Definition and Examples of Grammatical Concord

Definition and Examples of Grammatical Concord The word concord is derived from the Latin for agreement. When applied to English grammar, the term is defined as the grammatical agreement between two words in a sentence. Some linguists use the terms concord and agreement interchangeably, although traditionally, concord is used in reference to the proper relationship between adjectives and the nouns they modify, while agreement refers to the proper relationship between verbs and their subjects or objects. Mixed concord, also known as discord, is the combination of a singular verb and a plural pronoun. This structure happens when theres a substantial distance between a noun and its modifier and shows up most frequently in informal or spoken language. Discord is motivated when the abstract preference for a phrases meaning to be in agreement outweighs the desire for the formal subject noun phrase to agree. Concord in English vs. Other Languages Concord is relatively limited in modern English.  Noun-pronoun concord calls for agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent in terms of number, person, and gender. Subject-verb concord, as it relates to numbers, is conventionally marked by inflections at the end of a word. In Romance languages such as French and Spanish, modifiers must agree with the nouns they modify in number. In English, however, only this and that change to these and those to signify agreement. In English, nouns do not have an assigned gender. A book that belongs to a boy is his book, while one belonging to a girl would be her book. The gender modifier agrees with the person who owns the book, not the book itself. In Romance languages, nouns are gender-specific. The French word for book, livre, is masculine and therefore, the pronoun that agrees with it- le- is also masculine. A feminine word, such as window (fenà ªtre), would take the feminine pronoun la to be in agreement. Plural nouns, on the other hand, become gender neutral and take the same pronoun of les. Gender-Neutral Pronouns Recently, with growing awareness with regard to LGBTQ equality, there has been a sociolinguistic shift to accommodate those seeking to identify with the use of gender-neutral pronouns. While its or their are becoming common substitutions for his and her, speaking strictly in terms of grammar, they are not in agreement. As a result, a lexicon of new gender-neutral pronouns has been introduced, although it has yet to be universally adopted. He/She: Zie, Sie, Ey, Ve, Tey, EHim/Her: Zim, Sie, Em, Ver, Ter, EmHis/Her: Zir, Hir, Eir, Vis, Tem, EirHis/Hers: Zis, Hirs, Eirs, Vers, Ters, EirsHimself/Herself: Zieself, Hirself, Eirself, Verself, Terself, Emself The Basics of Subject-Verb Concord In subject-verb concord, if the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well. The window is open.The windows are open. Of course, these are easy examples but where people tend to get confused is when a phrase is containing another noun is inserted between the subject and the modifying verb and that noun has a different numeric value (singular or plural) than the subject noun. In this example, the first sentence is incorrect: The crates in the warehouse is ready to be loaded.The crates in the warehouse are ready to be loaded. While warehouse is singular, it is not the subject of the sentence. The second sentence is correct. The word crates is the subject of the sentence, so must take the plural form of the vowel (in this case, are) to be in agreement. When two singular subjects are linked in a sentence by either/or or neither/nor, correct usage requires the singular verb. Neither Mary or Walter is available at present. What happens when one subject is singular and the other is plural? Agreement depends on the subject placement in the sentence: Either the dog or the cats are in the basement.Either the twins or Mandy is waiting for you now. Two subjects connected by and take a plural verb. Orville and Wilbur are over by the fence.The rooster and the chickens are missing. There are two exceptions to these rules. The first is when a compound subject is connected with and but through popular use is considered a singular subject. While Bacon and eggs is my favorite breakfast is not grammatically correct, bacon and eggs is considered a singular item on the average American breakfast menu. The second exception is when both subjects are the same entity: The author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are is Maurice Sendak. Meanwhile, some plural subjects call for singular verbs: Fifty dollars is too much to pay for that dress.Twenty seconds is all you get before I scream. The following all take singular verbs: each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, somebody, nobody, someone, none, and no-one. Each candle is burning.Everyone is having a good time.Nobody is going to mind if you get to the party on time.Someone is likely to know where the house is.None of us is to blame.

