Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking Essay

Throughout history, people with creative minds have created original ideas which have been useful in the fields of music, art, technology, medicine, and science. Most of these ideas were once branded as impossible and ridiculous, but as of today, their thinkers are considered to as individuals who achieved enormous breakthroughs which helped the world advance (Coon, 2006). Usually, problem-solving is done through mechanical and insightful means which are based on understanding; this kind of problem solving involves either deductive or inductive thinking in order to achieve solutions. Apart from these, problem-solving may also be done logically (based on previous information or rules) or illogically (based on intuition or personal associations and perceptions). However, such is not the way of creative thinking—creative thinking involves all of these different thinking styles, â€Å"plus fluency, flexibility, and originality† (Coon, 2006, p. 360). Fluency can be defined as the number of ideas or suggestions that an individual is able to make for a particular problem. Flexibility, on the other hand can be defined as the number of times an individual shifts from one class or type of possible ideas to another. As for originality, it is pertains to â€Å"how novel or unusual [the] ideas are† (Coon, 2006, p. 360). These can determine an individual’s creativity or his capacity for divergent thinking. Creative thinking or divergent thinking means thinking out of the box and developing possibilities. Usually, people tend to solve problems with tried solutions, but with creative thinking, individuals produce new and different ideas or answers in order to solve problems (Coon, 2006). Creative thinking is often seen in poems, essays, constructed objects, and drawings (Coon, 2006)—however, it can also be seen in everyday life. In fact, creative thinking can come in various forms, one example of creative thinking would be the ever-changing ideas when it comes to the automobile industry. Manufacturers are always developing new features and improving them based on the old ideas, thus, achieving innovation (Harris, 1998). Another example of creative thinking could involve combining two different ideas in order to come up with a new one which is more effective than the separate ideas, like introducing a dinner theater. Since a lot of people usually go on dates by going to dinner, then watching a film, perhaps, it would be creative to fuse these two concepts together to create a much more efficient one where people can eat dinner and attain entertainment at the same time (Harris, 1998). Critical thinking, on the other hand, is an entirely different concept from creative thinking. According to Austin Cline (2010), critical thinking involves developing a form of intellectual and emotional distance between one’s self and one’s ideas in order to be able to evaluate the validity, reasonableness, and truth of such ideas. If an individual engages in critical thinking, he should develop rational and reliable evaluations as to what is rational and logical. This simply means that if one engages in critical thinking, one must value skepticism, and engage in a search for the appropriate solution to problems. Critical thinking also involves open-mindedness, differentiating emotion from reason, arguing with the use of knowledge, being skeptical about probabilities, avoiding linguistic misunderstandings, avoid common fallacies, and most important, avoiding the temptation to jump to conclusions. An example of critical thinking would be carefully assessing situations in order to find the appropriate actions required; a critical thinker, if perhaps stuck in a situation wherein he is faced with numerous tasks at work, plus the obligation to attend his child’s softball game, would carefully evaluate the tasks at hand, produce a schedule by prioritizing and weighing risks and advantages in order to achieve all goals (Jackson, Ignatavivius, Case, ). Another example would be if an individual is part of a jury, and is listening to the witnesses and the defendant’s accounts of a murder; if the individual engages in critical thinking, then it follows that he should not readily believe either accounts just by taking their word for it. Perhaps the lawyer might call a witness which happens to be the child of the murdered person, and if the individual engages in critical thinking, he must not be swayed by the emotions which are shown by those in the stand, and should be critical in analyzing the facts which are presented in the case. Creative and Critical Thinking Using a Common Example Take for example the phrase speed kills; a lot of people have a general idea about this phrase, that which consists of the fact that it is related to motorists, stating that if they over-speed, they could get into an accident and be killed. If one is to use creative thinking in this particular phrase, the result would often involve creating new means to improve the campaign against over-speeding. Creative thinkers are often finding new means to look at things, as well as different means to present such things; therefore, these ideas would then be utilized into the development of a new, effective means to strengthen the campaign against over-speeding. Since creative thinking is all about finding new and different ideas in order to find solutions for different problems,which, in this case, is the supposed problem regarding over-speeding, which, presumably, can kill an individual if he gets in an accident, the creative thinker would perhaps develop innovative means of educating people about this particular statement, such as developing an integration off billboard advertising and traffic warnings. However, if one is to use critical thinking in this phrase, the result would be different. To a critical thinker, it is not possible to just agree with what the phrase implies and just accept it as it is. It is necessary to analyze what it means and analyze as to whether this assumption is valid. A critical thinker would then look into the scientific proof stating that speed, indeed, kills. Apart from this, the critical thinker would look into statistics, and derive from those statistics as to how reliable this particular statement is. While the critical thinker is not aiming to disprove the phrase which states speed kills, what he would be doing involves strengthen it with reliable sources in order to achieve a conclusion that the phrase speed kills is indeed valid and motorists everywhere should heed its implied advice. It is, of course, necessary to state that if the critical thinker does not find the phrase as valid and reliable, the phrase would then be rendered illogical and irrelevant. Summary As seen in the previous discussion, creative and critical thinking differ in many ways. However, while it cannot be denied that both have their differences when it comes to approaching problems, it must be understand that both have their merits and advantages. It is necessary to understand that neither can be considered better when it comes to finding solutions for life’s everyday problems. Instead, an integration of these thinking styles would be far more beneficial, for not all situations call for either creative or critical thinking only. There are those which call for creative thinking, and there are those which call for critical thinking. It is, therefore, necessary to familiarize one’s self with both styles, for being able to adapt one’s thinking style is essential to effective decision-making processes.

