How to Start Writing a Book

How to Start Writing a Book Youve finally decided to write a book, and youre pumped about it. Youre confident your book is going to be one of the greatest written works in literary history. It will be the hot topic of discussion at book clubs everywhere! But when you consider actually starting the process, you feel stuck. Now what?Everyone has his or her own distinct writing style. Some gush out words to create a lengthy and very rough draft, while others agonize over every single word and sentence. Certain writers start at page one, while others create the body first and then fill in the intro later. Some arent even quite sure what genre they want to follow until theyve hashed out several pages.Whatever your creative process, youre likely to run into a few walls as you embark on your writing journey, so here are a few tips to get you started and to simplify the process.Dedicate a special space to your writingFind a spot that is set apart from the other events of daily life, and use that space each time you wri te. Cater the environment to your specific needs. Does music help you relax and inspire creativity? Or, do you prefer silence? Do you need to look out the window? Consider your personal preferences and the elements that will best invite the magic into your writing process.Devote part of each day to writingOnce youve established a good environment conducive to writing, make a plan to establish a solid, regular plan of action. Just like getting six-pack abs requires regular exercise, your literary masterpiece also needs constant, dedicated attention. An obstacle many writers face is the lack of motivation to sit down each and every day and ignore all of the distractions. Set aside a certain amount of time every day (or even a certain exact time; set an alarm on your phone!) to add content to your book.Set a goal for how many words you will write per day. Start smallâ€"say, 200 words a dayâ€"and increase your volume of daily work from there. Even small contributions can add up with con sistent effort.Solidify your ideaOnce youre ready to start putting words down, begin with one sentence describing what your book is about. This statement offers a big-picture view of your book. You might even use this sentence when youre ready to market your final work! But for now, focus on this short expression as a very simplified summary and a means to focus your intent. Instead of using your characters name, use vivid descriptors. For example: An enterprising teenage boy starts his own business in a rural town unaccepting of new ideas and confronts the woes of poverty within the community.Create memorable charactersIn most book reviews and recommendations from friends, I find a common thread: The characters were complex/relatable/likable. Very seldom will I hear someone rave about a book if he or she wasnt moved by the people in the story. Consider characters like Sherlock Holmes; we all know who he is, but the details about his stories are a bit hazier. People latch on to char acters.This means your characters need depth and background so your readers can lose themselves in their lives. What is your characters name? What are her goals and desires? How will she achieve them? What conflicts does she face? How will she change?Mapping out the path of your characters development follows what is called a character arc. Each character goes through a transformation from the beginning to the end of your story. Just as Harry Potter starts out as an innocent boy and becomes a steely-eyed young man, your characters go through a transformation. Typically, a character progresses through a series of stages.Stage 1 â€" Ordinary lifeHere the characters before picture is set up. We learn some details about the foundation of life before anything juicy happens.Stage 2 â€" Call for adventureSomething happens to our main character to motivate him to follow a certain course. For example, in Hamlet, the kings ghost appears to Prince Hamlet and tells him who his murderer was, sti rring Hamlet to seek revenge.Stage 3 â€" Refusal of callAt this stage, the character hesitates to embark on this grand mission. Here we see the characters flaws and fears.Stage 4 â€" Encouragement from a mentorThe character musters up courage with a little help from a wise friend.Stage 5 â€" Trials and challengesInevitably, the hero faces his foes, and his outlook and personality are significantly changed.Stage 6 â€" RebirthThe ordeals the character has faced cause him to rise again as a new person, usually with renewed strength, determination, and focus.Stage 7 â€" Resolution and restThe characters woes seem to settle down, and life offers a quiet pace once again for our hero.Crafting the details of your characters story can present a daunting task, but once you decide on the path your protagonist will follow, the details will fall into place through the events of your story.Set your settingAre you writing a work of historical fiction? Do your research about the particular time per iod and area of the world. Are you on the beach? In space? Figure out what that means for the flow of your text. In works of nonfiction, hash out what you want your readers to learn. Will you go broad on a subject or focus on exploring one aspect in depth?Outline your storyMap out a summary of your story. In a work of fiction, what happens to your characters and when? If youre writing nonfiction, create an outline of the points you want to cover and in what order. In a nonfiction work, writing out a table of contents can help you focus the direction and points of your book.Heres an example of an outline Id create if I were writing a book about road cycling:IntroductionAbout the