Not your Day

Tell about a time when you had something happen that ruined your day or made it difficult for you to function for a day or more afterwards. What happened? How did you feel about it? How did you overcome that incident or problem to be able to move on with life?

Favorite Relative

Even though many of us say that we like all of our relatives the same – and try to pretend like we do – we often play favorites with one relative or another. It may be that your uncle always gives you candy or your aunt always spends time with you.

Of all your relatives, which do you think is your favorite? Explain why this relative stands out above the rest and what he or she does that makes you want to be around them.

Just Animals

At times when people are killed or injured by a wild animal such as a cougar or a bear, communities often rally to find and kill the animal that caused the injury. Is it just or unjust for a wild animal to be killed when people were in its territory? What should be done to a wild animal that kills a person when the encounter is out in the wild?

Why Math?

The Greeks and Romans studied math and developed very helpful ways of understanding math that we still use today. You can read books to learn how math was invented, but can you explain why math was invented? Give 3 examples to support your reasoning as to why math was invented.

Long Sentence

Write a 50 word sentence (preferably 100 words).

Though writing such a long sentence can at first seem like an incredibly daunting task, if you take the time to brainstorm multiple ideas about the topic you plan to convey your message about, then write your ideas in a very clear comprehensible manner, making sure to begin with an engaging introduction, as well as a strong ending idea, before you realize it you will have written more than the essential fifty plus words (that you are required to include) to effectively convey the meaning of what you are trying to communicate while completing the assignment in just one sentence. (100 words)

Fix that Dish

Think about some of the dinners that you have eaten recently. Of all the dinners that you’ve had, are there any that you didn’t enjoy that much? If not – imagine one!

Now – think of how you could change the dish to “save” the dinner and make it more appetizing (pleasing to your tongue). Write about how you would go about transforming a dining disaster into palatable meal.

Bon Appetite!

Limits to Borrowing

Some people are fine with lending money to friends or borrowing it from those around them. They live a life in which they can trust others and others can trust them. Others say that borrowing from a friend or family member can damage the relationship when trust is broken.

What do you believe? Do you believe that borrowing money from friends is good or bad? Why do you feel this way? Support your answer with both reasoning and experiences (either your own or another person’s).

Procrastination

An unknown author wrote the following couplet: “Procrastination is a silly thing, it only brings me sorrow, but I can change at any time! I think I will – tomorrow!”

Most people have responsibilities that they complete right away while leaving some tasks for another time. Tell of a time when you put-off doing something that you were supposed to do. What were the consequences of your procrastination? How has procrastination worked for you - as general strategy for dealing with the responsibilities of life?

Trusting

The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzche (1844-1900) was noted to have said, “I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.” Some people are never around others who lie while others are exposed to lying from multiple associates every day. When people are lied to it can become difficult to trust others or even distinguish when a person is actually telling the truth.

Tell about someone you know you can trust. How do you know that what they tell you is valid? Now, to contrast, tell about someone you know you cannot trust. How do you know if they are telling the truth? Why do you believe that they continue to lie to others?

Addictive Food

Some food experts say that large food companies are using salt, sugar, and fat to make us addicted to their product. Within food companies, product designers often strive to add the right proportion of salt, sugar, and fat to achieve a “bliss point” at which consumers most enjoy eating their product.

 What is your favorite packaged food? What is in the food that you believe might make it enjoyable? Do you think companies are taking advantage of your body’s physiology and taste preferences to make you addicted to their product?

Most Difficult

For some people, the biggest obstacle they encounter is to not be too selfish while others may feel that what challenges them most is just getting up in the morning.

What is the most difficult thing in life for you? Why does this thing present such a problem for you? Name 3 things you can do to work to overcome this challenge.

Effort vs. Results

When a person goes into a restaurant they often care less about how much work a person put into making their food order as much as how the food looks, smells and tastes. In contrast, when a relative (such as a mother) cooks a meal for that person he will tell them what a good job they did, even if the dish didn’t turn out like it was supposed to.

Why do we praise a relative’s poor cooking but become upset by a poorly made dish from a restaurant? When do you know that it is important to praise a person for their effort and not for the product? In contrast, when do you know that it is more important to praise a person for the product then for their effort? Which would you prefer people to praise you for – your effort or the product of your hard work? Why?

Trivial Matters

Even though some people make thousands of dollars on game shows such as Jeopardy, most of us don’t make any money on the small interesting facts that we know. Tell at least 3 facts that you know, which you think are quite interesting.

