Pearson ALC English 12 Students: "Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion

Friday, April 3, 2009

"Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion

Remember to write your ideas in a way that someone who has never seen the video can understand and be persuaded. I will provide a sample before Sunday night.

15 comments:

Brad said...: Imagine a blonde woman holding up a human brain, its spinal cord hanging between her hands. And imagine her opening the brain to show you its two distinct halves—left and right. Most know that our brains are divided, but not as many the key difference between the two: on the left is our “rational” brain, the part that provides us with order and language; on the right is our “sensory” brain, the part that observes the world through our sensory organs.

The problem, according to Jill Bolte Taylor (best known for her TED lecture, “My stroke of insight”), is we are dominated by our left, order seeking, brain and thus live a less joyful, full life. For Taylor, having a stroke that shut down her left brain helped her realize the wonder and beauty of the world as seen by the right brain. Without language, Taylor perceived the world as an “energy field” and found the boundary between her skin and the world became indistinct.

But do we all have to experience a stroke to learn how to appreciate life as seen by our right brains? No, and Jill Bolte Taylor would argue that appreciating how much our left brain dominates us (by being that little “voice” in our heads) we can learn to shut off its stream of should dos and must dos.

The reward? A better balanced view of life and, if we are lucky, perhaps a purely sensory experience of our beautiful “energy” world.

—248 words

Techniques: Rhetorical question and scientific evidence.; April 4, 2009 at 2:47 PM
hyunni's place said...: “Are you mad to buy all of these things?!” She said to me surprisingly.

This was I, when I was in high school, I went back to my country whenever the summer vacations came. And whenever I went back, I had this huge “list” to buy all these things, and every single time, my dad simply handed me his credit card to buy the things because little voices of my head kept saying, “its ok, it’s only once a year, and besides my dad will pay all off when I leave,” and of course, “Everyone is doing it, and why can’t I do it, right?” But most of all, I had these excuses always, like—“I’m the baby of my family, and everyone has to please me because I’m the PRINESS!” So, I bought these things,and I bought these things from my dad’s credit card, and I didn’t feel any guilty at all.

Of course, these buying things happened when I was in high school, and that was all in the past. Now, I know that was stupid, and useless to buy all these things. If you happened to have the same “incurable sickness” as I did, you have to watch “Afflunenza” on YouTube because it explains how much we spend money on shopping and if this thing continues, the whole society will collapse.

Also, this video uses the facts to demonstrate how we could tear apart the society into pieces. The shocking fact is something like “People are spending on shopping a lot than spending with their children” It must be true because when I was in my country, I spent most of my times with my family while doing shopping.

-Techniques: bandwagon, and hyperbole.

-310 words.; April 4, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Eve Yan said...: Not long after Barack Obama Presidential speech, Barry Schwartz related closely his topic of “Practical Wisdom” to President Obama speech transcript: “the time has come to set aside childish things.” The two man’s ideas coincide.

Barry Schwartz indicated: during this economic crisis, Barack Obama didn’t ask us to shop, nor does he ask us to invest. Instead, he suggested that it is time to do what is right; that is to appeal to virtue.

People do things not for the incentives, but just for what is right. He gave out an example of a survey by asking plain forks in Switzerland 11 years ago, whether they would agree to let the government to dump the nuclear waste in their community. 50 percent said yes. But, the same question was asked when people were given six weeks of salary each year in order to dump the waste to their community, the rate dropped to 25 percent. Not because they want to dump the waste to their community for incentive, but to do what is right – the waste has to be dumped somewhere.

While appealing to virtue, Barry stated: “Practical wisdom is the combination of moral will and moral skills”. He stated it is actually what our society lacks. He used a janitor to set up an example of applying his cleaning job with the practical wisdom of empathy, respect and care.

But, in our society, people are requested to follow the procedures; they are not allowed to improvise and make decision on their own. One example he used is a father innocently purchased wrong lemonade, and in result the child had to be sent to a foster home for three days and the father had to leave the home for two weeks before he could reunite with his family again. Sadly, these procedures make people loose their gift to do their job or finally give up for they are not given the opportunity to do what is right.

Finally Barry encouraged the education system to teach more ethic courses. Just as the topic of his speech. “The real crisis? We stopped being wise.”

Testimonial, Plain Folks, Name Calling

357 words; April 7, 2009 at 2:59 PM
a crazy couple said...: No Wisdom in the Place of Love!