BookChapter 1: What is Road Cycling?Road cycling vs. mountain bikingGetting the right equipmentWhat kind of bike is right for me?Benefits of cyclingChapter 2: Finding Your PathRiding with trafficCommuting by bikeLocating out-of-traffic paths in your areaCreating an outline provides you with the scaffolding fo r your book and gives you a springboard from which to launch into your story. Seeing the bare bones of your intended story will inspire you to fill in the gaps and will give you much-needed direction.Start at the endIf youre not sure where your story will start, focus on the ending of your work and figure out how you want to get there. Does Captain Yellow Beard find the treasure at the end? What state is he in when he gets there? Deciding the conclusion of your work first will give you a better idea of the details and events youll need to incorporate.When you work back to the first chapters, keep in mind that the first few sentences of a book are very important to readers. Some look at those first sentences to get a feeling of whether they want to proceed through the whole work. So hook them in quickly. Dive into the conflict of the story to set the mood instead of describing the scene first. You can provide character development as you go. For nonfiction books, an author can hook r eaders by relating a surprising or interesting example related to the subject matter. For example, in my road cycling book, I could relate my first experience scaling a mountain road in the snow.Plan for discouragementDuring the process, youre bound to face frustration, confusion, and self-doubt. Plan for these obstacles and prepare a plan to counteract them. Perhaps you can be ready to visit an inspiring mentor who always manages to boost your confidence and motivation. Maybe you can save a really enjoyable section of your book to write when you feel like youre running on empty. Whatever your strategy is, prepare it in advance. Even simply steeling yourself for that doubt to creep in can help you avoid being swallowed up by it.Above all else, doing something is better than doing nothing when youre facing the task of getting started on your book. Following a plan can help you feel more focused on the task and help you overcome those first twinges of self-doubt or the dregs of writer s block. Dive in! Before you can publish your masterpiece and bask in its bestselling success, you have to write it. Good luck!

Unhealthy Lunches Essay - 2200 Words

Unhealthy Lunches (Essay Sample) Content: Unhealthy lunchesStudent nameLecturerInstitutionDateIntroductionThis case is all obesity provision of unhealthy lunches to the school pupils. The school administration is said to contract Drive-In Don to supply the school pupils with burgers during lunch hour. The burgers are claimed to have healthy effects on the pupils of the school. This is evident in the activity level of the children and children suffering from extreme obesity and risk suffering from diabetes. Before a school provides a contract which touches on the health of the students, it ought to have requested an inspection report of their foods which is then approved by the responsible authority. In this case, the count healthy department needs to be aware of the healthy and safety status of the burgers. This paper will discuss legal arguments which relate to the burgers supplied, defences available to the school and restaurant and role of government agencies in protection of safety of consumers.Response t o George and Mary caseIt is true that George and Mary have a case concerning the safety of their sons. They have a case to sue the school for contracting a company which did not prevent an inspection report to prove the safety of their foods. The restaurant also is to disclosing the ingredients of their foods posing healthy risk of their children the two, George and Mary, have a case since they are parents of the sons schooling in the school. The restaurants need to provide details of the food ingredients they se to cook the burgers. There is also evidence of consumers risking being diabetic and obese.The legal arguments available to the plaintiffs will be based on the report from the county health department that children from these schools have the highest cholesterol, are the most obese and are the least active. It has been proved that Randall suffers from extreme obesity and high cholesterol and runs risk of diabetes. They will also seek to know if the restaurant provides the su ppliers (school) of the details they use as ingredients for the food products. The restaurant has not come out to explain why consumers after taking their burgers turn out to be obese and run the risk of diabetes. It is the duty of food restaurant to assure its intended consumers of safety levels of their food products. This will protect the image of the restaurant. The restaurant has a duty to care and failure to which will be negligence on their part. They ought to have a reasonable care and duty bound to address the healthy and safety issues relating to their burgers.School defence to the case of George and MaryThe school will argue to lack capacity to test the safety of the foods supplied in their vicinity. The restaurant has good reputation of selling the most delicious burgers in town at the most affordable price. There is no school rule obliging the school to eat burgers during lunch hour. It is the children choice to be served with burgers during lunch hour. Another legal ar gument will revolve around the report from the county health department being too general and none of the children from the school was tested. The report refers to children from those schools meaning it is a general report which does not refer