What is virtue and what helps promote a virtuous life Essay

What is virtue and what helps promote a virtuous life - Essay Example When principled love is exercised, there is no law that is against love, it encompasses all goodness and virtues. The Apostle Paul described principled love with the following words in the Holy Scriptures at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which says: Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, and does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Long-suffering or patience no doubt is a virtue worth emulating. Economic hardship and the daily stress of life can easily make one impatient and loose self-control causing tensions in relationships within the family, in workplaces, and in the community. But with the exercise of love, one is willing to suffer the tensions, weaknesses, and show kindness despite unfavora ble circumstances. There is humility in love. A truly humble person is not contentious and does not seek to compete to gain favor, honor, and praise from onlookers. One does not step on the rights of others just to be on the pedestal but recognizes personal limitations. In this highly competitive world, exercising true humility is a real challenge but with love, pride is conquered. Love is willing to forgive trespasses, conscious of the fact that every now and then humans err as a result of sinful tendencies. Love readily forgives and without harboring pain and revenge. This is a virtue that fosters peace and harmonious relationship. Love is truthful, faithful, loyal and prudent. When there is principled love, there is no deception, infidelity, and indecency. Love works for what is good towards all and is willing to suffer pain and inconvenience to allow some degree of comfort and joy to those who are in greater distress. God is love (1 John 4:8). Because love is the personification of God, and God is all goodness, then love encompasses all goodness. It is the source of all virtues. In an imperfect world, it is not always easy to exercise love and to live a virtuous life. Aside from imperfection, there is the pressure of everyday living and the influence of the people around. It is during trials that a virtue is magnified. In times of dire need, and extreme poverty it is a challenge to exercise love of neighbor through honesty. It requires strength and courage to return a wallet full of money when one badly needs money to buy food for the family or buy medicines for a sick loved one. Likewise it is extremely challenging to endure injustice when the suffering has become unbearable to the point of death. It is challenge to live a virtuous life when most of the people are no longer virtuous and yet they are living better lives and enjoying unreasonable profit of corruption and greed. Furthermore it is a real challenge to live a virtuous life, when one is raised i n a family whose culture is far from being virtuous. Love must be more overwhelming to conquer these challenges and live the excelling way of living a virtuous life. Elements in Society that Promotes a Virtuous Life To learn the ways of love is to learn the virtues to live. Love as the embodiment of virtues must be inculcated in the heart and mind right

Technologies and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technologies and Innovation - Essay Example Technology and its innovation tend to change every so often that concentrating in one particular aspect of technology is hard. As mastery of the current technology is achieved emerging technologies and innovation makes the current technology passe if not archaic. And the whole cycle of self–education or formal education starts again. The dynamism of information technology therefore has created opportunities within the industry that should be explored further. Governance framework is an area of information technology that is often neglected during implementation or use of technology. This framework is technology generic and it is not specific or partial to the type of technology being implemented. However, the success of a business is often dependent on these two success factors. Often technology is implemented with the promise of reduction of operational cost, increased profits, efficiency and expansion of business interests. However, as each concept or framework is implemente d the true measurement of technology’s impact has yet to be realized.   Many organisations have come to recognized that they can gain more and up-stand their competitors better in the marketplace with the use of technology. Appropriate and clever use of information systems by organisations can achieve great successes and expand opportunities. There is no limitation in combining information systems and businesses today which provide opportunities for opportunities for growth. Also, using information systems today has became essential to many organisations rather than ‘nice to have’. Globalization forces many organisations to enhance the quality of services and product in order to survive and be competitive in the marketplace. As globalization provides many opportunities to success, it is also carry some risks. Thus, clever use of advancement in technology and information systems can help in the exploitation of these promising opportunities. The available material for this area of research exists in abundance and is readily available in journ als, books and other literatures. However, most information that is readily available is the successes and pains of organisations in implementing their Information System strategy. However, the framework that they have adopted needs to be explored so that the best possible permutation of frameworks or strategies that can produce the best result can be formulated. Information Systems can transform the traditional way of doing business today in order to be better.  

