Adam Smiths Contribution to Classical Political Economy

Adam Smiths Contribution to Classical Political Economy Assess the contribution of Adam Smith to the tradition of Classical Political Economy Important Assignment Related Notices Penalties: University policy requires that a penalty be deducted from the actual mark achieved for each working day the assignment is late until 0 is reached. There is a strict deadline of 11:59pm on day of submission. One grade step will be deducted for very 11:59pm deadline that is missed. Any written assessment that exceeds the stated word limit by more than 10% will receive a one grade step mark deduction. Extensions Plagiarism Information: For more information about extensions and plagiarism please refer to your One Stop Shop course. An Originality Report (OR) is generated by Turnitin every time a piece of work is submitted. The OR shows where matches have been found between the submitted document and other existing sources in the Turnitin database. 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It is College policy that staff will not be actively engaging in debate over matters of feedback and grades with individual students via Canvas’ online Speed Grader system. Assignment Grade: 100 98 93 88 85 83 78 75 73 68 65 63 58 55 53 48 45 43 38 33 28 23 18 13 8 3 0 Admin Note: Marker please a) highlight or box the grade from the above Grade Mark Steps that this assignment has achieved and b) insert the same % into the grade box in the right hand column of Canvas Speedgrader. Feedback Overview of submission (Definition of question, integration of theoretical and empirical material where appropriate, engagement with relevant themes and issues, engagement with relevant academic literature) Quality of research and analysis (Clarity and depth of argument, scope of argument, originality of approach, range of sources used, critical use of sources) Evidence of key skills (Structure, clarity of expression, proper referencing and accompanying bibliography, formatting, evidence of sustained research) Potential areas for improvement (How could a future submission be enhanced?) Assess the contribution of Adam Smith to the tradition of Classical Political Economy Introduction Adam Smith’s contribution to the tradition of classical political economy was hugely influential. This essay will discuss two of his major theories outlined in the Wealth of Nations; the division of labour and then the invisible hand, whilst briefly touching upon Smith’s view on the role of the state and the free-market. Smith was a moral philosopher from the late 18th Century and wrote; â€Å"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations† in 1776, to critique the political-economic system of the time; mercantilism. This was an economic theory and practice that encouraged imperialism and state intervention into the allocation of scarce resources. Smith was writing at the outset of the Industrial Revolution when the world was changing. In the Wealth of Nations, Smith proposed many revolutionary economic theories including; the division of labour, the labour theory of value, the role of the state in an economy and the invisible hand among others, which he thought would build a nations’ wealth. Classical political economy is a group of theories that developed in the 17th – 19th Century to try and understand society on the basis of its economic foundation. Smith viewed political economy as a branch of science of statesmen, aimed at providing its citizens with plentiful revenue or subsistence and sufficient revenue for state for public service. It proposed to enrich both the people and the sovereign. (Smith, 2008, p. 275; Burnham, P., 2014, A). Smith believed that society should be market-based, which he believed were characterised by the three factors of production; land, labour and capital. These factors of production produce three classes within society: landowners, capital owners and labour. Each clas s receives revenue, and all are independent of each other. Smith’s main point in the Wealth of Nations was that all classes could gain from an increase in the scope of the market; anything that impedes the free-market is a problem (Burnham, P., 2014, B). Discussion One of Smith’s key theories, proposed in the Wealth of Nations, was that of the division of labour. This refers to the separation of different parts of the production process according to the worker’s ability and/or the worker’s equipment. Smith believed that the benefits were clear; it enhanced the production process leading to a more efficient use of scarce resources as well as lowering the cost of production (Smith, 2008, Book I, ch.1). Furthermore, Smith strongly believed that the division of labour greatly increased the quantity a worker and/or firm could produce. The results of dividing labour are; the increase in the skill of the worker; reduced time loss upon switching production process, and the invention of machines which aids workers and enables one man to do the work of many. By reducing the worker’s part of the production process to one, simpler operation performed solely by the worker, this increases the worker’s skill and performance. As no worker needs to change task, more time can be dedicated to the production process. The specialisation of workers would enable firms to employ machinery, thus producing more goods more efficiently