Ethical Decision Making Essay

Ethics are important in business and the leader has important role in ethical decision making. A success leader is who has the courage to build his or her company to meet the needs of all the stakeholders, and who recognizes the importance of the service to society. The common theme for the leader play in ethical decision making is trust, fairness, and transparency. First, trust is based on ethical behavior of firm to form a strong base of any long-term business. Thus, leaders must act what they believe based on their strong value of religion, education, and family. Secondly, ethics refer to the fairness for making any decision or adjustment. Therefore, leaders should consider would their decision be fair for everyone affected by it before any action taken. Finally, it is important in such a way that is easy for others to see what actions are performed. Leader with well transparency would be happy to make the decision in public, especially to the people affected by it. Making the ethical decision is the duty of ethical leaders to instill these principles and face its sequential challenges. Business leaders must energize employees at all levels, utilizing a comprehensive set of methods to promote and recognize ethical actions. What must be in place for ethical decision making to occur in a business? In business, ethics is an essential configuration of leadership. The leader needs to make ethical decision when the business operators make competitive, strategic and tactical decisions that affect both stockholders and stakeholders such as downsizing and outsourcing. According to â€Å"How leader can be ethical role models† article, 79 percent of teens surveyed said they felt prepared to make ethical decisions when they enter the workforce. However, 38 percent said it is sometimes necessary to cheat, steal, lie or behave violently to succeed. Many leaders are now torn between company profits and doing the right thing. They are also torn between doing what is right for the company long-term and what is good for their careers in the short-term.

Dramaturgy and Social Interaction Essay

Josiah Platt Soc 210 1. What is Goffman’s principle of â€Å"impression management†, in your own words? Why is it often called the dramaturgy model of social interaction? (Look at chapter 5! ) Goffman’s principle of impression management means that we always try to give that good impression of ourselves, even if that means lying to do it. It’s often called the dramaturgy model of social interaction because people put a facade on depending on the person they’re with. For example, my brother was born here, while most of my family was born in New York. When we go up to New York, my little brother Zach has the biggest New York accent you have ever heard in your life. 2. How is technology changing social interaction? Has it changed the interactions you have with family and friends, how? Are there more distractions that interfere with your social interactions? (Make sure to reread and incorporate concepts from pages 120-124 â€Å"interaction in cyberspace† in your answer. ) I believe that technology has changed face to face interaction. It’s a lot different talking to someone face to face than it is to message them on Facebook. My Dad always talks to me about this. He doesn’t have a Facebook; in fact he doesn’t know how to turn on a computer. A lot of my friends have smartphones, and when there is an awkward moment in public, it’s straight to twitter, Facebook, texting, or some new app. I don’t have a smartphone or texting, so I either endure the pain of the awkward moment, or I act like I’m texting someone. Online social interaction does do some good though. I have a brother in law who is a loner, but I can talk to him on Facebook. There are more distractions that interfere with social interactions in my life, though they usually don’t come from me. As I said earlier, I may pretend that I have the ability to shut the world out via my phone, but I really can’t. 3. Do you see these new forms of social interaction as positive, negative, or both? Explain. As I said in the second question, I see these new forms of social interaction as both positive and negative. There are moments when I wish I could get on my smartphone that I don’t have and I could play words with friends or jump on twitter when an awkward moment arises, but I usually try to live through that gap. Some people live on their phones though. I have a friend who is always doing something new on his phone. Instead of asking someone where to eat, he can shake his phone and it’ll act as a slot machine and magically come up with a place. Interaction in cyberspace has eliminated a lot of social interaction, which can’t be good. There is a flipside, though. I really do have a brother in law who as our society would say, is socially awkward. He often would come over and not say a word. There are times that I go babysit for their family and it’s just us in the living room and you could hear a pin drop. He added me to a fantasy football league a couple of years ago and now we have something in common to talk about. We still haven’t found much common ground but when all else fails, we just talk about sports. 4. How do you respond to the argument that these new technologies produce more alienated people, instead of bringing them together? By alienated, I mean withdrawn or emotionally disconnected from normal society) I think that the argument of more alienated people from society is right. Even talking on the phone is becoming old and outdated. I can’t text, so I’m always talking to my friends on the phone. I have friends who tell me that I’m the only person they talk on the phone with. Everyone else gets a text. I actually had a conversation with one of my best friends for 39 minutes two weeks ago. I was so proud of myself. There is a fear of awkward moments in our society and we will do whatever it takes to avoid that moment. Right now that means eliminating social interaction with strangers. 5. Look at the social networking site (i. e. MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn) of a friend, co-worker, or your own, and apply Goffman’s dramaturgy/impression management theory of social interaction. After writing down an overall review of elements that you see on the page (even the use of cultural elements such as a subculture, dress, language use, norms), discuss the impression this person giving off. How might their/your friends interpret that impression? How might a potential employer interpret that impression? This profile uses the new timeline layout. There is a picture of an MLS soccer game from a good seat as his banner picture. For his little profile picture, there’s a picture of him with two of his friends at an N. C. State football game. He has his job listed underneath his profile picture along with his birthdate, where he was born, and the college he goes to. He is closing in on 1000 friends, so I’d say he’s a popular guy. A lot of his posts are about sports. He stays out late I can see since he checked in on four square at waffle house at 3:00 AM. He posts a lot of song lyrics on his page as well. He doesn’t curse on Facebook, which is good if an employee looked at his page. He usually dresses in a t-shirt and jeans. He’s giving off this impression that he’s always in a good mood and watches a lot of sports. I think an employer wouldn’t mind at all if he looked at his profile (unless he’s a duke fan).