to the specific school.Defense available to the Drive-in Don fast food restaurantThe fast food restaurant will argue that the county healthy report did not specify in their report that their burgers are risky for consumption. The report just point out that the children are obese, less active and run risk of diabetes. The plaintiff argument that the restaurant is engaging in illegal deceptive advertising of its foods and it is not truthful o its consumers are malicious. They will also support their case by saying that the ingredients are clearly indicated on the packages of the burgers. The children does not only eat lunch, but take super and breakfast else. It will unfair to claim that it is only consumed burgers during lunch hour which makes the children to be obese and less active. Too much class work without exercise will make the children to be obese and less active. The school needs to engage the children in physical exercise fro fitness. The school did not also request details of food ingredients of their food products. They are other suppliers in town. The other group of consumers have not so far leveled complains in relation to their supply of burgers. They have reputation of selling th... Unhealthy Lunches Essay - 2200 Words Unhealthy Lunches (Essay Sample) Content: Unhealthy lunchesStudent nameLecturerInstitutionDateIntroductionThis case is all obesity provision of unhealthy lunches to the school pupils. The school administration is said to contract Drive-In Don to supply the school pupils with burgers during lunch hour. The burgers are claimed to have healthy effects on the pupils of the school. This is evident in the activity level of the children and children suffering from extreme obesity and risk suffering from diabetes. Before a school provides a contract which touches on the health of the students, it ought to have requested an inspection report of their foods which is then approved by the responsible authority. In this case, the count healthy department needs to be aware of the healthy and safety status of the burgers. This paper will discuss legal arguments which relate to the burgers supplied, defences available to the school and restaurant and role of government agencies in protection of safety of consumers.Response t o George and Mary caseIt is true that George and Mary have a case concerning the safety of their sons. They have a case to sue the school for contracting a company which did not prevent an inspection report to prove the safety of their foods. The restaurant also is to disclosing the ingredients of their foods posing healthy risk of their children the two, George and Mary, have a case since they are parents of the sons schooling in the school. The restaurants need to provide details of the food ingredients they se to cook the burgers. There is also evidence of consumers risking being diabetic and obese.The legal arguments available to the plaintiffs will be based on the report from the county health department that children from these schools have the highest cholesterol, are the most obese and are the least active. It has been proved that Randall suffers from extreme obesity and high cholesterol and runs risk of diabetes. They will also seek to know if the restaurant provides the su ppliers (school) of the details they use as ingredients for the food products. The restaurant has not come out to explain why consumers after taking their burgers turn out to be obese and run the risk of diabetes. It is the duty of food restaurant to assure its intended consumers of safety levels of their food products. This will protect the image of the restaurant. The restaurant has a duty to care and failure to which will be negligence on their part. They ought to have a reasonable care and duty bound to address the healthy and safety issues relating to their burgers.School defence to the case of George and MaryThe school will argue to lack capacity to test the safety of the foods supplied in their vicinity. The restaurant has good reputation of selling the most delicious burgers in town at the most affordable price. There is no school rule obliging the school to eat burgers during lunch hour. It is the children choice to be served with burgers during lunch hour. Another legal ar gument will revolve around the report from the county health department being too general and none of the children from the school was tested. The report refers to children from those schools meaning it is a general report which does not refer to the specific school.Defense available to the Drive-in Don fast food restaurantThe fast food restaurant will argue that the county healthy report did not specify in their report that their burgers are risky for consumption. The report just point out that the children are obese, less active and run risk of diabetes. The plaintiff argument that the restaurant is engaging in illegal deceptive advertising of its foods and it is not truthful o its consumers are malicious. They will also support their case by saying that the ingredients are clearly indicated on the packages of the burgers. The children does not only eat lunch, but take super and breakfast else. It will unfair to claim that it is only consumed burgers during lunch hour which makes the children to be obese and less active. Too much class work without exercise will make the children to be obese and less active. The school needs to engage the children in physical exercise fro fitness. The school did not also request details of food ingredients of their food products. They are other suppliers in town. The other group of consumers have not so far leveled complains in relation to their supply of burgers. They have reputation of selling th...

