FIRST: Be sure to read the Introduction of Stanton's book, Humans (pp.1-21) for next week. Normally, we'll have an in-class writing quiz based on it when you get to class, but Monday classes will be cancelled for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. However, Wednesday classes will proceed as normal (and will have the quiz!). Bring your book, since it's open-book!
SECOND: Watch the short video below (14 min.) and respond to the question at the end as a COMMENT below. To make commenting easier, be sure to make a free blogspot account so you can post without issues (though you should be able to post anonymously without one). If you still have trouble, you can always e-mail me your response, though I would rather have it on the blog if possible.
These responses are due on your next class day, so Monday for Monday classes, Wednesday for Wednesday classes.
Ever since I was a kid I've loved to draw and doodle but I was never the best at it but it was what i enjoyed doing so i continued. My skills have improved tremendously, especially when I noticed my drawings didn't suck as much and that just gave me the energy to keep going and do better and I've ended up making several different artworks I'm proud of.
ReplyDeleteGreat response and skill; art is like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get, even if you're never 'great.' But as long as you please yourself, who cares? ALSO: Be sure to put your name somewhere in the response so I can give you credit!
DeleteIt was me, Zoe I didn't realize i didn't have a name on screen
DeleteIn high school my senior year, I auditioned for drum major and I ended up getting it. I was always pretty shy and never really said much and I didn't expect the position to change me so much in a good way. What I really expected out of it was for me to guide our high school band on the field and to set a good example. I also hoped to encourage others to practice their instruments more and to show them if you work hard enough you recieve good things. I was only drum major for a short period of time, but it taught me things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and changed me for the better. Because of this position I'm not as shy and I'm not afraid to speak up and say how I feel about things anymore. It taught me that no matter how you act, not everyones going to like you, but life is short so other's opinions on you don't matter. It really brought out the best in me and is one of the best decisions I've made so far.
ReplyDeleteExcellent response; I wonder what made you try to get something you normally wouldn't have? But by doing this, you realized that some things are worth pushing yourself for, and even if you failed, it would have been better than not trying at all. That's amazing, since it's a big responsibility (my sons are in band) and it's pretty competitive, too. That will definitely serve you well throughout your life.
DeleteThe best skill I accidently learned was how to manage time, I have always been a stressful person when it comes to having work to do I want to get it done as soon as possible so I try to do all my work as soon as it is assigned this has helped me in many ways because I think about the assignments until I get them finished so I tend to make a planner to figure out exactly what days I will do each assignment which has caused me to never be late on assignments.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a great one, since it's a human instinct to put things off and procrastinate, or make things seem bigger than they are. And yet, if you do anything a little bit a time, it always gets done--and it's usually easier than you expected. I can see this skill as served you well in Comp at least!
DeleteGrowing up in Elementary school I would compete in the Annual "Little Olympics" running the 200 yard dash. Everyone always told me they knew I would grow up to be a runner. Once I got into the 6th grade, my intention wasn't to run Track until the coach had pulled me aside and convinced me to run and ever since then, I have fallen in love with running and the sport. Being good at it wasn't the only reason I loved it, but because I enjoyed doing it. Running took my mind off of all the chaos going on in my life and allowed me to focus. I ended up committing to run Track at NWOSU but unfortunately the school and environment there just wasn't a fit for me. I still run very often and love it. It allows me to stay in shape and motivated. It has taught me to be patient and try new things because you never know what it may do for you in the future.
ReplyDeleteGreat response; honestly, I think the best mental discipline you can get in life is through running. Is there any harder sport? Nothing breaks you down like running, and builds you back up. You lose yourself in your own mind, and being a strong runner is probably a great foundation for becoming strong or good in anything. I'm always amazed by people who can push themselves to run for long distances or even for hours, since that takes a kind of fortitude I simply don't have. So I imagine if you can do that, you can do almost anything life throws in your way! (also, I hope ECU is a better fit for you!)
Deleteobservance is a key skill I learned over the years. Most people want to believe that they are safe and pay no attention to their surroundings. Two years ago in Walmart parking lot I was walking back to the car with my boyfriend and we noticed a truck was acting strange and revving its engine. Out of nowhere the truck comes flying backwards and I jump out of the way the same time my boyfriend jerks me out of the way. if it wasn't for us noticing I most likely would not be here today.
ReplyDeleteYikes, this is a scary but probably very common story (something similar happened to me once upon a time). Our society doesn't teach us to be observant, either; we're always distracted by our phones or music or simply daydreams. And yet, there's so much going on in the world--it demands our constant attention. So this is a great skill to cultivate at a young age!