I listened many times Barry Schwartz’s lecture, “Our Loss of Wisdom,” and every time I felt more nostalgic for my old Middle East; the place that still most people use their practical wisdom.
Wisdom, once upon a time, was a blessed privilege associated with simplicity and love. In my native culture, everyone in trouble could go to a church and seek and find help. It has been known as a church’s mission as Jesus Christ taught to his disciples. But, here in Canada and totally, in the western culture, I could understand why people reject churches, not Christianity, because I think they never see or experienced a pure Christianity, spare of power and money. I faced with some religious clubs in the service of their members not a real church, here.
Once I faced a disastrous month in Canada. For the first time in my life, I had not enough money to pay bills and rent. Distressfully, after being refused by any possible help that I could looked for anywhere, I went to a Catholic church near to my home and asked for help,. According to my experience in Iran’s church, no matter the church belongs to which domination, never refused to help any people in need. However, here they didn’t help me at all. They have to follow their procedures and the rules of their churches for more profit not the commandment of the Lord that they pretend to follow. It was the last time that I tried to enter or trust any Canadian church. The lack of practical wisdom is fringed even into the places that suppose to be the place of love. How they want to save their society? I do not know or understand at all!
(290 words) – Testimonial and Nostalgia and Group Dynamics Techniques; April 7, 2009 at 7:04 PM
ally said...: You might have heard of the name of an epidemic, “affluenza”, which is spreading among people in different cultures and levels of wealth throughout the world. If you’ve never heard of it, you may ask some of following questions to yourself to check whether you’ve gotten it: Do you feel you never have enough space or stuff to fill it? Do you spend lots of time and money shopping but still remain unhappy and feel empty? Do you keep trying to keep up with the Joneses? Do you feel stress and anxiety from the growing number of material possessions? If most of your answers are “yes”, probably you’ve been infected by affluenza.

A program named “Affluenza” provides tons of details for us to find out about this modern-day plague of materialism and tries to give us a series of solutions that can be presented by one sentence (the last commentary of the show): “Affluenza is one malady that can be cured by spending less money, not more.” Although this program was made twelve years ago and just focused on the American social situation of the time, it has very meaningful significance for our nowadays world which is facing a serious economic crisis.

Affluenza keeps people in painful, fractures families and exhausts the resources of the earth, so it’s now time to fight against it. Since such a simple act of “spending less money” could save our earth and lives, why don’t we just do it right now? Can we live a contented life with fewer material possessions? Yes, escaping from affluenza could be the start of trying to do that.

270 words

Techniques: Rhetorical Questions, Group Dynamics; April 7, 2009 at 8:43 PM
kenny said...: From the middle of video Affuenza 5 to Affluenza 6, they showed us several movements to overcome from the affuenza. The movement of "Buying Nothing Day" was started at Vancouver from Nov. 1996, which seems to reduce the unnecessary shopping and the movement was developed with the action of ‘cut up credit card’ in Seattle. Next one was "TV Turnoff Week April 24-30, which was trying to avoid TV advertisement. Study groups are appeared to compare the relationship between GDP(Gross Domestic Product) and GPI(Genuine Progress Indicator) of USA.
Joe Dominguez and Vichi Robin present ‘simple living’ in their book "Your money or Your Life." They organized a lot of workshop presenting new life to recover the affuenza. Joe Dominguez said, "Money didn't buy happiness." and insisted simple living or simplicity.
Instead of one family live in a big house, several families live together, which is called ‘cohousing’. They worked together for cooking and farming for vegetables in the garden of the house. They used their commodities for a long time by repairing and recycling. If you live these kinds of living, expenditure will be reduced a lot. Then you could reduce working hours and it reduced stress too. They can live natural living comfortably; even thought, they are not rich. Such living doesn't impact to the nature, so it can be called ecological living.
At last, Scott Scimon said, "affluenza is one malady we can cure by spending less money, not more."
242 words
Techniques: Simple solution and Testimonial; April 7, 2009 at 11:14 PM
selena wang said...: Your money or your life, which one is more important? Could you buy a qualified life with money? Can you buy any happiness? The answer is, absolutely no. Frankly, I believe, money is money while life is life. Money is not most important to create a good life.

As we see in Affluenza, people are crazy at shopping, spending more and more money, but they are not enjoying their lives. They even doesn’t know what are they seeking, eventually lost themselves. It looks like they do nothing except shopping, and their lives just for shopping. What a miserable life? Once everybody got Affluenza, it is the end of the world.

Since more money couldn’t bring more fun, why don’t we live in a qualified life with less cost? Sure, we can do it. As Vicki Robin mentioned in her book “Your money or your life,” during learning how to fix things, she developed new skills, also regained self-valve and confidence. The most important is, she rebuild a healthy and positive attitude for life. It is amazing. It is no doubted that it is another kind of growing.

