Assignment: Together We Stand Letter
Dear Citizens of Suburbia,
I am writing to you today to discuss a matter of grave importance. We are all aware of the rampant illnesses that have been wreaking havoc on our children and our community – they have led to us worrying about what might be in the future for the rest of us. It is clear it is no genetic defect; something is rotten in our little suburban community. As a result, I have done some investigating into this problem, and have concluded that our gas company might be contributing to the increasing number of illnesses being found in our citizens.
I have many concerns with our public health – through the negligence and lack of care found in our gas company’s practices, we run the risk of becoming sick as well. Action must be taken to curtail this particular issue, or else we will suffer the consequences. I used quite a few critical thinking practices and strategies in order to find this information, and I have some ideas as to how to get our community back on its feet once more.
When I started noticing a larger than normal spike in illnesses among the members of our community, I felt compelled to investigate. I decided to start interviewing people around town to get their assessment of their own experiences with the illness. I was careful to ask them to recount all of their actions in the days leading up to the development of their symptoms. Many of them complained of a stranger than usual smell in their gas ovens – even when the pilot was on and the burners were off. It did not have the usual rotting egg smell of natural gas, but after a few days of smelling it they soon started to get sick.
Having been given that information, I looked at the potential solutions and had to conclude that it was coming from the gas company. I attempted to reach gas company officials to no avail, leaving me with no other choice but to appeal to the rest of my community members. Therefore, I have decided to write this letter informing you that your gas company is doing something to their gas supply that is leading to the sicknesses that have been taking place. My advice is to get your gas shut off by the companies immediately – also, we must appeal to the gas company en masse. We will not get any better results if we do this on our own; therefore, we must make sure to take collective action.
Write letters and call your gas company officials; get the news media involved as best we can, do whatever it takes to shine some light on this situation. We do not really know what exactly is happening to our citizens, but we can reasonably infer who is responsible, and we must be given answers. Thank you so much for your time – I know that if we work together, we will not have any problem getting our community back to normal and a gas company that will not make us ill.
Week 7: DQ2 Posted: Tue 06/14/2011 02:37 PM , by: Instructor
Being open to criticism helps solve a great many problems – often, people do not receive criticism well and will avoid it at any cost. This can often lead to gross errors in judgment and mistakes being repeated because the person does not know any better. When you do give yourself the humility and sense of self-worth to accept the criticism of others, you can apply their tips and advice in order to prevent yourself from spinning your wheels endlessly due to pride.
The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it also helps to have friends who are willing to provide constructive criticism. Blatant, unhelpful criticism is nothing to pay attention to, but if someone wants to show you a better way of doing things, understanding and accepting that help without seeing it as a weakness can help you immensely in the long run. Your daily problems are then much easier to solve.
David, I agree with your outlook on criticism – an open mind is the most important part of taking criticism. You cannot look at it from a defensive point of view, as if they are attacking you – they just want to help you be your best. If you allow them to do that, you can come out on top, with a new understanding of how you work.
Re: Week 7: DQ2 Posted: Wed 06/15/2011 07:45 AM , by: Holly
Holly, I do get that it is challenging to take criticism – it can often feel like someone is putting you down, or that you were wrong to try what you did in the first place. However, when you allow yourself to open up, a whole new world of understanding can be presented to you, permitting you to better yourself in the experience.
Week 7: DQ3 Posted: Wed 06/15/2011 11:05 AM , by: Instructor
The ego is a terrible thing, and an amazing thing all at once. It allows you to think highly of yourself, and gives you the confidence to meet the challenges that lay before you. At the same time, it also can be easily bruised, especially when someone points out a fault in something you did or think. I do believe that people with thicker skin tend to have a better time dealing with criticism – those who are secure enough in their own abilities and talents to roll with the punches without letting it scar them to the core.
In the event I need to improve my ability to receive criticism, I plan on distancing myself personally from the remark and taking it as objectively as possible – as long as I don’t see it as a personal attack, I can add it to my repertoire and improve myself in many ways.
Re: Week 7: DQ3 Posted: Thu 06/16/2011 09:17 AM , by: Holly
Holly, I agree that there are particular types of people who can take criticism better than others – it takes an ability to examine oneself from a purely objective viewpoint and not feel that every remark is a personal attack. It can be a difficult thing to do, but you do have to recognize that others have just as valid opinion as you do.
Re: Week 7: DQ3 Posted: Fri 06/17/2011 11:48 PM , by: Marta
Marta, I agree that the ego can be the worst thing to get in our way when taking criticism – we want to believe we can do everything perfectly on our own, with no help. However, often the exact opposite is true, and we need to accept that or else doom ourselves to failure.
Week 7 DQ 3 Posted: Sat 06/11/2011 04:31 PM , by: Instructor
According to page 368, I chose the theories of intelligence I felt were most indicative of my own personality. I decided to pick logical-mathematical and naturalist. With logical-mathematical minds, problem solving and systematic appraisals of situations allow people to easily solve problems of a mechanical or mathematic nature. I believe this skill would help me in any career I were to choose.
The second theory, naturalist, has to do with the ability to recognize and appreciate nature in all its forms, from clouds to rock to water. I have always been interested in nature, and have even done a bit of hiking and trail guiding in the past. As a cook, I am also in tune with the nature of food and plant and animal life, as I need to know how to use them to make excellent dishes. Naturalist skills are inherent in all of us due to the fact that we have survived so long by living off the land.
Re: Week 7 DQ 3 Posted: Wed 06/15/2011 09:59 AM , by: George
George, you have a very good grasp of the theories of intelligence, and I believe that your accounting skills would be greatly benefited by having logical-mathematical intelligence. That would definitely make sense to someone who has to deal with numbers and accounts and the like; your intrapersonal intelligence can surely come in handy there as well. Being a people person will be a useful skill as an accountant.
Re: Week 7 DQ 3 Posted: Wed 06/15/2011 06:35 PM , by: Latonya
Latonya, your selection of naturalist and musical intelligence is really interesting – I imagine you to be quite a talented musician and naturalist. It really is indicative of an intelligent, creative person, which I respect very much. Having a naturalist background would make you a fantastic botanist, and you could also contribute much to the music world. Either way, I believe you will succeed in whatever you end up choosing.
Re: Week 7 DQ 4 Posted: Fri 06/17/2011 07:33 PM , by: Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn, I believe you are right that there are some inherent problems with labeling according to behavioral assessments – for one, you can be mislabeled, and therefore run into personality problems and clash with others, since you do not know how to present yourself. What’s more, you could act in an uncharacteristic manner which leads to uncommon behavior. Many people do not act the same way in a given situation.
Re: Week 7 DQ 4 Posted: Sat 06/18/2011 11:10 PM , by: Marta
Marta, I agree that children would be easier to observe, as they would be more open and upfront about their emotions and behavior. In the case of children, they simply remain natural and do not hold up any pretence, making it simple to gauge their personality. Adults, on the other hand, hide their personalities quite well from others, and even themselves, making them more of a mystery.