Whitney Museum of Art Essay - 1163 Words

The Whitney Museum of American Art has often been referred to a citadel of American Art, partially due to the museums faà §ade, a striking granite building (Figure 1), designed by Bauhaus trained architect Marcel Breuer. The museum perpetuates this reference through its biennial review of contemporary American Art, which the Whitney has become most famous for. The biennial has become since its inception a measure of the state of contemporary art in America today. Since the Museums opening in 1931, the collection has grown to more than 12,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs, representing nearly 2,000 individual artists and providing the most complete overview of twentieth-century American art of any museum in the†¦show more content†¦For example, in the 2004 biennial their was 113 artists shown, consistent with the 2000 show of around 103 artists. The Whitney seems determined to include as much art as possible that can fit in their relatively small sized museum in order to better reflect the condition of the art scene in contemporary America. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To fully understand the role of the biennial today, we must look to its past. The earliest Biennials were assembled informally; easy groups of artists and museum personnel made the selections. Most of those in the show lived in New York City, although many had originally come from elsewhere. In 1937, the format was changed and the exhibitions became Annuals, with one year for painting, one for sculpture and various media. Some years, a single Whitney curator chose pieces; sometimes an outsider was added. In 1973, they went back to Biennials. Today the tradition remains the same as was begun fully in 1973. Increasingly in current shows curators search out a wide range of ethnic and gender varieties to fully grasp the breadth of American culture that is represented in current art work. Their has been much criticism of the Whitney and their exclusion of non-American artists. There are sections of critics who believe that the Whitney is onlyShow MoreRelatedMy Lif e At The Whitney Museum Of American Art1524 Words   |  7 PagesAirport please.’ He grunted in response and took the next right onto Park avenue leading out of the upper east side. Sydney had recently moved into her one bedroom apartment on 74th street, to be closer to her newly acquired job at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in midtown Manhattan. 27 years of age, and Sydney still did not have a stable job, was running her bank account dry every month in order to pay her costly rent, and was still without a significant other. 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Through creativity usage the ideation of new milestones are reached thus, creating innovative designs that serve as springboards from where architectural projects and the representation that sustains them; areRead MoreDesigning Architecture And Urban Planning Essay1529 Words   |  7 PagesTo start off, typology in architecture and urban planning can be defined as the physical characteris tics found landscapes or in buildings. As evidenced throughout history, the emergence of the museum as architecture and its topological expansion have been achieved thanks to important moments of creativity. Through creativity usage the ideation of new milestones is reached thus, creating innovative designs that serve as springboards for where architectural projects and the representation that sustainsRead MoreBarbara Kruger: Conceptual Artist1897 Words   |  8 Pagesfor the view of the public eye. Kruger provokes people with her direct messages and bold images. She has worked in collaboration with other artists as well as galleries and museums. Barbara has also written several books. In her book Remote Control: Power, Culture, and the World of Appearances, she explains how she views art and society. It states that popular culture does not have the ability to do certain things. We must do things for ourselves and not rely on society to do it for us. She has amazingRead MoreJasper John s 1983 Artwork Of Racing Thoughts And Byron Kim Essay934 Words   |  4 PagesJasper John’s 1983 artwork of Racing Thoughts and Byron Kim’s 1991 Synecdoche are both in the exhibited as part of the Whitney Museum’s: Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney Collection. Applying encaustic process, which is known as a hot wax painting, Jasper John created this screen-print with wax crayon on collaged cotton and linen. Jasper John describes this piece as a series of images that ran through his mind while he was lying in the bathtub. He included items he saw around the roomRead MoreAndrew Wyeth Essay792 Words   |  4 Pageschildren. Andrew was a sickly child and so his mother and father made the decision to pull him out of school after he contracted whooping cough. He received schooling in all subjects including art education. Andrew had quite a vivid memory and a fantastic imagination that led to a great fascination for art. His father recognized an obvious raw talent that had to be nurtured. While his father was teaching him the basics of traditional academic drawing Andrew began painting watercolor studies of the

