Compare and Contrast Popular Culture LIterature Term Paper

Compare and Contrast Popular Culture LIterature - Term Paper Example Does one transcend the mind in that fraction of a second when the decision is made? Perhaps yes! In that eventuality, the decision is bound to be faultless. The source of that decision is made in the brilliant flash of inner light. Gladwell writes, â€Å"The first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately† (p.14). The word ‘very quickly’ has the element of divine aura about it, and does not contain the element of haste. The level of spiritual progression of those who are brilliant decision makers is far more than those who are consistently inept. The process of the best decisions is to be experienced by the decision maker and it cannot be explained in words. As with his writing technique, Gladwell supports his each contention with allegories and real-life case studies. He gives the example of a psychologist, a tennis coach and the art wizards who recognize t he fake at a glance. He also admits about the failures of â€Å"blink†. Like an ardent supporter of Popular Culture the author argues â€Å"We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it† (p.13). ... 2. Outliers: The Story of Success Though the ardent worshippers of Popular Culture are aware of the importance of chance and circumstances in the life of an individual, they finally vote for an individual who succeeds in life in terms of monetary accomplishments. The society salutes the achiever. Big ideas are hidden in the ordinary life of an individual and what is required is to locate and present them before the public well in time. An individual has to notice the talent within him first, before it is being noticed by others. With the spread of Popular Culture, the importance of behavioral science has increased and Malcolm Gladwell is on the right spot to cash this opportunity. 1990s has been the ideal period for experimentation with his new style in literature. About the book â€Å"Outliers: The Story of Success† Malcolm Gladwell (2011) writes â€Å"This is a book about outliers, about men and women who do things that are out of the ordinary. Over the course of the chapte rs ahead, I’m going to introduce to you to one kind of outlier after another: to geniuses, business tycoons, rock stars, and software programmers† (p.17). He sums up his argument thus: â€Å"Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities-- and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them† (p.267). If one understands this principle in its correct spirit, many of the problems in life will be no more problems, they will be the milestones in the path of success. Success stories are like the champagne to the combustible younger generation who are the admirers of the Popular Culture. Gladwell provides a new perspective about the

Orientalisms Effect on Art and History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Orientalisms Effect on Art and History - Essay Example (Wikipedia 2006) In 1948, while Said was a grade school student (a private English school in Cairo) the state of Israel was created and 80% of the Palestinian population was left without a home, including Said's family. A privileged child, Said had little interest in the conflict. His family left and he did not return to Palestine until as an adult in 1990. After being expelled from Victoria College in Cairo for poor behavior he was sent to the United States, with citizenship in the US, and finished high school at a private boarding school in New England. He went to Princeton University to study English literature and history. His graduate studies were at Harvard. In 1992 he achieved University Professor at Columbia, their most prestigious position. The Suez Crisis made an impact on him as an Arab-Palestinian but he did not get involved. But the Israeli victory over the Arab forces in 1967 and the Israeli occupation of the last remaining Palestinian territories forced Said to take a political stance for the liberation of Palestine. In 1968 he wrote his first article about the Palestinian cause: The Arab Portrayed (Dexheimer 2002). While visiting his family in Beirut in '71, he got entrenched in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine as a part of a community of academics and writers who were involved in various colonial and postcolonial struggles. He translated the speeches of Yassir Arafat into English for the Western press, still not getting politically involved. But in 1977, he was elected to the exiled Palestinian National Congress. It was at this time that Said, as an academic in the field of comparative literature, began writing on contemporary Arab literature about figures such as Naguib Mahfouz, Elias Khouri, and the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish (McLemee 2003). In 1975-1976 Said became a fellow at Stanford University and wrote Orientalism (1978), the book that made him famous. In the next three years he published Covering Islam (1981) and The Question of Palestine (1979), which, in conjunction with Orientalism, has been called his trilogy. This critique of Oriental Studies questioned everything about this subject that had been a scholarly pursuit at most of the well-known European universities for centuries. Said used his fame of the 1980-90's to further the cause of Palestine and advocate for human rights. In the 1980's Said lobbied the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to re-think the strategy of armed struggle for liberation and urged Palestinians and Arabs to understand the importance of mutual respect and co-existence with Israelis. He advocated a two-state solution. A temperate voice, he made many friends within Israel. This occurred despite his unsympathetic stance toward Israel (Wikipedia 2006). Said became a personal target of other conservative Jewish and Christian Zionists. Attacks on Said suggest an "orientalism" on the part of the right-wing Zionists. As an articulate Arab intellectual, Said was viewed as a