compared to human capital, reducing the number of workers required to make a certain quantity of goods, and therefore reducing the cost of production (Smith, 2008, pp.15-17). In the 18th Century when The Wealth of Nations was published, factory owners adopted his principle of people specialising in particular jobs as shown in his example of the pin-maker. This principle of specialisation has continued to modern industrial occupations, such as car manufacturing. However, Smith believed that the division of labour was limited by the extent of the market. For example, if the market is so small that a worker cannot sell their produce of labour efficiently, the worker will make losses, and so, on this basis, may work in an industry for which they are not skilled in. Smith argued that division of labour will only take place when the population is large, that will create enough demand for specialised services (Smith, 2008, Book I, ch. 3). Karl Marx disagreed with Smith’s theory, as he believed that specialisation would lead to the alienation of workers as the work becomes repetitive and reduces the value of the worker from a human being to that of a machine (Marx, 1988, p.72). In addition when work becomes more specialised, less training is required for each job, and so, the individual workers become less skilled than if one worker performed the whole task (Marx, 1999, p.119). Smith also critiques the division of labour; he believed that if a worker devoted their life to performing one or a few simple operations of which the effects are similar or the same, the worker has no occasion to discover methods for removing difficulties that never occur. Smith argues that because of this, the worker would generally become as stupid and ignorant as is possible for a human to be (Smith, 2008, pp. 429 430). Another one of Smith’s most prominent ideas was the concept of the ‘Invisible Hand’ and the idea of a free-market (Smith, 2008, Book IV, ch. 2). What Smith actually meant by ‘Invisible Hand’ is still a contested idea between economists, but it is widely believed that it is a metaphor to describe the guide of the allocation of scarce resources in a free-market. A free-market is a market free from government intervention and so the market price of goods are determined by the interaction between supply and demand. Smith stated that all actors, buyers and sellers, act in their own self-interest (Burnham, P., 2014, B). Smith claimed that, due to the absence of government intervention, buyers are free to choose where to buy goods from and seller are free to choose which goods they want to supply and at what price and quantity. Smith believed that this method would benefit society as buyers, acting in their own self-interest, would buy goods from the cheapest sellers. This would mean that firms would compete against each other, trying to gain as many customers as possible to maximise their own self-interest; profit. This would lead to firms cutting their prices in order to gain buyers. In turn, the inefficient firms with higher costs and whose use of resources are inefficient, will not be able to cut their prices, so are forced out of the market. An obvious example of this is budget airlines competing against each other, Laker Airways became bankrupt in 1982 trying to compete. This inevitably leads to a more efficient use of resources, with buyers getting their goods at a cheaper price and/or higher quality; improving their utility whilst the efficient firms reap the benefits of increased profits. Smith believed that because of this, the free-market is the best way to allocate scarce resources and that indi viduals trying to maximise their utility would in turn increase the utility of society (Smith, 2006, p.316). The most obvious example of the free-market theory in practice today is America – whether or not it is successful in allocating resources efficiently or lowering prices is debatable. A common misconception is that Smith wanted no state intervention whatsoever. However, although he wanted a small state, he saw four main roles for the state to play: to uphold the rule of law, to protect society from people who are against the market, to maintain public infrastructure, and to foster â€Å"justice† (Burnham, P. 2014 B). Not everyone agrees with Smith’s theory of the invisible hand and that the free-market benefits society. The free-market does not work efficiently when externalities exist. An externality is an action of an individual that has an impact on others, which the individual does not pay for/the other individual is not compensated for, so therefore, the market price does not reflect the true cost to society (Mankiw Taylor, 2014 p. 189). Marx argued that the capital class, that is those who own the modes of production, do not work and therefore exploit the workers. He also believes that capitalists would eventually accumulate more and more capital, further exploiting the working class (Marx, 1999, Vol. 7). More recently, Joseph Stiglitz identifies that markets are too short-term driven, and are unlikely to invest in research and development, which historically has been done by the government. As well as this, Stiglitz believes that due to asymmetric information and individuals pursui ng their own personal interest, the free-market will inevitably lead to those with the information to benefit at the expense of