Political Parties Essay Example for Free

Political Parties Essay Political parties are an essential component within a democratic society. By competing in elections and encouraging citizens with certain different views of society, parties also offer citizens a wide variety of choices in governmental representation, opportunities for political contribution, and chances to form their country’s future. Although political parties play such an influential role on a country, often the concerns of the people fall on deaf ears, breaking down the trust that the public had within the parties. When public assurance in political parties is diminished, the whole democratic system falls victim to it. In all democratic systems, the party system must be deeply and strongly rooted in the make up of society. Political parties are the main framework of any democratic society. They are the means by which the public come together freely to drive for the presidency, express their ideas, and define their ambitions for their civilization. There may be political parties without democracy being apparent, but there can be no democracy without political parties. Parties in many countries, including our own South African parties, may be faulty, but they are also crucial in democratic authority. When political parties function effectively, they succeed in developing a few common ideas between a large group of people, and in doing this, they place pressure on the ruling party. Thus, they help put citizens’ small concerns into a national context. Citizens may be separated over leaders, or policies but political parties can organize these differences by compromising certain things and helping societies to unite. In addition, political parties train and nominate political leaders who will accept a role in ruling society. Through their efforts to control and influence public policy, political parties play an in-between role, connecting the organisations of government to economic, ethnic, cultural, religious and other general groups. They can convey support behind law, improving the public wellbeing, and develop citizens’ interests. Their participation in elections allows citizens to hold them responsible for their policies and actions. In multi-party systems, and based on the countries they represent, political parties often express contradictory views on public plans. These just differences of ideas are not only an important part of the democratic course, but the exchanges they generate can also help to create a better understanding of the issues and possible solutions, possibly leading to new insights. Further, when parties in competition present themselves as an alternative, all parties always try to obtain the best plan in public interest, therefore the winner in the end is society.

