Up@dawn 2.0

Thursday, February 7, 2013

(16-1) How to rule and perceive.

February 7, 2013 
Group 1 discussed Machiavelli and how should you rule. Politicians today are scared today to step on any ones toes. What idea of Machiavelli would you agree with on how to rule. How far would you go to gain power and keep it. If you are a leader you should get the people's trust and when they ask you to accomplish a task you should go after it vigorously. Is it better to be feared or loved? Are you ok with a politician blackmailing another to get a bill passed for the people of his state? If you feel that the people trust in you to get the job done then should you not do anything to get the complete the task at hand.

The group then went into how we perceive things and should we stereotype people. The point was brought up of  the perception of people in the north are rude. Come to find out that was not the case, they really just had a different lifestyle. Do we not want to be stereotyped? We buy all sorts of products to look a certain way and to be included in a group. A lot of questions were asked and everyone is entitled to their opinion so leave comments on what you think of the questions that were discussed in group 1.

10 comments:

  1. I think that it is better to be loved by your people and feared by your enemies. This way you're appearance will be that of a merciful yet powerful ruler. I support the notion of the ends justify the means, it is easier to be trustworthy and be forgiven than to strife and be damned.

    As far as stereotyping is concerned i think we all get caught up in following the crowd and not being ourselves. If we keep an open mind and step to try something new we wouldn't be so susceptible to being classified or stereotyped. On the other hand if you are going to stereotyped and generalize, with or without your control, you should always take a step back and just communicate and perceive the person as they are.

    DQ: Everyone is different and has something to offer the world. How could there be any stereotyping then?

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    1. Alison Bates9:46 AM CST

      Stereotyping comes down to socialization. If you are brought up in the Westboro Baptist Church, you're going to be socialized and indocrotrined from a young age to hold certain ideologies. A less extreme example, and something everyone of us has experienced, is the different socialization that boys and girls are subject to throughout childhood. Girls are stereotyped as liking pink over blue and wanting to dress up as a princess. Boys should like blue and be tough. Therefore girls and boys have a certain idea of themselves and of each other. A lot of people would argue that this kind of dichotomy doesn't exist as extremely as it did, say, 100 years ago. I would disagree. I see things every day that affirm this type of socialization. Another example would be LGBT people. I'm gay, and I certainly don't appreciate when people attribute effeminate language, usually by saying something is "gay," to inanimate objects. Not only is it rude, but it's also stereotyping a whole group of people as being feminine or girly. I think stereotyping originated as a primitive defense mechanism, that was useful earlier on in our ancestral "tree." Now, however, I think it's crippling and prevents people from being open to new ideas, cultures, etc.

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    2. Alison makes a good point about socialization. If you are brought up in a certain lifestyle and that experience teaches you that anything different is wrong. You will most likely be more judgmental towards other of different opinions.

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  2. I believe that when it comes to ultimate power like the President, he not only has to keep in mind how much he goes into an issue happening in another country, but he also has to consider if the people would agree with what he is doing and if it safe for us to do so. Also, the ultimate goal of power is to keep your nation safe and secure from all threats against that country. I think that should be the goal of the person who holds the power. Stereotype is also bad in my opinion. A group member of mine in Group 4 Secion H1 said that when we do something like this, we lose an opportunity to learn something from a different person that lived with a different lifestyle than us. Ultimately, we limit how much we can learn from others this way.

    Evan Lester
    Group 4
    Section H1

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    1. We've forgotten though that the power of the president is minimal.... We established a check and balance system which is efficient without a "president". So haven't we stereotyped the office of President of the United States as "all-powerful" when in fact he is strictly just an over glorified diplomat. Everyone is stereotyped one way or another, and most enjoy being judged so. Doesnt everybody want to be "cool"?????

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  3. http://youtu.be/bbB8h_-bGiE

    Sorry I'm late in the game.

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    1. YouTube said this video is private. What'd I do wrong?

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  4. "I am what I am not, and I am not what I am." ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

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  5. Brittany2:00 PM CST

    I think the cliche "don't judge a book by its cover" applies.

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  6. As far as how someone should rule goes. I think it is easy to say I will lead with honor and respect but when you are actually in a position of leadership it becomes more difficult to do things the morally correct way. As for stereotyping, I think people do want to be stereotyped. Maybe not racially or ethnically but buy the way look, dress, and products we buy.

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