others, therefore, markets will not be efficient (Stiglitz, 2004). This can be seen in George Akerlof’s example of a used car salesman, who has more information than the customer, and so can gain at the expense of the customer (Akerlof, 1970). Conclusion Adam Smith was immensely influential and made a huge contribution to the tradition of classical political economy. He produced the building blocks for basic liberal economics that of the free-market – and many of his theories are still used in some way today. Smith’s works influenced many prominent economically liberal academics of the 20th Century, including Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek. Smith’s theories have been adopted by governments, most notably Margaret Thatcher’s and Ronald Reegan’s, and have been adapted to suit the different situation of modern society. With hindsight, and through criticisms from prominent academics, such as Karl Marx, we now know that there are faults with some of Smith’s key theories, such as asymmetric information and externalities in a market. However, in the 18th Century, Smith’s theories were revolutionary and helped change the political-economic system of Britain from that of mercantilism to cl assical political economy. Smith’s theories also helped to kick-start Britain’s Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century, which aided Britain’s ascension to be the most powerful and wealthy country in the world (Hudson, 2011). Therefore, it could be argued that his contribution was immense and nearly two hundred and fifty years later, he continues to influence political and economic thinking. Bibliography Smith, A. (2008)An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: A Selected Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, USA Burnham, P. (A) (2014) What is political economy-2.ppt, 08 20891 Political Economy. [online via internal VLE] University of Birmingham available at: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/7985/files/845717?module_item_id=147603 Burnham, P. (B) (2014) Economic liberalism.pptx, 08 20891 Political Economy. [online via internal VLE] University of Birmingham available at: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/7985/files/845717?module_item_id=147603 Marx, K. (1988)Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and the Communist Manifesto (Great Books in Philosophy). Prometheus Books Marx, K. (1999)Das Kapital: A Critique of Political Economy. Regnery Publishing, Inc., An Eagle Publishing Company Smith, A. (2006)The Theory of Moral Sentiments. 7 vols. United States: Waking Lion Press Mankiw, G. and Taylor, M. (2014)Economics. 3rd ed. Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Cengage Learning Stiglitz, J. (2004)The Roaring Nineties: A New History of the World’s Most Prosperous Decade. Norton, W. W. Company, Inc. Akerlof, G. (1970) The Market for â€Å"Lemons†: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism.The Quarterly Journal of Economics[online], 84 (3). Available from: http://socsci2.ucsd.edu/~aronatas/project/academic/Akerlof%20on%20Lemons.pdf Hudson, P. (2011) The Workshop of the World. BBC [online], 29 March. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/workshop_of_the_world_01.shtml [Accessed 4 December 2014]

Racism in “Heart of Darkness” and “Apocalypse Now” Essay

The book â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and the movie â€Å"Apocalypse Now† are two works dealing with deep issues of evil. (Beyond imperialism, because the evil of imperialism has a root. For example, crack the nut) They refer places boiling down to a discussion of racism. The Thames River as in any mythology is a source of life. At the end, Marlow comes upon Kurtz’s Intended and said, â€Å"An object of the fecund†. Also, these two works deal with how a man is surrounded by evil acts and evil minds to fight of the fire fueled by the society. They also talks about how a character is a racist, when that character clearly condemns his way of life by leaving the Congo, and confirms the ills of society by lying about them. Firstly, I think that the racism claims are overstated, in two ways. A) Conrad’s racism, such as it is, is directed not at black people as a whole but rather as Africans. I think the prejudice must be recognized as activism, or whatever the proper term is, rather than as racism. B) Conrad is critical, not solely of Africans and their way of life, but also of European culture. He’s just as anti-white as he is also anti-black. Additionally, I think that Conrad may be considered a racist if and only if you decide that the definition of racism is thinking your race is better, but I really don’t think that he could be considered a white supremacist or that he really contained a deep hatred for Africans. In fact, I don’t think that he was even that serious on his own race. It is because that overtime he describes the presence of the white imperialist or any white people in general, he describes them in a bitter, dark way. And while he describes the Africans in a sort of blunt way as natural, rustic, raw people. I also think he does it in a much lighter way. I don’t think he criticizes the way they were. I just think he is ignorant of the political correctness found in today’s society. Moreover, I don’t consider the answer is simple enough to just say one is good and the other is bad. We have to keep in mind