Assignment School Of Law And Business - 715 Words

Assignment Cover Sheet Student Name: Student Number: School of Law and Business Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT 0909 Phone: (08) 8946 6830 Unit Name: Unit Code: Lecturers Name: Assessment Title Semester: Year: Assignment (select assignment number) Due Date (dd/mm/yyyy): Lodgement Date (dd/mm/yyyy): Applied for Extension: (dd/mm/yyyy) 0 N/A 0 NO 0 YES – to Lodgement Locations: (refer to specific lodgement requirements as set out by the lecturer) DO NOT LODGE BY FAX nor EMAIL nor at LECTURER’S OFFICE †¢ The assignment must be lodged online via the Learnline Assignment Lodgement link on the Learnline site for this unit. Ensure your file is named using a file naming convention that allows the lecturer to identify to whom it belongs. Failure to use an acceptable file naming convention may result in your assignment lodgement being rejected. †¢ Refer to the endnotes of the assignment details for lodgement options if the Learnline Assignment Lodgement link for this unit is unavailable. KEEP A COPY Ensure you have a copy of the assignment lodged. If you have submitted assessment work electronically please make sure you have a backup copy. DECLARATION BY STUDENT I certify that this assignment is my own work, based on my own personal study and research, and that I have acknowledged all material and sources in the preparation of this assignment, whether they be books, articles reports,Show MoreRelatedBusiness Law Assignment - Critical Legal Studies School of Jurisprudence913 Words   |  4 Pages1.Evaluate the views of the Critical Legal Studies School of jurisprudence. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using broad notions of fairness in deciding cases? The theory of Critical Legal Studies removes the common held standards and aspects of general legal practices and looks to establish a more rounded and equitable remedy in all concerned situations. 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Substance Abuse Treatment For Adolescents Essay - 832 Words

Introduction Including families in the treatment of substance use in adolescents has been a debate for several years in the addictions world. Some claim that involving families may hinder the client’s ability to improve due to not being honest, fear, and the lack of relationship one may have with their family members, specifically parental figures. Adolescents may not be honest with themselves or family members due to fear of disappointing or fear of punishment. Many providers and policy-makers do not view family member involvement as essential for successful treatment and recovery and see family as part of the problem rather than part of the solution (Hornberger Smith, 2011). However, some researchers have found that families are an important resource for young people as they journey through substance use treatment. The journal article entitled â€Å"Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: How are Family Factors Related to Substance Use Change?† discusses the importance in family involvement in the adolescent treatment process leading to significant decreases in usage. The article backs up their conclusion with research administered among a number of adolescents and their Mothers in Quebec, Canada. Statistics It is crucial to understand the statistics in youth substance use involvement, to fully understand that this is a rising issue throughout the world. In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older; 9.4 percent of the population had used an illicit drugShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse and Treatment for Adolescents2174 Words   |  9 Pages†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦ 4 Treatment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4-7 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦.. 8-10 Substance Abuse and Treatment for Adolescents Introduction Substance abuse among adolescents is becoming an increasing concern. There are the obvious health issues associated with substance abuse, but many people do not consider the long term affects of drug and alcohol use. In this paper I will discuss substance abuse among teens, causesRead MoreEssay on Adolescent Substance Abuse1656 Words   |  7 PagesHeader: Substance Abuse Adolescent Substance Abuse Dana Sweitzer Liberty University Abstract Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees theirRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Mental Health Problems877 Words   |  4 PagesFINAL PROJECT 2 Introduction Substance abuse and mental health problems are serious issues in our society. 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Introduction Of Islam And The Environment - 1665 Words