Discretion in the Criminal Justice System

Making executive decisions in the criminal justice system is the underlying power of legal authority. Police, correctional officers, judges and so on hold the ability to make discretionary decisions based on the situation they are involved in. There are a variety of ways that authority use discretion but it may be different when involving different situations or even different people, i. e. , juveniles or adults. I strongly believe that the discretion used in today’s society is distributed in an appropriate manner.Shifting the amount of discretion within our justice system could be for better or worse, but why fix something that's not broken? Although most police officers use discretion, â€Å"Many police officers (and whole departments) prefer to focus on the justice aspects of police work: getting offenders off the streets, responding to emergencies, scoring big drug busts, and generally ‘catching the bad guys. ‘† (Fuller, J. R. Pg. 6. ) No matter how much discretion you give an officer, it's ultimately their choice to use it.Although it is common throughout the criminal justice system, some authoritative figures don’t use discretion in a way to guide punishments; they stay in accordance with established guidelines. In my opinion, depending on the severity of the crime discretion should or should not be used. For example, discretion should be used for a first time offender for speeding but should not be used for a first time offender of rape. â€Å"The police are typically the first contact that young victims and delinquents have with the juvenile justice system. As with adults, law enforcement serves as the gatekeeper to the justice system. † (Fuller, J.R. Pg 17. ) It is extremely important for a police officer to make the decision of introducing a juvenile to the justice system. The responsibility for authorities to use discretion is crucial for a juvenile's future. With adults, less discretion could be used because t hey have a greater sense of morals. In today's society I have personally seen adults expect leniency just because, for example, they have a police organization bumper sticker. Enforcing the law for adults who are habitual offenders is necessary to uphold order. One can only push society and the law so far; at some point you must face the consequences.As we talked about in class, the 3-strike rule is a fair method of deciding who should be held accountable. â€Å"Three major studies were commissioned to examine police practices in detail and to update the 1931 Wickersham commission report (National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement, 1971). These include the report of the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice (1967) entitled The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society (1967), a report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (1968), and a report of the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals ( 1973).Each of these commissions was a major undertaking by a large number of scholars and practitioners who focused on solving some of the problems in both policing and the criminal justice system as a whole. The commission reports include multiple proposals to tighten the controls over police discretion, including the use and abuse of force. † (Alpert, Dunham. Pg. 11. ) Whether for good or bad; laws shape citizen's views of beliefs, actions and character.Unfortunately not all systems of morality and discretion are used properly. Discretion should be used in moderation and to preserve order in society, not used in excessive amounts to threaten the law's purpose. In summary, I feel discretion is a necessity. With our overcrowded jails, police and judges need to use their training, insight and experience to keep the public safe from individuals that have no regard for the law. Bibliography * Alpert, Geoffrey P. ; Dunham, Roger G†¦Understanding Police Use of Force: Officers, Suspects, and Reciprocity. West Nyack, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2004. p 11. * Hagan, F. (2011). Ch 1. Essentials of Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology (pp. 1-45). New York, New York: Prentice Hall, 3rd Edition. * Fuller, J. R. (2008). Juvenile Delinquency – Mainstream and Crosscurrents. New York, New York: Prentice Hall, 1st edition. * Owen, S. S. (2012). Foundations of criminal justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Causes of Financial Globalisation and Its Consequences on Developing Essay

