Bipolar Illness and Creativity

In his article, Albert Rothenberg (2001) focuses on the relationship between such variables as creativity and bipolar illness. Overall, I find this work very informing and thought-provoking. The author argues that bipolar disorder does not increase creative abilities of an individual (Rothenberg, 2001, p. 144). He demonstrates that there is little or no dependence between these variables.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bipolar Illness and Creativity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article can be very useful to therapists and patients. People should remember that bipolar disorder can be a very dangerous illness that is more likely to harm the creative capacity of an individual, rather than promote it. In my opinion, Albert Rothenberg provides very convincing and interesting examples in order to illustrate his viewpoint. On the whole, this article raises many questions that researchers and therapists should consider. First of all, the author believes that the connection between bipolar disorder and creativity may be very difficult to determine (Rothenberg, 2001, p. 131). Therefore, researchers should understand how the connection between these two phenomena can be best examined or measured. They have to choose the methods that ensure the validity of results; otherwise their studies may be of very little use. Secondly, Albert Rothenberg says that people, who are engaged in creative activities can be more vulnerable to mood disorders (2001, p. 132). Therefore, therapists should think of how they can best help such patients. Probably, there is an approach that works most effectively for such people. Finally, the author mentions various famous artists or writers like Van Gogh or Virginia Woolf (Rothenberg, 2001, p. 132). In many cases, their psychological problems were diagnosed on the basis of their diaries or other autobiographical records. The question arises whether such records can us ed for the purposes of psychiatric diagnosis. One should determine the extent to which they are reliable. This article can have significant implications mostly for the field of psychology. Overall, this work can raise higher standards for psychologists who study the relationship between mood disorders and creativity or intelligence. As it has been said before, they have to develop more complex methods that can either prove or disprove the relation between bipolar illness and creative talents. The development of such methods can be a very challenging task. Secondly, people, who are not professional psychologists or psychiatrists, will have to be more aware of about the dangers of mood disorders. The author eloquently illustrates the point that psychological disorders can and should be treated.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is no reason to associate creativity or improved performance with mood disorders. Such an approach is hardly permissible from ethical and scientific standpoints. Patients should reject the stereotype according to which bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are conducive to intelligence or creativity. On the whole, patients should be encouraged to seek treatment even if they do not want to. First of all, therapists should explain patient’s creative skills have nothing to with bipolar disorder or illness. Secondly, without treatment their emotional state can only deteriorate. In their long term, their career and relations with other people can be threatened (Rybakowski, Klonowska, PatrzaÅ‚a, 2008, p. 37). These are the main reasons that counselors should give when talking to people who may have bipolar illness or other diseases. Certainly, it is unethical for force such people into treatment, but therapists should at least peoples’ awareness about the dangers to which they are exposed. Reference List Rothenberg, A. ( 2001). Bipolar Illness, Creativity, and Treatment. Psychiatric  Quarterly, 72(2), 131-147. Rybakowski, J., Klonowska, P., PatrzaÅ‚a, A. (2008). Psychopathology and creativity. Archives Of Psychiatry Psychotherapy, 10(1), 37-47. This essay on Bipolar Illness and Creativity was written and submitted by user Jordan Jefferson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