Case Study Procter Ang Gamble Merger With Gillette Marketing Essay

Case Study Procter Ang Gamble Merger With Gillette Marketing Essay Its being more than 100 years that Gillette Company manufactures consumer products that create strong brand loyalty among the consumers around the world. Gillette sells product mainly for men like blades, razors and shaving preparations. Gillette also has a strong position worldwide in some of the female grooming products, such as hair products. Company is the worldwide leader in alkaline batteries and is also famous for its Oral-B in manual and power toothbrushes. The Company has employed nearly 30,000 people globally and has 31 manufacturing plants in 14 countries. About Procter Gamble Headquarters: It has its headquarter at Cincinnati. Employees: No. of employees in the company are 110,000 in about 80 countries Brands: Tide, Charmin, Folgers, Noxema, Pampers, Pringles and Pantene. Founded: Procter Gmable was incorporated in 1837 at Cincinnati by William Procter, who was a candle maker and James Gamble who was a soap maker. Both men contributed $3,500 billion to start the company as a startup fund. Around four billion times a day, PG brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, leadership brands and Quality which including Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Whisper, Pantene, Bounty, Pringles, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Crest, Actonel, Olay, Clairol Nice n Easy and Head Shoulders(R). The PG community has almost 110,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Highlights of the case with important dates of Merger Important Dates- January 28, 2005: Procter Gamble announced their largest acquisition in its history. They agreed to buy Gillette in $57 billion and this deal involved or combined some of the worlds largest and top most brands. January 27, 2005: Procter and Gamble agreed to issue 0.975 shares of its common stock in against each share of Gillette and this showed an18% premium to Gillette shareholders. In 1986 -Revlon had tried and attempted its best to takeover Gillette in 1986 but it was not successful to do so. In 1999- Procter and Gamble went with a proposal to Gillette but at that time Gillette refused the offer, then in November 2004, Gillette CEO James M Kilts, started merger talks with Procter and Gamble as he thought that it was the right time for such a move. Highlights of the Merger- The Merger was announced on January 28th 2005, Procter and Gamble decided to exchange 0.975 shares of its common stock for each share of Gillette. Thus, it leads to 18% of premium to Gillette shareholders. The merger was approved by the shareholders of both the company. After the merger Procter and Gamble immediately decided to buy back $18-22 billion of its common stock and this whole process of buy back took 18 months to complete. After this process the deal was structured as 60% stock and 40% cash deal, while it was purely a stock- swap on paper. When the merger happened everybody knew that Procter and Gamble combined with Gillette would become the worlds largest consumer product company with $60.7 billion annual sales. At that time after the merger the new company decided to takeover Unilever which had total annual sales of $48.25 billion at that time. Proctor and Gamble after the merger had brands of $21 billion with market capitalization of $200 billion. Once the merger was done Procter and Gamble shareholders owned approximately 71% of the combined company and Gillette shareholders owned 29% of the combined company. Both the companies expected that merger would bring great synergies. According to the deal between the two companies Procter and Gamble would acquire whole Gillette business which includes its technical, manufacturing and other facilities. Gillette and Proctor Gamble have almost same history, culture and core strengths in branding, scale, innovation and go to market capabilities, which made this merger a perfect one, people called this merger a perfect marriage because one innovative company acquired another innovative company to enlarge its product line and both companies faced low sales problem and both of them emerged as winners after applying same approaches. After acquiring Gillette as a whole Proctor and Gamble became the worlds second largest consumer products company with approximate sales of $61 billion. Procter and Gamble at the time of merger expected total gains and cost savings of $ 14 -$16 billion by lying off and eliminating 6000 peoples job. When Proctor and Gamble started running in profits it acquired brands which matched its strategy such as Germanys Wella AG hair care line, it also acquired Clairol for its hair care lines and Iams Company known for its pet foods. After the merger PG had great earnings within few days as its net income jumped 12% from $1.8 billion to $2.04 billion. On January 27, trading in Procter and Gamble calls spiked to 8,172 contracts and Gillettes call spiked to 4,788 contacts. This means that both the company had increase or more than five times the average daily volume. A single contract is equal to 100 shares. Hurdles after the merger- Procter and Gamble faced various challenges related to manufacturing facilities, workforce, work culture and integration of operations of the two companies which had functioned as an independent company for so long. According to the analysts lying off workers across countries is also a problem. Due to integration efforts demand Procter and Gamble also had to overcome the risk of not being able to focus on its functioning. Main issues which made the merger important According to the deal of Procter and Gamble and Gillette merger Procter and Gamble decided to exchange 0.975 shares of its common stock for each share of Gillette. Procter and Gamble decided to buy back its common stock after the merger i.e. between $18-22 billion. This made the deal 60 % stock and 40% cash deal. Both the companies thought that the merger to will bring heavy synergies as both are the best companies and combination of these two companies will lead to strong brand portfolio. After the merger Gillette had got more opportunities to sell its products in various developing markets like China and East Europe. After the merger the combined entity layoff 6000 employees that are 4% of 140,000 combined work forces. This has to be done as both the companies had to integrate the headquarters and business operation units. The management is trying their best efforts to retain best employees from both the companies. Both the companies merger is an important and attractive deal as it has growth prospects, the revenue and cost synergies are attractive and innovation pipelines are strong. Procter and Gamble decided about the potential regulatory or anti- trust barriers of this deal that they will closely review the deal and resolve any issues regarding the product that are overlapping between the companies as they have a good record of working with regulators in the competitive market place. Bankers involved in the deal were Merrill Lynch was representing Procter and Gamble and Goldman Sachs/UBS are representing Gillette. Post Merger Scenario After the merger it was a great financial success for both the companies, especially for Procter and Gamble as growth in its revenue tripled, it was reported that the company would have more than $ 60 billion sales a year. Procter and Gambles unit volume had grown 27% and its net sales also grew by 27% and have reached to $18.34 billion. PGs net earnings have also increased by 29% and have reached to  £2.55 billion. This merger has made Procter and Gamble the worlds number one household maker leaving behind Unilever in the second place. The combined companies have total 21 brands under it and have the best global market position in product categories. After the merger the company will have more power to negotiate with advertising and media companies like television, newspapers, magazine and billboards. Gillette and Procter and Gamble are actively involved in pilots like testing and learning the technology, developing a scalable solution, drive development to deliver business benefits and validate the business case. Dealing with Wal-Mart After the merger of Procter and Gamble and Gillette it had a great affect on Wal- Mart. As PG is one of the worlds largest consumer products company and after Gillette joined it its sale almost tripled and it gave the company a new competition with retailers like Wal- Mart. As it is said those retailers dont want its suppliers to be bigger than him and vice versa. Procter and Gamble merger with Gillette had put great pressure on various other consumer products firms like Nestle, Colgate- Palmolive, Unilever and Kimberly- Clark. Learnings from the case study Case study of Procter and Gamble merger with Gillette helps us in learning following: Post merger scenario of both the companies after the merger. Procter and Gamble was interested in buying Gillette because it wanted to improve and expand its product and target as many customers it can. Both the companies agreed to merge because they knew it will be bring revenue, enlarge its product line and can become worlds largest consumer product company. It is a kind of friendly takeover that is with consent of take over company and with consent of majority of shareholders. Consideration for takeover is in the form of cash an stock both. Buy back of securities i.e. after the merger Procter and Gamble immediately decided to buy back $18-22 billion of its common stock. Merger effects on PG and Gillette competitors like Wal-Mart. Hurdle which both the companies faced after the merger.

