The Human Condition: Contemplation Key to Understanding

Have you ever wondered what life is like for people in specific social classes and all the baggage that comes with being wealthy? In the article “Amber Waves of Green”, author Jon Ronson has sit downs with hard working americans making a income of $200 a week all the way up to $625,000 a week. In another writing titled “The Mansion”, written by Michael Lewis, allows the reader to get insight on what life is like as a middle class individual taking on a higher style of living. Within the two articles the reader can point out that both Jon Ronson and Michael Lewis disagree on living styles, what wealth can do for you, and how it can affect the people around you.

During the late 17th and 18th century in Europe, four philosophes shared strong beliefs that individual freedom would perfect society. What was the enlightenment philosopher’s main idea? They all believed that freedom was a key factor to building a strong and stable society. They all specialized in different topics such as: government, economics, religion, and women's rights.

We may want to judge these characters for reaching for an unattainable goal, but it is important to consider what other choices the had. In American society, the wealth inequality is massive, and it has drastic effects on the lifestyles of people in the different classes. This text isn’t meant to criticize those who want to be in a higher class, but it is meant to call out the corruption in American society and the impossibility of the American Dream. I believe that this text should be able to help people of the upper classes see people of lower classes in a different light. Many people of the upper class are prejudiced against people in a lower class. They may write them off as undeserving or lazy, but this text can help gain a personal insight into the lives of some of those people. This text shows how unfair the system of wealth is in America, and it should help members of the upper class develop sympathy for those without the same privileges as

Veblen argued that consuming was not a way to sustain but a way to show division between classes (Ritzer & Stepnisky, 2013, p.55). His theories about conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure are all too often reflected in society today. The article How the Other Fifth Lives in The New York Times reveals exactly what Veblen observed years ago. According to the article the top 5% of Americans holding not only most of the economic wealth but how they also control this wealth. With the controlling of economic wealth, the top 5% also control the political arenas. This in turn causes a bigger division between the classes. As the top are becoming richer and more powerful the bottom classes are becoming poorer. To portray power and economic

a) As a part of the society, it is unavoidable to enjoy the power and the privilege while

It is said that all men are created equal, but this is not all correct. Thomas Jefferson said that “All men are created equally”, but this feeling has been betray if all humans were equal. Then people would all get equal privileges. This is a belief that everyone is equal. Moreover, that they all have the same chance to be successful in life. If humans are, create equally, then why did the government split up the levels of pay rate and social class, and why racism stops people from being what they want to be? In this discussion Gregory Mantsios, the writer of “Class in America”, describes how society has divided into upper class, middle class, and lower class, and that the government is trying to deal with both extremes, forgetting that middle class will face deeper tragedy if it is unnourished. Likewise, Diane Kendall, a sociologist from Baylor University shows how mass media and social class is being frame in her essay “Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption”. Kendall discusses how many people frame classes and everyday life. In addition, Mike Rose discusses how people just want to live there in life without people bully them. In his, article “I Just Want to Be Average”. He tells the story about some of his experiences throughout high school. When he was a freshman, he was place into a vocational program. Rose goes into detail describing specific events and different types of people that he

The ability to reach a successful status in society is a goal most people attempt to obtain. The promise of wealth, and bringing pride to your name is all part of the American Dream. However the need for status, financial gain, and the achievement of this ideal are far from perfect as one can see in E. A. Robinson’s “Richard Cory,” Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” and Zora Neal Thurston’s “The Gilded Six-bits.”

“It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake.”