DeleteI wont lie I spent a good amount of time trying to think of a skill/ability that I have "Accidently" learned. The skills I have learned I wouldn't necessarily say that they were learned by accident. I will say one skill that comes to mind though would simply be listening. I have been a person that many people come to for advice and I like to tell them that although I may not be the best at giving advice I do have ears and will listen to you. It also goes deeper I guess. I do things for others that I would hope they would do the same if the roles were reversed. Simply letting someone know that you are there for them, you may not have all the answers but you may have the time, just listen. I have been fortunate to be a person that people feel they can talk to.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I would say this is the best skill of all, since few people even know it exists! How many conversations have you had were the other person wasn't really listening to you, but just waiting for their turn to speak? It's very difficult, because it requires attention, patience, and empathy. Listening is both active and passive at once, and it's not just nodding or keeping quiet. But I think you have the right idea, since it's not about having the answers, but simply being there, and giving someone a chance to speak their thoughts aloud without judgment. We get so little opportunity to do this in life, and I think that's what Humans is doing...listening to people who never get listened to.
DeleteWhen I was younger, I was heavily involved in organizations where I participated in projects for helping others. Fast forward to high school, I looked for opportunities for me to be involved in my community. I come to realize that this might be my calling to helping others. I enjoy doing this and after it is done I feel a sense of happiness for me and them knowing that what I did helped them. This has helped me become more comfortable with speaking to others, develop leadership skills, and acquire problem solving skills.
ReplyDeleteThis is Nora. I don't know why its not publishing in my name.
DeleteThanks for letting me know--did you make an account? If not, that's probably why it's calling you 'unknown.' But you can just write your name at the end in the future. Great response! Often, we don't know what we're good at until we do it accidentally, like you did. You probably did these organizations because your parents encouraged you, or because you thought they might look good when applying to college...and then it became so much more for you. It's a great skill/ability to have, since there are so many opportunities to do it, and so much need for it! And really, every job has a component of helping people out, but many people choose to ignore it. So we need more people who can see their job as a way to help people and make their lives easier!
DeleteA skill that I have learned on accident has been the ability to do basic repairs. It originated from just being interested in how things worked but later expanded into being able to fix things that are broken. This skill helps me significantly on a pretty regular basis. It helps me to repair musical equipment such as my turntable or cassette player. In addition, it helps me to help others fix things of theirs that may be broken. In the long run this skill has saved me a lot of money because when something breaks I am possibly able to repair it instead of having to spend the money on a replacement.
ReplyDeleteGreat response, and I agree, very important. Everything in life breaks down, and usually in relatively simple ways which are easy, with a little knowledge, to fix. The problem is knowing how to fix a wide variety of things! These kind of skills will definitely come in handy during married life (if you choose that route)!
Deletea skill I have is organizing/designing, when I'm cleaning my room, organizing a family trip, or designing the layout of a house or how I want the house to look and I learned this back in middle/high school when I would clean everything would have to be nice and neat and its not ocd or anything like that I just like organizing and even if something is already organized when I get bored ill just redo it, this also helped me when I started planning on how I wanted my house to look with the different colors and furniture.
ReplyDeletemicah mitchell
DeleteGreat response! It really is a talent to be able to see different possibilities in a simple room, since most people just take it for granted or can't imagine it being any other way. The ability to change and to re-arrange your life carries over into many different areas and is a healthy way of thinking in general!
DeleteThe best skill that I have learned is to be kind. This might sound silly to the average person but is a skill. It's the ability to have this mindset, be humble and understanding to others. My dad has always had this old saying" You will always get farther in life with milk and honey rather than salt and vinegar. If you don't understand that saying that has been drilled into my head it means to be kind even when you don't have or want to be but chose to the right thing and be kind. This small skill has got me far in life and I am so grateful for the people that thought me this without me even knowing. - Erika Lamb
ReplyDeleteGreat response, and I think, an extremely valuable one in the long term. In the short term, it seems that being 'tough' or blunt might get you what you want, but you start to burn bridges that way, and people remember...and memories last a long time. Also, being kind has a restorative effect on yourself; you feel better, and it makes you want to be a better person. Being mean only weighs you down and pisses you off all the time. So in the long term, I think you die quicker, too! :)
DeleteThe best skill that I have learned is to always find the good in any situation. Often times when things don't go our way, we get very upset and only see the negative things that are going on. In any situation, there's always something good to come out of it, it might be something small but still something positive. I strive to be a positive person and even on my hardest days, I try to find something good that's happened that day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great skill and a very difficult philosophy to attain if you're normally negative by nature. How did you learn it? Does it come naturally to you? Or did someone (or some event) teach you the benefit of it? Because some people say it's very difficult to learn to think positively.