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How Does Mill’s Principle of Liberty Contribute to Progress Free Essays

The concept of liberty seems to have been consistently analysed and re-structured throughout history by ambitious philosophers keen on creating a ‘better world’. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher of the XIX century, is not an exception from this trend. With his thought-provoking work â€Å"On Liberty†, he sets a basis for what he believes will lead to the development of the human being and contribute to its progress. We will write a custom essay sample on How Does Mill’s Principle of Liberty Contribute to Progress? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This gives way to his Principle of Liberty, which illustrates that only a free person, and by default also the society, has the opportunity for growth through searching the truth by questioning and debating. It may be agreed upon that a strong barrier to any form of progress is the avoidance or omission of the truth. Mill goes even further and argues that an opinion may be wholly true, wholly false, or partially true, and all three benefit the common good. The only way to attain this truth is through discussion, as â€Å"If all mankind minus one, were of on opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. This quote is a prominent example of the importance of seeking the truth through thought and expression, and is one of the factors contributing to individual liberty. The world a human being grows up in shapes his opinions, and while this is acceptable for initial formations of thought and awareness, Mill argues it is dangerous to rely only on it and not reflect on other ‘worlds’. Not only would such an attitude impair the total formation of one’s mental capabilities and capacity, it would also lead to seeing yourself as infallible. After all, if a person surrounds himself with people of the same convictions as him, then it is plausible to presume that he will believe many things as issues that are no longer doubtful. This in turn results in the line between opinion and fact getting blurred due to the inexistence of debate, causing many future errors which could have been omitted otherwise. â€Å"The suppression of opinion based on belief in infallible doctrines is dangerous†, whereas any silencing of discussion is, according to Mill, an assumption of infallibility. Treating truth as a relative concept by refusing to hear what one considers a ‘false’ opinion is â€Å"assuming that their certainty is the same things as absolute certainty†. Humans should keep their mind open to criticism of their belief and listen to a variety of views on it in order to understand it and be able to defend against it. A clash of conflicting opinions enables us to find ‘fuller’ truths. The only way we may know if a belief is true or not is to challenge it. If a doctrine â€Å"is not fully, frequently and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth†. Mill seeks to point out this fundamental issue which, due to its simplicity and obviousness, is often underrated. â€Å"No wise man ever acquired his wisdom in any mode but this; nor is it in the nature of human intellect to become wise in any other manner†. Of course, a major problem in attaining the truth is that it may remain in â€Å"narrow circles of thinking and studious persons among whom they originate, without ever lighting up the general affairs of mankind with either a true or deceptive light†. This is precisely what Mill wants to avoid. Moreover, he wants to advance the discussion to a higher level of clarity without an individual’s actions and beliefs being restricted by bonds of custom and conformity. He notes that the most venerable beliefs arise from a person’s own critical assessments and reasoning. The Principle of Liberty illustrates his argument that freedom is indispensable to originality of character as it is the means by which a person can develop as an individual. And, Mill claims, â€Å"The free development of individuality is one of the leading essentials of well-being†. This line of reasoning leads us to an important aspect of Mill’s Principle, i. e. how it contributes to individual and, in the long run, social progress. We have already established that seeking the truth provokes the mental development of an individual. The cultivation of individuality will result in human happiness as it requires making choices that one thinks is most beneficial to their life. â€Å"First, Mill argues, even