Parents and Educators as a Powerful Influence Essay -- Graduate Colleg

Parents and Educators as a Powerful Influence Every individual has an impact on the world, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. For the most part, the greatest impact an individual will have is limited to those with whom he interacts and the small community in which he lives. To a certain extent, each person has control over his own actions and decisions, and the choices he makes will ultimately determine how much power he will have over his own life. In as much as any human being can control his surroundings, he can also control the contributions he makes to the community and the quality of his own life. Although one might not ever be able to create an ideal world, through life experiences, relationships with those around him, imagination, and above all, education, he can reach his own human potential and achieve his own ideal individual existence. As no one can avoid interacting on some level with other human beings, no one lives in complete isolation. Literature, film, and music provide many examples of the consequences and implications of alienation and isolation. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s constant attempts to alienate himself ultimately fail due to his love and desire to care for his sister, whose love and concern for him does not allow him to disengage totally from the world. It is through a person’s relationships with other people that he finds his place in the world and develops his own sense of importance. The caring and love of other human beings reaffirm a person’s sense of self-worth and give him the confidence to explore his world and form other attachments that will allow him to continue to grow and to develop as a person. ... ...ces in life. Educators introduce the child to a broad spectrum of knowledge, but more importantly, they fuel his imagination and present all the possibilities. Through art, literature, music, and history, in particular, a child can share the thoughts and feelings of those who came before him, and he can begin to explore his own imagination and creativity. It is this unique ability educators and parents have to connect children with the world around them that empowers the children to find their own places in society. This knowledge allows a child to discover and to revel in his own sense of individuality and to make choices and decisions that are true to his character. Perhaps Polonius said it best in Hamlet when he advised his son Laertes, â€Å"This above all: to thine own self be true,/And it must follow, as the night the day,/ Thou canst not then be false to any man.†