http://roberts375lblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-chemical-romance_20.html
Robert R. Titus
English 375L
My Chemical Romance
My greatest passion is not a specific task or hobby, but an emotion. I love to feel good and there are infinite combinations of things that cause this feeling. In that sense, I am a hedonist at heart. I love to inspire happiness in others. At the greatest level, my career choice is simply that I want to teach other people how to be happy.
As John Stuart Mill suggests, “Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means but as an ideal end.”[1] I first encountered Mill’s theory of utilitarianism in early modern philosophy and found beauty in its simplicity. Mill believed in developing character, and he possessed a strong distaste for cultures – like the English and American – which are “dominated by money-grubbing and competition for material gain.”[2] I absorbed this simplistic Victorian conception and incorporated utilitarian ideals into my outlook. I believe, as Mill does, that true happiness is not a high paying job, or social success, but in serving others. My path in life is an altruistic one, as I want to teach others how to break free of the damaging chemical influences that dominate their lives.
As a young man, I watched my parents struggle unhappily though life. They both graduated from college, and both of them choose careers based on monetary wants. As a result, they despised their money based careers and tension of their career choices spilled over into their personal lives. They achieved monetary gain at the expense of personal happiness. They settled into sales jobs they never intended to have and focused on the acquisition of material goods. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with making a living, but as Mill states, true happiness is only attainable though altruism.
(Richard Titus (top left chugging a cold beverage),
University of Kansas graduation party, TKE house 1974.)
My father, pictured[3] at the age I am now was a born leader. This picture is the TKE fraternity, of which he was president. He fit Goldman’s leadership characteristics, as he was cognizant of other people’s feelings, and understood what the moment required “whether it was calming fears, assuaging angers, or joining in good spirits.”[4] He lived a rewarding life, made a good living, though he had several regrets. Dad was a brilliant leader, but he never took the time to understand himself.
A few months ago, I lost my father to cancer. When he was gone, I examined his life and understood more about my future. I found myself thinking about my legacy. How do I want to me remembered? As Daniel Goldman states, “When people think in terms of an extended horizon, such as what might be done before dying, they open themselves up to a new range of possibilities.”[5] Simply put, I want to use Mill’s utilitarian conception to light my future path.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
“I don’t much care where—“
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
“— So long as I get somewhere.”
“Oh, you’re sure to do that if you only walk long enough.” [6]
Unlike
To accomplish these lofty goals, I am going to have to cultivate some leadership skills. First, I want to use the full resources of my being and “avoid defining my vision narrowly.”[8] By this, I simply mean that I want to evade falling into the trap of limiting myself with a label and develop the flexibility to adapt to complex obstacles. Second, I want to articulate a personal vision for my medical clinic, something that I deeply believe, and attune this system to the values that I teach to others.[9] Thirdly, as a leader, I would like to distribute the knowledge I acquire in large amounts. Finally, and most importantly, I want to gain a better understanding of my abilities and achieve self-awareness so I can better understand those I want to lead.
As a leader, I want to understand my limitations and strengths. I do not see myself as an exceptionally intelligent person, however I have a strong work ethic and an insatiable desire for knowledge. As a knowledge hound, I study topics in every area of education. I would major in life and take every course at UT if the option presented itself! As Newman said “though they cannot pursue every subject which is open to them, they will be gainers by living among those who represent the whole circle.”[10] I feel like I have absorbed as much from the students at the university as I have in my courses. I am a very argumentative individual and rarely accept facts presented unless I can personally test their validity. This suspicious nature is a critical part of knowledge acquisition. Ultimately, I believe in people and their abilities and intentions. My investigative nature and faith in people are traits that will serve me well as a physician.
My personal vision of leadership did not
begin at the
Currently, I am well on my way to
accomplishing my first step and defining my personal vision across wide swath
of interests. Much Like Jude, who apprenticed as a stonemason while maintaining
his hopes of entering the university, I completed my apprenticeship as an EEG
technician before coming to the
(The BRPT is a credentialing service for EEG
technicians. EEG is the study of the bioelectric potentials (waves) in specific
areas of the brain.)
For years, I have observed the effects of various chemicals on brain activity. I have become so adept at examining the morphology of brain waves; I can observe different structures of the brain and determine the chemical that is causing any abnormalities. I believe the occipital region of the brain (labeled as “O” in the diagram of the EEG attachment points above[13]) determines ideal individual medication levels. So often, patients are drastically overmedicated. The effects of overmedication destroy the intended purpose of the medication and create a myriad of medical issues. If more people understood the pills they were ingesting altered the bioelectrical potentials of their brain, sometimes permanently, the prevalence of pharmaceuticals in society would rapidly decrease. As a leader, I plan to educate the public about the ill effects of overmedication.
(Gustave Doré, A French romantic, painted this work to
reflect his emotions concerning the direction of post revolutionary
Painted during the French revolution, the above picture[14] depicts a fallen soldier. A massive black eagle (top right) is prevented from murdering the man by the angel of liberty. I respect its revolutionary symbolism and deeply admire the stoic stance of protection that it embodies. The painting inspires my personal leadership vision and represents that pilgrimage that I intend to take. This is how I am a leader; I want to refine my knowledge of chemicals and their effects on the body and share them with the world. I want to fight the entrenched political systems that allow pharmaceutical corporations to hijack medical education. I want to change the public’s obliviousness towards everyday chemical exposure and link that exposure with common medical alignments. In short, I want to show people that the human body is a wonderfully sophisticated organism that, when free of disruptive chemicals, can heal and perpetuate itself. Ultimately, I want to show the people the truth and help them discover a natural individual happiness outside of medical influence.
(Picture of the outside of the main building[15])
Word Count: 1624
Word Count without quotations: 1407
Blogger URL: http://roberts375lblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-chemical-romance_20.html
Personal Website: https://webspace.utexas.edu/rrt329/P1b.htm?uniq=-v3gcxl
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