5th Sethe

  I recently heard about the misinterpretation of a simple phrase that would be comical if it weren’t so frightening. It was uttered by Nikita Khrushchev , the First Secretary of the Communist Party and known for his “ eccentric outbursts .” He is said to have taken his shoe off and slammed it against a table at an assembly once, and though there is debate as to whether this truly happened, the fact that such contention exists is indicative enough of his personality. Khrushchev was smart but uneducated and prone to blurting blunt, tasteless things, one of which nearly caused World War III. In 1956 Khrushchev told Western ambassadors that “we [the Soviet Union] will bury you.” This caused global outrage as political leaders misconstrued it as a direct military threat and call to war. Fortunately and unfortunately, their panic was unfounded. “We will bury you” was simply translated too literally from Russian--the actual phrase has several connotations such as “we will outlast y...

 Power Through Headphones Siya Patil Week 11      Songs are known for connecting with people in many ways, as they provide comfort to those needing it in their darkest times and happiness to those looking for a tune to vibe to. Overall, music seems to be a big part of peoples’ everyday lives, as you’ve probably never walked through the hallways without seeing at least a few people without a pair of headphones in their ears.      As mentioned before, music represents a large portion of what makes a person feel “complete” and also happens to be an amazing topic of conversation. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about their favorite songs and describe them to be “as if someone put a stimulant in the song” due to how addicting they think it is (which by the way, is pretty hilarious to me.)           I’ve come to realize that music must hold some kind of “power” if people are so in love with it. According to an article by KQED, m...

  Picture Link Power is a thing that can have disastrous consequences when misused. Power has been used to take advantage countless times in history. One of these many catastrophes caused by power was World War 2 for example which was a direct effect on the harsh use of power by the French and British governments against the German government. This is a very big and substantial example of the misuse of power and the effects it has. It was because of the spite and the position of power France and Britain held over Germany which allowed them to oppress Germany. This effectively forced the Germans to harbor hate towards the French and British which allowed Hitler to utilize this animosity as power and started another war where he used his power to enslave and kill millions of people of Jewish descent and religion. Another example of how power can have disastrous consequences if misused is slavery. Slavery is a good example of the missuses of power because of everything about it. the d...

The pen is mightier than the sword. There, I said it. While I’d normally be averse to start the first blog post of a new year with such a trite and clichéd saying, it really does lend itself well to our topic for this week. And, in my opinion, it is an assertion that is hardly debatable. Words, both written and spoken (or whispered, or shouted), have far greater potential than what they initially let on. If you want proof, simply look to the continued existence of the adage itself, which was supposedly first penned by a playwright in 1839 . After all, how else could six simple words outlast the reigns of myriad kings, queens, and authoritarian leaders? Words are more significant than any show of force or ominous figure that is conjured into thought when the word “power” is mentioned. The power to convince. The power to connect. The power to understand. All of these are thanks to the ability of words and their capacity to communicate ideas. Words are the interlocking webs behind any typ...

     I read my poas book, and my person of American significance highlighted that we all have a voice. As we have seen in this past year, our collective voice can do many things. Social reform is one of them, and we saw it in the past year with the BLM movement. We took command and forced a fundamental change in modern society's thinking and operation. But, our voice also has power. We see it every day; whether you are listening to a big podcast or a random person yelling on the street, all of those voices impact you somehow. The ability of voices to inspire us and our voices to inspire is very powerful. But, unfortunately, I think that too many people take their voices for granted.                 One thing that stood out to me from my poas was that every voice is heard, which made me think back to our developing years. Did everything we hear go into our subconscious mind, and do they still affect us today? I remember a s...

