As people grow older, they need to renegotiate their sense of identity and belonging Essay

Everyone has struggled with their identity and belonging during a chapter of their life. There comes a time when our opinions and beliefs begin to differentiate from those around us. During this time, some people may discover where they belong, whereas many others do not. It is not solely one stage of our lives when we are confronted with an identity crisis, but a continuous challenge throughout our lives as we encounter new experiences that will alter our thoughts, emotions and perspective on ourselves. Most of us are following the â€Å"norms†, society expectations but deep down inside, we desire for freedom. Society only gives us a narrow time, a â€Å"window†, between school and marriage to be whomever we want without the judgement of society. This window is the only time that we can have a †good time† like getting drunk, travel, stay out late, do silly things yet nobody would criticise. However, since the window is pretty narrow, many people tends to stretch it so they can fully enjoy themselves. For school-leavers like us, we would like to taste that sense of freedom as soon as possible and as long as possible. Not many of us would actually thinking about settling down at this moment since we are young. Out there in the world, many interesting new things are inviting us to try and take on the challenges. We are like Bubba, young and energetic, new to the world and society doesn’t expect much of us yet. However, human beings are not eternally immutable, we change ourselves, our identity and sense of belonging gradually. There’s certainly a time when we feel so lonely, distanced and disconnected even though there’s a crowd of people around, people that we know. That’s when we should think to ourselves, who am I really and where do I belong? After enjoying freedom for so long, we could be bored and lost because we are living without a purpose, a plan for the future. We would begin to yearn for a lifelong companionship, fulltime commitment from someone, we can’t stand being alone for the rest of our lives in some vague, unstable relationships that can break at any moment. We need something new and more exciting than what we already experienced. A solitary is an unfulfilling life to us, we want love, affections and devotion so that our lives can be fulfilled. As we grow older, we would stop being immature, selfish and solo as part of our â€Å"growing up†. Though we would like to stretch our â€Å"window†, society does expect us to grow after certain age. We are expected to reproduce ourselves by having a family, taking up the responsibilities, pass on our beliefs to the younger generation. Reproduction is that we can start all over again, that’s why life is a cycle, repetitively, and many would follow. In each and every one of us, the biological urge or clock would start to alarm as we grow older. Desire for a family with children would naturally come for most people, then they would seek to settle down. Nancy had enough of the lay-off, after sixteen years without any assurance, she had renegotiated with herself to discontinue. She wanted to have a family, a stable relationship, since Barney couldn’t give her that, she left and married to start a family life. She was not young any more but it was not too late, at least she realised that the lay-off wasn’t working for her and she found a solution that she was comfortable with. However, there’re a few people who think differently. They are afraid of losing their freedom as they are lost in their own fantasy that they are young and free forever. Marriage certainly limits one’s freedom that to some people, it’s a chain, an imprisonment for life that they don’t ever want to be bind in. They love their liberty even though they are aging, they don’t have a slight idea of changing their lifestyle. They don’t want to grow up even if they are growing old. In society’s eye, they are the odd ones, the ones that defy the â€Å"norms†, the bad omens. Olive is the representative of these people, she detest matrimony and any permanent attachment. However, she ignored reality of her aging and the repetitive of the lay-off was wearing everybody out. The freshness, excitements and funs were gone long ago but she turned a blind eye to it, believing it would last forever. Only if she renegotiate with herself earlier, reality wouldn’t struck her as hard and she would understand why Roo proposed to her. At some point in life, we must reconsider of our sense of identity and belonging so that its suit our situations. We are not ever-changing but we can’t be the same forever, we need to change gradually to adapt to the changing world just like how the Earth revolves around the sun. It spins but we don’t feel it. People change overtime but we don’t really see unless it’s a dramatic change. As we grow older, we encounter more crises which influence our sense of identity and belonging. We would be wiser than before as we learn from our mistakes.

