Essay on Aa Meeting - 612 Words

12 Step Meeting The meeting I attended took place in Bothell on a weeknight at 7:00 pm in the evening. The meeting was held in a local church and there were 17 people in attendance, excluding myself. Among the 17 people, there were 6 women and 11 men. The average attendee was approximately between the ages of 40-50, 4 people were under the age of 30, and two were somewhere around 60. Of the 17 people, 16 were white and one woman was of an Asian-American descent. The focus of the meeting was Step #2 Ââ€"humility. There were a few AA birthdays and in general the meeting consisted out of birthday-people reliving their stories and some talking about humility. Prior to the meeting I was expecting to enter into a room filled with†¦show more content†¦Just like Gwen in the beginning of the movie crashed her car and was court ordered to go into rehab, many of the people at the meeting had similar fates. One young man had a horrific car accident and had to spend a month in Harbor View hospit al and was court ordered to be there, 20 month later he is still going to AA, even though the court order expired a long time ago. I found that more than half of the people started out going to AA by the order of the court and ended up staying for themselves. One interesting fact that I have noticed deals with the movie When a Man Loves a Woman, the meetings the heroine of the movie is saddened by the fact that she is no longer the same person, she was while she was drinking. She is no longer as much fun, or no longed as interesting as she once was. Many of the people at the real meeting expressed the same concern, that the fun life is no longer fun, and they are not the same people as they once were. As a mentioned before I came away from the AA meeting with a feeling, of great sadness and warmth. I felt welcomed and excepted, but at the same time I still cannotShow MoreRelatedEssay On Aa Meeting805 Words   |  4 Pagesattend the 11am meeting. She got on the elevator with you. No one else had arrived to facilitate or attend the meeting yet. Kelly has been to our location several times before and often comes in under the influence. The staff is all familiar with her and her sponsor also attends the AA meetings. A couple of months ago, Kelly came to a meeting under the influence and soiled the restroom so badly that we had to take it of service. The next time that she came prior to the meeting starting Jane happenedRead MoreAA Meeting Report2347 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ A.A. Meeting Report A.A. Meeting Report A.A. Meeting Details The meeting that I attended was called â€Å"The Way of Life Group†. It took place at Palos Methodist Church, 12101 S Harlem Ave on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM. There were about twenty to thirty people at the meeting. They were all very friendly and welcoming to me as an observer. There were new members and older members and everyone was very open about their situation and dependenceRead MoreAlcoholics Anonymous ( Aa ) Meeting1197 Words   |  5 PagesAlcoholics Anonymous I attended the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting held at the Westhampton United Methodists Church, 6100 Patterson Ave, 23226, which is 3.8 miles away from my home. The meeting started at 7:30pm and was structured as an open meeting that welcomed beginners. I utilized www.aarichmond.org website to search for AA meetings in the Richmond Area. There were about 30-40 meetings offered a day within a 15-mile radius of my home zip code. I selected the RVA YPG because I assumed Y inRead MoreSummary of AA Meeting1025 Words   |  5 PagesAlcoholics Anonymous Meeting Experience I decided to attend a meeting based first (and almost solely) on convenience of the location. So I decided to attend a meeting right here in Batavia. The â€Å"Batavia 12 12† at the Holy Trinity Church down on 6th Wood St. They hold meeting on Mondays around 11:00am. The main focus is to follow the 12 steps in order and work on them in a more traditional fashion. They do have the big book, but follow it more in a step by step focus. However karma decided toRead MoreMy Experience At The Aa Meeting1853 Words   |  8 PagesWhen I first signed up for the AA meeting I had my own thoughts about what it would be like, but I was in for a big shocker. I signed up for an AA meeting at 2749 E Diana @ S Rio Vista off of E Lincoln on Tuesday at 7:00 pm. It was a women only meeting because I thought it would be more comfortable for me to attend. This was what I had imagined in my head that it would be like, I would come into a big building with tons of rooms that had separate meetings g oing on with different speakers. KeepingRead MoreThe Importance Of Attending An Aa Meeting1177 Words   |  5 PagesAttending an AA meeting was a very different experience for myself, I had herd of these meetings through family but had never gone so it was a little scary for me to attend. I was not sure on what to really expect when going or what I would get of out attending the meeting, but I was ready. The meeting was over all very interesting and eye opening on how alcoholism