Purpose of My Existence

A solitary bland time-piece on a pale blue wall tolls the first dark hour in midnight’s wake. A child, at tender age of 12, lies awake in her dank, cold bed. The vile darkness shrouds her in a tangible web of fear and wicked delusion. A cacophony of silence descends upon her shivering form. Her lies, thrown asunder, off her huddled form, evidence of a sleepless tussle.

The ceiling fan creaks solemnly above, a monotonous jarring abeyance to the morbid silence. The air-conditioned hums softly, a prayer to end this chronic suffering. The child’s thoughts wander, her cerebrum trying to weave together strains of rational thought, struggling to find answers to inquisitions a mind as young as her was never meant to ponder upon; All, in vain. She drifts, tragically at sea, through an ocean of befuddling questions to which the realm of logic fails to provide substantial answers. What is existence?

Why are we here? What is to become of me? What’s the point? What is our purpose? The queries grow as her mind strains to find answers, to find meaning behind this intangible veil of existence. The questions come to be her bane; she became so curious, she questions her existence, purpose and hope. That child was me.

I continued to question life, until recently, when I was engrossed into deep conversation with my sister. She narrated to me her peaceful missionary trip to Kenya, in Africa. It reminded me of the serenity and tranquility of the moments I had spent in a missionary camp before. After days of contemplation and reflection, I met my mother’s old friend who served the poor as a dentist.

Her passion for her job and the society was contagious. After a deep study of dentistry along with its pros and cons, and after witnessing how she treated her patient, how she examined their whole body before examining their teeth, how she was treated with utmost respect by her patients, I gained profound respect for the profession.

Since I know that I have passion for souls, to cater for them physically and in all areas of life, I know this can be achieved effectively as a dental doctor.  I fully understood that it was helping the deprived that gave me utter satisfaction and pleasure. Being an adventurous person, I have always liked to explore new places. I will be making this quest real by visiting many nations of the world to assist them with my dental skills to treat the underprivileged free of charge.

My ultimate goal in life is to contribute to the improvement in the quality of human life through healing not only people’s teeth, but also their broken hearts and to share with them the God’s unlimited love which is already given to me, using my job as a tool.

I have finished my degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from Washtenaw Community College in 2005; after which I earned a Bachelors of Sciences from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008. I have conducted individual research as a Research and Lab Assistant in the Medical Genetic as well as in Biochemistry department at Madison, Wisconsin.

Also, I’ve worked as a florist and wedding planner along with other experiences such as a translator, cashier and hostess. I was the president of the Korean Engineering ; Science Association and Korean Science Association; social chairman of Korean Economics Student Association; and an active member of the UW-Madison Pre-Dental Society.

I’ve also taken part in many musical associations at many places. I have received many scholarships such as, Leven, Maurice ; Marie Scholarship, Atlanta Alumni Club Scholarship and William F. Vilas Scholarship, and I was on the Dean’s High Honor Roll from 2003-2005.

After researching the profession, I have gained tremendous respect for it. I saw how dentistry has been an important factor in so many lives. Dentistry is one of the first diagnostic tools for diseases. I want o showcase my talent and my calling to the world and since dentist are noble people in the society, I want to be associated with it.

Also, I now see life as very precious with each patient having unique stories and insights. I will have respect for each patient’s opinion, and at the same time uphold the ethics of the profession, thereby restoring back the confident of some patient that are afraid of dentist. I will relate to my patient in such a way that they will have been alright even before treating them.

Lastly, with this much that I have already achieved in life and a strong commitment and passion for more, I know that I will be taking to study dentistry as my own way of contributing to the progress and development my community and the entire world. Although, there are thousand of dentists in United State, I believe that I can become one of them, God helping me.

I will be very happy and fulfilled if I can be admitted to study my dreamed and long desired course. Thanks for your attention.

Idioms: Meaning of Life and Wild Goose Chase

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of its constituent words. Below is a list of some idioms with their meaning and usage.

IDIOM| MEANING|
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF| Changing for the better| After Atif was released from prison, he decided to turn over a new leaf and become an honest man.

IDIOM| MEANING|
HIT BELOW THE BELT| To act in an unfair matter| The candidate of the opposition party spread false rumours about the Minister. People felt that he was hitting below the belt.

IDIOM| MEANING|
GIFT OF THE GAB| The ability to speak well| He was able to keep the audiences amused with his stories. She surely has the gift of the gab.

IDIOM| MEANING|
WILD GOOSE CHASE| Futile search| Searching for hidden gold in the village field is nothing but a wild goose chase.