DeleteI actually learned it from a friend, he could have so much bad going on in his life and he still would say "It's okay, at least this(something positive) came from it. I feel very blessed to have learned this skill from him.
DeleteI had to think about this question for a while. The answer I finally came up with was “acceptance.” I would say that the best ability I have learned “accidentally” that has helped me as a human being would be acceptance. To me, the term acceptance means approving or understanding someone or something. I really started learning this skill about four years ago. I have realized over the last four years of my life that some people never change. They may say they did or act like it for some time, but in the end, they are still the same person. I have had to slowly and sometimes painfully learn this. Which has made me realize that I just need to accept the fact and move on. This has helped me conduct my life by giving me more of a peace and a sense that I can’t do anything about the past or other people's decisions, so I need to accept it and get on with my life.
ReplyDelete-Cheyenne Adair
Yes, this is a great skill, and like thinking positively, very hard to master. But acceptance is important because there's so little we can control in life other than our response to life. And the more we fight it, the more negative things seem, and the more defeated we become. But if you convince yourself, as you have, that certain things are simply the way they are, then it helps you figure out how to overcome it, rather than change it. And I think that's a key to future success, or at least happiness. This can help you realize that you don't have to respond to things like other people do, which can help you avoid certain behaviors based on trauma, disappointment, etc.
DeleteMy favorite ability that I have learned is how to really listen to people. The photography in Humans made me think about my own creative pursuits, one of which is acting. I learned the importance of listening when I was first getting into acting in my freshman year. A very big mistake that I made right off the bat was that I was reciting the lines directly from the script during rehearsal. Doing that makes you sound boring, like a robot, and gives no life to the character you're portraying. I learned that a fundamental job that an actor does is to completely engage with their fellow actors in the dialogue and react to how THEY are giving the line, which in turn informs the way that they deliver their next line. It sounds to me like this lines up really well with the essence of writing, listen and respond. So, this life skill of active listening as I believe it's called, makes sure that you are really hearing the person and not just metaphorically waiting for it to be time to speak your line and giving little attention to what the other person is saying. I still am developing this skill because it can be tough. So far though, it has been helping me every day to hear what people are saying to me and respond in a way that makes us both feel heard and understood.
ReplyDeleteGreat response, and I love that this came from a practical experience--the theater. As you say, merely saying your lines sound boring and artificial. On the stage, you are responding to other people, the way you would in real life; it has to seem natural and organic. So you also have to show yourself listening, or else it seems like you're just reciting lines. In life, too, even though we have all the lines 'memorized,' we have to realize that sometimes our inner monologue doesn't need to be heard. Sometimes, you need to give someone else time in the spotlight, even if you think you have the better lines. This is a great realization and is very important since, after all, "all the world's a stage." Also: I think I saw you perform in The Government Inspector a few years back at ECU! That was a great performance--one of the best plays I've ever seen at ECU. Great work!
DeleteA skill that I accidentally acquired that has helped me a lot is to not allow negative feelings change how I act towards other people. I have been on the receiving end of this before; someone who is mad takes out their frustration on me. I always remember how I feel when it happens, so whenever I am in a negative mood and I am about to interact with someone else, I always try to remember that they are not the object of my frustration and I should not treat them as such.
ReplyDeleteThis used to be very hard and would take some time to really change how I responded, but as time passed it has become fairly easy. I believe that this has helped save me and others from unnecessarily stressful situations.
- Tori Prince
Great response; so much of how people interact with others is based on their own mental state, and their hidden stress and worry. So when we take things personally, it's often a missed opportunity to see and emphasize with someone else's pain. That said, it can be very hard to ignore! But it's a great skill to have, particularly at your age, so you can practice is as you get older. Harder to do after a lifetime of taking offense at the slightest thing!
DeleteA skill that I have learned growing up has been how to both handle and manage chaos in life. This is not a trait that I woke up and learned how to do, nor has there been a specific time I can look back and say I figured this out on this day. It has been acquired through years of handling adversity. For me, this adversity has come through the challenges I have faced both on and off the field. As I go through life now with the confidence that I am capable of dealing with whatever life throws at me, I find so much peace in that. I am able to deal with stress and anything else knowing that it is going to be okay and I will get through it.