occurs differently for every person. I felt like this meeting was just an overview of what alcoholism really is, what it can do to youRead MoreAa Meeting Reaction Paper1093 Words   |  5 Pages Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Reaction Paper I attended an A.A. meeting on April 5, 2010. Before the meeting I seemed very anxious. This was not my first meeting I have been to meetings before but they all seem to make me nervous. When I arrived the nervousness had eased off because everyone had made me feel welcomed. I was made to feel like a part of their family from the beginning to the end of the meeting. I seemed to have realized I missed going to these meetings and I miss the fellowshipRead MoreAa Meetings Essay 2991 Words   |  4 Pages I first attended AA meetings as a requirement while I was in outpatient treatment in 2002. So when I learned that I had to go for a class assignment, I thought I would be comfortable attending a meeting. I was going with the intent on just sitting in the back and listening. The meetings that I had gone to in the past were held at the treatment center where I was seeking help. For this assignment, I went to a group meeting at a prominent church in south Charlotte. OnceRead MoreAn Alcoholics Anonymous ( Aa ) Meeting Essay1753 Words   |  8 PagesI went to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting on November 26, 2016 at noon in Simi Valley, CA. It was in the back entrance of a strip mall in a long, thin room with tables down the middle and chairs around the table and around the walls in the room. It is only located four minutes from my house, but I have never noticed it before. As I walked in there was a little kitchen with coffee and a pecan pie and there were goodies on the table. I them walked into the main room. A woman led the group forRead MoreJoin This Year Aas Meeting873 Words   |  4 PagesI would say that I am fairly lucky to have a chance to join this year AAS meeting because not many first-year graduate students usually come to the meeting. My main goals for this meeting are attending my first Astropy workshop and presenting the progress of my current research project about finding galaxy clusters. The size and the scale of this meeting is completely different from my first scientific meeting I attended last year in Vietnam. There are more than ten sessions running at the same

Malcolm X s Influence On Society - 1391 Words

ADOLECENT YEARS Malcolm X had accomplished many achievements throughout his time as a religious, fellow activist, however, it had never been something simple to do. Throughout his younger years, he had always been in a battle with race, religion, and who exactly he identified himself to be. When Malcolm’s parents, Earl and Louis Little, had been expecting on the arrival for Malcolm’s birth, Earl had been threatened precisely by many white supremacist groups, causing their family to relocate many times in search for safety. A few years after, in the year 1931, Malcolm’s father had been in an accident that was suspicioned to be an actual murder held by the white supremacist (Munir, 2015). Malcolm and the rest of his family were left with†¦show more content†¦This, and other prison members had shown him the way of life and persuaded Malcolm into joining the Nation of Islam. It was until his release in 1952 that he decided to change his legal last name from â€Å"Littleâ⠂¬  to â€Å"X† as an honor to his ancestors (Malcolm X, 2016). Little did he know that these changes would soon have such a tremendous impact. THE NATION OF ISLAM The Nation of Islam was founded by Wallace Fard in the 1930’s (Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam). It was claimed by Fard that Islam was much more related towards the African roots compared to any other religion, therefore, whoever had identified as a part of the NOI had practiced their membership by worshiping Allah as their god, and accepted Muhammed as their prophet. The group attracted many followers who were mainly branded as African Americans in search for direction. The NOI was focused on black pride, and black nationalisms, allowing them to be known as black Muslims. In the 1950’s, when Malcolm had been involved with the NOI, he had demonstrated an increasing leadership role within the movement and became known as the most active advocate. He further later became a minister of two temples in two different locations. He first became a minister of Temple No. 7 in Harlem, and then in Temple No. 11 in Boston while also discovering new temples in Harford and Philade lphia as wellShow MoreRelatedMalcolm X And Mia Mckenzie1035 Words   |  5 Pages For years problems in society and ethics have existed in America, among these problems, many great thinkers have emerged, but two of the most influential of this century are Malcolm X and Mia McKenzie. Malcolm X was one of many civil rights leaders during the 1960’s, who alongside Martin Luther King Jr. was able to bring an end to the segregation laws of the United States. Mia McKenzie is an African American writer who has written countless books, and addresses the issues of racism, queernessRead