IDIOM| MEANING|
FACE THE MUSIC| To face the consequences of one’s action| I lost my father’s pen. I will have to face the music when I reach home.

IDIOM| MEANING|
MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL| To give great importance to minor things| Ibtisam stopped talking to Ruman because he did not lend him his notebook. I think he is making a mountain out of a moleh IDIOM| MEANING|

THROW IN THE TOWEL| To accept defeat|
I am unable to solve this question. I am ready to throw in the towel.

IDIOM| MEANING|
NO STONE UNTURNED| Make all possible efforts|
My friend has joined two coaching classes. He is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to get into an engineering college.

IDIOM| MEANING|
BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH| To be born in a very rich family| Abrar was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. isr father gave him an expensive car on his eighteenth birthday.

IDIOM| MEANING|
KEEP ONE’S FINGERS CROSSED| Hope for a positive outcome| My results come out day after tomorrow. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Self-concept: Meaning of Life and Ideal Self

“Self-Concept” written by Barry Joel Desaine (March 2010) Email: bjdesaine@yahoo. com SELF-CONCEPT Sensing that he is a distinct and separate existence from others through time and space, a man becomes aware of his existential self from infancy. As he matures he also becomes aware of his categorical self through the realization that he has characteristics or attributes that distinguishes him from other objects in his environment. These two aspects – the existential self and the categorical self – constitute the initial ways in which an individual begins the self-perception process that leads to his self-concept (Lewis and Brooks-Gunn, 1979).

However, because the idea of self-concept is utilized in many disciplines including psychology, philosophy, sociology, nursing, biology and anthropology, there is no consensus as to how to define “self-concept” using terms of specificity. As illustrative of this, the concept of self-identity is referred by theorists using a diversity of terms such as: the authentic self; the cohesive self; the core self; the saturated self; and the possible selves.

Additionally, in describing the components of self-concept, the influential humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers, used global terms such as: self-image; self-esteem; and the ideal self, while educational psychologist Gary D. Phye and other theorists used more specific terms such as: the physical component; the social component; the academic or intellectual component; etc. Suffice it to say, most of the research literature suggests that self-concept may be generally defined as the sum total of what an individual thinks or perceives about himself.

Using this general definition as a foundation this essay proposes to examine the components of a man’s self-concept in terms of his: personhood; place in society; perfection; and purpose. Personhood – Who am I? Who am I? This is the most fundamental question which an individual can ask about himself and in endeavoring to determine an answer, whether conscientiously or unconscientiously, his self-image is created. A man’s conscientiousness bears witness that he is more than just a chemical composition of matter – more than mere physical existence.

He is aware that he is made up of both material and immaterial constituencies and, as a result, his self-image is also comprised of factors of both. These factors include physical, moral, social, emotional and intellectual traits. Firstly, a person’s self-image includes a mental picture of his physical appearance or what is termed body image. It is made up of his perception of his body, both internally and externally. He may think of himself as being too skinny, having beautiful eyes, a nice face, a nose that is too big or any combination of approval or disapproval of a vast variety of physical attributes and abilities.

Inherent in this is also the feelings and attitudes he has about his body. Body image is affected by a number of factors including: normal developmental growth; one’s perception of what others think of his body; and cultural and social attitudes and values. For example: A child’s body image is very different from that of an adolescent teen. Similarly, the wife of an abusive husband who speaks ill of her body can develop a poor body image. Additionally, in some cultures a fat person is considered to be a healthy person so that a skinny person in that culture may tend to have a poorer body image based on societal values.

Secondly, a person’s self-image also includes his moral traits such as his core values and beliefs. He may view himself as being honest and upright or he may be confident of his voracity and godliness. On the other hand, he may even think that he is wicked and vile or generally of an evil disposition. As with his physical traits his perception of his morality is a part of his self-image and is not an inevitably accurate reflection of his personhood. In a similar manner, a person’s self-image includes perceptions of his social, emotional and intellectual traits.

From a social perspective he may see himself as being a good father, loving husband and competent worker. Emotionally, he may think he has a sanguine personality with a measured temperament. Finally, from an intellectual perspective he may think he is very smart, or of average intellect, or may lack confidence in his academic abilities. In summary, a person’s self-image helps him understand his personhood and helps him to define who he is in his own eyes. It is a major component of his self-concept.

