Metacognition: Mashup

When I first heard the "mashup" project explained, I couldn't believe how easy it sounded. Just take a bunch of other people's work and throw it on a page? That isn't Academy work, is it? Well, it turns out it was.

I thought my mind would barely have to lift a finger with this project. Find quotes about love, copy, paste, and repeat. But once I started working, I realized there was so much more to it than that. You had to choose what order to put things in, how to arrange them, find meaningful connections between passages, and think.

When I began thinking, I realized the project created a new dynamic for me. I hated this at first, but grew on it as time went by. The Mashup forced me to research, without knowing what I was looking for. The claim would be formed after the fact. I immediately deemed this an unstable and risky endeavor, but realized there was no other path to arrive at the destination. I wish my mind had been open to that style of thought from the beginning. As it was, it only took about fifteen minutes of research to recognize the fun and spontaneity present in forming ideas as you go. Rather than a typical research paper where you find evidence that supports your claim, I was molding a claim that supports my evidence!

I was surprised at how well this project got all of our brains moving. We began moving past finding evidence. Rather, we were finding ways the evidence was related, and ways we could arrange the evidence to emphasize our point. I worked best and was the most productive in regards to our project when my mind was open to making connections, rather than focusing on one thing. One really achieves a better understanding of something when they have to think hard enough on it to relate it to something else. I really like that this project introduced me to this style of learning.

I like that eventually my brain started working in the two ways outlined (evidence before claim, and connections), but I hope I can use this experience to be able to think like that without having to be provoked by an assignment.

An Inconvenient Truth: Life Isn't Fair

"Life isn't fair. Get used to it." This quote hits the nail on the head, as far as our existence on this Earth goes. The irony lies in the speaker. Bill Gates, someone life has been more than fair to. About $56 Billion more fair. Regardless, the idea that human way of life favors some over others has been a facet of life since the dawn of time. This bothers me beyond belief.

There are countless examples I could give as to why life is unfair, but I'll stick to a few prominent ones.

Since we, as humans, are not omnipotent entities, we have no influence in the decision as to where we are born or into what circumstances. It is pure chance. Some people are born into wealth and power in countries like the United States. Obviously not everyone here is well off, but living conditions in the US far surpass those of many other countries. But for every person born into a comfortable position and giving the opportunity to succeed, there are two to three more born into destitution and hardship in countries like Sudan, Haiti, or the Republic of Congo. These people did not do anything to deserve the suffering they will be forced through in life, but are nonetheless dropped in those situations. Parents are the same way. Many people are born into loving families, who look out for each other and care. But there are still many others who are faced with neglect and abuse. Again, they had no choice in the matter.

This next inequality is mostly present in the United States, but also marginally elsewhere. There are very, very, hard working people in our country. And then there are athletes. Now, no one loves sports more than me, but honestly, this is ridiculous. The backbone of this great country, those who perform physical labor in infrastructure and construction rarely bring in over $100,000 a year. But I can understand compensating people for striving for excellence in education. So lets say a psychiatrist went to school for eight extra years, and is making two to three hundred thousand a year. And then Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees third basemen, who rakes in $30 Million a year in guaranteed salary. He plays a game. The previous two professions excel in helping both our country and people in need. A-Rod hits a ball with a stick. He didn't even go to college. (Not to mention celebrities who are famous for the sake of being famous. The Kardashians' make upwards of $20,000 per episode of their new show.)

The last disparity I will mention is simply between good and bad people. The cliche, "Nice guys finish last," certainly has its moments of truth. Both in the job hunt, and in friendship, among others, people are trampled simply because they are unwilling to trample others. It's a dog eat dog world, and those who aren't over-aggressive rarely get what they want. Unfortunately society has, over time, morphed to these low standards, but nevertheless they are ever present. My hope is that our culture can come to terms with itself and recognize that the genuinely good people aren't always the ones with the highest paying jobs, or the most Facebook friends. You'd think we would try to reward people who get to where they are honestly and fairly, but at least they can have that inner peace knowing that they did.

I hope I made it evident why this unfairness bothers me so much, but in case I didn't, it's because:

• some people never have a chance to succeed from the moment they are born.
• some lines of work are incredibly overcompensated compared to others that require much more effort.
• "Nice guys finish last"

360 Degrees: Success

Who is the judge of success? Is it one's family, friends, or community? Or is it one's employer, educator, or leader? Success means something different to every single person on this earth. No one has all of the same standards, priorities, and benchmarks. What may be the highlight of one person's entire life, could be considered a failure in somebody else's. Why?

Take two children. One grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in the suburbs, and was given all the tools he needed to do well in life. The other, however, was not so lucky. He grew up in a slum in the city, with one parent, and barely enough money to pay the bills. Ten years later, the two boys are sitting next to each other in a community college classroom. The privileged child is looked upon by his friends, family, and society as a failure. He had so much going for him, but squandered it away, ending up here. But for the other child, the fact that he even made it to college-any college- is a miracle in its own rite. Yes, they ended up in the same place, but who was more successful? Your background plays a major role in your view of success.

The United States GDP in 2010 was 14,624,184 million US Dollars. A country like Congo's was 12,600 million US dollars. For the Congo, bringing in, say, 20,000 million dollars in a year would constitute a monumental success. If the United States did that, we would collapse and cease to be a country. This discrepancy in the meaning of success does not only lie between individuals, but entire entities, including nations, and corporations, where the same simulation above could be applied. Your starting point also plays a major role in your view of success.

The previous two examples have both been the results of inequality. What if, like the first situation, there were two boys. But this time, they were neighbors. Same living conditions, same economic situation, and same intellect. Upon graduating, both students receive the same 3.5 grade point average. To one, this is spectacular. He couldn't be happier with that solid B. But the other leaves the ceremony with incredible disappointment, disdain, and frustration. Since all external factors were the same, this inconsistency is a result of mindset. One boy held them self to much higher standards than the other, and was thus upset when he didn't reach them. That being said, should people hold themselves to higher standards? It is a matter of opinion, but I believe the answer is yes. Even if your goals are not reached, the motivation you receive striving for them is worth the possibility of disappointment in the end.

To conclude, success is subjective. Everyone views it differently, and that can be a result of one's own background, starting point, or motivation levels, among many other factors. But in the end, you, and only you, are the judge of your own success.