Finding Meaning in a Stolen Life Essay

It is said that all life does indeed involve suffering but it is what we make of this suffering that will determine whether or not we find meaning in our life. One must look within and around himself to create meaning in her life; one can finding meaning by creating works or doing deeds, experiencing things or encountering people, and choosing one’s attitude towards the suffering in her life. There will always be obstacles in the way to meaning—the tragic triad of pain, guilt, and death—but one must use this to fuel your drive to find meaning by maintaining tragic optimism—faith, love, and hope. Many people lead difficult lives, however, some find meaning and others choose not to. In the memoir A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard, Jaycee Dugard is put through what she describes as an â€Å"intolerable situation,† but manages to make meaning of the suffering in her stolen life. Jaycee Dugard has experienced tragic triad: pain, guilt, and death. She deals with pain throughout the entirety of her early life. The main source of her pain and suffering was Phillip who kidnapped and put her through hell on earth. Jaycee recalls the day Phillip took her—the first painful experience she had with the man that would strip her of her innocence. Jaycee recollects what was running through her mind at the time of her traumatic abduction: â€Å"Someone is dragging me and I am being lifted. My limbs feel like they weigh a ton. I try to resist and try to push away from farther into the bushes. The paralyzing feeling returns accompanied by a strange electrical current zapping sound. I am helpless to resist for some reason. † (9-10). It is not long after her abduction when Jaycee is put through an even greater mental test. She has been scare and alone since she was taken from her world on that faithful day and now Phillip would only make her more scared and alienated. Phillip does to Jaycee what nobody should ever have done onto them. She experiences pain physically and mentally when he rapes her and she remembers him trying to justifying her suffering: â€Å"He says it would be easier on me if I didn’t resist or struggle so much next time. He says it wouldn’t hurt as much. I think to myself, if you didn’t do it in the first place then it wouldn’t hurt at all. But I am too frightened by his act to say a thing in objection to him. † (31-32). Jaycee feels her first sense of guilt in her new life when she is given a kitten. Her kidnappers brought her home a kitten and she was happy but says, â€Å"I have begun to feel guilty for asking for her in the first place. I should have thought about the place we were going to put her. This is no place for a kitty. He says his aunt is an animal lover and will take her. † (41). She does not want the kitten to stay in the little room with her because she knows it is not fair for the kitten to not have a lot of space to run around and be happy. Her giving the kitten away makes her feel better because she knows it is not good for the kitten to be stuck in the room of suffering. She manages to get over this guilt but soon she is faced with a greater obstacle. Jaycee experiences death for the first time. It is not that of her own life but the death of one of her animals that brings her greater suffering she notes, â€Å"Blackjack lived a long life. Toward the end I took primary care of him and I was the one that found him when he died. It was very hard for me. At the time, I had made a cat enclosure which he would go in at night to keep safe, and that’s where I found him one morning†¦ I cried a lot for him. † (160). Jaycee was an animal lover and for her to find the cat she took care of dead was very hard for her. However, all of these experiences made her a stronger person. Jaycee did not allow the tragic triad to keep her from making meaning of her life. She kept searching. Jaycee Dugard was on her way to countering with two of the three parts of tragic optimism–love, and hope. She had children at a very young age and although she did not want them from Phillip or at the ages of fourteen and seventeen she loves her children very much. She loves both of her daughters, she did not want to give either of them up, stating, â€Å"I did it because that was the only thing I could do. I would do it all again. The most precious thing in the world came out of it†¦ my daughters. † (110). Her love for her two daughters fueled her positivity towards her adverse life. She was a very hopeful person all through her young life and her daughters gave her more of a reason to hold fast. Jaycee was constantly hoping that she would one day be emancipated. When she is first placed in the room out back, she hoped someone was looking for her and that they would find her one day to take her from home. Although she had a rough life from the age of eleven until the age of twenty-nine, she kept a very positive attitude by doing work and keeping busy. She found greater meaning in her suffering by creating works. She started a business—a printing company–with Phillip who has put her through endless torture. Over time she learned how to do it on her own and does most of the work for the company: â€Å"I