Regina George, C.S. Lewis, and Inner Rings

It's hard to believe that after high school, people are still wrapped up in being in "The Inner Ring." Weather it's at work or at school people are so focused on getting into to this fake VIP club that they perceive as eternal popularity. But what's so great about Inner Rings anyway? C.S. Lewis explains that after you have final joined these people you have longed to be friends with, they push you to do things you may have not expected. "you are drawn in, next week it will be something a little further from rules, and next year something further still, but all in the jolliest, friendliest spirit." Why would you want to be a part of a group that pressures you to make decisions you're not comfortable with? I can relate the inner ring directly to the movie Mean Girls. Once Cady joins the Plastics she mus conform to their rules such as wearing pink on Wednesdays. Now Cady doesn't want to really become a member of the Plastics, she is just spying on them to dig up dirty laundry. But as C.S. Lewis says once you enter you never want to turn back. Cady becomes a Plastic through and through, she knows she's being fake and two-faced , but she can't help it. Lewis says that "of all the passions the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bed man do very bad things." Cady, a sweet girl from Africa is now a backstabbing Plastic.

Here is the main reason I believe people stay in their inner rings instead of being individual and breaking out, "one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside." Just like one of the members in the plastics, Gretchen, who knew that being in the Plastics is better than not, even if the Ring leader, in this case Regina George despises her.

I guess no matter where we go we will always have this want to conform to the Inner Ring, we just have to remember that it's not always worth it to become a member and it's much more fun to find a group you mesh well with and where you can be yourself.

Friday Night Lights-Halftime Speech

I know pregame sports speeches in movies can be cliche, but this speech from friday night lights is different for me. Even though the coach knows his job is on the line he takes the pressure off his team by explaining the true meaning of peing a perfect team, winning or loosing.

Another Word for Kind

• Caring-1. Verb-To be concerned or solicitous. 2.Noun-Temporary keeping, as for the benefit of or until claimed by the owner. 3. Adjective- Feeling or showing care and compassion. Origin-bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE caru, cearu,  c. Goth kara,  OHG chara  lament; (v.) ME caren,  OE cearian, carian

Examples: 1. "I take much care when handeling fragil packages." 2. "They cared for the injured dove until it's wing was healed." 3. "She is such a caring mother twords her three children."

• Compassion-1. Noun-A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. 2. Adjective-To be full with compassion. Origin- 1300–50; ME (< AF) < LL compassiōn-  (s. of compassiō ).

Examples: 1. As I heared the victims story I was filled with compassion and reached over to give her a hug." 2. Good Samaritans have lots of compassion if they are always willing to help others before themselves."

• Friendly-1.Adjective-Like a friend, kind, helpful. 2.Noun-A person who is in sympathetic relationship to oneself or one's side; one who shows no hostility. Origin- O.E. freondlic.

Examples: 1. "The girl walked over to the new boy and made the friendly gesture of inviting him to eat lunch with her." 2. "I thought I was being friendly by saying hello to others in the hallway."

• Amiable-1.Adjective-Having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable. 2.Adjective- Friendly, socialable. Origin- Mid-14c., from O.Fr. amiable , from L.L. amicabilis  "friendly," from amicus  "friend," related to amare  "to love." The form confused in O.Fr. with amable  "lovable," from L. amare . Reborrowed later in proper L. form as amicable. 

Examples: 1. "My colloge roomate was so sweet and amiable, I never fought with her." 2. "At parties Sarah is always being so amiable, telling stories and saying hello to new people."

Nice-1.Adjective-Pleasing; agreeable; delightful. 2.Adjective- Amiably pleasant; kind. Origin-1250–1300; ME: foolish, stupid < OF: silly, simple < L nescius  ignorant, incapable, equiv. to ne-  negative prefix + sci-  (s. of scīre  to know) + -us  adj. suffix.

Examples: 1. "Though it was winter, the sun was out and it ended up being such a nice day." 2. "My grandmother is always so nice to me when I come visit her."

• Helpful-1.Adjective-Giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service. Origin-bef. 900; ME helpen,  OE helpan;  c. G helfen.

Examples: 1. "Being helpful, Josh carried the old womens groceries to her house." 

• Thoughtful-1.Adjective-Showing consideration for others; considerate. 2.Adjective- Occupied with or given to thought; contemplative; meditative; reflective. Origin-bef. 900; ME thoght,  OE ( ge ) thōht;  c. D gedachte;  akin to thank, think.

Examples: 1."When I was sick, my friends wrote me thoughtful cards, letting me know they cared for me." 2. "Thinking of what you're thankful for becomes a very thoughtfull process."

• Affectionate-1. Adjective-Showing, indicating, or characterized by affection or love; fondly tender. 2.Adjective-Having great affection or love; warmly attached; loving. Origin- 1485–95; affection¹ + -ate¹ , on the model of passionate.

Examples: 1. "My mom and dad exchange Valentines day gifts because they are so affectionate towards one another." 2. "Cubs are very affectionate to their mothers when they are first born."

• Good-1.Adjective-Kind, beneficent, or friendly. 2.Noun-Moral righteousness; virtue. 3.Adverb-For good, finally and permanently; forever. Origin-bef. 900; ME (adj., adv., and n.); OE gōd  (adj.); c. D goed,  G gut,  ON gōthr,  Goth goths.

Examples: 1. "Amanda is a good person for befriending some of the new freshmen." 2. "The power of good always triuphs over evil." 3. "After this month, Sandy will leave the town and be gone for good."

• Considerate-1.Adjective-Showing kindly awareness or regard for another's feelings, circumstances, etc. 2. Adjective- Carefully considered; deliberate. Origin-1570s, "marked by deliberation," from L. consideratus , pp. of considerare  (see consider). Of persons, "deliberate, prudent," 1580s; meaning "showing consideration for others" is from c.1700.

Examples: 1. "John was so considerate in bringing me my homework when I broke my leg." 2. "You can tell that the board took a conidereable amount of time to decide the winner." 

Sources

• American Psychological Association (APA):

   (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 07, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
  Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ (accessed: December 07, 2010).                                                    

• Modern Language Association (MLA):

   Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/>.

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

  Dictionary.com,  Dictionary.com Unabridged. Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 07, 2010.

  BibTeX Bibliography Style (BibTeX)

  @article {Dictionary.com2010,
      title = {Dictionary.com Unabridged},
      month = {Dec},
      day = {07},
      year = {2010},
      url = {http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/},