Hahn Surname Meaning and Family History

Hahn Surname Meaning and Family History From the Middle High German han or hane meaning cock or rooster, Hahn was originally a nickname for a proud, cocky individual. Alternate Surname Spellings:  HAHNE, HAHNN, HAHEN, HAHENN, HAAHN, HAAHNN Surname Origin: German, Jewish Where in the World is the HAHN  Surname Found? According to surname distribution data from Forebears, the Hahn surname is found most prevalently in Germany, where it ranks 45th in the nation, followed by South Korea (96th) and Austria (158th). Within Germany, according to WorldNames PublicProfiler, Hahn is most common in Sachsen, Hessen, and Rheinland-Pfalz. Surname  distribution maps at  verwandt.de  show the  Hahn surname is  found in 439 cities and counties throughout Germany, most prevalently in Berlin, Hamburg,  Mà ¼nchen, Esslingen, Hannover, Gießen, Frankfurt am Main,  Kà ¶ln, Rems-Murr-Kreis, and  Nà ¼rnberg. Famous People with the HAHN Surname: Otto Hahn -  Nobel Prize-winning German scientist who discovered nuclear fission and the element protactiniumAugust Hahn - German protestant theologianCarl Wilhelm Hahn - German zoologistPhilipp Matthus Hahn  - German priest and inventorErwin L. Hahn - U.S. physicist Genealogy Resources for the Surname HAHN: Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Hahn  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Hahn  family crest or coat of arms for the Hahn surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Hahn Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Hahn surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Hahn surname query. DistantCousin.com - HAHN Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Hahn. The Hahn Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Hahn surname from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Sexism at Work Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexism at Work Place - Essay Example Women were also not allowed to work with men. Household work and rearing children were the only jobs of females. This was all changed by the industrial revolution of in the early 20th century. Because of need for labor women had to abandon their conventional walk of life and they had to work in factories and industries to make goods. This played a great role in the emancipation of women. After that as a result of series of struggle through feminist movements in 1950s and 60s women were finally liberated. Today women are in a much better condition. But still this emancipation has not fully come and in many walks of life women still today face discrimination. Work places are especially prone to sexism against female and not much attention is given to this issue. This will be the topic of discussion in this essay and we will attempt to highlight issues women face in the work place. Discrimination against Women at Work Place Women today face many issues at the work place. They are not tr eated equally to men and pay structure is also not the same. The problem is that women are not considered to be treated equally to men. They are mostly given secretary and low level jobs, and chances to promotions are very rare. Young women are usually expected to deliver coffee and do petty jobs regardless of their job status, and they are similar to ‘dolls’ for their bosses (Bennett, Ellison, & Ball. 2010). This causes them a lot of problem. Women who suffer from prejudice at work place do not speak much about it out of embarrassment. Also most of them need the jobs so it is not possible for them to risk their jobs. They are left with no choice but to accept this attitude at the work place. If they will not comply by the ‘norms’ then their jobs will be at risk. This is why sexism prevails in the society and at work places. The pay ratio of women is also an example of how blatant sexism has taken over the work places of today. The women receive significant ly less pay than for the same services they give in offices. Females MBA holders earn $4600 less than male MBAs annually (Bennett, Ellison, & Ball. 2010). The reason for this divide in income is only negative attitude towards women. Lower pay scale of women usually discourages them from working. Women who are need of money still work at these lower rates without raising their voices. Lower pay scale for women makes no sense simply because women can work as much as men. Their productivity is similar to men. Nowadays jobs are not like older times when people had to do physical work. Women in offices have nothing to do directly with their physical strength. Rather it is the power of the mind that is important today and women are equally able as men to do their job. So this difference in pay has no rational justification. Wal-Mart is one example of an employer that is blatant in its discrimination against women. It is a practice for the company not to hire women and deny them promotions (Al Norman, 2010). The fact that, a company as big as Wal-Mart can also discriminate against women, is not understandable. But this is happening in this modern world and there is no hope of any improvement. It is because of these big companies that issue of sexism at work place is not discussed in media very often. It is important to understand the reason behind this mentality. It is the old thinking that because women are not as strong physically as men they cannot be treated equally to men. Women were first subjugated by clerics and then by statesmen. And this tradition is continuing now because the attitude of the society in general has not changed regarding women. They are still considered weak and inferior beings that