work up a design and he takes it to the costumer and gets it approved when he brings it back to me, I print them on cards. The job turns out great and I am very proud of myself Phillip says that he thinks I should do the workups and he will get the jobs and help with the printing. †(127). Instead of weeping in sorrow for herself that her childhood and beginning of her adult life were taken away from her, she does work to make herself productive. This is good for her because instead of living in the existential vacuum, she feels like she is accomplishing something other than watching television every day like she used to and she feels important. . It takes a very positive person to find meaning in the kind of suffering Jaycee had to endure, and she embodied this person. She chooses to have a positive attitude towards being captured and enslaved. Throughout the time she was taken she kept a journal and instead of always writing about how much she misses her mom and wishes she was not with Phillip and Nancy, she wrote, â€Å"10 things that make me happy; 1. hearing someone laugh; 2. when my cats are near me†¦ 10. knowing someone loves me. †(183-184). Instead of thinking of all the bad in her life, she chose to stay positive and think of things she appreciates about life. Not everyone can do that, but she learned that staying positive is more meaningful. All life involves suffering as the main character Jaycee Dugard would know. She suffered a lot in her life from the time she was kidnapped up until she was saved eighteen years later. She suffers the first day she is taken. â€Å"I want my mommy. I want time to reverse itself and give me a do-over,† she cries about the situation she is in (10). Then it gets worse. Jaycee describes what is going on when she was thrown in the back of the car and taken to Phillips house where her suffering would begin: â€Å"A blanket is thrown on top of me and I feel a lot of weight on my back, I feel as if I can’t breathe. I hear voices but they are muffled. The car is moving. I want to get out of the car. I twist and turn, but something is pinning me down. † (10). She goes through a scarring experience as he puts her through the greatest suffering she will have to endure in her 18 years here. A few days after kidnapping Jaycee, Phillip takes advantage of her, â€Å"he stands back up and takes off all his clothes. I do not want him to do that†¦ I feel so helpless and vulnerable. I feel so alone. He lies on top of me. I can’t stop crying. † (31). She was raped and had to suffer through it because she had no other choice as she was too afraid of what he would do if she did not cooperate. Even after being raped and impregnated, she had to pretend she was not the mother of her children. She says that, â€Å"on the roof I felt like my pulse was going to jump out of my skin. I wanted to grab her and hold her. † (154). Phillip and Nancy wanted Jaycee to pretend that they were the parents of the children she gave birth to and that she was just their sister, but Jaycee did not want that. Jaycee wanted to be able to take care of her children and it killed her that she had to let Nancy do it. However, she did overcome the situation. When she was found and reunited with her real family, she wanted to meet with Nancy, â€Å"I wanted to see her for many different reasons, the biggest being closure. Telling her that what she and Phillip did was not okay in any way. † (243). Although her kidnappers took most of her life away from her, she still stood up to them in the end and wanted them to know she was a stronger person. Although Jaycee suffered a lot she did not let it get the best of her. She has made meaning of her life. However, it did not happen right as she was freed as she said, â€Å"my growth has not been an overnight phenomenon. Nonetheless it has slowly but surely come about. † (261). She is doing well now and both of her kids are in high school. She reunited with one of her friends from her childhood and now they are really close. She knows what they did to her was wrong but she said she got the most precious things out of it and that was her two daughters whom she loves a lot. She stays clear of living a provisional existence while she was captured and even after she was liberated, she didn’t go through moral deformity and bitterness. Sometimes, Jaycee looks at her life and thinks she thinks, â€Å"I don’t deserve it. † (267). Jaycee was a self-determinist and believed she had free will to make of her life what she wanted it to be. She utilized tragic optimism to resolve the tragic triad she had to go through. Jaycee kept a positive attitude towards her life and used this to create work and endure the experiences she had to go through and to find love, the greatest way to make meaning of one’s life, in the children she was forced to bare. She now knows that, â€Å"it’s the simple things that count,† and she has used that mentality to make meaning of all her suffering throughout her whole life (268). Citations 1. A Stolen Life Dugard, Jaycee. A Stolen Life. N. p. , n. d. Web. 22 May 2012. 2. Man’s Search for Meaning Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search For Meaning. N. p. : Beacon Press, 2006. Print.