when this book was written. In that time period the other didn’t really have much perception at all on what the African people were like. He only could go by the common knowledge of the day that wasn’t very pleasant. I don’t think that we can expect an author in that time to be a non-racist. Ever since I read that article, I have thought of the book as being pretty disturbing. I don’t know if I would have considered this book quite so frustrating. If I had not read that article, since the racism is the only part of the book that I have been able to focus on. I still think it is very well written and interesting, but it is more difficult to enjoy it, knowing that the author was so racist. Then again, I suppose one cannot expect much more coming from a story written at a time when whites didn’t know hardly anything about other races, and cultures. Ultimately, I believe that there is a definitely a strong element of racism in both Heart Of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. However, I believe that the article on ‘Achebe’ overreacts. Granted Conrad displays no respect for the African Culture, this is historical fact and granted that it is not good. It is a part of history in which it cannot be ignored, so it will never happen again stating that black people should be grateful of the white because they were the ones who got them out of slavery in the first place.

An Arguement Against Peter Singer’s Famine, Aflunity, and Influence

In his paper â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality† Peter Singer argues that a lack of benevolence from affluent countries to people suffering from poverty in other countries is unjustified and is comparable to doing nothing if one sees a baby drowning in water a few feet away. In the following paper I will discuss how residing in an affluent country does not put individuals under obligation to donate, and the efforts that are already made by individuals and governments in affluent countries are sufficient enough to be considered benevolent.I will present the following arguments to provide reasoning for this. First I will explain how singers drowning baby analogy fails to make a proper comparison to donating. Second, I will show how the assumed responsibility that affluent country should give to the needy is flawed. Third will discuss how donating may actually be counterproductive in the long term. Lastly I will give a comparison towards donating to poverty is no better or mor e beneficial to donating to crime prevention.The main concern addressed in this essay is the analogy Singer makes when he compares the ease of saving a drowning baby to the ease of making a donation to a country in poverty (Singer, par. 6). Singer’s analogy is only correct on the basis that the baby and people living in poverty are both in circumstances out of their control. The difference though, is that the baby he describes is moments away from death, while people living in poverty are mostly not on the brink of death. I believe the vast majority of people would save the baby, yet only a small percentage of people will take the time to donate.Furthermore, I rule out Singer’s argument for proximity (par. 8). Walking around a city like Toronto, one may walk right past homeless people in very dire circumstances, and many people still do not bother to give any assistance. Thus, since being in a very close proximity will usually not yield a donation, in most likelihood, witnessing someone very close to death is probably the best way to evoke enough emotion for an individual to make a donation. Another flaw in Singers paper is that he makes the argument in his thesis that affluent countries should be responsible for countries that are in poverty (par. 3).By being in a â€Å"global village† as singer puts it, then a logical thing to do is donate to country that has the most poverty. Looked at another way we already donate through the government. Foreign aid comes from our tax dollars. So, in essence we are donating, but the government takes care of all the work. I call this the apathetic donor. In contrast though, Canada is considered a very affluent country yet still has small but significant part of its population below the poverty line. An argument could easily be made that a priority should be placed towards the homeless and people living below the poverty line within Canada first.Once dealt with properly, giving the remains out to the res t of the needy world will follow. If Canada cannot take care of the suffering within its own borders, then its priorities should be reviewed. Lastly, if I was forced into a situation to give to a Canadian living in poverty or someone in a foreign country I would place a priority on someone within Canada. A consequence of giving to countries in poverty may actually cause more poverty. Singer claims that the morally right thing to do is to avoid suffering (par. 6).Yet, by donating to a country in need of food that has a significantly fast population growth rate will lead to future famine. The world simply cannot sustain continued population growth. For example Pakistan has a significant part of its population living in poverty and has a high birth rate. At the same time Pakistan has a space program in place. As a result it appears that Pakistan finds space technology is more important than feeding its poor. Additionally, many nations in Africa