What is it about these facts that has helped you remember them?

What lessons (from your learning of interesting facts) can be applied to learn information about subjects you find boring?

Breaking the News

When one person has bad news for another person, the chore of delivering the bad news can be so difficult that the person relaying the news must not only think of what to say, but how to say it.

Tell about an instance in which you (or someone you know) had to tell another person bad news. Was it difficult to say? Is it better to give bad news to someone as soon as possible or is it better to wait?

Worst Invention

Though some inventions are great ideas, there are those that really seem to do the world very little good. What do you believe is the absolute worst invention? It can either be an actual thing or an idea. Write down what the invention is. What makes this thing either bad or useless? What problem do you think the person who created this invention was trying to solve?

Guinea Pig Rules

In a family with multiple children a parent may make a rule for the first child only to find that the rule they made needs to be altered or changed as the younger children mature. Do you believe that a parent’s rules should remain the same for all his/her children or should rules change, depending upon the child? Support your position with reasoning or examples.

As parents make and enforce rules do you believe it is better to be the first child (or the guinea pig) in the family or the last? Why?

Bumper Stickers

People often utilize bumper stickers to express something about themselves, such as their personal view points, achievement s, or an affiliation with a specific organization. Of all the bumper stickers you have seen, which one or ones are your favorite? Why? Now, tell what bumper stickers you have or would have, if you could. Explain what this says about you. If you would never have a bumper sticker, explain what you believe not having a bumper sticker says about you.

Stay Calm

In the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the reader learns of a galactic guidebook that includes the simple phrase “Don’t Panic” on its front cover. Though in the book this phrase is meant to be humorous, many of us would be wise to learn from it. This is because during times of emergency, many of us (who are not in the position to make life-or-death decisions everyday such as surgeons or marines) believe the option to panic is very sensible.

Think about a time when you, or someone you know, encountered what can be termed “an emergency”. What was going on? Was the event an actual emergency? What did the person do to solve the problem? Did they give way to panic or were they able to remain cool and collected during the traumatic event? Write about this event, including as much information as possible to enable the reader to answer all the above questions from your written response.

Bored to Death

Whether waiting in a doctor’s office or sitting around on a summer’s day without friends, most people experience boredom at some point in their life. What situations do you experience that usually make you bored? Describe the most boring situation you can remember in as much detail as possible. What made it so terrible for you?

The Problem with Success

Tommy Lasorda, a major league player and manager, once stated that, “About the only problem with success is that it does not teach you how to deal with failure.” Do you think this is true?

What other problems do you think success can create that failure (or slow progress) does not create? Explain your answer with specific examples or reasoning.

Unbelievable

Sometimes a story we hear from the news or from others around us is so improbable that we dismiss it as false, only to later learn that it was the truth. Tell about a time when you or someone you know told the truth about a situation but the person on the receiving end did not believe it because of how outrageous it may have been. Some examples of this could include learning about a major disaster for the first time or being late for a meeting because of some very strange circumstance.

Add as much detail about the circumstances of the communication, what the individual was trying to communicate and what the reaction of the person receiving the communication was. Additionally, include in your explanation the reason why you think the news that the receiving individual heard was so unbelievable to him.

Respect

The author Steve Hall once said, “The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them.” Do you believe that this quote is true? Can you show love towards a person who you do not personally like?

What does respect mean to you? In what ways do you fail to show respect towards others? What do you plan to do to correct these behaviors?

The Collection

For years people have enjoyed collecting things such as rocks, coins, stamps, stickers, and many other things. What kind of things have you seen people collect? Why do you think they collect things? Could a collection be used to help people remember past experiences? If you collect things, what do you collect?

A Healthy Tax

There are many professionals in America who have referred to overeating and gun violence as epidemics. Both are preventable and both can cause mortality. In order to alleviate the extent of the negative consequences these two problems cause some have proposed taxing them.

Would taxing sugary drinks help decrease obesity and would taxing bullets decrease the frequency of gun violence? State your opinion for each issue and support it with examples or reasoning. Additionally, suggest what we, as Americans, could do to combat obesity and gun violence.

A Peculiar Place

Even in a small town there are places that we pass often that we do not fully understand. This place could be a narrow alley, a strangely named small shop or a curious landmark. Think of a place that you pass often that you have questions about.

Now, describe the place you are thinking of with as much detail as possible and state all questions you have about the place, such as its origin, history, purpose. If you prefer to draw, you can draw what the place looks like, include a title for your place and label your picture with your questions.