Causes of Financial Globalisation and Its Consequences on Developing Countries - Essay Example According to Sergio (2004), in the last one hundred years, only a few countries and sectors participated in financial globalization by which capital flows tended to follow migration and was generally directed toward supporting trade flows. Capital flows took the form of bonds, and the flows were of a long-term nature. International investment was dominated by a small number of freestanding companies, and financial intermediation was concentrated in a few family groups. The international system was dominated by the gold standard, in which gold was used to backed national currencies. The turn around things came at the heals of the effects of the first world war and the great depression that saw governments reversed their position on financial globalization, and were now imposing capital controls in order to regain monetary policy autonomy with the 1950s and 1960s witnessing the lowest capital flows. This all happened because the Bretton Woods had dominated the international system and used a system of fixed but adjustable exchange rates, limited capital mobility, and autonomous monetary policies that seriously affected the developing counties. But the developing countries saw the light of day when the 1973 oil crisis shock the international community and at that time, the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates break down giving the leeway for international banks with fresh funds to invest in developing countries mainly in the areas of financing public debt in the form of syndicated loans. Developing countries at that time were able to open up new avenues for capital mobility while at the same time maintaining their autonomous monetary systems.

The death of Prophet Mohammed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The death of Prophet Mohammed - Essay Example It therefore follows that the holy book Al-Qur’an and the word of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) are the two most authentic sources of information for a practicing Muslim (follower of Islam). It is for this reason that the personality of Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is held in high respect and esteem throughout the Muslim world. According to the most authentic of historical records, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was born at Mecca in the year 570 A.D where he led his early life. His father Abdullah died a few weeks before his birth and his mother died when he was six years of age. ‘Abd al Muttalib’, who was his paternal grandfather, raised him until he was eight years of age, at which point he also passed away. Later on, he was raised by his uncle ‘Abu Talib’. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) spent his early life at the holy city of Mecca, and later on migrated to the city of Madina where he spent the rest of his life. The holy Qur’an was revealed over a period of twenty three years during which time Muhammad (P.B.U.H) continued his preaching activities and managed to convert a lot of Arabs to the religion of Islam. A number of wars took place during this time, and some time before his death, the holy city of Mecca was conquered. This was a turning point in the history of this region and almost all of the tribes of Arabs came under the influence of this newly growing religion. In the eleventh year after migration (al-Hijra), Muhammad (P.B.U.H) started to have health problems which presented as a headache and fever. For more than eleven days he led the prayers of Muslims under these conditions of illness. As his illness progressed, he shifted to his wife Ayesha’s room where he spent the remaining days of his life. A few days before his death, his fever got worse, for which he told his followers to pour water on him. When his fever got better, he spoke to his people and forbade them from worshipping

Signifier of Victorian Architecture Annotated Bibliography

Signifier of Victorian Architecture - Annotated Bibliography Example The architecture was like that so that it could fit with the period and all that was going on at that time. This architecture applied to almost all the buildings from that time. Some people maintained older architectures. The Victorian architectures have several readable meanings because the forgotten convictions, monuments, and architectural style show the religious and cultural aspect (Crimson 5). The forgotten convictions, monuments, and the architectural style show that there has been a transformation over the years probably due to interaction with other cultures and architectures from all over the world that have influenced the current architecture. The source is valid as Crimson presents pieces of evidence that support his arguments fully. For example, he gives sufficient evidence to support his claim by showing the cultural exchanges that influenced the Victorian architecture. The pieces of evidence presented by the author are objective research and not personal narrations. Moreover, Mark Crinson is a professor of Art History at Manchester University. This book is relevant to my topic as it addresses the qualities of the Victorian architecture that have a meaning. The book’s conclusion on the Victorian architecture is applicable to my subject area because the book succeeds in showing that religious and political agendas and the racial theory were responsible for guiding the architects during the Victorian era. The book’s targeted audience is any individual who is interested in learning about how the Western architecture has changed over time and what has been its major influence and in turn how it has influenced the architectures in other continents especially the architecture and history students. The book develops my research by providing a lot of information on the changes that have occurred from the Victorian era.