New Public Management Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

New Public Management Bachelor - Essay Example There are primarily two views that are discussed here concerning the significance of NPM as a framework, the argument that there is now a global movement that has resulted in transformed structural changes across the international community and that of adaptive changes across individual nation states, each with a degree of variance depending on cultural and historical traditions and values. In discussing this second view this paper concentrates on the debate surrounding the convergence of NPM across the western capitalized states and does not draw on the models that are emerging throughout the developing nations. NPM reforms started out in Anglo-Saxon countries like the UK, US, and New Zealand and its philosophy has been adopted, to varying degrees, across the developed countries. Comparison of the adoption of NPM within the UK and German Public Sector is put forward to illustrate the extent and variation of changes that have occurred and help to illustrate the usefulness of the fram ework in the field of comparative analysis. Over the past two decades there has been a considerable shift towards from the traditional model of public administration towards what has been termed 'new public management'. The supposed failing of the 'traditional administration' has contributed to the emergence and support of the new thinking. Traditional public administration was based around the framework of bureaucracy. Hughes (2003: 1) provides a useful definition of the characteristics of the traditional model of public administration: Firstly, it was completely linked to Weber's theory of bureaucracy, which advocated the principle of hierarchical and bureaucratic systems. Secondly administrators followed a one way, best way approach that was provided in detailed instruction and did not provide any personal responsibility for results. Thirdly the provision of goods and services was through public sector delivery only. Fourthly there was a separation between the political and administrative decisions and practices, and this took away political accountability of the decision makers. Fifthly, there was an implicit agreement that those working in the public sector did so in the public interest resulting in a strong public sector ethos and set of values. Finally public administration was considered to provide a job for life and this itself created a poor image to those who used the services. Whilst there are those who argue that the reason for the change was simply that the old model was not good enough and there were too many inadequacies (Behn, 2001: 30 cited in Hughes 2003: 5) other such as Rhodes (2003) put forward the demonstrable advantages that the use of a bureaucratic framework can bring to service delivery, for example reliability, direct control, predictability and continuity. However the '3Es' of economic, efficiency and effectiveness were introduced as means to making savings in the huge public sector expenditure, to improve the operational working of the public sector and minimize waste and to increase the chances that any policy implementation would be more effective, therefore indicating that there was evidence to suggest that the traditional Weberian framework could not realize these objectives. The introduction of market competition is also in direct contrast to that of traditional

Discuss whether the information provided in Citic Pacific Limited Essay

Discuss whether the information provided in Citic Pacific Limited Stock - Essay Example Understanding of the information provided in the annual reports therefore not only offers an opportunity to the investors to assess as to how the company performed in the past but how it will perform in the future. Investors therefore need to critically identify the relevant information as well as how to use it in proper context.(Brealey & Myers, 2009) What is also important to note that interpretation of the information depends upon the skills of the investors. What distinguishes a good investor from a bad investor is the ability of each investor to interpret the information presented in the annual report of the firm. Thus it is critical that the investors must clearly identify as to what type of information is essential for making a sound and rational decision. Citi Pacific Limited is a Hong Kong based involving in the diversified business including infrastructure development, steel manufacturing, tunnels, power generations as well as the electricity. This paper will therefore discuss as to whether the information presented in the interim financial statements as on 30th June 2010 provide sufficient information to investors for making investment decision. Investors are considered as the primary users of the financial statements and it becomes critical for them to properly evaluate the financial statements in order to make a rational decision. One of the main reasons as to why the investors must look into the information provided in the financial statements is to know about the profitability of the firm and assess as to whether the firm will remain profitable in the future. This sort of information will therefore serve as the key information for the investors to make a decision of whether to invest in a firm or not. (Atrill. & McLaney,2008). Thus financial statements shall provide useful, timely and accurate information to the investors in such a manner that investors must be able to make reasonable