have been getting foreign aid for decades yet most of these countries remain poor.If donations must be made, the most good that can come from it would be to see my money go towards helping a government get itself prioritized, and certain that the money goes to where it is intended, not the corrupt politicians or leaders that have no care for the suffering. A fair extension of Singer’s argument would be to donate money to stopping violent crime or terrorism around the world. Crime results in the death of good and innocent people just like famine. Also, many people are born into crime countries or situations out of their control much like poverty.Dealing with organized crime in a poor country would certainly save lives, just as dealing with poverty. Also, an individual would be more motivated to take action to donate through fear than sympathy. As noted previously, seeing my money go towards a controllable situation such as crime within my own country of Canada would be a more worthwhile and pragmatic investment. Dona ting to crime prevention in Canada would naturally have a much more beneficial effect for me than giving my money to a foreign nation.Essentially various forms of any crime left unabated in Canada are more likely to spread out affect me at home than a person in poverty in a foreign country. In conclusion, I believe the reasons given refuting Peter Singer’s paper show that donating to people in poverty, and the need to change our moral conceptual scheme is unnecessary in our affluent society. His attempt to evoke an emotional and sympathetic response in the reader by describing the mental image of a drowning baby only hurts his attempt to convince a rational person to donate.Also, if I do choose to donate, does this make me less charitable to donate to someone within my own country, while there may someone needier in another country? Is donating at all even justifiable? especially when some countries only seem to be getting worse off with runaway birthrates, and with corrupt l eaders not doing what’s best for their nation. If I was forced into a situation to choose between putting aside money for myself, my family’s future, or giving it to someone whom I’ve never met in a situation less desirable than mine, the choice is easy and clear.

Bipolar Disorder in Children - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2141 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/07/29 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Topics: Bipolar Disorder Essay Did you like this example? Bipolar Disorder Mental illness is a widespread and multicultural issue that ranges from childhood into adulthood. Many of these illnesses are either not reported, nor diagnosed, but also are not treated. Triggers such as depression, prolonged stress, environment, substance abuse, and home life can have lasting effects on those that have underline issues. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Bipolar Disorder in Children" essay for you Create order Some mental disorders can be observed and are easier to pin point, where others may take more time to manifest and have no outward physical indicators. Extremes on the continuum in behaviors can help professionals narrow down symptoms in order to diagnose a patient. Bipolar Disorder is one that many professionals wait until symptoms have not only manifested, but have also become stable. Bipolar disorder can also mimic many symptoms that a person with Autism or other mental illnesses might deal with and vice versa. To understand Bipolar Disorder more, this paper will describe the physical aspects, neurological and emotional aspects, as well as spiritual and religious aspects of someone living with Bipolar Disorder. Physical Aspects Patients living with Bipolar Disorder do not necessarily show outward physical symptoms on its own. The majority of the physical symptoms are typically a result of emotional or mental disturbances as well as treatment side effects such as drowsiness, rapid heartbeat, and weight gain. Patient outcomes are further exacerbated by poor physical health, as the presence of medical comorbidities is significantly negatively associated with functioning, treatment response, and course of bipolar illness, including more frequent and persistent episodes (Journal of Affective Disorders, 2016, para. 7). Many patients that believe they have poor health, report less physical activities in their daily lives as well as low occupational functioning. Among these issues were more bodily pain, depression and manic or hypomanic symptoms. Some chronic conditions that have been linked to those suffering from Bipolar Disorder are hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, previous head injuries, migraines, epilepsy , multiple sclerosis and asthma. (Journal of Affective Disorders, 2016). These are just a few to mention. Childhood trauma can be a risk factor for developing Bipolar illness and can present more clinical symptoms over time. Substance abuse and suicide attempts are increased concerns as the trauma from childhood can lead to alterations of affect regulation, impulse control, and cognitive functioning that might decrease the ability to cope with later stressors (International Journal of Bipolar Disorder, 2016, para. 1). Children that have experienced childhood trauma may also experience chronic inflammation and sleep disturbances as well as conditions mentioned above. Patients with unstable moods can become more irritable and have unpredictable behavior and poor judgment as well as increased reckless activities, all of which can have negative consequences to their physical and mental wellbeing. Neurological Aspects Bipolar Disorder can be broken up into four subgroups; Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Cyclothymic Disorder (Cyclothymia), and Bipolar Disorder other specified and unspecified. Bipolar I Disorder is an illness in which people experience both mania and depression and have had at least one or more manic episodes lasting a specific time period or has had to be hospitalized. Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by depressive episodes that fluctuate over time, but never form into full mania. Those with Cyclothymic Disorder have little if no periods of normal moods. They have chronic unstable moods that combine depression and hypomania for two years or more. People that have been diagnosed with unspecified or other specified Bipolar Disorder typically do not meet the typical standards for I or II, but have periods of clinically significant elevations of abnormal moods. Most often professionals will distinguish between the two major Bipolar Disorders (I and II) before reaching a co nclusion of the alternatives. Full mania causes severe functional impairment, can include symptoms of psychosis, and often requires hospitalization; hypomania, by contrast, is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization (American Health and Drug Benefits, 2014, para. 7). Bipolar I and II have similar brain structures that are effected. Though there have been many discussions and questions related to the neurological aspects of those with Bipolar illness, it is thought that it is a multifactorial disease resulting from a combination of gene abnormalities, chronic stressors, traumatic experiences and environmental influences. One report states, Many researchers believe that BPD arises from modulation of synaptic and neural plasticity in critical circuits mediating affective and cognitive function (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2009, para. 5). Other research articles conclude that, Childhood trauma interacts with several genes belonging to several different biological pathways such as Hypothalamic-pituitaryâ€Å"adrenal (HPA) axis, serotonergic transmission, neuroplasticity, immunity, calcium signaling, and circadian rhythms (International Journal of Bipolar Disorder, 2016, para.1). Yet, another article gives details of brain imaging to support roles for alterations of serotonergic neurotransmission in major depressive episodes. Their studies have reported decreases in radioligand binding to the serotonin transporter in platelets and in the midbrain as well as decreases in hydroxytryptamine receptor binding in the hippocampus and amygdala, increasing cortisol secretion (Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association, 2003, para. 8). Note that the amygdala is important for regulating fear and emotions and changes in emotional or affect regulation may be seen in the limbic system. There is no concrete evidence of one specific factor resulting in BPD however it is argued that it may be a result of the altered synapses and circuits rather than imbalances in specific neurotransmitters. The research on Bipolar Disorder is ongoing and with the help of fMRI brain imaging, professionals have begun narrowing down many areas of interest that have been helpful in determining different treatment options. Emotional Aspects Due to the concern of long term and fluctuations of moods, depressive episodes, and trauma, the emotional aspects of those suffering from Bipolar Disorder are detrimental. Research indicates that childhood trauma can elevate risk for alcohol/drug dependency as well as suicide attempts. It is stated that females are more likely to report sexual abuse where males typically will report physical abuse if present. patients with a history of emotional abuse have higher severity scores on all symptoms, including depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and impulsivity. These data may suggest emotional abuse as a specific risk factor for certain psychiatric disorders possibly with anxious, depressive, and emotional core features (International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 2016, para. 11). The core features that are important to be aware of with a patient having suffered trauma are as follows: emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse . Patients suffering these types of trauma tend to show deficits in cognitive functioning, working memory, attention and processing speed, and executive functioning. In adults, high levels of stress can predict recurring depressive episodes. Adults are also less likely to have social support and secure attachments which can lead to increased vulnerability to long term negative effects (International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 2016, para. 19). Those suffering Bipolar I tend to have more severe symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation and experience extremes of mania and depression as well as mixed states. Patients dealing with mixed states are harder to treat because they are more dissatisfied with the treatments and are more likely to have at