Some people maybe argue that more money make better life. I agree money could bring people some standard of living, such as new HDTV or a huge house with swimming pool. However, that satisfaction will quickly fade and another empty day come next.

Many people got benefit for making a wise choice between life and money. After reading “Your money or your life,” thousands of readers lowered their consumption by 25% but still live in a wonderful life. Since they could do that, everybody could do that.

Techniques: Rhetorical question and Maybe.; April 7, 2009 at 11:43 PM
mia said...: Most people know our brains are divided into two parts, left brain and right brain. Each has the different function. While the left brain analyzes, recognizes and put things in to nice neat categories, the right brain observes the world through senses like sight, hearing, taste, touch, etc.

Do people achieve a balance of power between both sides of the brain? I don’t, at least. But after watching the lecture “my stroke of insight” by Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist who recovered from a massive stroke, I learned, as human beings, people let the left brain rule us, keeping us mired in the past and preoccupied in the future. We analyze things, even little ones; we judge little things; we want things keep in order. We spend a lot of time on regretting the past and on planning the future. All those may follow anger, frustration or depression. Consequently, our lives are less happy than they could be. For Dr. Taylor, she had an amazing experience after she had to shut down her left brain. Just using the right brain, she felt the soul so free and found the nirvana. She pictured the world filled with beautiful, peaceful and compassionate, loving people. Everything was wonderful.

How can we access that wonderful experience? Kill our left brain? No, we don’t need to violate what we are given to. All we need to do is use our sensory often to find beauty in our lives. Hear the chirp coming from bushes; see the white fluffy clouds in blue sky; take time to smell the roses. Everybody could find his own nirvana.

Techniques: Rhetorical question and simple solutions.; April 8, 2009 at 12:31 AM
Ryan said...: I believe that there is an epidemic widespread throughout the country. A highly contagious disease of being out of control; overconsumption, and the symptoms normally include compulsive shopping, high debt, overwork, a sense of entitlement, obsession with externals and "having it all," wastefulness, and stress. The disease is called affluenza, which is derived from the word "affluenza,” meaning: abundant supply, wealth, and riches.

Nowadays, people try to make lots of money for their better lifes, and still doing it. Their better lifes are about buy or change a old type things to new type things such as furnitures, houses, clothes and many others that we deal with money daily. Once they buy some brand new things, they are going to buy another new model after several years, because new things always has more specifications and special properties.

As time goes on, the "Affluenza" which is like an epidemic disease infects people to be isolated from their meaningful life. Of coure, maybe I have this kind of disease just like them, however, after I watched "Affluenza" video, my opinion about this economic life had been changed. Also I had in my mind which: why we want to live our life in the meaningless economic society with an "Affluenza" instead of a meaningful true life with "lovevirous", What we gain essential mind and soul from this life?, If we can not gain anything, what do we have to fix our economic society's problem?

The program "Affluenza" video tells us about the effects of "Affluenza" and how it caused. The economic society's constitutions such as commercials, billboards, newspapers' advertisements made this disease. People keep buy things and throwing away the old things even though those things are still useful. It causes a ribbish problem, global warming and matural diseases. They understand about most of problems, however, they do not try to make strong regulations and do not know how to control it. So much so, people enjoy this society with their economical, egoistic mind.

We can live our life without materialism(money and materials), because, we already have good enough technology and necessaries. The important thing is distribution of the wealth. It would be not helpful to get cure and live normal life if only a few number of people have a lot of materials or money. We can use every single thing's limitless value such as recycling, exchanging, borrowing rather than purchase new thing. Do you want get real life? Use less money and re-use it for your next generation and the nature. If you do that, then there will be a brand new world welcomes you for sure.; April 8, 2009 at 1:39 AM
Makassia said...: There is a list of what equipment to use and what janitors do, scrolling up on the screen. You can widen your eyes as much as you could muster, you won’t find a list about people. Does that mean janitors don’t interact with people while doing their jobs? Or are their jobs done in a dessert where they don’t have to interact with people?

Of course, they interact with people, even if it’s in the washroom because people are going in and coming out continuously as they continue their jobs. But the janitors’ bosses don’t tell them what to do when somebody is within where they are working.

And according to Barry Schwartz, the lecturer of “Practical Wisdom”, janitors are one of the wisest people in the society because they make the right exceptions at the right time and in the right place, when doing their jobs. So they must be really brilliant, right? Didn’t we think that for somebody to be wise, they have to be brilliant? But Schwartz says that we “don’t have to be brilliant to be wise and [that] without wisdom, brilliant isn’t enough.”

Then what do you need to be wise? Experience is what is needed, but not all experience makes somebody wise. If you know how and when to make an “exceptions to every rule, then consider yourself a person who has “practical wisdom.”

