The response to 9/11, Harris argues, was clouded by outrage and the desire for vengeance, and has led to the unnecessary loss of countless more lives.
America chose to seek revenge on the terrorist. In order to do that it involved killing more people, some of which may have been innocent.
Although the scale of the two catastrophes was similar, the reactions were wildly different.
The differences between Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 is one is a natural cause and one is due to free will.
For many Americans, the men who hijacked those planes are the embodiment of criminals who freely choose to do evil. But if we give up our notion of free will, then their behavior must be viewed like any other natural phenomenon—and this, Harris believes, would make us much more rational in our response.
This is saying, if we had no free will 9/11 would have been something that was supposed to happen, in other words, fate.
Holding people responsible for their actions might sound like a keystone of civilized life, but we pay a high price for it
By holding someone responsible and blaming them for their crime, Harris believes this is a bad enough punishment. He thinks this because "Blaming people makes us angry and vengeful, and that clouds our judgment."
deviancy
definition- to get rid of usual standards that were used to.
we can dispassionately consider how to manage offenders in order to rehabilitate them, protect society, and reduce future offending.
This would be very good for the world, however I do not see it being possible to fix every criminals mindset.
In a deep sense, their crimes are not their fault.
Harris is referring to criminals as people who have no free will and all the crimes they have committed were because of their genetics, parents, or brains. He doesn't think criminals are at fault for their crimes.
But if we instead accept that “human behavior arises from neurophysiology,” he argued, then we can better understand what is really causing people to do bad things despite this threat of punishment—and how to stop them.
If we get a better understanding of the human nervous system, then we may be able to figure out the cause and maybe a solution to the problem.
we currently use the threat of imprisonment as a crude tool to persuade people not to do bad things.
America uses this because they believe people don't want to be behind bars. However, there are people that simply don't care about the consequences and they do what they please. The criminal may believe in doing bad things, so they express their beliefs by robbing a store or committing a criminal act of some sort.
“We need our beliefs to track what is true,”
If we believe something that might be true, we should follow our beliefs.
neuroscientist
What does this type of scientist work with?
Some simply don’t agree that these consequences might include the collapse of civilization
The consequences of us doing as we please can cause the environment to collapse.
And college is the perfect chapter for diversifying friends and influences, rummaging around in fresh perspectives, bridging divides.
College is a great experience that'll help you get to know yourself a lot better.
I’M beginning to think that college exists mainly so we can debate and deconstruct it.
There is a lot of debating as to whether college is a waste of money or not. Honestly, it's an opinionated topic. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion. In my opinion, college is only a waste of money if you allow it to be so.
As we pepper students with contradictory information and competing philosophies about college’s role as an on ramp to professional glory, we should talk as much about the way college can establish patterns of reading, thinking and interacting that buck the current tendency among Americans to tuck themselves into enclaves of confederates with the same politics, the same cultural tastes, the same incomes.
Couldn't have said it better! Everyone is so concerned about what our future will bring us outside of college, but don't want to think about how much college will develop you as a learner, and an individual. Being in college six weeks, I have learned more in school, than I have in my 13 years of school prior to college.
“College is a ludicrous waste of money.”
Definition of 'ludicrous'?
Also, I can see where he is coming from with this. You have to think about it. We're paying thousands of dollars to get an education, so that we can get a good job in the real world, but the job we see ourselves having after college isn't even guaranteed. I know tons of people that have spent over 100,000 to get their bachelors and are struggling to find a job. It's very sad because their stuck in depth with no job.
The Internet has proved to be one of the great ironies of modern life. It opens up an infinite universe for exploration, but people use it to stand still, in a favorite spot, bookmarking the websites that cater to their existing hobbies
To sum this up, this means the internet is great for learning new things. However, people would rather stick on one subject or hobby rather than experiencing the billions of interesting things that the internet holds for us.
Replace it with something entirely different, maybe even antithetical. Go to Twitter, Facebook and such, and start following or connecting with publications, blogs and people whose views diverge from your own. Mix it up.
This is a great idea. It's good to learn new things and see the other persons point of view.
Put your decisions in real-world context.
This means base your decisions off your future. Don't do something you know won't benefit you and your family in the future.
He wasn’t chasing engineering because it would get him a steady job.
This is something we as people need to think more about. A major may interest you, but will it assure you a job in the future?
How do you quiet the noise that’s coming at you from family, friends and society?
Do what you want to do, not what others want you to do.
piqued
definition?
defining “success” in terms of paychecks,
This is true. If you have a well paying job you are successful because your'e doing things millions of people wish they had the opportunity to do or experience.
What I wish I’d known in college is that most people’s work shape-shifts in unforeseeable ways.
What does this mean?
Suddenly, you’re not just choosing a major, you’re choosing your ultimate fate.
Definitely nerve recking to think about. It's mind blowing how your major can dictate how your life will play out. Some majors are difficult to find jobs with, for example, nursing. Nursing has become a very competitive field to find a job in because everyone wants to major in it.
What will you be doing on this date 20 years from now?
This is a very weird thing to think about. This is something most of us try to avoid thinking about because we're all trying to live in the present and enjoy life to the fullest. I believe its important to start thinking about it at some point because you have to set goals, and hope to accomplish them before the the future arrives.
snubbed
definition?
scandalously
definiton? I think it means crazy or unexpected.
vividly
definition- to be clear. To make something detailed.
“When you’re starting college, you’re asking yourself whether you belong here. You’re ready to hear from someone like you, someone who has made it,”
I ask/tell myself this everyday. What I do not get is why people drop out without putting in a little more effort or seeking help. Does anyone know why people waste the money they paid to go to school because the crossed a little obstacle? Please help me understand this.
many freshmen doubt that they have the necessary brainpower or social adeptness to succeed in college. This fear of failing hits poor, minority and first-generation college students especially hard.
This is true. I don't want to let my family or friends down, so I stress over all of my school work because I want to get good grades. Im the first person in my family to actually go off to a 4-year university, so it put a lot pressure on me.
We often hear these days that we’ve produced a generation of young people who can’t get through the day without an award.
This is true and false at the same time. This is true because most people expect handouts and don't want to work for them. This is false because their are lots of people that work for what they want. It all really depends on where you come from (how you were raised) and how much income is going to your household. For example, a family that gives their kid an allowance for doing nothing, is most likely the kid thats going to always have his/her hand out and not work for things they want.
Maybe we have produced a generation of students who are more dependent, fragile, and entitled than previous generations.
I don't understand this. Not all generations are going to be the same, they never have been. Everyones different, no matter what generation you live in. You can't force a type of lifestyle or mind set on someone, thats a reason why this world is so twisted. All you can do help someone get from point A to point B is motivated them and encourage them to achieve more because you know they truly can.
“If you do not give up and you keep studying, you can find your way through.”
I find this interesting because this is truly the way to success. In order to be the best at something, you cant give up, even if times get rough. By you pushing hard and staying focused, theres no doubt you won't find your way to you dream/goal(s).
riveted
definition - to fascinate someone and snatch their attention to a subject or conversation.
They learned that the brain is like a muscle—the more they exercise it, the stronger it becomes.
The stronger the brain becomes, the smarter you become? So by asking lot of questions, even ones found to be stupid, I can strengthen my brain?
the inventor of the IQ test,
Is this the only thing he invented?
Annotation
test