rebeldol Rebellion of Nora and Mrs. Linde in Ibsens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

Rebellion of Nora and Mrs. Linde in A Doll's House    An underlying theme in Ibsen's play, A Doll's House is the rebellion of Nora and Mrs. Linde against society. Over the course of the play, Nora and Mrs. Linde both experienced an evolution from passive victims in a life pre-programmed for them by society to active agents in an uncertain and insecure life.    In an effort to save her husband's life, Nora has committed forgery and Krogstad is ready to use this information in order achieve his goals: ''(...) if I produce this document in court, you'll be condemned'' (Ibsen 791). This element gives us a hint of women condition in a deeply- rooted man thought society. In addition, Dr. Rank, who had a lethal disease, confesses his love for her: ''You know now that I'm at your service, body and soul'' (Ibsen 802). All these events make the circle tighten and spin faster around Nora, who can hardly resist to this pressure and seeks the relief in wildly dancing the 'tarantella', a dance which she transforms into a ' life and death' one.    This dance can also be viewed as an one of the key element that permits us to say that she's passing from a state of passive victim to an early state of active agent : '' Nora dances more and more wildly. Helmer stands by the stove giving her repeated directions as she dances ; she does not seem to hear them. ''(Ibsen 808). All the other characters' reactions, words and attitudes form the chain which unbearably surrounds Nora and which she will finally break, liberating herself from the lie she has been living in for many years-she firmly tells Helmer her decision : '' I can't stay here with you any longer (...). I'm leaving here at once''(Ibsen 821).   In addition to this intimate inter-independence between Nora and the other four important characters viewed as a whole), is the complexity of Helmer's wife as a dramatic personage. Compared to the others, Nora is the most ' round' character, one who we see evolving, in contrast with Helmer or Dr. Rank. More precisely, we discover tw o forms of evolution of this character :    1.an 'external' one, produced in the reader's mind, as he discovers the purpose of her always asking money to the husband and having a 'toy attitude' with him ;

