Soul Mates

During class we discussed the idea of soul mates, and whether there was any truth to the idea, or if it was a complete myth. This can be tied in with the characters Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. An article titled “Are Soul Mates a Myth or Reality?” by John Grey, also discusses both sides of this argument.
A study that was done at Rutgers University in 2001 found that 94% of people twenty to twenty-nine year olds believed that you want to marry your soul mate, and 88% believed that everyone has a special person that is just for them. Even people who do not believe in the idea of a certain person that is just for them, they still look for an “ideal” person, which can be based off of traits that they desire in a partner. John Grey is a doctor that words with couples every day, and he found that many couples immediately claim that they are soul mates in the beginning of a relationship, but what actually counts is when at the end of a decade a couple still has the notion that they are soul mates. In the beginning an individual’s mind may be clouded by the passion and “honeymoon” love stage.
Some people find the whole situation to be a scandal, but there is also another difference. There is a debate over whether you find soul mates, or if you become soul mates over time. People become soul mates by growing together and learning more and more about each other every single day they are together. It is something that has to be worked at, no matter how in love the two people are it will not be easy all the time. There is potential that when you meet someone you can believe that you are soul mates, but this is proven over time as the relationship becomes stronger and is challenged. When the couple overcomes the test or the challenge that is when it can be seen how right they are for each other. I believe that there are certain people that you will feel a connection with as soon as you meet them, but you cannot really tell that they are your soul mate until you engage in a relationship and make it through hard times.
In the world today there is a high level of divorce rates. This may be because when people fantasize about their soul mate, and then they face a challenge their partner will fall short of what their hopes were. Due to that fact alone it can cause a strain in the relationship, and lead to a downfall in the relationship. In order for it to work there needs to be more in the relationship then just love. When arguments arise in the relationship, the partner is no longer there to lift the other one up and they begin to question the whole idea of where the relationship is headed.
There is an openness that needs to be established in order to even find the soul mate. I find the idea of soul mates really fascinating. I do believe that everyone has someone else that is made for them, but as the John Grey said there is the idea of becoming soul mates. There is not necessarily a way to know from the start, but after working alongside the other person and growing together you will be able to tell. I do believe that Heathcliff and Catherine were soul mates, and you can even see that when they were not together neither of them were truly happy. They would work so hard so make sure the other one would not be completely happy, ultimately hoping that they would see what was missing. At this point someone needs to start questioning what is going so wrong that the divorce rate just continues to increase. The reality or myth of soul mates really can relate to everyone because people desire to be wanted by a significant other, and it can even be related to the high divorce rates.

Hypocrites

In class we discussed the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and the idea of individualism. The idea of her perfect man can be seen through Howard Roark, from The Fountainhead. She believes completely in the idea of individualism, and people making their own path in the world rather than doing what everyone expects them to do. Howard Roark may even have been considered stubborn when it came to his ideas. He did not want input from anyone, and he wanted to do everything his way. At one point, he even blows up his own building because he does not want there to be an alterations made to it. This is very significant in the society that we live in today because people have the option to be a completely original person, or they can conform to how those around them act. Individualism comes along with being independent, Rand believed that everyone should fend for themselves and be able to stand on their own two feet without the help of others. She believed very strongly in her philosophy, and I truly believed that she would back up her words with her actions.
A recent article, "The hypocrisy of Ayn Rand," states that once Rand was diagnosed with cancer she used money from her husband's Medicare in order to pay her bills. This goes completely against anything Rand claimed she believed in. She mostly likely had a lot of influence from those around her, telling her that the money was there for her. However, as someone who so strongly backs the idea of individualism it's hard for me to fathom that she actually did this. The Fountainhead changed the way some people looked at life, and they started living by Rand's philosophy and based on this it would seem as though all of that is a lie. The article also state that Rand "despised government involvement," and she still took the money from her husband's Medicare. I always thought that you could tell a lot about someone's character from the way they act in a moment of crisis, or crucial thinking. Based on those facts alone I would say that Rand is a complete fraud. She talked all about being independent and having a complete identity of your own, but as soon as things got a little rough in her life she became a coward and ultimately the type of person she despised.
I think that more people are starting to think on their own and have ideas that are completely of their own fault. This can be seen in our country through people who protest government or even corporations. They think that things are not being taken care of in the right manner and they want to do something about it. When this country started people would do whatever they possibly could to "fit in" with society and be socially accepted. In present time, some people prefer to stand out and more importantly make a difference.
It would be wrong to sit here and point fingers at Ayn Rand and call her a hypocrite, even though she went against everything she felt so strongly about. However, the truth to the matter is that at some point in our lives we have all said one thing and did something different. My mom would always say, "Do as I say, not as I do." This is also in the article, and even though Rand could not live parallel to the philosophy she created, it does not mean that she wouldn't want others to do so. Everyone makes mistakes, but as time goes on maybe more people like Howard Roark will exist in this world.