Anger ( Psychology Assignment) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anger ( Psychology ) - Assignment Example In these regards, the article begins with situating anger within the Freudian context. It argues that Freud believed anger represented a defense mechanism to protect a fragile ego that was under siege from an outside attack. The article argues that while Feud’s contention has some bearing to reality, that to comprehend the true nature of anger one must go beyond these articulations. This is a notable point in that it indicates that Freud’s early articulations of anger as rooted in ego defense is too simplistic a means of understanding that human condition, and that rather than speaking of it in terms of ego, one must embrace a more complex articulation of personality. In these regards, the article argues that one must understand the expansive nature of personality construction and realize that anger oftentimes masks emotions an individual is feeling elsewhere in their life. Anger is then understood as a sort reactive, secondary emotion in these regards. For instance, on e can consider the nature of anger in the contextual situation of driving and getting cut-off in traffic. Within this context the initial emotion experienced by the individual was that of fear and the secondary reactive emotion was anger. In these regards, the predominant understanding of anger is the type of emotion that is reactive rather than an initial and instinctual emotion. One of the critical issues in examining anger in these regards is developing a workable definition of what constitutes anger. In these regards, the article advances a notion of anger as a protective emotion. The article’s contention is that when individuals experience anger it is out of a sort of survival instinct that is triggered by external circumstances. These circumstances then function by sending signals to the heart and internal organs and senses such that they alert the individual to the potential threats in the environment. While there are a great variety of things that can cause anger to o ccur, the two most overarching concepts in these regards is the current vulnerability as well as the extent of the individual’s perception of this vulnerability. It’s argued that the core assumptions of the nature of anger are such that they necessitate varying types of definitions. One such of these is problem anger, which indicates that the individual acts out of vulnerability to such an extent that it hinders their long term goals or interests. The article indicates that this is generally a temporary and short-lived occurrence that is brought on by a sudden shift in core value. This then result in the individual lashing out in angry ways towards those or the incident that caused their malaise. The article also addresses means of overcoming these sorts of problem anger situations by indicating that the individual should refrain from immediate action and enter a contemplative state of affairs. A more insightful insight in such a context is that when an individual find s themselves in such a state must act in accordance not with their feelings of anger, but with their long term goals. While the article makes interesting insights into the nature of human anger or consciousness, in large part one questions the overriding validity of the claim. For instance, the argument that there is an element of angry that is known as problem anger is seems more likely suited

Money creation in islamic economic system Term Paper

Money creation in islamic economic system - Term Paper Example be achieved, as Muslims perceive an economy to be healthy when its regulations, institutions and operations together with the conduct of the people and the entire society conform to Shari’ah. The part played by money as well as monetary management in the Islamic economy must conform to the structure of the entire economic system that is prescribed by Islam. Even though the Qur’an and the Sunnah, which are the key sources of Islam, do not give any direct or comprehensive direction in regard to managing money, they are clear in their disapproval of interest. Therefore, financial and monetary connections in the Islamic system must be conducted and organized in a way that prologues the use of interest in any manner. Ultimately, this limitation makes monetary management in the Islamic system to be different in a fundamental and critical manner when compared to the conventional capitalist system. The process of money creation by the conventional banking systems is considered as the most dominant undermining aspect in all the contemporary markets (Lippit, 1996, p. 256). Through creating money from nothing and introducing it into circulation, both the central banks and commercial banks have collectively resulted into a succession of speculative bubbles that may be followed back more than three years in the countries of the west. In the case that newly created money is spent on a particular asset like property or shares, the prices of these assets tend to increase naturally. On the other hand, when the banks make a decision to decrease their rates of creating money, buyers will no longer exist in the market and the prices of assets will start reducing. The capability to create money is thus a largely influential political and economic instrument, which is in most cases abused. Two Islamic guidelines function to prevent any form of money creation by the banking system and they i nclude the law of trust and the prohibition of interest. Through the issuance of promises to

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

American History - Essay Example tilize the division and hatred that existed at the time within the halls of power in Europe to advance the nascent position that the United States engendered.1 As a case in point, Washington and others actively courted France and sought to curry favor within the halls of French power as a means of securing both financial and military support during and after the American Revolution.2   So great was the level of love displayed for the French during this time that citizens of the newly formed United States sought to divorce themselves fully of nearly every attribute and facet that connected them to England.   Again, although Nicole makes a valuable point with regards to the extent that Washington sought to distance the United States from European squabbles that so often devolved into far flung imperial wars, he was not opposed to massaging the other side of the issue and seeking to work shared distaste, distrust, and hatred for England towards his, and the nation’s,