MoreA Man And A Doll. Society As A Unit, Has Been Pushing Towards1475 Words   |  6 PagesA Man and a Doll Society as a unit, has been pushing towards the ideal state of living throughout most of history. People had used symbols and ideas to get points across to help push and fix where society has holes to further integrate the perfect principles that will then replace social norms, and break through what once was a flawed belief system. the social rights activist Malcom X was one of these icons who fought to create a better world for African Americans. The child s toy Barbie, was aRead MoreDifferences Between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the 1960’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X represented two sides of the Civil Rights Movement. Speaking to all of humanity, Dr. King made these famous peaceful words, â€Å"I have a dream, a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal† (King, 1963, para 10). Malcolm X spoke of a violent revolution by claiming, â€Å"If it’s necessary to form a Black Nationalist army, we’llRead MoreMalcolm X And The Ballot Or The Bullet1557 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1960’s, in America, was a time of cultural and racial divide. This sentiment is no more evident than in Malcolm X’s â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet† speech. In this speech, Malcolm X demanded that his audience should take action against their government leaders. He proposed that there were only two options to resolve this issue, the ballot or the bullet. Malcolm X delivered this iconic speech on April 3rd, 1964 at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio (Novak 35; Terrill 35). This meeting was sponsoredRead MoreMartin Malcolm : A Dream Or A Nightmare951 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Martin Malcolm America Peace† If one man never steps forward to show all the others that change is possible, nothing will ever change. When you look back at history of the American civil rights movement, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are still often two of the first names even someone of today’s society may think of. They were, and still are, some of the most influential men to ever live. As young African-American men living during a time of harsh global, but most importantlyRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil Rights Movement1624 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the early 1950’s and 1960’s, the civil rights movement defined how African Americans progressed from being considered second class citizens to a unified demographic who became more endowed to handle the high tensions between them and the white segregationists. After World War II, protests began to rise between the 1950’s and 1960’s. The large number of blacks that served in the military or worked in the war industry saw that they had a greater place in the world than they had been given inRead MoreMalcolm X was a Symbol of the Civil Rights Movement1573 Words   |  6 Pagesprepare for it today.† Malcolm X The 1920’s, or the â€Å"Roaring Twenties†, was a time in American history described as the â€Å"Wild West†. Prohibition brought controversy and anarchy to the once civilized American society, with mobs and gangs at the peak of their power with leaders such as Al Capone supplying alcohol and guns to the public. This was also a time of heightened racial segregation, with boundaries being set such as only white bathrooms and schools. Malcolm (X) Little was born in thisRead MoreA Brief Biography of Malcolm X698 Words   |  3 PagesMay 19, 1925 in the small town of Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm Little was born to Louise Little and Earl Little. Little did they know that their son would change the future for African-Americans. Malcolm had a rough childhood due to the fact that he lived during the time of racism between African-Americans and Caucasians. Malcolm was treated a little different, because the color of his skin. Malcolm was lighter than his other siblings. Malcolm was treated badly by African-Americans, because theyRead MoreWhose Filosophy Made the Most Sense for Merica in the 1960s? Malcom X or Martin Luther King Jr.?1036 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was crucial, and Malcolm X came from a family of low class. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and became who he is on his own. Martin Luther King was born into a good family. Despite segregation, Martin Luther King s parents tried everything so that he could be secure and happy. He was a smart student and skipped two grades before enteringRead MoreThe Autobiography Of Malcolm X1276 Words   |   6 Pagesof Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, and Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody sheds light on how principles of ambition, pride, and faith throughout their lives paved individual paths for revolutionary success. Troubling upbringings as seen in both of their lives eventually instilled a drive that ultimately revolutionized America’s perspective of racial equality. Their worldview grows to encompass humanity as one and is developed alongside their spiritual and cultural inquiry. Malcolm X was