Business research week 5 individual assignment - 1

Business research week 5 individual - Assignment Example Samsung dealers will be requested to provide details of the customers who bought Samsung Android phones between January 2014 and March 2015 to the nearest Samsung customer care centers. From each center, a sampling frame of all the customers who purchased their phones between March 2014 and March 2015 will be prepared. From this list, a sample of 500 respondents from each center will be selected by random sampling. Customers will then be requested to come to the customer care centers on a chosen date to be administered with questionnaires. Those who will not be able to turn up will be indirectly interviewed on the phone by independent people. Collected data will be analyzed with the help of application software SPSS and result displayed on Graphs and Charts to simplify the analysis and interpretation process. ANOVA will be the preferred statistical test in the research. When the hypotheses test is negative, then the company will have to implement the recommendation of the research to strengthen their hold on the market. A positive test would mean there is no relationship between the variable there some other variable should be investigated not the ones discussed here. The qualitative methods that will be used are a little but mostly quantitative. A little of ethnographic or quasi-experiment maybe embraced to compare phenomenon. The insights developed from the report will be recommended to the board of directors through presentation to persuade them to implement the findings and even initiate more research on the related areas. Once the hypotheses test negative, then it will be so easy to convince them. This whole process of research will not take too long since most of the required information is in the database. It is only a matter or retrieving the information. However, it will be necessary to do a reconnaissance of the centers to make arrangements on how at least 250