least one suicide attempt during their life (International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 2017, para. 7 8). Research indicates that Bipolar I is the fifth leading cause of medical disability among people ages 15-44. Bipolar I is most concerning in the fact that they have low well being and quality of life due to increased interpersonal conflicts and high unemployment rates, even for those in remission (Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013, para. 1). This article also states deficits in social cognitive functioning such as ability to encode, store and retrieve, as well as apply social information with social context, ability to recognize and respond to emotions of others and self (para. 3). For those living with Bipolar illness, the overwhelming instability of emotions can be triggered with even the slightest stressors. Adolescents in school, especially during times of maturation and puberty, are prone to bouts of insecurities and peer pressures. With a good support system in place and the right treatments, these children can deal with negative stress in a positive way. As adults, the challenge comes with their willingness to seek or sustain treatments available and are more likely to refuse medicine and/or trea tment if the side effects seem to outweigh their needs. Spiritual/Religious Aspects In any type of scenario, there is bound to be consequences for our behaviors. Whether the consequences are rewarding or they are the result of a negative event, as humans, we want to share our experiences with others. Having a support system, relationships with others, and a social life, is important for most people. However, there are still many people that choose to go through life on their own, dealing with their storms internally. Spirituality is about emotions and connecting socially. It enhances our outlook and helps a person to build and expand their thoughts in a more positive way. Hymns and Psalms in the Bible are focused on trusting the Lords guidance, made for inspiration and worship. Scriptures can enhance positive emotions and give a person a sense of peace, as well as taking the focus off of their problems. George Vaillant states, When I use the term spirituality, I am suggesting that spirituality is all about positive emotions. These emotions includelove, hope, joy, fo rgiveness, compassion, trust, gratitudeandawe. Of enormous importance is the fact that none of the eight are all about me. They epitomize what Charles Darwin called social emotions; they all help us to break out of the ego cage of I and mine (Mens Sann Monographs, 2008, para. 7). Many times when a person is dealing with uncertainty, when the future looks dim, and they feel alone, it is easy to withdraw and lean on bad habits that negatively effect not only our relationships, but also our well being. Being able to find purpose in life is one of human beings main objectives. Whether through a spiritual connection in nature or through a religious connection with our Creator, the individual has a higher chance of recovery, sustained well being, a positive outlook on life and a desire to persevere. Conclusion In conclusion, Bipolar is a disorder that causes dramatic shifts in moods, can drain a persons energy and can create unclear thinking. Mental illness effects 1 in 5 people in a given year. Bipolar Disorder is among the mental illnesses reported. For those living with this disorder, it can wreak havoc on their ability to hold down a job, maintain social supports and can lead to erratic and dangerous behaviors. Depression is one of the leading symptoms in BP and can cause a person to feel insecure and isolated. Unfortunately, there have been reports of thoughts or attempted suicides relating to this disorder. With the right treatments, counseling, and a spiritual or a religious connection, a person can live a full and happy life. Those with family support or social support, have an increased desire to have positive outcomes as well. Bipolar Disorder does not have to be considered a death sentence. Instead, it can be seen as a daily challenge with many opportunities of survival. References Aas, M., Henry, C., Andreassen, O., Bellivier, F., Melle, I., Etain, B. (2016) The role of childhood trauma in bipolar disorders. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-015-0042-0 Bernstein, E., Rabideau, D., Gigler, M., Nierenberg, A., Deckersbach, T., Sylvia, L. (2015) Patient perceptions of physical health and bipolar symptoms: The intersection of mental and physical health. Journal of Affective Disorders, 189, 203-6. Doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.052 Cerullo, M., Eliassen, J., Smith, C., Fleck, D., Nelson, E., Strawn, J., Lamy, M., DelBello, M., Adler, C., Strakowski, S. (2014) Bipolar I disorder and major depressive disorder show similar brain activation during depression. Bipolar Disorders. 16(7), 703-12. Doi:10.1111/bdi.12225 Fulford, D., Peckham, A., Johnson, K., Johnson, S. (2013) Emotion perception and quality of life in bipolar I disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. 152-154, 491-7. Doi:10.1016/j.ad.2013.08.034 Jann, M. (2014) Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorders in adults: a review of the evidence on pharmacologic treatments. American health and drug benefits. 7(9), 489-99. 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