ReplyDeleteDealing with stress/chaos is probably one of the greatest skills you can learn, since the skill is the same, even though each new stress will look and feel totally different. But being able to keep your cool and examine things rationally, with patience and compassion, will literally save your life (or your career!). Keep cultivating that, since it will never let you down.
DeleteA skill that I have acquired is a positive mindset, it took me a while to achieve this skill but then it turned into a lifestyle. I thought to myself 'it is so easy to be negative, but hard to be positive'. So I decided to challenge myself and try something new! It was very difficult in the beginning but ended up being in my favor. It has really changed my whole life, I used to get mad at the little things. But now I just find a way around it with a positive attitude!
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a great response, since being positive is another way of saying "everything difficult is an opportunity." If everything was easy we would quickly get bored, so difficulty and stress is a way to make our lives more interesting, even though some of this 'interest' can seem maddening at the time. But we grow only through adversity, so the better we can meet it on its own terms, the quicker we can grow. But boy, is it hard to do in practice!
DeleteOne skill I have learned is communication. I had picked this skill up from a fairly young age, just from visiting with friends and family, along with work. It has carried me pretty far in life from getting me out of trouble to helping me get things I need. It has also helped me a great deal in my field off work, since I am currently in the customer service sector. Being in customer service, I have actually gotten to capitalize on this skill and become better with it. Communication is great skill to have, because without it, the world would be a much more violent place.
ReplyDeleteBraden Schroeder
Yes, communication is an amazing skill, especially since that's one of the things we work on in this class! But being able to effectively, and clearly articulate your feelings, ideas, and problems to someone else can improve your relationships and even help other people solve their own problems. And in the field of customer service, that should be your #1 ability, since all you're doing is trying to solve problems with words (and sometimes, the problems have no solution--but you have to make them think you're trying!).
DeleteOne of the skills that I think I learned on accident is not caring or dismissing others opinions or words. Sometimes when I tell people my hobbies, the music I like to listen to or shows I like to watch, they look at me in judgment. So over the last 2 or 3 years I have learned to just ignore them and because of it I have been much happier, and I realize that some people are not made happy by the same things. I also think that learning to ignore it has also made me more confident when talking about myself with others.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--the older you get, you start to realize that other people's approbation isn't worth the simple please you get from being yourself. I've had people laugh at me my entire life, but the energy it takes to get them not to laugh (but to ignore you) isn't equal to the energy you could put into a hobby or learning a skill or simply being yourself. And once it becomes a habit, you start to wonder why you ever bothered!
DeleteWhen I started my job at Wal-mart I always went in and strategize how I was going to clean out lot if I was closing that night. This made me applied that strategy of how to get tasks done in a quick and efficient way after being hired for a year and a half. It honestly kinda came out of nowhere and popped up after getting out of high school. It really helped me out managing both school and work last semester and I'm happy about that skill of managing different kinds of work.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great skill to learn, since too often, we approach things randomly and haphazardly. Strategy is always useful, as is breaking a large task into its tiny, component parts. And anything can be approached this way. Ultimately, you'll probably do a better job and be able to do it quicker next time!
DeleteI am not sure if this is classified as a skill, but I have become better about reading people and myself. Any person would think that it is easy to know how you feel, but I take on others feelings too, so it is hard to decipher if what I am feeling is mine or someone else's. Reading the room can make a world of a difference when I am in a tough spot and can't find comfort in any form, so I look around and I try to see if I am making the others around me uncomfortable. This is a 'skill' that I developed in the last couple weeks, but I have already seen such a difference in my work ethic and even when I am just relaxing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great skill and one that is very little discussed, since most people think simply being confident can make up for this. But it's important to see how others are (or seem to be) responding to you, and what they're feeling as individuals. This is important for a teacher, too, since we have to gauge whether people are listening, are bored, are confused, etc. But at the heart of it is simply paying attention and listening. And that always improves your relationships with others.
DeleteA skill that I think I have learned on accident would simply be being okay with the fact that everything happens for a reason. I recently got laid off from my first job because my boss felt that I needed a job that would benefit me more in the future. At first, I was pissed that she did that. I'm only a freshman in college, I just need money. If I was a junior in college I think it'd be more understandable. However, some places that I have had my eye on are currently hiring and I have gotten multiple phone calls regarding applications from someone who holds a high title at one of these places. Being okay with the fact that everything happens for a reason has helped me to not be so mad at my boss at the moment and to thank her as more good things continue to happen in my life because of what happened. As people, most of us are designed to think of the worst possible outcome and focus only on the negatives, which is normal. I'll be honest, it's been hard to try and stay positive and calm during this time, but it's better mentally to do so.
ReplyDelete