Cross Cultural Management Report

Question: Discuss about the Cross Cultural Management Report. Answer: Introduction The rapid rate at which technology is changing and market boundary is expanding enables companies to start operating on global business. Most companies are crossing geographical boundaries purposely for multicultural organization which brings together managers from various countries. Effective use of knowledge possessed by mangers can reduce the production cost and make the business more competitive, besides they can also exploit the available business opportunities across the globe. Carrying out business in a foreign country always entail cross cultural management because every individual has to think about the differences in terms of culture (Trompenaars 1994, p.13). Though the practice can be more attractive and profitable, companies are faced by various factors such as cultural, political, environmental and economic which can hinder the accomplishment of the stated goals and missions in multicultural business. The differences of cross culture can be important (Adler 2008, p.12) f or the success of multi-cultural business activities. Considering India as the host country, the paper is going to analyze the discrepancies in Automobile industry and provide possible solutions for effective cross cultural business in the country. Automobile business in India has become globally competitive making India main target for foreign investors. According to (Hofstede, 1993), carrying out cross cultural business has reduced cases of regional and national differences making it more competitive. However, besides other difficulties such as language barrier, technology and law, culture has become the most hindrance to carrying business in India. It is evident that there is a big gap of cultural differences between India and other countries especially America as far as Hofstedes theory is concerned. (Hofstede 2001, p. 29) describes the five different cross-cultures as follows: power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term versus short-term oriented persons and masculinity versus femininity. Cross Cultural and Human Resource Management Issues Uncertainty Avoidance The culture of an organization needs to program its members in a way that they can either feel comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured circumstances. Unknown or surprising situation are very common in various organization, however, the culture that guards business premises are very different meaning that organizations have specific degrees to which the avoid uncertainty. Americans are good at risk taking and are much flexible especially when dealing with tasks that are not succeeding unlike the Indians who only avoid risk. Communication barrier Not all non Indians understand the Indian English. Out of this many investors can easily face communication challenges especially during negotiations or even face to face meeting with Indians. Cases such as different sentence structure, speech patterns, accents and intonation, and difficulty in structuring complex information can be among the hindrances to be faced by managers from across the globe. The use of indirect communication styles such nodding of the head is mostly liked by Indians a gesture which cannot be easily understood by non-Indians. Actually Indians based their conclusions on assumptions making it harder for them to work with other people being that they do not wait for clarification. They do not communicate in time in case of delay or misunderstanding. This can lead to communication barrier between the business partners of the home and host country Power distance The extent to which the less powerful people in an organization accept that the power cannot be equality distributed in an organization refers to as power distance. When operating in a different country where people value power, it can be very hectic especially when it comes to power distribution. There is a big contrast in attitude and values between the high PDI countries and low PDI countries. Indians value power and therefore carrying out a business there can be very sensitive. Power will have to be distributed equally unlike US where that unequally distribute power among the subordinates. Recruitment and outsourcing Workforce can be effectively managed when working with people that one is well familiar with. It will be hard recruiting foreign people into the business and this therefore calls for proper understanding of partners before settling down for the business. Managers will have to outsource manpower from other organizations. Doing this can be very costly in terms of payments and risk taking in that no one knows the attitudes and values of the outsourced employees. Rights, discrimination and Conflict resolution Countries are ruled by strict laws that make discrimination and rights abuses in the workplace sternly punishable. HR managers dealing in multicultural organizations need to be aware that certain practices might be illegal in the country they are operating