Talent vs. Learning

Some people believe that people are born a specific way and cannot change, while others believe that people have the ability to change each day. In respect to achieving good grades and becoming successful in life – what do you feel is more important: your inborn innate talents or your ability to learn and change? Support your answer with reasoning or examples from life.

Moderation

The Greek Philosopher Aristotle believed that virtue (which he referred to as the golden mean) was found between two extremes – one of excess and the other of deficiency. Even though this principle is embedded in both our politics as well as in the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears”, moderation is seldom mentioned in public discourse. People often struggle with moderation in relation to things such as food, money, exercise, attitudes and political views.

 

Do you feel that you are someone who is generally more extreme or more moderate? Name three aspects of your life that you feel are safely “between two extremes”. Now, name three aspects of your life in which you exhibit extreme behavior. Compare your moderate behaviors and viewpoints with your extreme behaviors and viewpoints. Which group of viewpoints do you feel will benefit you the most over the course of your life? Why?

After the Fall

After losing a senate race, Abraham Lincoln said the following about his experience: “The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, ‘It’s a slip and not a fall.’”

Tell about a time when you, or someone you know, continued working towards a goal after experiencing failure. The situation can be of minor importance but should include as much detail as possible. Finally, tell what attributes you believe are necessary to overcoming failure

Facial Hair

Though many cultures around the world have a high esteem for facial hair, the current Anglo-American culture tends to prefer men who, below the nose, are clean cut. What do you think of when someone says the word “beard” “mustache” or “goatee”? How do you think facial hair alters the image of a man? Now – draw what you think the ideal “beard”, “mustache” or “goatee” should look like, labeling parts of your drawing as needed.

Needs vs. Wants

The basic premise for economics is the idea of scarcity. Scarcity means that people have unlimited wants and needs while the finite resources on the earth at any given time is not sufficient to satisfy unlimited wants. Thus, economics focuses on the finite choice each individual must make to allocate the resources they have to specific wants and needs.

 

With this in mind, what is the difference between a need and a want? What are three (3) areas of your life do you have the most difficulty distinguishing between a need and a want? Explain why you think you have such difficulty deciphering your needs versus wants for each of the three areas you listed.

Chores

Parents often use chores as a method of teaching their children in order to lighten their own workload and teach their children a good work ethic in the long-term. Does your family require you to do chores? If so, how have the chores you do changed over your lifetime? What chores do you do now? What skills and ideals do you think doing chores has taught you?

If you have never done chores, how do you think that you are different from those who do chores? Do you feel that you have missed out on valuable opportunities to work or do you think that you are better off for not doing chores? Who do you think will be better able to keep a job – a person who does chores or those who never had to do them?

Life as a Stock Market

People often put their money into stock markets hoping make more money from the amount they invest. Stock market trading is often risky and has more to do with the perceived value of a company than with the actual value a company has.

Imagine happiness in your life as your stock market portfolio. It often goes up and down just as stocks do.  If each stock in your portfolio was a part of your life that you put your time and effort into how well off would your portfolio be today?

Imagine the stocks in your portfolio are the parts in your life you put your time and effort into. What stocks (or investments of time and effort) tend to return the largest rewards? What “stocks” (or investments of time and effort) return the smallest reward? Why do you think this is? Having considered the returns on your investments of time, what behavior do you plan on changing?

Overcoming Frustration

It can be difficult for many individuals when listening, watching, or reading about things going on in the world today that are unjust, unfair or plain frustrating. This frustration has even led some people have quit listening to the news or participating in the political process.  

What strategies do you use to alleviate the frustration of things you cannot control in life? How effective do you think those strategies are? What strategies would you recommend to enable people who are frustrated by the world around them to feel more in control, yet not be ignorant to what is being reported on the news?

Design the unstoppable Invasion

Though many weeds grow in isolated areas of the world, as the human population has increased, some weeds have increased their habitat to successfully dominate some areas of the earth. Think about what makes one weed much more invasive than another. Is it the size of plant? Is it how they spread seed? Is it how their roots break off, or tunnel far under the ground?

Design a weed that you feel would be the most effective at growing quickly and spreading its seed around while trying to keep others from pulling it out. First, draw a picture of your weed, with at least 4 of the invasive parts of the weed labeled. Then, in at least 4 sentences, explain why each labeled aspect of the weed would be able to outdo other weeds that might grow nearby. Lastly, name your plant.

