- Sep 2020
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www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
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As students head to school this year, they should consider this: You don’t have to change the world or find your one true purpose to lead a meaningful life. A good life is a life of goodness — and that’s something anyone can aspire to, no matter their dreams or circumstances.
I think this is both logos and pathos..college students are struggling to find meaning in their lives and their careers, so this is a statement of hope. Also, this is an appeal to logic because the entire article has articulated this point with research and examples throughout the piece.
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One research study showed that adolescents who did household chores felt a stronger sense of purpose. Why? The researchers believe it’s because they’re contributing to something bigger: their family. Another study found that cheering up a friend was an activity that created meaning in a young adult’s life.
This is an appeal to logos, research is exemplifying numbers and establishes authority. Using scientific logic helps the reader establish a sense of trust.
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Most young adults won’t achieve the idealistic goals they’ve set for themselves.
I believe this sentence is the exigence of the piece, but the tone is not hurtful. It is a simple matter of fact explanation of life.
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Rather than succumb to the despair of thwarted dreams, she embraces her life as it is and contributes to those around her as she can.
I love the imagery this sentence offers, I think this appeals to the idea that dreams can change and evolve, it's more about how you respond to your situations.
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But thanks to social media, purpose and meaning have become conflated with glamour: Extraordinary lives look like the norm on the internet.
I sense the sarcasm in this statement and it pulls the reader back to realize that social media is hugely glamorized
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humanparts.medium.com humanparts.medium.com
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they knew I would be understanding
The professor created a safe space for their students, and in return their students thrived. Often how we allow others to feel safe and accepted around us is the first big step to understanding them.
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When you’re paralyzed with fear of failure, or you don’t even know how to begin a massive, complicated undertaking, it’s damn hard to get shit done.
Two main reasons for procrastination: Fear of Failure and Fear of Unknown (confusion).
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If a person’s behavior doesn’t make sense to you, it is because you are missing a part of their context. It’s
This sentence highlights how our own innate judgements are critical to understanding the people around us. We are responsible for our thought processes and we need to be more empathetic to make sense of the situations around us.
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Situational constraints typically predict behavior far better than personality, intelligence, or other individual-level traits.
I think this is a great main idea sentence...it highlights what the basis of the author's arguments will be moving forward.
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