Chris McCandless and Mr. Fox

        Chris McCandless and Mr.Fox like to do things their way and they have something inside of them driving them to be adventurous, like an animal. Chris does not like to do things that people tell him. Mr. Fox does this as well; there were countless times in the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox when Mr. Fox did what he wanted and ignored other's advice. When people try to boss Chris around, he leaves and doesn't come back. These two characters' similarities are what contributes to their adventurous spirit.
        Chris had a passion for everything he did, his personality drove him to do things no one else would ever think about doing. Chris always went overboard on things, if he was interested in something he would go all out and do it. In the book Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer Chris's dad said "Chris was a high achiever in almost everything that caught his fancy"(109). This is what lead Chris to the edge where there was no turning back. He wanted to go into Alaska and live off the land with very little supplies, alone, in the wild. He was not scared because he thought he could overcome any obstacle, like he did in the past. "Chris was fearless even when he was little"(Krakauer 109). Chris's adventurous spirit came from his fearlessness, his narcissistic personality, and his unwillingness stop when he was in over his head.
        Like Chris, Mr. Fox does what he wants and has an animal inside of him that drives adventure. In the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox Mr. Fox asked his wife what she thought they should do in a given situation. His wife gave an answer and immediately Mr. Fox responded with a different idea. It was like he had already made up his mind before he even asked his wife. This happened multiple times throughout the movie. Mr.Fox stole chickens for a living before his son was born. He promised his wife that he would never steal a chicken again, but twelve fox-years later, he was back in the game. Mr. Fox couldn't give up stealing chickens, his passion for it would not let him. His excuse was that he had an animal inside of him, and he did, the animal was adventurism.
        Chris and Mr. Fox have something on the inside that drives their behavior. Neither of them like to take orders from others and they will only do things their way. Chris will leave if anyone trys to help him and that gives him opportunities for adventure. Mr. Fox askes people for their opinions, but in reality he has his mind made up before hand. Both Chris and Mr. Fox have an animal inside of them that drives their adventures. Chris's animal is his selfishness and narcissim while Mr. Fox's animal is his passion for the hunt.

Physical and Mental Brain

          Neither the physical brain nor the mental brain have more of an influence than the other. First of all, the physical brain can limit people in certain ways and they can't change that. In "The Brain" Clive had a physical disease that limits his ability to remember things that happen, but he can remember how to speak and move his body. On the other hand, the mental brain has to be in the right mindset to do what is wanted to be done. If someone goes into school thinking that they are already smart enough, a fixed mindset, then they will not succeed. That person has to go into school with a growth mindset. They need to embrace failure and learn from it, then they will succeed. Similarly, a player's mindset during a basketball game has to be in the right place and their physical brain has to be prepared as well. The player has to believe that he can win. He also has to be able to go from being really pumped up while playing, to being very calm while taking a free throw; just like in "The Brain".  Together, the physical brain has to be prepared for an event and the mental brain has to be in the right mindset. Only then, people are able to complete the task at hand.
          In my life experiences, I have found that the physical and mental brain both have an influence. I believe that my mental mindset has an effect on my performance. When I play a hockey game, I have to tell myself that I can do it, "I can score this goal" or "I can keep up with this guy". Similarly, my mind has to be physically prepared for the game as well as mentally. I have to be pumped up for my hockey game to succeed. If I just came out of the locker room without preparing myself in any way, I wouldn't do well. To get myself ready for a hockey game, I warm up by jogging around the arena and doing a small, easy workout. Then I listen to some rock music, which gets me in the zone. After doing all of that, I am physically and mentally ready for my game. I do this when I am getting ready for a test in school too. To get my physical brain prepared for a test, I study all night. To get mentally prepared, I have to believe that I can do well. Both the physical and mental brain effect how I perform in sports and school, I have to get pumped up or study and believe in myself to succeed.

Personal Narratives and Cultural Factors

1)     I have found the personal narratives and single stories the most interesting topics so far. The personal narratives were fun to read and write. I liked reading all the different stories of people in the book "The Oxford Project". It was very interesting to read about the lives of other people. They told stories about life lessons they have learned, some entertaining and others sad, and really good stories. It was probably the first time any of the people in the book told their stories. The stories in "The Oxford Project" are also single stories. The stories only get the points of view of the person they are about. Of course, that is the most important point of view, but there are many other sides to that persons story. Their friend might see a particular event as insightful rather than a complete loss. I liked writing my personal narrative too. It felt good to get some of the things that I have never told anyone out and on paper. It allow me to reminisce about good and bad parts of my life. I thought that the personal narratives and single stories were the most fun topics this year.

2)     The cultural factor that has had the most affect on me is social class. My family is in the middle class, and that has shaped the person I am. It has made me a saver, not a spender. I have to work hard in order to go to college because I know that my parents won't pay for my college career if I get bad grades. Rich people feel entitled to go to college no matter how hard they work. Poorer people have to work a lot harder than richer people if they want to go to college. In the world, more money equals more opportunity, and less money equals more work. I believe the least influential cultural factor is political views. I don't care about elections or important economic decisions. I don't care what direction our country goes in, there are other people that do and they will keep us going in the right direction. I hope. I don't have political views, and that is why I believe that it is the least influential cultural factor.

3)     The article "15 ways rich people think differently" by Steve Siebold also talks about rich people getting opportunities. " Rich people maintain a logical relationship with money viewing it as a tool that represents options and opportunities"(Siebold 1). Everyone knows that more money means you get more opportunities, whether that be in schooling, music, athletics, etc. "Average people focus on saving and miss big opportunities by trying to live frugally"(Siebold 1). This is a perfect example. Middle class families teach their kids to be savers because that is the only life they know. The middle class doesn't know that to make money you have to spend money, and the rich do. The rich are taught that from a young age. "Rich people teach their children from an early age about the world of haves and have nots"(Siebold 1). Kids from rich families get knowledge that poorer kids don't. Rich kids get more opportunities and are taught by their rich parents how to become rich. Social class has a very big impact on the peoples lives.



Link to "15 ways rich people think differently":  http://www.news.com.au/business/worklife/ways-rich-people-think-differently/story-e6frfm9r-1226464697808#ixzz2fwBrrfv3