in same to home country and therefore proper understanding of the rights and laws result to proper management of personnel. Discrimination based on age, gender, religion and race, vary with the country and this can hinder the operation if not well reflected on. According to (Ting-Toomey, 1985), providing factual evidence and suggestion of possible solutions can help in solving conflict that may arise between business partners. Not all countries knows how to solve conflict and this can lead to failure of the business Decision making Decision making is more important especially when trying to combat the uncertainty in the market. Higher uncertainty avoidance translates to lack of adventurous spirits, and not in a position of making immediate decisions in case of uncertainty. Indians managers take less risky decisions barring them from any business opportunities that might accompany risk taking. In comparison to America Managers, will probably volunteer to take risk as they embrace new technology and can easily invest in new product out of risk taking. They are more of risk taking than risk avoiding. Motivational systems Output of any organization is highly linked to the way employees are motivated. As stated by Leung (1997), the method used in distributing payments as a way of motivating employees is dependent on cultural values of society. When payments are done equally then they will be embracing equality while if it is done based on performance then it will be out of equity. India being a collectivism society, they practice principle of equality as compared to America that majorly focuses on individualism thus practicing equity. Human resource management between these countries is not that easier and can negatively impact the productivity of the company. Micro and Macro Environmental Challenges Internationalization and Globalization are terms which became common in economic industries (Adler 2008, p 5). Managers from different countries who are coming together to set up a business should realize that there are both micro and macro environmental challenges to be faced when operating the business, some of them might be beyond their control and can directly or indirectly affect their business. It is therefore important to lay down strategies that will help in combating these challenges. Factors influencing business can be viewed from the internal known as micro-economic factors (Mussnig 2007, 41) and from the outside entitled macro-economic factors (McCarthy 1975, p. 37). Micro-environmental factors Competition Setting up an industry in a foreign country can be challenging especially when it comes to competition. That company will be facing stiff competition from other companies that are already operating, thus calling for suitable strategies which can yield suitable outcome or products. Automobile industry n India is more competitive being that it is among the biggest industries the whole world that are much competitive. Many other automobile industries have been set up within the country; therefore, it is prudent if new ways of outdoing other products are invented. Suppliers Choosing among the suppliers can play a big role in determining the success of the business. It is important to ensure that the selected supplier provides the best products to be used in the company. A case where the suppliers hold the business power in that they are the only suppliers can be a disadvantage to the business in that there will be no other alternatives. The products supplied should be those that can yields suitable output in the market thus calling for selecting suitable suppliers. Customers The major targets in the markets are the customers, the interests of customers is very important therefore before starting any business it is important to consider the interest of customers to be served. It is advisable to take a market survey and realize some of the customer needs especially at this era where technology is controlling things and the demand of people are changing. Customer is among the factors worth considering being that all that is about to be set up will serve them. Products of Automobile industry are very on high demand and customers most probably will go for current and new cars, thus, it the end product that will determine whether customers will buy them or decline. The general public Ignoring the public can greatly impact the success of the company industry. It is important to consider the public within which the company will be laid in. They are the great determinant of the business. Any action taken by the company should go hand in hand with the demand of the public. They can either contribute to the failure of the company or its success in that they have the power of controlling the companys activities. Macro environmental Factors Demographic forces Demographic forces within which the company is operating can easily impact the market segment. Forces such as age, ethnicity, household lifestyle, education level and cultural characteristics can be among the forces which will directly or indirectly affect the success of the business. When manufacturing cars, there are gases