Workplace Bullying Essay Example for Free

Workplace Bullying Essay Introduction Thesis Research on workplace bullying began in the late 1980s. The field has since evolved, including articles, blogs, and books on the subject. According to the 2014 WBI US Workplace Bullying Survey, 27% of Americans have been targets of workplace bullying; an additional 21% have been witness to the bullying; and a total of 72% are aware that workplace bullying occurs. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) As of the writing of this paper,  there is no state or federal law yet enacted to compel American employers to address abusive conduct that occurs outside the limited definitions of illegal discriminatory actions. This paper will define bullying, consider the profile and characteristics of a typical bully, consider research on the topic and attempt to understand why bullying is allowed to continue in the workplace. 1 What is bullying According to Susan Futterman, in her book When You Work for a Bully: Assessing Your Options and Taking Action, readers are encouraged to, â€Å"take a step back to make sure you’re distinguishing between genuine feedback, even feedback undiplomatically presented, and bullying.† (Futterman Paroutaud, 2004) Futterman helps to differentiate between poor management skills and bullying by describing bullying as: Persistent Provides feedback which is not useful and focuses on trivial issues Based on false or distorted allegations  Relates to unrealistic or unreasonable targets that are set arbitrarily Is not accompanied by constructive efforts to resolve issues Another definition comes from Workplace Bullying Institute, describes workplace bullying as â€Å"repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators.† It further states that the abusive conduct is â€Å"threatening, humiliating, or intimidating†; involves work interference through sabotage which prevents work from getting done; and/or verbal abuse. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) Figure 1.1 represents the range of negative behaviors that occur in the workplace. According to The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, bullying, in its mildest form falls to the right of disrespect and when it is severe can lead to despair and even suicide. (Namie, The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, 2011) Figure 1.1 The Continuum of Negative Interpersonal Behavior (Namie, The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, 2011) 2 Why people should care about the topic  In his book, WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY, Gary Namie, PhD notes that companies should be concerned about bullying, if for no other reason than its potential to damage the bottom line. â€Å"Employers are frustrated with turnover and disruption caused by bullies. It often costs a company tens of thousands of dollars to recruit, hire and train a new employee to replace a bullied worker who left. (Namie, WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY, 2003) This assertion is backed up by Tim Field, a noted British anti-bullying activist with his main focus relating to workplace bullying, â€Å"Most cases of workplace bullying involve a serial bully, to whom all the dysfunction can be traced. A person who is being bullied may already know, or come to realise that they have a string of predecessors who have either: left unexpectedly or in suspicious circumstances; have gone on long term sick leave with some sort of psychological problem, and never returned; taken unexpected early or ill-health retirement,   have been involved in a grievance or disciplinary or legal action; have had stress breakdowns;  have been over-zealously disciplined for some trivial or non-existent reason.† (Field) 3 – Who are the bullies and who are the targets? (Profiles) Bullies  According to the 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey: February 2014, although bullies were less likely to be women than men (31% vs. 69%), women bullies were more likely (68% of the cases) to bully other women rather than men. In the Workplace Bullying Surveys, the percentages were similarly disproportionately high for women bullies. The Workplace Bullying Survey question asked respondents to identify the gender of the bullies and targets in situations with which they were familiar. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Figure 3.1 – Bullies by Gender (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) In his article, Introduction of the Serial Bully, Tim Field asserts that bullies share characteristics, including: â€Å"Plausible Charisma, Charm and Empathy Most workplace harassment and mistreatment (80%) is completely legal. Remarkably, a hostile work environment is actionable (illegal) only in very few situations. Bullying is not only tolerated in business, it is often seen as necessary. Lawmakers are reluctant to pass laws that reign in unfettered workplace violence resulting in psychological injury. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) Employers react to laws with internal policies. According to the WBI Healthy Workplace Bill, the value of an anti-bullying law is to get employers to prevent bullying with policies and procedures that apply to all employees. The WBI Healthy Workplace Bill, crafted by law professor David Yamada for the Healthy Workplace Campaign, provides incentives for employers to address workplace bullying by avoiding expensive litigation. (Hyman, 2014) Employers Dont Know How to Stop Bullies Respondents of the Workplace Bullying Survey were clear that employers fail to appropriately react to abusive conduct much more frequently than they take positive steps to eliminate bullying. Denial and discounting were the most common reactions by employers. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Figure 6.1: Employers Reaction to Bullying (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Bullying Is Underreported According to the 2014 Workplace Bullying Survey, forty percent (40%) of targets never tell their employers that they are being bullied. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Bullying can also be erroneously branded as conflict or a mere difference in personality styles. Although both are statements are true, bullying is also a form of violence, which puts it into a different category. Overly simplistic labels can minimize the impact of bullying on both the targets and the organization. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) 7 – Recommended Actions – Targets and Employers Targets Employees who are or have been victims of workplace bullying should realize that it is not their fault that they are being bullied. If they are suffering negative effects from the bullying they should seek help from a doctor or counselor and, if the bullying is ongoing, from a career advisor who can help them plan a job or career change. (Workplace Bullying, 2014) Until there are formal policies or laws in place, as is indicated in Figure 6.1, it could be difficult to challenge the bullying, depending on the corporate culture and the position and influence of the bully. Employers Because workplace bullying can be devastating to employees and companies, some companies have instituted zero-tolerance policies toward workplace bullying. In these companies, if an employee is being bullied he or she needs to document the bullying and present the problem to the proper person in the company, usually someone in human resources or upper management. Companies with good anti-bullying policies usually hold meetings from time to time to remind employees what workplace bullying is, how to report it, and the consequences for bullying. (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, Cary, 2011) There are some companies that encourage a company culture of workplace bullying. Usually companies do not purposefully support bullying, but they may develop a problem with it either through not taking workplace bullying seriously or by developing the habit of placing blame and fault finding instead of solving problems. In these companies, employees who make a case against bullies may find that the bullying only gets worse. In this situation, employees often have to either make the best of the situation or find different employment. (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, Cary, 2011) 8 Summary Although there is still no law against workplace bullying, there are ethical and bottom-line reasons to encourage employers to proactively search out and end workplace bullying including increased productivity, and morale of the targets and those effected as witnesses. With the growing number of people being targeted and the trends to address the issue, it seems to be only a matter of time until laws against workplace bullying are enacted. Once  employers start to enact formal policies and procedures condemning workplace bullying, then bullies will know the consequences of their actions and some may stop; and targets should have an incentive to report instances of bullying. Human resource departments will then have formal policies and processes to deal with the reported bullying cases. References WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute. (2014, May 15). Retrieved from Workplace Bullying Institute: http://www.workplacebullying.org/wbiresearch/ Workplace Bullying. (2014, May 19). Retrieved from Bullying Statistics: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., Cary, C. (2011). Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice. Boca Raton: Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Field, T. (n.d.). Introduction to the Serial Bully. Retrieved from Bullyonline.com: http://bullyonline.org/workbully/serial_introduction.htm Futterman, S., Paroutaud, F. (2004). WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY: Assessing Your Options and Taking Action. Montvale: Croce Publishing Group, LLC. Grasz, J. (2012, August 12). CareerBuilder Study Finds More Workers Feeling Bullied in the Workplace. Retrieved from Career Builder: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=8%2F29%2F2012id=pr713ed=12%2F31%2F2012 Hyman, J. (2014, April 3). If You Don’t Want Anti-Bullying Legislation, Give Me a ‘Hell Yeah!’. Retrieved from Workforce: http://www.workforce.com/blogs/3-the-practical-employer/post/20377-if-you-dont-want-anti-bullying-legislation-give-me-a-hell-yeah Klein, K. E. (2008, May 7). Employers Cant Ignore Workplace Bullies. Retrieved from Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2008/sb2008057_530667.htm Namie, G. (2003, November / December). WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY. Retrieved from Ivey Business Journal: http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/the-workplace/workplace-bullying-escalated-incivility Namie, G. (2011). The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Namie, G., Christensen, D., Phillips, D. (2014). 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey. Workplace Bullying Institute.