There Is No Free or Cheap Government Land

There Is No Free or Cheap Government Land Free government land, also known as claim-free government land no longer exists. There is no longer a  federal homesteading program and any public land the government does sell is sold at no less than fair market value. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLMPA), the federal government took over ownership of public lands and abolished all remaining traces of the often-amended Homestead Act of 1862. Specifically, the FLMPA declared that the public lands be retained in Federal ownership  unless as a result of the land use planning procedure provided in this Act, it is determined that disposal of a particular parcel will serve the national interest... Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees the use of some 264 million acres of public land, representing about one-eighth of all the land in the United States. In passing the FLMPA, Congress assigned the main duty of the BLM as the management of the public lands and their various resource values so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the present and future needs of the American people. While the BLM does not offer much land for sale because of a 1976 congressional mandate to generally retain these lands in public ownership, the agency does occasionally sell parcels of land when its land use planning analysis determines disposal is appropriate. What Types of Lands Are Sold? The federal lands sold by the BLM are generally unimproved rural woodland, grassland or desert parcels located mostly in the western states. The parcels are typically not served by utilities like electricity, water or sewer, and may not be accessible by maintained roads. In other words, the parcels for sale are truly â€Å"in the middle of nowhere.† Where Are the Lands for Sale Located? Usually part of the original public domain established during the western expansion of the United States, most of the land is in the 11 Western states and the state of Alaska, although some scattered parcels are located in the East. Almost all are in the Western States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. Because of land entitlements to the State of Alaska and to Alaska Natives, no public land sales will be conducted in Alaska in the foreseeable future, according to the BLM. There are also small amounts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. There are no public lands managed by the BLM in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. How Is the Land Sold? The Bureau of Land Management sells unimproved public land through a modified bidding process that favors adjoining landowners, open public auction or direct sale to a single buyer. Minimum acceptable bids are based on land value appraisals prepared and approved by the Department of the Interior Appraisal Services Directorate. The appraisals are based on factors like ease of access, availability of water, possible uses of the property and comparable property prices in the area. States Do Offer Some Free Homesteading Land But... While government-owned lands are no longer available for homesteading, some states and local governments do occasionally offer free land to persons willing to build a home on it. However, these homesteading deals usually come with very specific requirements. For example, Beatrice, Nebraska’s local Homestead Act of 2010 gives homesteaders 18 months to build a minimum 900-square-foot home and live in it for at least the next three years. However, homesteading seems to be just as tough a row-to-hoe as it was in the 1860s. Two years after Beatrice, Nebraska enacted its homesteading act, the Wall Street Journal reported that no one had actually claimed a parcel of land. While dozens of people from across the nation had applied, they all dropped out of the program when they began to realize â€Å"how work is involved,† a city official told the newspaper.

Thought, Force and Selfishness in Ajax and Prometheus Bound Essay

Thought, Force and Selfishness in Ajax and Prometheus Bound - Essay Example Sophocle's Ajax is a mighty Greek warrior in the time of the Trojan war, second only to Achilles in "perfect prowess" (Sophocles, Ajax 1415). His wife is "spear-won", and his entire presence on stage is marked by Hector's bloody sword, a room-full of "sword-slain cattle", or his "self-dealt wound". After Achilles' death, a competition is set up between him and Odysseus over who will inherit Achilles' armor, symbolizing the inheritance of the latter's prized status. When the Atreidae decide that Odysseus should get the armor, instead of humbly accepting the judges' decision, Ajax's pride over his power and valor spurs him in revenge against Agamemnon and Menelaus, a wild act that is only thwarted by the duplicitous intervention of Athena, the patron goddess of Odysseus. She drives Ajax mad and instead of massacring the Atreidae, he slaughters cattle instead. The double humiliation and the rancor that he has stirred up in the Greek camp against him drive him to commit suicide. Ajax's actions-both the madness-inducing revenge, and his suicide-show not only a lack of wisdom but selfish pride in his lust for power. Despite his wife's pleas not to do anything rash and so cause her and his son to become slaves and to be mistreated by the Greeks, he only responds by insulting her - "Woman, silence graces women" (Ajax 292) - and deceiving her and his friends (Chorus) about his suicidal intentions: "I feel the keen edge of my temper softened by yon woman's words; and I feel the pity of leaving her a widow with my foes, and the boy and orphan" (652). His brother Teucer bemoans the taunts and the revilement that he will receive both at home and abroad because of Ajax's selfish act (1020-2), and the Chorus the future lack of protection that "bold Ajax" provided for him (1214). Ajax's pride in his might is such that he is unable to weigh the effect of his actions on others, and sees everyone else as less than himself (even king Odysseus). Furthermore, we see that it is selfish pride and arrogance that instigates Athena against him, as he spoke arrogantly against her, which is not befitting of his place as a mortal. The messenger reveals that "Ajax, even at his first going forth from home, was found foolish" (760), and when his father encouraged him with the wisdom of his years, "haughtily and foolishly he answered: 'I, even without [the gods'] aid, trust to bring glory within my grasp'" (770). More foolhardily, he spurned the help of the goddess Athena, thinking that he is mighty enough to win any battle as, "where Ajax stands, battle will never break our line" (776). The messenger rightly concludes that Ajax's "thoughts were too great for man" (788). Ajax's downfall or hubris then is that he is nothing more than an empty-headed muscle man, a dangerous comb ination of force and lack of intelligence. Throughout the play, Ajax's use of force is misplaced: against the "poor sheep", in his language to Tecmessa, and against himself. Regaining his right mind, he bemoans: "Seest thou the bold, the strong of heart, the dauntless in battles with the foe,-seest thou how I have shown my prowess on creatures that feared no harm" (364-6). While we can say that the first instance of misused force is as a result of Athena's intervention, his brutish manner to his wife and his suicide are done when he is in full