that are emitted into the environment. It is important to select an area that is not much populated so that to avoid cases of pollution to the surrounding. The age factor is also important when it comes to manufacturing of cars. There are some cars that cannot be used by old people or rather young people go for classy and current things. Producing cars that are outdated will be a waste and in fact nobody will buy them. Political and legal forces Every country has its own legal laws that regulate investors. Carrying out a business that is banned from that particular country will be an offence or even importing products from a different country yet they have been illegalized will be going against law. It is advisable to understand the political and legal laws of that particular country before settling down. India has laws that govern the operation of automobile industry which is not well understand can lead to termination of the project. Technology Technology is rapidly changing and it is beyond people to regulate it. It can directly or even indirectly impact the operation of any company thus call for regular advancing in knowledge in relation to the automobile industry. The products used in manufacturing cars are rapidly changing and failure to understand how they are operated or used can lead to outdated products. Recommendation Operating in multicultural organizations can increase the profitability and efficiency of the business. However, it is advisable for the business parties of the home and host countries to understand that there is cultural and human resource barriers to the success of the business. Laying down proper strategies and understanding the different cultures can an added advantage to the business. Environmental factors are beyond control, it is therefore important to know how to manage such factors such as technological obsolescence. Regular training and innovation can help in combating this issue. Conclusion The ability of an organization to retain, motivate and attract managers or customers from diverse cultural background may result to competitive advantage especially when they maintain the highest quality of human resource. Understanding the environmental factors both the micro and macro within which the company is set can be an achievement too. Organizations can gain a competitive advantage in problem solving, creativity, and flexible adaptation to change if they capitalizing on the potential benefits of cultural diversity in work groups. To avoid potential risks and achieve organizational goals, the managers should promote creativity and motivation and be culturally sensitive through flexible leadership. Reference List Adler, Nancy J.; Gunderson, Allison; 2008; International dimensions of organizational behavior; 5th Edition; Mason: Thomson Higher Education. Aguinis Herman, 2002. "The Search for Universals in Cross-Cultural Organisational Behavior". Chapter to appear in J Greenberg (ed), Organisational Behavior: The state of the science (2nd ed) Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Bond M and G Hofstede, 1989. "The cash value of Confucian values", Human System Management, 8, pp 195-200. Cavusgil , S.T., Gary Knight, John Riesenberger , Management the new realities (Student Value Edition (3rd Edition) (page 124-157, 2007)) Chang SJ, 1995. "International expansion strategy of Japanese firms: Capability building through sequential entry". Academy of Management Journal, 38 (2), pp 383-407. DiMaggio P and WW Powell, 1983. "The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organisational fields". American Sociological Review, 48: pp 147-180. Hofstede G, 1980. Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Hofstede, Geert; 2001; Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations; 2nd Edition; Thousand Oaks CA: Sage. Kundu, S C, Managing cross-cultural diversity a challenge for present and future organizations, The Journal of Delhi Business Review Vol. 2, No. 2, July - December 2001 Leung K, 1997. "Negotiation and reward allocations across cultures" in PC Earley and M Erez (eds) New Perspectives on International Industrial/organisational Psychology, pp 640-675. San Francisco: The New Lexington Press. McCarthy, Edmund Jerome; (1975); Basic Marketing; 5th edition; Homewood/III. Shamir B, 1990. "Calculations, values and identities: The sources of collectivistic work motivation". Human Relations, 43, pp 313-32. Ting-Toomey S, 1985. Toward a theory of conflict and culture. In WB Gudykunst, LP Stewart, S Ting-Toomey (eds). Communication, Culture and Organizational Processes, pp 71-86. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Trompenaars, Fons; (1994); Handbook Global Management; 1st Edition; Wien et al.: ECON Verlag

Personality and U.S. Presidents in the 21st Century Essay Example Essay Example

