Freedome or Survival ?

5.) Why is it sometimes hard to remain neutral in an argument or fight? Do you respect people who try not to take sides in a dispute?

When there is a fight going on, even if it is one that you yourself have no involvement in, it is human nature to choose a side of the argument that you agree with. Whether it is a war in a far off country that doesn’t directly affect you, or a fight between friends in the school or work place, everyone has some sort of an opinion. It is an incredibly difficult task to remain neutral when there is some sort of fight and/or argument going on, either you can understand one point of view better and there for sympathize more so with them, or you have been in nearly the same situation as one side, and feel empathy toward them. On the other hand, maybe you just like one side better, if it was a fight between people at the school or work place, then you could just end up siding with whom you like more, or are around more often. People, who don’t choose sides, typically have an opinion, or are too unaware of the disagreement to make a decision. When someone doesn’t make a decision, it typically shows that they do not have enough deciding factors to force them to lean one way or the other. These people do have my respect, because if they know enough about the situation, and enough about all people involved and can still remain neutral, then they can typically be the go to person for both sides, and may end up settling the dispute. When someone says they don’t have an opinion, as to who is right or wrong in an argument, most cases just keeps it hidden. The ability to do so however, is one that I myself admire; being an opinionated person (who often voices said opinion), the ability to keep it quiet and not be pressured into telling what they think is an amazing talent. Even when it comes to world events, such as the current war in Georgia, most everyone has an opinion on what is right and what is wrong. Like Sweden during the Holocaust, when the rest of the world had something to say about what is right what is wrong, and trying to do something about it, Sweden did nothing, and to this day are very admired for doing so. It is things like that, not doing what the rest of the world wants you too, that brings respect to the small group of people that are able to remain neutral throughout arguments, on all kinds of scales. Keeping a neutral opinion about things is something that will let it be a little less to worry about. I highly respect the people that are able to keep there own opinions quiet, and still respect the people who have them, being able to be a neutral asset to any disagreement or argument. It is a hard thing to do, and the people who can are those who will be respected for many years to come

Vincent

After listening to the story of Vincent, I felt a deep personal connection to the story, a family friend of ours is autistic and it amazed me how I was able to relate him to Vincent. They both have there lives planed out for them every day, but are truly amazing people, Vincent’s ability to remember anything having to do with movies co-insides with our family friends ability to name all of the presidents forward and backward. This story made me think, why do we treat people like Vincent so differently? No one seems to know if they know they are different or not, they just assume that they are don’t and act like they are, leaving them no control, not even on how to look at themselves. Vincent’s story made me a little upset, the idea of not being able to run your own life is one that I myself have experienced, and is hard to go through, let alone watch anyone else go through. The beginning of the story, when one of the speakers finds out he is so very different from the rest of his peers, was a very emotional part of the story, being different isn’t easy, especially when you are told from teachers and authoritative figures that you are forced to respect that your different, it is a harsh and cold reality that is difficult for anyone to face. The part of the story, when, Vincent’s parents and siblings helping him to get through his days, was a part of the story that actually made me think of University, the way Vincent’s parents and siblings were able to the there for him, and support him, reminded me so much of the environment so embedded in our brains here at university. Vincent’s mom reminded me of our mentors, the way she is there for him every day and helps to guide him through life. The way Vincent’s mom helps him daily is a show of true compassion and is a very inspiring aspect of a somewhat sad story Vincent’s mother is someone who could very easily be looked up too, the way she devotes so much time to her son is a show of true love and caring. Vincent quitting his job and everything else in his life, if not explained through a chemical imbalance, could very understandably be that he wanted SOMETHING to control in his life. Not being able to live your life the way you want it something that no one should have to go through, the power to make a decision about your own life is something America stands on, and yet many people take it for granted, it takes someone like Vincent, who only wants a little control, to remind us how lucky we really are.