Talents & Abilities

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Every man I meet is, in some way, my superior. In this way I learn of him”. You have specific talents and abilities that enable you to do something well. What do you feel that you can do well? To support your belief, tell about a time in which you demonstrated your talent/ability to yourself or others.

Hot vs. Cold

Many people move from one city to another, in order to get away from temperatures or weather that they do not like. Think about hot temperatures and cold temperatures- which do you prefer? Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Why? Make a list of the benefits and drawbacks of hot vs. cold temperatures in order to build evidence for your reasoning.

Favorite and Hated Foods

What food or type of food makes your mouth water and causes you to be hungry just thinking about it? In contrast, what foods make your stomach churn and make you want to discharge the contents of your stomach? List at least 3 food items that you love and 3 foods you hate and give specific reasons why you like or dislike the specific food you listed.

Why we need Pets

There is a reason why people love to watch television stations such as “Animal Planet” and why people often cannot live without having a dog or a cat as a companion. What do you believe animals can teach us humans that we would not be able to learn without them?

Mode of Transportation

People differ in their opinions about what makes a great car. Some people like “bling-bling” long cars with hydraulics, others prefer classic hot rods, while yet others prefer “beefed-up” trucks. What would be your “dream car”? What features would make it so great?

No Relation

At times we fit in with a group that we have a lot in common with, while at other times we have difficulty understanding why a group of people would do a specific thing. You may have difficulty relating to someone who eats insects for fun, someone who constantly gossips, or with a person who enjoys a monotonous office job. Describe one thing that people do that you have a very difficult time relating to.  Give 3 reasons to support why you have so much difficulty relating to such people.

Strangest Thing

The Twilight Zone was a black-and-white television series based on fictional accounts of strange things happening. What is the strangest thing you have ever had happen to you? Since that time did you ever since question whether the event actually occurred?

Related Illness

Although fear of the unknown can be quite scary, fear that comes from knowing a little can sometimes be worse, because it has some truth to support it. Think about what illnesses and health problems either run in your family or have been experienced by someone you know.

Of all these health problems which one are you the most afraid of getting? Why does this disease concern you more than any other illness? Who do you know that has it, and how have you noticed that it affects them?

Happy Experience

Despite any hardship in life, each of us has at some time experienced a time of joy. Write about a time in which you were really enjoying yourself. Include as much detail as possible in your response.

That was Awkward!

Throughout life, most people tend to avoid situations in which they are made to feel uncomfortable, either because they are unfamiliar with a person, the subject involved, or they just don’t engage in a specific activity. Think of a time in which you or someone you know was put in a very awkward situation.

Describe the scene in detail, telling who was involved and what happened to make someone feel awkward.

To Change Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is most certainly one of the strangest holidays. People use teddy bears, chocolate, and heart-shaped candy to demonstrate their affections on a day of a martyred Roman priest. Sure, it may be as just as good of a time as any to show affection for one you love, but why not show your affections the rest of the year? Another major problem with Valentines is the disparity it causes in school or in the workplace when some people get a bundle of Valentine gifts while others never get a single one.

If you could change Valentine’s Day, to make it more meaningful, what would you do? Describe your proposal in detail, explaining how your changes would bring more lasting meaning to the holiday.

Without Control

Much of life’s stress can be avoided by recognizing the difference between what you can control and what you cannot control. Name three things that affect your life that you feel you have no control over. How do these three things affect your life?

Personality Conflict

While going through life a person may find that he gets along well with some peers, but others tend to butt heads with him. Think of those people that you don’t get along with or have difficulty spending time with. What personality traits do these people possess - that makes it difficult for you to be around them? List at least 3 (three) personality traits you have difficulty with and explain why those specific traits cause you grief.

5 Senses Memory

Though many of us can pass through life without paying much attention to what is going on, most people have some memory of an experience that impressed their minds so much that they could never forget. Look back on memories from your life that you can picture and relate in vivid detail. Single out one of these times to describe, elaborating on it as much as possible. Throughout your description incorporate as many senses as possible to enable the reader to better understand the setting, the characters involved, what is happening and what feelings you, as the writer, wish to express.

Difficult to Befriend

Write about a peer who was difficult to become friends with, either because they were really mean or strange. What set them apart from other of your peers? When you met this person, how did you feel about him or her? If you could help this person in some way, how would you do it?

A Book by its Cover

There is a saying that states, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”. This usually refers to judging people by how they look. In what ways does who you are match how you look? Conversely, what things would people who look at you be surprised to learn about you?