Infertility Treatments: Is it Ethical? Essay -- fertility medications,

In this day and age several factors have changed the definition of a family. We live in a time where careers, education, and work are now put before starting a family, making it more difficult to have children. The traditional family archetype has changed with a rise in single and homosexual parenting. This change, even though it is a positive one, can result in several people being unable to have children. Infertility treatments have become a popular option for these people who cannot have children. These treatments have become popular in books, movies, and other forms which has brought attention to the ethics of the practices. The ethics of these treatments are challenged by the health risks on people seeking treatments and their potential child, the morality of how embryos are used in these treatments, and the costs of these treatments. Although these treatments have their medical risks, anyone should have the option to use these treatments because they are often the only way they can have a child. Infertility treatments are various types of medicines and medical technologies that aid pregnancy. Some forms of medicines used to treat infertility include hormone injections, fertility drugs, and ovulation drugs. Fertility medications and hormone injections increases the chances of a person to get pregnant or impregnate someone by aiding in the release of hormones to regulate specific reproductive processes such as sperm production or ovulation. Technology based infertility treatments, or more commonly known as ART-technology (assisted reproductive technology), include in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, and embryo/zygote transfers. Artificial insemination is a procedure where sperm is placed inside the uterus. In vi... ...e treatments should not matter because the gift of a child is priceless. Altogether the practice of infertility treatments is absolutely necessary. Even though there are some possible negative effects from treatment and treatments can be pricey, nothing can be more valuable and precious than a child. Works Cited http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/Infertility/Index.htm https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/Pages/art.aspx http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/infertility.html http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/Psychological-impact-of-infertility http://www.sart.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/News_and_Publications/Ethics_Committee_Reports_and_Statements/fertility_gaylesunmarried.pdf http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/6/1502.short http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/6/1506.full

