Suicide Essay Example

Suicide Essay Example Suicide Essay Suicide Essay I would like to start this speech by asking what you think of suicide. Has it ever been an option to deal with your struggles in life? Have you ever thought about leaving this world because you don’t think it understands you? Have you ever imagined yourself cutting a vein, jumping off from a 20-storey building, overdosing yourself with drugs or simply just stop breathing? I mean, seriously, have you? According to the statistics conducted by the World Health Organization, one person commits suicide every 40 seconds counting to millions of suicide deaths at the end of the year. That is why, it is considered as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Furthermore, suicide rates have increased to 40% from the last 50 years (. So, why do people commit suicide? Kurt Cobain said it was drugs. Vincent Van Gogh said it was the feeling of worthlessness. Virginia Woolf said it was mental illness. Marilyn Monroe said nothing. Nonetheless, most suicides are committed by highly-creative people. Does this mean passion in music, art and literature can drive people to their deaths? Absolutely not! There are different causes of suicides. According to Wikipedia, the common causes of suicides are obviously mental disorders, suffering, unrequited love, stress, guilt, self-sacrifice, catastrophic injuries, financial loss, loneliness, drugs, so on and so forth. However, there can be a lot of reasons behind a suicide attempt of a person. One of the sad truths is most of the time, their reasons are incomprehensible. Famous people who have committed suicide include Vincent Van Gogh, a mentally disturbed Dutch painter who shot himself in the chest; Kurt Cobain, lead vocalist of Nirvana who was believed to have died due to drug overdose; Virginia Woolf, a feminist writer who drowned herself in a river near their house; Sylvia Plath, a notable poet who gassed herself in a microwave oven while her children were sleeping on the other room. Some people take their lives for heroic causes. For example, Mahatma Gandhi protested against the war between the Hindus and Muslim by means of starving himself to death which was successfully stopped before he died. In Japan during World War II, soldiers kill themselves first rather than falling in the hands of the Nazis. Moreover, Japanese pilots also volunteered to sacrifice their lives by crashing their aircrafts to an enemy’s base. Indeed, people have different views about life. Some even denounce life and believe there is a much better world after it. We cannot always blame mental disorders as the cause of suicide rates. Highly creative people can be sane and appreciative of their life. No matter how troublesome life is, suicide is not always an option to solve problems. Escaping it would only produce more for the ones left behind. Suicide may have been one of the most famous resorts in escaping a problem or a life that is believed to be not worth living. However, environment can also affect a person who is tempted to it. If only we can all be sensitive to the people around us, sometimes a simple smile and good conversation can save someone’s life. Suicide. Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. 21 October 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide

The German, Austrian, and Swiss National Anthems

The German, Austrian, and Swiss National Anthems The melody of the German national anthem comes from the old Austrian imperial anthem â€Å"Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser† (â€Å"God Save Franz the Emperor†) by Franz Joseph Haydn  (1732-1809), which was first played on February 12, 1797. In 1841 Haydns melody was combined with with lyrics by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben  Ã‚  (1798-1874) to create â€Å"Das Lied der Deutschen† or â€Å"Das Deutschlandlied.† From the time of Bismarcks Prussia (1871) up to the end of the First World War this anthem was replaced by another. In 1922 the first president of the German Republic (the â€Å"Weimar Republic†), Friedrich Ebert, officially introduced â€Å"Das Lied der Deutschen† as the national anthem. During the 12 years of the Nazi era, the first stanza was the official anthem. In May 1952 the third stanza was proclaimed the official anthem of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) by President Theodor Heuss. (East Germany had its own anthem.) The second verse, while never  verboten (forbidden), was not very popular because of its â€Å"wine, women, and song† references. The fourth verse was written by Albert Matthi during the French occupation of the Ruhr region in 1923. It is not part of the anthem today. Since 1952, only the third (â€Å"Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit†) verse has been the official anthem. Das Lied der Deutschen Song of the Germans German Lyrics Literal English Translation Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles, Germany, Germany above all, ber alles in der Welt, Above everything in the world, Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze When always, for protection, Brderlich zusammenhlt, We stand together as brothers. Von der Maas bis an die Memel, From the Maas to the Memel Von der Etsch bis an den Belt - From the Etsch to the Belt - Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles, Germany, Germany above all ber alles in der Welt. Above all in the world. Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue, German women, German loyalty, Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang German wine and German song, Sollen in der Welt behalten Shall retain in the world, Ihren alten schnen Klang, Their old lovely ring Uns zu edler Tat begeistern To inspire us to noble deeds Unser ganzes Leben lang. Our whole life long. Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue, German women, German loyalty, Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang German wine and German song. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Unity and law and freedom fr das deutsche Vaterland! For the German Fatherland Danach lasst uns alle streben Let us all strive for that Brderlich mit Herz und Hand! In brotherhood with heart and hand! Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Unity and law and freedom Sind des Glckes Unterpfand; Are the foundation for happiness Blh im Glanze dieses Glckes, Bloom in the glow of happiness Blhe, deutsches Vaterland. Bloom, German Fatherland. Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles,* Germany, Germany above all* Und im Unglck nun erst recht. And in misfortune all the more. Nur im Unglck kann die Liebe Only in misfortune can love Zeigen, ob sie stark und echt. Show if its strong and true. Und so soll es weiterklingen And so it should ring out Von Geschlechte zu Geschlecht: From generation to generation: Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles, Germany, Germany above all, Und im Unglck nun erst recht. And in misfortune all the more. Listen to  the  Melody: Lied der Deutschen  or to the the  Deutschlandlied  (orchestral version. Austrian National Anthem: Land der Berge The national anthem (Bundeshymne) of the  Republik Ãâ€"sterreich  (Republic of Austria) was officially adopted on February 25, 1947, following a contest to find a replacement for the former imperial anthem by Haydn that had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and now also had Nazi associations. The composer of the melody is not certain, but its origin goes back to 1791, when it was created for the freemason lodge to which both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Holzer (1753-1818) belonged. Current theory says that either Mozart or Holzer could have composed the melody. The lyrics were written by Paula von Preradovic (1887-1951), the winner of the 1947 competition. Preradovic was the mother of the Austrian Minister of Education, Felix Hurdes, who had encouraged her (a distinguished writer and poet) to enter the contest.   The  Swiss National Anthem (Die Schweizer Nationalhymne) The Swiss national anthem has a unique history that reflects the  nature of Switzerland itself. Switzerland (die Schweiz) may be an old country, but its current national anthem has only been official since 1981. Although the Schweizer Landeshymne or Landeshymne was tentatively approved by the Swiss Nationalrat in 1961 and was in general use after 1965, the anthem did not actually become official for another 20 years (April 1, 1981). The anthem itself, originally known as the Schweizerpsalm, is much older. In 1841 the priest and composer Alberik Zwyssig of Urn was asked to compose music for a patriotic poem written by his friend, Zurich music publisher Leonhard Widmer. He used a hymn that he had already composed, and adapted it for Widmers words. The result was the Schweizerpsalm, which soon became popular in parts of Switzerland. But some Swiss cantons, such as French-speaking Neuchatel, had their own anthems. Efforts to select an official Swiss national anthem (to replace an old one that used the British God Save the Queen/King melody) ran up against the countrys five languages and strong regional identities until 1981.

Employee stress in the work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee stress in the work place - Essay Example Managers need to create a stress-free environment at the workplace for employees in order to ensure sustainable organizational performance. In this paper, we will discuss some of the main factors that can contribute to employee stress in the workplace, as well as the possible measures that managers can take to reduce stress in employees. 2. Factors That Cause Stress in Employees There are many individual, administrative, job concerning factors that can cause stress in employees. Some of those factors include discrimination, keeping employees away in decision-making processes, less promotional opportunities, rotating shifts, work overload, role conflict, team-based conflicts, excessive managerial control, increased job timings, lack of confidentiality, unsafe working conditions, and less salary (Akrani 2011). Let us discuss some of these issues in detail to know the way they cause stress in employees. 2.1 Discrimination Discrimination is one of the main factors that make employees str essed. Discrimination occurs when managers give preference to a particular individual or a group of individuals while taking any important decision. Such preference is usually based on racial, ethics, social, religious, and gender differences. For example, promoting a male employee to a higher position even when his performance is low than his female counterparts. Such decisions put a negative impact on the productivity and performance of other employees. 2.2 Keeping Employees Away In Decision-Making Processes Employees also feel stressed and depressed when they are not involved in decision-making processes related to their jobs. Employees want some recognition and value for the performances that they show for their companies. Involving them in decision-making processes is one of the best ways to do so. However, when employees are neglected during critical decision-making processes, they feel inferior and their level of commitment to their jobs decreases. 2.3 Less Promotional Opport unities If there are less opportunities of employee promotion in a company, employees may not like to work there because of less chances of career development. Working in a company where there are less progress opportunities and job enrichment is a main factor of stress in employees. 2.4 Increased Job Timings The balance between work life and family life is very important for every employee. In situations where employees do not find enough time to spend with their families due to longer working hours is also a reason of stress in employees. 2.5 Work Overload As Akrani (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"excessive work load leads to stress as it puts a person under tremendous pressure†. Employees feel stressed when their managers give them huge amounts of work to complete in a single day. Similarly, giving less or very simple work also causes stress in employees. Doing work of simple nature leads to boredom that eventually leads to stress and depression. 3. Strategies for Managing Stre ss in Employees As Manley (n.d.) states, â€Å"stress in the workplace is bad for an employee's health and also causes distractions, making it harder for the stressed individual to perform their job† (p. 1). It is the responsibility of managers to take effective measures and strategies to offset those negative effects