Personality and U.S. Presidents in the 21st Century Essay Example Paper Personality and U.S. Presidents in the 21st Century Essay Introduction Liz Flanders PoliSci 391 Personality and U. S. Presidents in the 21st Century Paper 10. 19. 10 The presidency of the United States is arguably the most important position to hold in the entire country. The president is the figurehead of the country; the person people look to for reassurance and the person they blame when something goes wrong. Of the forty-four presidents that our country has seen to this day, each of them has their own distinct character and personality. Some will argue that the personality of the president shapes their performance in office. One of these people is James Barber, author of the book The Presidential Character. In his book, Barber makes an argument concerning the impact of personality and presidential performance. He believes that the character of the president matters above all, and through his system of personality types, citizens will be advised in choosing the right president through some clear criteria. Barber organizes his theory of presidential c haracter into four different trait-based dimensions. The first two dimensions are activity and passivity, measuring how much energy and activity each person devotes to his presidency. The last two dimensions are positive and negative affect, measuring the person’s feelings about what they do as president, whether they experience political life as happy or sad, enjoyable or discouraging. These baselines lead into four basic character patterns – active-positive, active-negative, passive-positive and passive negative. Barber argues that every president of the United States can be placed into one of these categories. Active-positive Presidents would be highly energetic and active, while truly enjoying their duties as president and having high levels of self-esteem. Personality and U.S. Presidents in the 21st Century Essay Body Paragraphs They would be flexible and adaptive to different situations and set specific goals to achieve. Sometimes active-positive presidents can get into trouble from a sense of arrogance and lack of understanding why others do not see things the way they do. Active-negative presidents are also highly active in office, but do not gain a sense of emotional reward or enjoyment from their hard work. They feel a need to dominate over others and are power hungry, pushing the limits of the constitution and refusing to concede defeat. Passive-positive presidents seek affection through being agreeable and cooperative. They have low levels of self-esteem and try to compensate through pleasing everyone. They are very dependent on others and do not challenge the status quo, hoping their likeability and seeming optimism will be good enough in office. Passive-negative presidents do not put much energy or activity into politics, and do not gain any enjoyment from their role in office. They see it as their â€Å"dutiful service† to take on the role of Commander in Chief, and have low levels of self-esteem because they feel futile and useless. They have a tendency to be withdrawn and secretive to the public, only involved in politics because they think they should be. Each of these four character dimensions can be applied to any president, past or present. Although each President has had their own decisive way of leading the country with differing personality traits, it is not problematic to place each person into one of these four typologies, given that they are in such general terms. Currently, president Barack Obama can be observed to fit into one of Barber’s four character dimensions. Although he has only been in office for nearly two years, Obama’s personal character has been a clear and defining aspect of his presidency. Obama wants to achieve the personal goals he sets for himself and see change come out of his time in office. Already, he has put an extreme amount of energy into his presidency, signing economic stimulus legislation to help pull our country out of the recession it was in when he took office. He also went to great lengths to make sure that a major piece of health care reform was put into effect, despite opposition and efforts to stop it from the other side. Obama has demonstrated his adaptive nature in office, working with all different types of people to try and build a more widespread community of trust for our country. This type of leadership is important to work across party lines and with officials from other countries to see change and results. Even the average citizen can see that Obama gains a considerable emotional reward from his duties as President. He enjoys doing what he does and feels good about himself for it. Barack Obama is clearly an active-positive president – energetic and happy, flexible in his productiveness, goal oriented with high self-esteem. He enjoys political life and takes pride in bei ng the President. President Obama truly enjoys being President and finds self worth and emotional reward from the energy he puts into his activities. In Barber’s book, he writes â€Å"there is a congruence, a consistency, between much activity and the enjoyment of it, indicating relatively high self-esteem and relative success in relating to the environment† (Barber, 135). Obama has exerted a sense of enjoyment from his work as president, and also on the campaign trial, learning to relate to each environment he visited. He exerts a sense