Place in Society – How do I fit in? How do I fit into society? This is another question that is internalized by an individual, whether conscientiously or not. It leads to the development of his self-esteem. Self-esteem is very important as it affects how we think, act and relate to other people. It may be defined as having a favourable perception of oneself and may be qualitatively described according to the degree of favorability. High self-esteem is a good opinion of oneself whereas low self-esteem is its antithesis.

In finding his place in society an individual would generally focus on: his relationship with others; his value to them; the role models who influence him; and his ability to influence others. These domains all constitute the conditions for his self-esteem development which is a major component of self-image (Rogers, 1979). Although a person’s self-concept starts with understanding his personhood, this existential-anthropological view of the may give way to his acceptance that he is an integral part of a larger society.

He learns how to define the self by comparing himself with others around him (Festinger, 1954). Within this framework, he recognizes the importance of various associations or relationships including family relations, career relations, community relations, and other relations. This “connectiveness” to the society may lead to a more systemic view of the self as the individual considers his role in its holistic development. Inherent in this is his understanding of his value to the society and his ability to influence others towards its development.

The degree to which he is able to succeed in these ventures highly impacts his level of self-esteem. Consistent put-downs, discounting, threat, loneliness, powerlessness, frustration, and intolerance are the seeds of low self-esteem that leads to a harvest of these negative characteristics. On the other hand, developing high self-esteem requires: encouragement; acceptance of oneself and others; perceptiveness; an appreciation of life; reassurance; and faith in oneself and others; and ultimately trust in God.

All of these factors are based on interpersonal relationships. Perfection – Who do I want to be? Am I the person I want to be? This is another question that is internalized by an individual in the development of his self-concept. A person’s self-image does not always match the image of what he would like to be or what is termed his “ideal self” (Rogers, 1979) nor what he thinks he should be or what is termed his “ought-to-be self”. This sometimes affects the degree to which he values himself as there is a very close relationship between self-image and self-esteem.

The ideal self and the ought-to-be self are sometimes collectively referred to as the “possible selves” (Markus & Nurius, 1986). These are generally not consistent with the actual life experiences of a person. Psychologists refer to a large difference between self-image and the idea self as “incongruence” while a relatively small difference is called “congruence. ” All individuals experience a certain degree of incongruence. Carl Rogers believed that the greater the degree of incongruence the more difficult it is for a person to arrive at self-actualization.

As a result, the individual always strives to make changes in order to come as close as possible to his ideal self or ought-to-be self. Social comparison theorists have a different view in regards to man’s perfection. They contend that many individuals do not have an image of perfection or an ideal self but instead they compare themselves to “similar others” to validate their own attitudes and values (Jetten, Spears, and Manstead, 1996). However, the general idea is the same i. e. comparison of oneself to a perfect other, whether the ideal self, ought self or similar others, is another component of self-concept.

Purpose – Why am I here? Why am I here? Since the meaning of life is an issue that is debated philosophically, scientifically and theologically there are various answers to this question. However, despite the diversity of answers the question is of vital importance since the answer determines how one sees the world and how one sees the world also determines how he sees himself. One’s religious belief about the meaning of life is a powerful influence on his self-concept (Blaine, Trivedi & Eshleman, 1998).

Additionally, religion may be an underlying method for organizing self-concept principles since it encompasses all facets of life. A major contribution of religion to self-concept development is its role in affecting one’s self-esteem. Research has shown that students who abandon traditional religious practice in order to become involved in the occult were much more likely to have: low self-esteem; negative feelings about school; poor self-concept; a higher tolerance for deviance; negative feelings about the future; and little desire to be a good person (Tenant-Clark, C.

M. , Fritz, J. J. , & Beauvais, F. , 1989). In contrast, students who are affiliated with a traditional religious persuasion are less likely to be involved in delinquent behaviour (Rhodes & Reiss, 1970). Additionally, the question of the purpose of life is significant in determining an individual’s self-value. For example, atheism postulates that since there is no god there is no intrinsic value to life: Life is as meaningful as you want to make it (Dawkins, 2006). The question of purpose is pointless and one is worth as much as he thinks he is.

In contrast, theism postulates that life comes from God and therefore has an intrinsic value that is determined by Him: Life is meaningful because God created you for His purpose. Self-value is not determined by what people think but on knowing that God has a purpose for everyone. Ultimately, one’s self-concept is influenced by his understanding of the purpose for his life. In summary, self-concept is the view one has of himself and is determined by his experiences and the value placed on them. The components of one’s self-concept include his: personhood; place in society; view of perfection and his view of his life’s purpose.