Utilitarian Issues Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utilitarian Issues - Case Study Example The final utilitarian issue to be explored is whether the company should just honour the obligations of its shareholders and stop the contract with the pacemaker company. Utility Test The utility test looks into several factors in choosing the best approach to solving a dilemma. Using the utility test we have to deduce the outcomes of the decision to be undertaken by the board of directors of the transistor company. Several solutions will be put forward for consideration and the best decision that will be chosen will concentrate on the happiness of all stakeholders. Step 1: In the case of the transistor company and the pacemaker company. Several solutions exist and we have to choose the best alternative other than the suggested solution. The first step would be for the directors to analyze the results of their intended decision. In this case, we take a look at the three solutions put forward by different directors. The main criteria to be used in deciding the best solution will facto r in happiness, the directors’ preferences and the cost of undertaking the decided solution (Mill 66). Step 2: Using the utility test, we look at the solutions brought forward by the different stakeholders. The first solution will analyze the effect on the company being bought and on its shareholders and employees. ... However, the transistor company has the intention of annulling the contract since it is not happy with undertaking business with the pacemaker company. Step 4: The decision undertaken by the directors of the transistor company had different ideas on the best solution. Moreover, there was no policy guideline on how to make the correct decision. There were no policies to guide on making the correct decision since the pacemaker technology was quite new in the medical field (Mill 172). As a result, the directors had to look into the ethical implications of their decision and the effect happiness of all stakeholders. Alternative solutions have to be developed in accordance with the utility tests and these decisions will consider the groups that the alternative decision would affect. In the case of our company, the best alternative solution would be to an acquisition by the pacemaker company. This alternative would save the pacemaker company from going under and at the same time help in th e continuous production of pacemakers (West 83). However, this solution would disadvantage the company and its other customers other than the pacemaker company. Rights Test A rights test is conducted with the main aim considering the respect of human rights. In the case of the Pacemaker Company and Transistor Company the rights of different stakeholders are analyzed. Step 1: The directors of the pacemaker company have the right to property and they make decisions on behalf of the company. However, while exercising their rights the directors cannot infringe the rights of the directors and employees of the pacemaker company from making a living. Patients who receive the pacemakers also have a right to life and good healthcare and thus their rights also have to

Middle High German, German Fairy Tales and Heinrich von Kleist Essay - 1

Middle High German, German Fairy Tales and Heinrich von Kleist - Essay Example Repetition, often in well- structured stanza form, underlines the poet’s unswerving devotion. 1b The Minnelied is based on a poet/knight figure who reveres a high born lady from afar. There is usually very little exact definition of the social status and real life relationship between the two, because the Minnelied intended to depict love in an idealized fashion. The poet addresses the lady with an almost religious level of adoration, and he emphasizes her serene beauty and his abject devotion. This love is a hopeless kind of love, because there is always a reason why the poet cannot turn his words into reality. Usually the reason is that she is married, and so this means that secrecy is an essential theme. There is a lot of discussion of matters which are visual and tangible, although it is all presented in a stylized way. Although the poet is resigned to his fate, he is also persistent and faithful, never giving up on his hopeless love. This is a given, despite the indiffere nce and even coldness of the lady in question. She cannot show any signs of giving in to the poet’s flattery and entreaties because this would be adultery and would result in her losing the status of a noble and admirable woman. Paradoxically, it is her unavailability that the poet treasures so much. 1c In Middle High German Classicism there are also longer narrative works, which are usually given the label of â€Å"courtly romance.† There are some echoes of Minnesang in this genre, since knights and fair ladies occur regularly in them, but the focus here is much more on the brave exploits of the knights and the concept of chivalry. Besides these there are also heroic epics, which deal with historical subjects over a long period of time. These deal with dynasties and wars, illustrating how power is passed down the generations, and how famous warriors step up to the mark when acts of bravery are required. There are also political set pieces, often in praise of some king or other leader, and many different types of religious writing from songs and prayers, to commentaries, letters and treatises on religious themes, or topics relevant to monks and nuns, such as herbal medicine, miracles and the lives of saints. Historical works like chronicles are also common in this period and they recount religious as well as political events. 1d The period before Middle High German Classicism is known by different terms, depending on whether one is looking at it linguistically or in terms of literary production. From about 700 until about 1100 people spoke what we call â€Å"Old High German† – a collection of dialects which were mostly spoken. The language of literary composition was usually Latin, due to the influence of Christianity, and most people were illiterate. Early Middle High German is therefore more closely aligned with religious themes. Towards the end of the Middle High German Classical epoch, society was changing fast, with greater lev els of literacy, and more people living in towns and cities. This created a new bourgeois class which developed its own taste in literature, much of which was factual (Sachliteratur) and dealt with subjects like commerce and legal issues, or recording of property deals and the like or specialized (Fachliteratur), dealing with practical subjects like farming, alchemy, different trades and the beginnings of scientific explanations for things.