though people do make mistakes, individuals are still more likely to be right about what would make them happy than anyone else. It is essential to help one another distinguish between worthy and unworthy pursuits through persuasive argument and use of liberty in a sensible way to fully develop as free individuals. † A second reason for liberty is that it will not only lead to better decisions in the long run, but also that the exercise of freedom of choice is itself vital to the full development of human nature. Those who are slave to customs, Mil l suggest, will never develop into rounded, flourishing individuals; not necessarily because they will be nhappy, but because they will fail to develop one of their most distinctively human capacities, the capacity for choice. † Consequently, one can argue that since individuality is a positive thing, it is necessary to build social institutions that contribute to that individuality. A functioning society whereby individuals are able to learn from others’ ‘experiments of living’ is, according to Mill, human progress at its best. â€Å"Liberty is vital as a condition of experimentation† , for without it peoples’ rational would not be used and thus would not develop. When a person becomes more valuable to himself, he immediately becomes more valuable to society. It is necessary, however, to stress the limit of liberty, also known as the Harm Principle. As long as one person’s actions do not harm the interests of another, society should not interfere. Mill identifies ‘the permanent interests of man as a progressive being’ as his interests in autonomy and in security. Furthermore, when a human being does not intrude on another person’s freedom, that person can develop accordingly, and incidentally become a role model showing others how (not) to live. This is how the â€Å"less creative† individuals of society can make informed decisions on leading their own lives, i. e. learning from experimenting, which is â€Å"quite the chief ingredient of individual and social progress†. Nevertheless, critics of Mill’s Principle are quick to notice that his ideas rest on the optimistic outlook that human beings are capable of learning from experience, indeed, that they even want to do it. Yet as history shows, humankind is consistent in failing to learn from mistakes. â€Å"Progress is the cornerstone of Mill’s doctrine† , yet if humans are not prepared to learn, how do they differ from ‘children and barbarians’? Liberty is a means to progress; incapable of free speech and debate, children and barbarians do not benefit from liberty and hence it does not apply to them. Thus we may assume that a certain attitude towards life is needed for Mill’s Principle to succeed, that is to say it strongly relies on humans having the capacity of making moral progress. He believes this can be trained by society in the early stages of human life. It is throughout childhood when society has the biggest influence over a person, when it should strive to embed values it hopes to see materialize in adulthood. The knowledge a child accumulates should then be left free to be interpreted in any way the adult sees fit after reaching maturity. After all, non scholae, sed vitae discimus. Moreover, â€Å"if the person fails to accept those values, or remains immature, it is society’s own fault†. Precisely this point has been the target of much criticism, seen as the crux of Mill’s idealistic vision for an improbable future that goes against human nature. For if everyone remained ‘immature’, then how is liberty to contribute to individual and social progress? If this were the case, the entire ideology would be abolished in an instant and in lieu of it in modern times, other beliefs would dominate. Yet liberty continues to be epitomized as the best answer to a free, happy society. As previously stated, ‘bonds of conformity’ are considered by Mill to be a restraint on liberty. The reason behind this is twofold. First of all, relying only on traditions and treating them as your moral guide by which you live your life, a form of dogma which one accepts without question, hinders your decision-making abilities. Mill places great emphasis on the importance of choice. By narrowing someone’s choices and making them complaint to a certain lifestyle, you take away their freedom. Secondly, such forced conformity denies the existence of diversity. This is a key factor in human development, for by â€Å"seeing people’s dissimilarities (†¦) one learns about one’s own weakness†. Mill is eager to draw attention to the potential opportunities that arise with this, for example, by improving oneself: you have the freedom to make mistakes, assert falsehood, and interpret the experience as you see fit. Whatever conclusion one comes to is still a form of human progress, but this is only possible