Hinduism and Death Essay -- essays research papers

Each month our educational center section provides the Hinduism Today staff with a 'kind of group meditation. Individually we ponder our subject, and together we discuss it in detail. These past 30 days our meditation was on death. You might think we had a morbid March. Not so, since, as U.S. General George Patton rightly noted, "For Hindus death is the most exalted experience of life." This idea is sometimes hard for non-Hindus to grasp - especially for atheists facing Eternal Oblivion and for those of the semitic faiths which define death as a kind of punishment for man's sin and disobedience. According to this view, death is the ultimate sign of man's spiritual failure, a belief which understandably arouses instincts of denial and injustice. We may feel shamed, penitent, guilty and graced, not to mentioned frightened. And that's a long way from exultation. No such thoughts attend the dying and death of a Hindu. Of course, there is much sadness surrounding the passing of friends and family, but that is honest acknowledgement of our love and attachment to life and to each other. Inside we know that death is OK, it is natural. Inside we know that the soul, even if it was less than perfect in this life, is continuing its appointed journey toward Liberation and will, in time, reach the other shore. Such knowledge is reassuring, whether the death is another's or our own. Thus, Hindus called death by a lofty name - Maha Samadhi, "the Great Superconscious State." And to be near an awakened soul at the time he or she gives up the body is considered one of the most auspicious and blessed of opportunities. If we see death as the opposite of life, then life is good and death is bad. But if we see life and death not as hostile but as collaborative parts of a greater whole called samsara (the cosmic evolutionary cycle of birth-death-rebirth), then life is good and death is also good. Both are part of the Cosmic-What-Is. That being so, the pious Hindu approaches death as a mediation and a sadhana, as a spiritual opportunity. The physical body's impending demise compels him to practice detachment which yogis find easy but which is so difficult to achieve in the tumult of life. Yama's nearness brings an urgency to strive more than ever, to plunge deeper into consciousness in a renewed search for the Divine Self. No longer can he put it off. No mor... ...ht by fighting medical and legal battles in growing numbers. Death is personified in most cultures. The Greeks called him Thanatos, and to the Romans he was Mors. IN India he is Yama, riding on a black water buffalo, green in color, dressed in red. The pigeon and owl are his messengers, his weapon is a mace. He carries a noose, called kala-sutra or "black threat," with which he snares the life force, prana, and draws it from the body. He is also called Mrityu, "death," Kala, "time" and Dharma Raja, "King of Justice." There is much to be said of the Hindu insights on death, and only a fraction of it fit into the four pages you will find at the center of this issue. We intend to do more in the future and welcome readers' contributions. Our objective is to share the message of the awakened ones who conquered death and knew the body's dissolution as freedom from bondage, as liberation into the Light, as a flowing of the finite into the Infinite. They asked us to think fearlessly about death, to fathom its meaning. They urged us in exiting life to let go of the ego and be the immortal Self which time and again shrugs off the shackles of sorrow.

Diana – Cover Up or Accident?