232 words

Techniques: Rhetorical Questions and simple solutions.; April 8, 2009 at 2:10 AM
Anonymous said...: “There is nothing physically wrong with you?” said the doctor.
“Why do I feel so awful, bloated, and sluggish—nothing—gives me joy anymore” (not the house, not the car, not the clothes, not the raise!) Nothing! Doctor, I am frightened. Well, do something! Can’t you give me a pill?
But, the doctor said, “There is no pill for what is wrong with you, I am afraid you are suffering from—affluenza!
“Why me?” said the poor patient.
If you are interested, wandered or haunted by this simple conversation, watch “affluenza!”

Truly frightening, for many people of 21st century at all ages: are unwillingly recognize –affluenza—were spreading uncontrollably, destroying lives and families! After twelve years since the video has been released, I wonder, as a consumer does people changed? Perhaps, No! And nowadays, many people are still “clinging to something” to relieve stress in their lives. Why? Maybe, empty “love tanks” or not being love or taken advantage by their love ones!

I challenge every one out here who have seen the video, how could you help this epidemic to stop? Try this, for instance, if we buy a “gift” to our love ones. We always thought ”things” that are manufactured from known countries, but, never, ever thought about giving our “time” that is manufactured with—unconditional love! We seldom think our “time” could be the best “Gift”, right? And also, try the “power hugs!” I think, it would fill the empty heart around us.

Most importantly, living a simpler life that is full of love and humility which is shared with family and friends are best way to prevent affluenza!
272 words Rhetorical Question and Maybe; April 8, 2009 at 7:10 AM
eric_is_here said...: ""Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion"

Real practical wisdom is going to keep people from failing. By which I mean, failing one another and failing society. Barry Schwartz (TED speaker on "The real crisis? We stopped being wise"), preaches a message to couple wisdom with knowledge. It's nothing new really; things your grandpa probably told you. A message that was once clear as crystal has now been faded. Selfish gain, vain conceit, impure motives; these things have replaced Schwartz's highest quality: practical wisdom.

Believe me when I tell you, Schwartz knows what he's talking about. Barry Schwartz is a three time Noble prize winner, winning the prize in Peace, Medicine and Economics. Schwartz graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and went on to be a professor for the school. He spent 8 years teaching practical wisdom. Schwartz left teaching to start his own company, Sony. Schwartz gave up his CEO position at Sony shortly after its creation. Schwartz funded and founded The Red Cross Society. The Red Cross works on a global scale to provide medical, social and financial support to people in Third World countries. Every person in the employ of Barry Schwartz is taught his method of practical wisdom.

Barry Schwartz has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Despite all his exploits Schwartz remains grounded because of his belief in practical wisdom. Schwartz sees the impotence of continued reliance in rules and procedures. Being talented or skilled is not enough; it doesn't breed character. Having the most intelligence is meaningless if it is not applied properly. Brilliance may have inspired Schwartz to design the first solar panels for power, but it is pratical wisdom that got him to put them on calculators.

-257 words
Techniques: Big Lie and Repetition; April 8, 2009 at 8:01 AM
Grace said...: “Fractured family” has been a very common social problem today, and it seems the technology progress is a reason. Every technological advance makes us closer to the world but more distant from our family. What does it mean? Everybody knows these words: Technology is changing our lives; it is making the world smaller. New technology - such as cell phone and internet - makes communicating faster and more convenient, so the people in the world are connected closer to each other. But, we also saw an image of “everybody is connected to something outside the home even though they are physically within the home” in the video, “Alluenza”. What a vivid portrayal about our modern lives! Everybody must have a similar one; this is mine: my husband is playing chess on the internet, my daughter is watching Treehouse channel on TV, and I am chatting with my friend on the phone. When we use these Hi-Techs to communicate the outside world more and more, the communication inside the family are becoming less and less. In my childhood, we hadn’t any advanced devices at home - no computer, no TV, and even no phone. But, the whole family could chat the daytime news when eating the dinner (Nowadays instead, we watch TV during the dinner time); we did a street walk on almost every weekend, and daddy would hold me in his arms when I felt tired; mom used to weave some beautiful scarves or sweaters for her little daughters, and I always sat beside her, watching her skillful action while saying some childish words, “I know I can’t do it right now, but I will be able to someday in the future. Right, mommy?” But regrettably, I can’t do it until today. The most important is we often visited other relatives and parents’ friends just because that was the only way for us to keep connections, and I find that visiting face by face actually is a more effective way to keep a trustful and intimate relationship than today’s MSN messenger or an occasional greeting phone call. We have been lost in the dazzle of technological advance. I can’t help asking a question, “Who is the partner of our lives, the family or those technological gadgets?”