of hopefulness and possibility for the future. During his Presidential campaign, his key slogan was â€Å"Yes we can! † running on the platform of giving hope for the future to the American public. This sense of hopefulness and optimism that you can almost see radiating from Obama’s body is exactly what an active positive person encompasses. In an article on Obama’s presidency thus far in the game, Peter Baker disc ussed the president’s character as being rooted in his sense of self that came at an early age, growing up with a single mother and experiencing some trying times. Baker writes, â€Å"as Gibbs put it: ‘He has a remarkable way of focusing on the big picture and the longer term. It’s not to say that he’s immune from criticism. But he can categorize in his head the difference between what’s a setback, what’s a bump along the way and what’s just noise’† (Baker, 5) This sense of being able to stay true to himself while still acknowledging his mistakes to work on them shows how he respects himself and regards his work highly. Obama’s energy and happiness are defining traits that place him into the active-positive characterization. Obama has engaged in historic amounts of activity in his presidency in just less than halfway through his first term. Barber, in his book, states that an active-positive president â€Å"sees h imself as developing over time toward relatively well defined personal goals – growing toward his image of himself as he might yet be† (Barber, 135). Obama certainly has a sense of being goal oriented that has proven to be one of the main reasons for his success. He has set personal goals for himself as president to help not only the country, but to help himself grow as a person. So far, he has passed historic legislation like the Recovery Act, health care reform, Wall Street regulation, the Credit Card Act, investment in clean energy, and saving the auto industry to name a few. In an article from Rolling Stone Magazine, Tim Dickinson asserts, â€Å"this resident has delivered more sweeping, progressive change in 20 months than the previous two Democratic administrations did in 12 years† (Dickinson, 1). Clearly, his character is active and goal oriented, taking time to set personal goals for himself that he succeeds in achieving. Obama’s success in setting personal goals for himself as president is a clear aspect of the active-positive character dimension. Barack Obama has displayed characteristics of being flexible and adaptive in his Presidency, and even in his life beyond the White House. Before running for President, Obama wrote a book called â€Å"The Audacity of Hope,† calling for a more kinder, calmer sort of politics. He dreamed of the day when Washington could look past party lines and work together to get things done. This sort of willingness to be flexible and adapt to different situations to be able to work with people of opposing viewpoints is a quintessential characteristic of an active positive president. In Barber’s description of the different character dimensions, he says that in an active-positive president, â€Å"the man shows an orientation toward productiveness as a value and an ability to use his styles flexibly, adaptively, suiting the dance to the music† (Barber, 135). Adapting to differe nt situations and â€Å"suiting the dance to the music† of different countries to gain greater diplomatic ties and respect for the United States is exactly what Obama has done. In his article, Dickinson says that Obama has â€Å"managed to boost America’s standing in the rest of the world.U. S. approval ratings in Western Europe have soared into the 60s and 70s – far higher than during the unilateralism of the Bush era† (Dickinson, 4). Obama has transformed the individualistic and narrow approach to foreign affairs and relationships that Bush had to a flexible, accommodating style that transformed the way the rest of the world views us. Obama’s adaptability has restored America’s reputation and contributes to his active-positive nature and character. The president has the most important role in the country, and the American public keeps a watchful eye on his decisions, actions and personality. James Barber’s theory of presidential cha racter can easily generalize president Obama into the active-positive character dimension. Barber writes, â€Å"whether a man is burdened by power or enjoys power; whether he is trapped b y responsibility or made free by it; whether he is moved by other people and outer forces or moves them – that is the essence of leadership† (Barber, 134). Barack Obama is a great leader with high self esteem, energetic and happy, setting goals for himself to achieve and having a sense of adaptability in different political environments. His character, in essence, is an active-positive personality that is not finished showing this country how immense his leadership is to create change and hope for the future. Bibliography Baker, Peter. â€Å"Education of a President. † The New York Times 12 Oct. 2010: 1-8. Dickinson, Tim. â€Å"The Case for Obama. † Rolling Stone Magazine 13 Oct. 2010: 1-5. 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