Example of a Persuasive Speech : Diana Diana – Cover up or Accident? There are many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the beloved Princess Diana. I would firstly like to say that these are not my opinions but facts and quotations that I have found in books or on the Internet. Since the Princess' death in 1997, there was immediate pressure from the public towards the Royal family, and towards MI6. [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]The first conspiracy theory is that the death was faked. The story goes that fed up with the constant intrusion into her private life by the media, Diana, aided by the resources of lover Dodi, staged a spectacular ‘death', in a hope that she could retreat to a life of privacy. A plan that went horribly wrong, leading to her death. But would this idea be possible? My view: No. Diana was famous all over the world. In this day and age it would not have been possible to avoid the press – Diana and Dodi would have known this all too well. Also, she loved her sons. In this plan she would have had to leave them. To me this theory is not what happened The second conspiracy theory is that of the evidence – one that stands out in particular for me. A) Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones still lives, but testimony from Mercedes auto experts says that it would have been almost impossible for anyone to have survived a crash in the tunnel in a car going at 121 mph. Maybe, as driver Henri Paul's lawyers claim, the car was not going that fast. Maybe the crash was faked by the army-trained Rees-Jones who had previously deposited Diana and Dodi elsewhere. My view: Highly unlikely. If the bodyguard was to set up the accident, why be in the car at all? If he had set up the accident I am sure he would have set up an excuse/alibi to not be in the vehicle. And as is commonly known now, he was the only one wearing a seatbelt – the fact that this saved his life seems most likely to me. B) Dodi's usual driver was not used. Mystery still surrounds Henri Paul, the security officer, who stepped in at the last minute to drive the Mercedes S-280. It took a full two days for his name to be revealed, for instance. Co-workers at the Ritz Hotel say he kept himself to himself and never socialised with them. One version of this conspiracy has it that Paul simply did not exist, another that he was quickly whisked away from the hospital after being declared dead by doctors in cahoots with the Al Fayed family. My view: We know for a fact that the drivers were changed, but there is no solid evidence to say why. Also, surely the Al Fayed family had more than one driver. If I was them I would want to know the person driving me in my car. Wouldn't you? Now finally from the evidence: C) Just six hours before she died Diana let slip to Daily Mail reporter Richard Kray that she was about to withdraw completely from public life. My view: A funny one – but is the reporter just looking for a cheap story or has he got the proof? The truth is still unknown. The final conspiracy is the most popularly believed. That the British MI6 killed her. Some say that she was the target; some say that it was Dodi. Here's the evidence: Rogue elements in the British Secret Service decide that Diana is a threat to the throne, and therefore the stability of the state. They take her out. As for Dodi, business enemies of Dodi and his father Mohammed Al Fayed assassinate Dodi, with the death of Diana; a magnificent cover for their peration. My views are exactly that, and you should make up your own minds. But there is a mountain of evidence to say that The Lady Diana's death was no accident. Either way, the people of Britain have demanded answers for ten years now – after coming close, then having all the evidence stolen! Will we ever find out? My final view on this is, that as long as the people responsible don't wan t us to, then no, we will never find out the truth. Getting Civil I am against the government sanctioning same-sex marriages. Am I intolerant? Am I homophobic? Am I part of a fundamentalist religious sect of some sort? What if I tell you that I am against the government sanctioning marriages between a man and a woman as well? Am I against marriage? Am I an anarchist? Am I insane? Actually, I believe I have the sanest solution to the whole marriage debate and I don't hear anyone talking about it. My solution is to leave marriage where it belongs – in religious and private institutions. What business is it of the government to sanction relationships between consenting adults? Why is it up to the government to define what a marriage is? Why should the government be involved in promoting or discouraging particular types of relationships? We are a free country so why is it up to the government to tell us how we, the citizens, can define our relationships and which ones are acceptable in their eyes and which ones are not? My contention is that unless relationships chosen by consenting adults of their own free will endanger other individuals, the government has no business sanctioning them or preventing them. Am I saying that the government has no role in personal relationships? Well, not exactly. Legal arrangements are necessary for the purpose of expeditiously dividing property and providing for custody of any children resulting from a relationship if the relationship ends. Through legal arrangements, the rights of all involved can be protected. That's why I believe that all legal partnerships between two people who have committed to each other should all be civil unions in the eyes of the government. Whether these relationships are called marriages or not is up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves. pic][pic][pic]I have a friend who is a lesbian. The woman she loves is Dutch and they got married last summer in Holland where it is legal. I saw the pictures. They were happy, joyful. Their families and friends attended the ceremony and support them in their commitment to each other. They have a house together. They have jobs and pay taxes. They participate in civic activities. They are enjoying life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. B ut what if their families did not support their choice and their commitment to each other? If something were to happen to one of them, either a life threatening illness or even death, by law, the family could prevent the partner from being involved in making decisions for her loved one's care or even the arrangements for a funeral. Unless prior arrangements were made, the benefits of being a legal couple would not apply to these two committed partners who make every bit as much of a contribution to society as any heterosexual married couple does. I have a friend who has two children with her partner. If their partnership were to dissolve, it is possible that the woman who actually gave birth to the children could bar the other woman, the woman that the children have always known as their mother from having any contact with them. The non-birth mother would have no rights. Are the children's rights protected here? Some people argue that allowing same-sex couples to have civil unions would result in an undue financial burden on society, primarily because of the benefits that currently apply to married couples that would now have to be extended to same-sex couples. So are we trying to prevent people from having equal rights to save a few bucks? To me, that's like saying we should not have allowed women the vote because it would increase the cost of elections. Some people are concerned that allowing same-sex couples the legal rights of a civil union would require religious institutions to marry them. There would be no such requirements. Churches and other religious institutions would be free to exercise their beliefs and traditions as they have always been. Two people who love each other should be able to commit to each other and be protected by law in the relationship and in the case that the relationship ends. Any children who are the result of the relationship should have their rights protected as well. In my opinion, all people who want to have legal recognition of their committed status should have the option of a civil union and that all people joined in a civil union should have equal rights regardless of their gender. Whether a name is given to that union beyond the legal one should be up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves, not the government.