What Avalanche is Your Snowflake In?

"No snowflake is an avalanche ever feels responsible" - Voltaire

The avalanche I consider my snowflake to be in is my school. However lame that may sound, I genuinely feel like a huge part of this school and I feel very attached to it. I think that a big reason that is the case is the size of the school. It is small compared to regular school and the student body and as a result, we're all very close. I am part of clubs at school and while reflecting, I feel that if I were to quit all these clubs there would be some sort of different and missing contribution.  This is the best example of an avalanche that I'm part of and I hope to be significant enough to feel that my snowflake would make a difference. 

Neutral Can Be Brutal

The term "neutral" can be defined in many ways; whether it is the charge of atoms, a range of colors, or a position a country takes in order to avoid conflict. To my experience, to be neutral means to remain impartial towards opposing conflicts or situations. Situations in which I chose to remain neutral usually involve friends or issues between people that are close to me. When a conflict breaks out and it has nothing to do with me, I prefer to remain neutral because I don't like to ruin my relationship with either of the friends. At the same time, I'd hate to create an enemy and use my neutral position as a chance to get the two sides together and fix the issue. On the other hand, if I remain neutral when I believe that one person is right, I would be risking the blockage of something that should happen for the greater good. So, for that reason, being Neutral can sometimes be good and beneficial, but other times, it is important to pick sides and involve yourself, no matter the self-damage, for the sake of doing the right thing; the thing you believe in. 

War, what for?

Why do wars begin?

Trying to decipher exactly why wars begin is hard, if not impossible. To discover exactly the reason why some wars start would require the use of special powers such as being able to read minds. 

To the best of my knowledge, wars start out of selfish reasons. Whether it's a strong nation trying to get control over small nations and their land, or men who are power-hungry such as Napoleon or Hitler who try and conquer every country they can.

Are they always justified?

Wars are justified only in the eyes of those who start it. They convince themselves and attempt to convince others that they are going into war for the greater good, but, in fact, it is solely for their benefit. 

Is violence the answer to getting what you want?

No. Ideally, politically, there would be other ways to getting what you want such as communication, negotiation or bargaining. Examples of people getting what they want using harmless techniques are evident in everyday life. There are even a lot of examples of nations using harmless techniques to gain something on both sides. However, there are also many examples in which this was not the case and rulers, mainly those with power (who sometimes abuse it), resort to violence. The sad thing is, this technique is sometimes proven to be effective, which is why nations have often resulted to violence in history.

Oprah Winfrey is an IB learner

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She has also been ranked the richest African- American of the 21st century. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman of the world.

To many, she is simply known or referred to as 'Oprah'.

Although her story has been told multiple times, people are still shocked when they learn
that Oprah wasn't always this rich, or successful.

In fact, Oprah was born into poverty in Mississippi to a single teenage mom. She has claimed to have a hard time growing up, saying she was raped at 9 years old and became pregnant at the age of 14 - her son died at infancy.

How, many wonder, did such a ill-fated  young African American girl come to be successful?
Perhaps the answer to that question is related to Oprah's relation to the IB learner profiles...

Oprah is an inquirer. She always wanted to know more, which is why she did so well in school. Despite all the reasons not to be, she remained driven and focused in school, no matter how hard times got. For this reason, Oprah is a very educated woman today.
Oprah is a risk-taker.  How else could she have climbed out of her bad situation at such a young age? Risks. She took a lot of risks to get to where she is now. The first risk she took was going to live with her father in Tennessee shortly after the death of her son. This was a man she barely knew or had a relationship with. Her first big career risk was taking a job at a radio station while she was still in high school, the rest was risk after risk until she ended up where she is now.
Oprah is caring. She feels deeply with some of the people that come on her show. She knows what it's like to have problems in life, and that life is never easy. For this reason she connects to the visitors on her show and their stories - this leads to a lot of crying on her part. She is constantly donating huge amounts of her success to the less fortunate.
Oprah is open-minded. Oprah doesn't judge. She knows what it's like to be judged, and she knows that things are not always as they appear on the outside. For this reason she remains open-minded with the visitors on her show.
Oprah is balanced. She's not a workaholic all of the time! She has a personal life too, which she gives great importance to. She's had a series of serious and not so serious love affairs as well as a group of solid friends she keeps close to her at all times.
Oprah is reflective. She doesn't forget who she is. She regularly thinks back to what she was and how she later became.
Oprah is principled. She sticks to what she believes in, despite others influence. She accepted her long lost sister in open arms publicly, which some public figures may have actually chosen to cover up or sugar-coat. She donates her money to the people she sees fit, not the other way around.
Oprah is knowledgeable. Without knowledge that she acquired in her unique life, Oprah wouldn't be where she is today. It is her knowledge that helped her make decisions which led her to where she is today
Oprah is a thinker. She thinks about life, and what she wants to do with hers. She thinks about 'the next step' and what that would be for her. Oprah's thinking is what led her to canceling her infamous show and doing something else with her time.
Oprah is a communicator. How else would she host a show if she wasn't? Oprah is a very social person, she gets along with everyone.