient by age seven. He had perfect pitch and could duplicate any chord he heard. He had the ability, which he retained until the end of his life, to remember tunes and fragments he heard years before. He incorporated them with his own elements into original compositions. His talent did not go unnoticed. Area music teachers were impressed and offered instruction.

Novel “Unwind” Essay

In the novel, Unwind, three teenagers embark on a journey full of mischief, excitement and tragedy. The three main characters have their own agenda in the novel. Risa is orphan who is being unwound due to cutbacks in budget. Lev is an thirteen year old tithe who’s main purpose in life was to be unwound once he turned thirteen. Lastly, Connor is fifteen year old trouble maker who is being unwound due to the fact that his parents have grown sick and tired of his negative behavior. They all show that in the end that life is sometimes a fight for survival. In the beginning Connor runs away from home because he doesn’t want to be unwound. While Connor is running away from the police on the interstate, he pulls Lev out of a car and takes him hostage in order to slow down police. As this happens, Risa’s bus crashes due to Connor’s antics and she escapes the grasp from the people trying to unwind her. When the three finally get away, Lev is hell bent on getting revenge Connor for kidnapping him. When the three teens hide in a local high school, Lev sneaks away from the pack and tells the local authorities about the runaway unwinds. When the police enter the school and the fire alarm is pulled, Risa & Connor have to make a last second escape from the cops. With the help of a teacher, they find help in a local antique’s shop owner named Sonia. Sonia helps Risa and Connor, by letting them stay in her store basement where they meet Roland, Mai, and Hayden (other runaway unwinds). Sonia tells them that their stay is only temporary and when their time is up they are shipped different safe houses. Connor & Risa hate Roland, for he is a power hungry bully with nothing to lose. After Christmas, all of the kids who are stationed in the safe houses, are put in airplane crates and shipped to â€Å"The Graveyard†. In the graveyard they meet The Admiral who protects unwinds until they turn eighteen, then he lets them go. When things get out of hand, the thousands of kids being stationed in â€Å"The Graveyard†, make an attempt to kill The Admiral. All of the teenagers believe that he wants to sell them for their parts. When The Admiral almost dies, Roland, Risa, and Connor fly him to a local hospital where Roland turns them all into the authorities. At the Harvest Camp, Connor is recognized among the many teenagers as the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Akron AWOL†. This is the name given to him for his actions on the interstate in Akron, Ohio. While in the Harvest Camp, Connor sees Lev, and is surprisingly overjoyed. Though Connor does not know that Lev is there for his own hidden agenda. When Connor’s day comes to be unwound, it’s a mournful day at the Harvest Camp. Once Connor enters the doors of the Unwind Medical Bay, bombs go off. Suicidal bombers known as clappers blow up the medical bay and Connor comes limping out without an eye and badly wounded. Risa, who was playing in the band on top of the medical bay. To everyone’s surprise, Lev is one of the bombers, but he refused to make himself go off. Instead he runs into the medical bay and helps pull the other’s out including Risa. When Connor wakes up with only vision in one of his eyes, he figures out that someone has given him a new name. He also notices that the new replacement arm is Roland’s. Risa is paralyzed from the waste down, but is happy to be alive. Lev is in a Juvenile detention center for having traces of nitroglycerin in his blood (relating him to the suicide bombers). In the end, Connor and Risa both go back to â€Å"The Graveyard†, where they help other numerous unwinds escape from their death. Due to Lev’s antics at the Harvest Camp, the government changes the unwind ages from 13 through 18, to 13 through 17.

Japanese Expressions about Dating

Phrase of the Day is a mind exercise. This months phrases are for dating! All phrases are quite casual. Please use only as a mind exercise (talk to yourself) just like the previous phrases, or use with a close friend. You might hear these expressions more on TV, anime or from native speakers. They will be helpful for you in some way, even you dont have a chance to use them ...   Have a fun! 1. I have a date today. Kyoo wa deeto da! 2. I look awful! Hidoi kao shiteru! 3. What shall I wear? Nani o kite ikou kana. 4. I am running late. Osokunarisou. 5. I wonder if he/she will wait for me. Mattete kureru kana. 6. He/She should have been here by now. Mou kuru hazu nanoni. 7. I wonder if I am waiting in the wrong place. Machiawase-basho machigaeta kana. 8. I will wait five more minutes. Ato go-fun matou. 9. I am sorry I am late. Okurete gomen ne. 10. Thank you for waiting. Mattete kurete arigatou. 11. What happened? Doushitano? 12. I was getting worried. Shinpai shichatta yo. 13. Dont be so mad. Sonnani okoranaide yo. 14. Do you mind if I look in this store for a minute? Koko chotto mite ittemo ii? 15. I am tired. Tsukarechatta. 16. Shall we stop for tea? Ocha shinai? 17. Where should we go next? Tsugi wa doko e ikou ka. 18. How about a movie? Eiga demo miru? 19. Lets go eat. Shokuji shiyou. 20. Do you feel like sushi? Sushi nanka dou? 21. Id rather have Chinese food. Chuuka ryouri no hou ga ii. 22. I wonder how much money I have left. Okane, ato ikura nokotteru kana. 23. Good, I have plenty. Yokatta, juubun aru. 24. Shoot, I might need more than this. Shimatta, tarinai kamo. 25. Why dont I pay half? Warikan ni shinai? 26. Its 11 oclock already! Mou juuichi-ji sugi da! 27. I have to go home. Kaeranakucha. 28. Shall I walk you home? Okutte ikou ka. 29. Why am I so nervous? Nande konnani doki doki shichau n darou. 30. I dont want to go home. Kaeritakunai na. The phrases for dating continue next month.