The most powerful weapon you can possess is your own mind. It is essentially the most powerful supercomputer in existence. Don’t believe me? Well sure we can’t run complex math equations instantaneously (that would be extremely helpful), but think about this: Our brain runs hundreds of background programs that keep us alive like breathing, works regardless of cell service or wifi, and most incredible of all, it never lags. Our mind has evolved over thousands of years to develop creativity, emotion, and empathy. We have developed language, science, theology, all thanks to our minds. All that, and not even including our memories which take the equivalent of around 2 million gigabytes of storage. We have the capability to learn from our mistakes and improve upon the past. All this thanks to the incredible power of the human brain. Despite literally not being able to live without it, we still know relatively little about how the brain works. Why were we, of all the species on the planet gi...

picture link Language is one of the most influential and powerful things in our world. It is used to communicate ideas to others and holds a special power. Simple phrases can have a drastically negative or positive impact on others, whether they are intended or not.  Recently, I read an article by CRIN (Child Rights International Network) talking about the different impacts language has on individuals as well as groups. One example that was in the article was about dictatorships. The tyrants of dictatorships use language through the use of propaganda and televised speeches to "garner uncritical support" and a sense of loyalty from the people living in that country. On the flip side, language is also used to inspire rebellion and ignite criticism against dictatorships.  There were also many examples of how language can be used to express a variety of thoughts. For example, the word "no" can be a powerful word because it stops people from assuming and expecting thing...

  People typically discuss words’ persuasive impact when writing about language and power. They mention moving speeches and violence-inducing declarations, but often do not think about one far more light-hearted power language possesses that is just as significant: making people smile. Likewise, I truly love puns because they serve no purpose other than being irresistibly hilarious and, if used in advertising, excellent ways to charm people into buying mundane products (a standard razor company is boring, but a razor company that promises to help you “ shave time” and “shave money ” is genius and probably sells wonderful razors). My family members (claim to) disagree with my pun infatuation. They sigh whenever I exclaim that I have made an “egg-cellent” omelet or say that our matryoshka doll is “full of herself.” What they seem not to realize is the way my puns immediately distract them from their present anxieties and make them involuntarily crack a smile that is quickly hidden,...

  Siya Patil Q3 Week 1 Words Speak Louder Than Actions, Sometimes      Both actions and words prove worthy and powerful, given that they are appropriately used in suitable circumstances. For example, instead of just talking about wanting to make a difference in their community, an individual can put some time and effort into leading a nonprofit or raising awareness about a specific issue. Such actions display a person’s desire to achieve something which they are passionate about, ultimately rewarding them with the “hero” label in others’ eyes.       An example such as the one listed above supports the idea of actions speaking louder than words, but it is not to be said that words do not speak louder than actions.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is a name that is most likely not unfamiliar to you. From a young age, we’ve learned that he (along with other African Americans at the time in the United States) grew up dealing with the brutal reality of ...

  Legitimately, power can be defined by the amount of authority granted to someone or something by whatever means. For example, your parents have power over you simply because they were able to shape you to become who you are today, and the Queen of England has the power to suspend and summon the elected parliament. Now, we high schoolers may not hold this same charge; however, even the smallest individual can conjure up their full potential. For such circumstances, power can be redefined as a sense within an individual. There is power in pretty much anything. Power in speech. Power in technology. Power in knowledge. Despite all these wonderful abilities, the most important one is power in individuality. It takes incredible strength for people to understand their self-worth and dignity while respecting everyone else. Those who realize that only they themselves can control their own lives are able to reach the stars. I personally have experienced this shift in perspective after ente...

picture link Often, when people refer to the word “power,” they are referencing an oppressive and tyrannical version of it. Although power can be interpreted in many different ways, there is one positive form of power, a person’s inner power. This specific type of power—personal power— is the power within an individual that drives them into making their own decisions and setting up their own thoughts.  Personal power is built up over time, and changes according to the development of a person’s character. The individual’s confidence, strength, and competence reflects on their ability to love and take care of themselves. As a person grows and matures, it is their personal power that guides them to establish their values and leads them in striving for success.  Unlike other forms of power, personal power is not used to influence others, but rather to help individuals attain self-realization. Once a person finds enough power in themselves to accept their current being, they will b...