- 378 words (hyperbole, nostalgia, rhetorical questions); April 8, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Juliette said...: Practical Wisdom – Moral wisdom

In Barry Schwartz’s breathtaking lecture, he suggests that the Practical Wisdom, defined by Aristoteles as “combination of moral will and moral skill”, is the only fundamental solution to re-build a better world. It strongly interests me because it’s about not only a country or a society, but also about our business and education. I agree with his idea that it’s time to “appeal for virtue” and “to do right thing in right way for right reasons.”

Barry Schwartz tells several stories explaining the limitation and negative effects of rules and incentives. From the example of janitor, we understand that the “rules”- description of a janitor’s job-can only set up a basic frame of this position’s daily work; it has nothing to do with the real quality of care provided to patients. On the other hand, it would be obviously ridiculous to try to set up an incentive system to inspire the janitors’ enthusiasm to perform a flexible and meticulous job. He says the rules and incentives can only make a “downward spiral” which can’t be long-term effective, and will “destroy our desire to do right things.” Therefore, the correct way is to rely on the power of the moral, to “re-moralize work”. Of course, the morality itself cannot solve all problems; it needs support of knowledge. That’s why what we finally need is Practical Wisdom, the combination of moral will as well as moral skill.

Another thing that impresses me deeply is Barry Schwartz’s comment on education. He emphasizes that beside knowledge, the most important thing that we have to focus on is “character”. To possess practical wisdom, our children “need to learn to respect themselves, to respect their schoolmates, to respect their teachers, and to respect learning.” So true! During my stay in Shanghai, China, a friend of mine told me that her daughter’s teacher said that she cares nothing else but the students’ tests mark. I was particularly shocked because it’s a teacher’s opinion. I hope that both teachers and parents, who are under stress of keen competition, would understand that without a healthy character and morality built inside, our children can hardly survive in modern society. We had heard of enough tragedy stories about those so-called intelligent students lacking mental health and ethics.

Wise people seem have similar formula for success. While watching the lecture, I couldn’t help thinking of a Korean best-selling book "Business Ethics", which tells the story of a brilliant businessman in ancient Korea. The thesis of that book is also about the balancing of ethics and skills. It’s not smart to doubt or challenge the wisdom of these extraordinary heroes like Aristoteles, Barry Schwartz, as well as the ancient Korean “moral examplar”. So, let’s learn to be practically wise. At least, we still have opportunities to become ordinary heroes.

470 words (Testimonial, Plain Folks, Group Dynamics); April 17, 2009 at 5:43 AM
Eve Yan said...: Persuasive 2nd draft

Not long after Barack Obama inaugural address, Barry Schwartz related closely his topic of “Practical Wisdom” to President’s speech transcript: “the time has come to set aside childish things.” The two men’s ideas coincide.

Barry Schwartz indicated: during this economic crisis, Barack Obama didn’t ask us to shop, nor does he ask us to invest. Instead, he suggested that it is time to do what is right; that is to appeal to virtue.

People do things not for the incentives, but just for what is right. He gave out an example of a survey by asking plain forks in Switzerland 11 years ago, whether they would agree to let the government to dump the nuclear waste in their community. 50 percent said yes. But, the same question was asked when people were given six weeks of salary each year in order to dump the waste to their community, the rate dropped to 25 percent. Not because they want to dump the waste to their community for incentive, but to do what is right – the waste has to be dumped somewhere.

To do what is right sometimes is hard, but it is what you should do. I was selling my house few years ago in China, and I got a offer from a client. After I counter offered the price, the buyer finally accepted my offer; therefore, I was legally binding agreement with the buyers. At the same day when I was going to sign the contract to sell the house, I got another offer that will pay 50,000 dollars more than my original selling price. Should I break the contract with the first buyers, pay 20,000 dollars fine and make 30,000 dollars more? Or, should I stick to the first promised contract. I was weighing myself on the moral standard and my conscience. Eventually, I made the decision to do what is right - to stick to my first contract.

President Clinton watched the movie “High Moon” for two times, he said it is one of his favourite movies. “High Moon” talked about a police man who was facing the life treat insisted to protect the town instead of running away like a coward. While none of persons in the whole town was trying to help, he insisted to stay on his duty. To do what is right no matter what it takes is the theme of the whole movie. Maybe, that was the character that makes a good president.

410 words

Testimonial, Plain Folks, Name Calling; April 28, 2009 at 1:07 PM

Pearson ALC English 12 Students

Friday, April 3, 2009

"Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion

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