thanks to an open culture. This stance is severely criticized by communitarians, who see Mill is an iconoclast. They argue that we are too interconnected to simply untie society’s ‘bonds’, and nor is there any reason why we would want to- after all, humans are social creatures and individual separation is not the key to freedom. A counter-argument to this may be that culture is an evolving process as well, and rapid cultural transgressions do occur frequently, especially in terms of technological and scientific progress. Of course, some morals are static and universal, but if we were to perpetually follow a form of customs of society, we would remain immobile. What is more, there is a lack of consistency in communitarians’ perception of freedom, simply because they do not considerate the full extent of how subjective traditions tend to be. What is customary for one person may not be for another, and enforcing one’s traditions onto another human being, especially if it is done by society, truly harms the minority. Such a repressive form of society is deemed by Mill as a regression of individual progress, a halt to â€Å"create the ultimate good in the future, human progress†. The above mentioned arguments illustrate clearly why Mill was so keen on defending the concept of liberty, what he considers the only way in which progress can be enforced without impinging on others’ freedom. It is, he argues, the fundamental human right. â€Å"The sole end,† Mill states, â€Å"for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively†¦ in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection†. Wolff comments on this by saying that â€Å"this will enable each to seek his or her own best; it will liberate a diversity of interests to the benefit of the individual and of all; and it will nurture moral freedom and rationality. With the latter comes creativity and the means of social and intellectual progress. † Such liberty contributing to progress is more so beneficial due to what it entails, i. e. the individual’s freedom of thought and discussion. Mill protests against any stifling of opinion, for even if it were false, we would not recognize its wrongness without contrasting it with the truth. One will never reach the highest levels of self-development without debate and constant awareness of one’s fallibility. Critical assessments of beliefs and opinions are necessary, and only when they â€Å"survive the struggle as it were in the â€Å"marketplace of ideas†, then, and only then, will one be entitled to accept them as justified† . Even then, however, we may be in the wrong. As history has showed us, men who we see now as ‘evil’ and ‘immoral’ were not in their time, as they were acting accordingly to the rules of the society they were brought up in. Thus the debate must be on-going and never lead to a â€Å"deep slumber of a decided opinion†. Furthermore, â€Å"mere shock to tender sensibilities can never be weighty enough harm to counterbalance the case for free expression of opinion. † Nevertheless, it is imperative to keep in mind the statements that Mill is being too optimistic and naive. After all, his whole Principle balances on the assumption that human beings are capable of progress. Even if we concede to that, Mill’s Principle still put forward an essential aspect of human growth. How? Let us look at a quote by George Bernard Shaw: â€Å"progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything†. The importance of free speech and debate reverberates throughout the whole of â€Å"On Liberty†. Mill is always eager to encourage seeking the truth; his Harm Principle states that we cannot harm others’ interests, yet he does not rule out persuasion. Through persuasive arguments and by taking advantage of our freedom in intelligent ways, we develop both ourselves and those we come in contact with and pave the way for progress. Bibliography 1. Bartleby Editors . (2012). On Liberty. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 2. Feinberg, Joel (1980). Rights, Justice, and the Bounds of Liberty. Essays in Social Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 3. Gray, J (1996). Mill on Liberty: A Defense. London: Routledge. Chapter 3. 4. Honderich, Ted. (2005). John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, and a Question about Liberalism. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 5. Lacewing, Michael. (2012). Mill on Liberty. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 6. Mill, John Stuart (2001). On Liberty. Kitchener: Batoche Books. 7. Sparknotes Editors. (2012). On Liberty. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 8. Wilson, Fred. (2007). John Stuart Mill. Available: Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. Chapter 4. How to cite How Does Mill’s Principle of Liberty Contribute to Progress?, Essay examples