Here, in the United States, the “American Dream,” is a popular belief. There is a strong relationship between hard work and success. In this perfect scenario, those who put in multiple hours are on the road to success and can move up the social ladder. Thus stating, one could be thrust into the lowest of the social status, and with some hard work, one can elevate into the world of the social elite. As a demonstration to this global view of the United States, immigrants from all over the globe have made the excursion to the “land of opportunity” in beliefs of better education, employment, government, communities, religious freedom, and lives for not only themselves but the generations that come pursuing behind them. All of this survives based on a game of social stratification – a diagram on how to successfully obtain the American dream. This observation of social class is based on many mechanisms, some of which is bestowed to people at birth, and not rewarded for hard work and dedication. The class system at play in the United States has become incredibly complex – it no longer has the fundamental class values of our forefathers. Those trying to move up in the social ladder of America are often caught replication the actions of the rich and famous, but this alone cannot make them part of the higher social class. Some think that there are simple rules to follow to climb higher into another social class ladder, but there is more to being upper class than just talking the talk or having the right identity.One way to look at class is the model developed by Janny Scott and David Leonhardt's article, “Shadowy Lines That Still Divide,” in The New York Times. They assert that “one way to think of a person’s position in society is to imagine a hand of cards. Everyone is dealt four cards, one from each suit: education, income, occupation and wealth, the four commonly used criteria for gauging class” (Scott and Leonhardt 27). While being sure on these four criteria, a basic understanding of a person’s predicted class can be made. While this model works fine for providing an elementary level of perception, it must be recognized that a person could rate well on this scale and still be in a different class than those

Social inequality stems from many facets of life and mindsets reproduced continuously in America. The main backbone of systematic inequality is formed off of race, gender and class, which all contain crucial aspects that further oppress those subjected to inequality in various aspects of life. The resources-schools, occupations, invested parents- around one fuels the opportunity in their lives, a concept highlighted by Malcom Gladwell, in his book, Outliers. Situations one are brought up in or uncontrollable genetic aspects can very easily restrain their opportunities. Racial discrimination, gender roles and inferiority and the lack of fluidity in the low and working class push inequality, which simultaneously influencing the rich and privileged.

"I have neglected the things that concern most people-making money, managing an estate, gaining military power or civic honours, or positions of power."10 Even today to most of the human race the good life is acquiring great status here on earth. Most men need to have much material possession, meaningful vocation, and a wealthy class.

In Hannah Arendt’s work, The Human Condition, Arendt addresses the active life or Vita Activa and how the three major human activities are incorporated into the public and private realms. The private realm, in which finances and basic needs are met, exists within the household. The Public Realm involves politics and interaction between individuals. All interaction within the public realm requires the individual to have attained freedom. As society continues to develop, however, and the Modern Age takes over the rise of the Social Realm disrupts the hierarchy of these three human activities. Arendt writes about how this disruption damages the natural order. Each of the three human activities has it’s own place in society and by disrupting

The contemporary texts, See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles (2012) and Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012) explore the common concerns that young people may face whilst growing up. The universal theme of the Human Condition involves the stages of life and the issues everyone must go through to develop a sense of self and purpose that define us from being social beings. These novels explore the Human Condition through discovering self-identity, relationships and loss. These novels are examples of bildungsroman as they are relevant to today's society and the children living in it. Young readers can relate to the struggles and feelings expressed by the characters, based off the composer's perspective of youth.

The human condition is a term which references our complicated existence by highlighting our ongoing ability to adapt and change both our perceptions and values. Through our mental capabilities of both creativity and imagination, humanity is able to achieve a sense of both self-actualisation and liberation, resulting in them acting as the core of our existence where, without them we would become susceptible to the overwhelming flaws of the human condition. Evidencing this are the three texts, ‘Dejection: an Ode’, ‘This Lime Tree Bower my Prison’ and ‘Focus’, which

What is human nature? It is very simple. Human nature refers to the patterns of behavior that are typical of our species or our kind. Human undergoes change as all humans grow up they nature seems to change; the environment someone grow up in effects that persons nature. To fully understand human nature Dr. Marvin Harris takes us on trip to time, which makes sense because if we better understand our past and our origin we will better understand our very existence and our nature. We will know more about who we are where we are from and such other questions that puzzle the human mind.