What I Believe In †Beliefs that Frame My Outlook on the World

We humans are entitled to have our own beliefs. These beliefs serve as our guiding principles in living our lives. They also help in building and framing our outlook towards the world we live in and towards our relationships with other people. Our beliefs can determine our character and can give reasons as to how we should live our lives every single day. What I personally believe in is actually very simple and basic. I believe in the power of doing something good to other people. For some reason, I grew up believing that if I do an act of goodness, life would be good to me as well.It is not as if I am asking or expecting for something in return every time I do something good. It is not that way. I just believe that showing an act of kindness and concern to others adds meaning into my life and it helps me feel good as well. This belief had helped me gain a better outlook in life. It feels good to receive a sincere smile from other people and even strangers whom I try to help – whether it is just a tiny gesture of offering a seat in the bus or picking up something that they have dropped.For me, an act of goodness – whether great or small – makes life more fulfilling. It warms the heart and makes the world seem happier and safer. I believe that a person can never be wrong if he chooses to do whatever is good. There are many opportunities for us to show an act of goodness every single day if we just look around – helping an elderly cross the street, donating something to the charity, participating in an environmental project, volunteering at a community centre and offering our companionship to someone who is in need of a friend; and many others.Even without exerting any conscious effort, I know that there are still a lot of ways for me to do something good like being patient while waiting in line at the fast food counter, being nice to the waiters and waitresses in restaurants, saying â€Å"thank you† to that security guard that opens and closes the door for me at the bank and by simply saying â€Å"I’m sorry† and â€Å"Please† all the time. I consider patience and good manners as virtues that I need to practice everyday in order to instil them in my character.Imagine if every person on earth would attempt to do an act of goodness everyday. There would probably be lesser troubles for people. The world can become a better place and we can set good examples to the younger generation. Whether we accept it or not, choosing to do what is good and showing kindness to others can go a long way. By doing so, we are already uplifting, inspiring and helping others in ways we can never quite expect. It is like touching other people’s lives and giving them hope that goodness still exists and there are ways to spread it out to the others.From another perspective, I believe that doing something good everyday of my life will help me have a good life as well. I have this idea in my mind that doin g acts of goodness all the time has its paybacks. As I have mentioned earlier, this is not associated with me asking for something in return. It simply means that I believe that there is such a thing as good karma. It is like leaving the rest to the forces of nature that exist or to fate; or to our Creator. It does not really matter which, what or who is responsible for the payback.All I know is that in life, goodness has its own price. As long as I am a good person, I can expect pleasant things to come my way. Life has its own twists and turns and this is something that is known to all of us. Sometimes, things do not always turn out as expected. I have experienced this to a great extent. While I am at my life’s mission of spreading goodness to others, one of the people whom I helped had betrayed me. This person has hurt me and despite of the good things I have done for him, he chose to pay me back with betrayal and deception.Another instance was when I decided to join a very worthy cause. I ended up being accused of something I did not do. I became a victim of injustice. Despite of all the help and effort I exerted for that particular project, I was accused of being on the negative side. Indeed, both experiences had been extremely disappointing and yes, painful to some extent. I would be a hypocrite if I would say that these specific events in my life did not shake my belief. In fact, there were days when I asked myself if I should continue being good to those who had hurt, betrayed and accused me.Is it still worth it to believe in the power of goodness? Should I continue believing that goodness can conquer all the negative things in this world? I was taken aback at how people can easily use and judge others. However, later on, I came to a realization that every person goes through several challenges and trials in his lifetime. That is the essence of living. My beliefs are my guiding principles on how I would live my life; but I should not expect other people to also believe whatever it is that I believe in; or expect them to follow my principles.Each person is unique and has his own beliefs. There will be times when the act of goodness that I do will not be reciprocated. That is my challenge and it is something that I should learn to accept. I also have to acknowledge the fact that people do not act and think alike all the time. Things will not always go my way or turn out as expected. The outcomes of my beliefs can either be favourable or unfavourable. Still, there is nothing wrong with believing that â€Å"goodness equates to goodness† regardless of everything. Thus I still believe in the power of doing good things to others.In conclusion to this personal insight, I simply want to state that our belief gives meaning to our existence and moulds our character. In my case, I find fulfilment and pleasure in doing something good to others – like showing some concern, expressing love or extending an act of kindness. I know that there will be times when my belief will be tested or challenged and I can easily lose my grip. However, as long as I know that what I believe in is right and just, life will find a way to pay me back. References http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=4538138&ps=sa