Freakonmics

Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?

These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56k1xVAq290&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Respect

My unfaltering need to learn things through firsthand experience has had its ups and downs throughout my life. There are many times in my life where experiencing things for myself has been extremely beneficial. On the contrary, there has also been numerous times where it has not worked out in my favor.
When your younger, out riding your bike in the driveway, most parents always stress one main point to their children. This point is usually stated very blatantly: “DO NOT CROSS THE ROAD!” This statement is a good idea to listen to but either human curiosity or just plain forgetfulness seems to override that statement. Everyone in their life has a moment or two that they will “cross the road” in some way.

I was never the kind of little kid that just sat still and twiddled my thumbs. I was always on the move, whether it was climbing trees, riding bikes with my brother and neighbor, or just out playing basketball with my friends. I was the kind of kid that you could never get to come inside, even well after the sun had set. This foolhardy attitude towards life allowed my friends and I to have a lot of fun, but also got me into a lot of trouble when I was younger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAud5O7Qqk

Defining "Success"

Webster defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, achieving a favorable or desirable outcome. I believe that there is no way to truly define the word success. The results of succeeding surpass what Webster could define in a single sentence. Success is best defined on a personal level, wether it be passing a test or finding yourself spiritually. There is no limit to success! Western society correlates success to money and money alone. This is simply not true for success, anyone can succeed by accomplishing any goal they set for themselves.


Success: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand."
-- Bruce Barton

Success is only limited by the amount of drive and determination that you possess. Learn to make the best of the life you have and to better your situation.

Temptations

Aldous Huxley's ideology on removing temptation causes me to think a little bit. He states that removing the temptations from life is the only way to live. I completely disagree with the idea of removing temptation. Eliminating temptation is a great theory, but thats all it is, a fictional idea. Eliminating all temptation is impossible. There is no way to live life without some sort of temptations. There are many theories or "great" ideas out there that would help society, but the majority of these ideas are either illogical or impossible to integrate into society. I think that temptation is something that we have to learn to live with. I think some temptation in life is completely necessary. Dealing with temptations in life keeps you honest. Learning to respond to these temptations will help you advance in life. Conditioning yourself to ignore the temptations is the only way to "eliminate" temptations.