Influence Processes a Leadership Analysis Essays - 1007 Words

William Scott Influence Processes: A Leadership Analysis Leadership Ethics for Managers June 1, 2008 Abstract A leader’s ability to influence and motivate followers is a crucial skill that effective leaders must possess. This is why organizations allow leaders to control many of the operational functions of the organization. By controlling several key operational components, the leader is able to direct and institute change throughout the organization. The purpose of this paper is to analyze leader influence models and present the practical implications of their use. Influence Processes: A Leadership Analysis Introduction In order to be an effective leader, a leader must be able to influence followers to comply and†¦show more content†¦By having control over the organizations reward system, the leader can mold the organization into one that conforms and promotes their organizational vision. Used correctly, this form of leadership influence can effectively change an organization over time by rewarding those who buy into and promote the leaders style of leadership. Promoting and Selecting Leaders: In addition to the above influence factors, leaders also are empowered to select and promote the leadership within the organization (Nahavandi, 2006). This provides them with a powerful tool to influence and effectively create an organizational following of their values and vision. By selecting leaders who mirror their values and leadership style, the leader is able to create a loyal and like minded leadership staff. While this may be an effective influence tool, the leader risks alienating key personnel and breeding doubts about their ability to lead if they utilize this form of influence in an unethical manner. Modeling Behaviors: Finally, leaders can also use their influence to model the behavior of their subordinates (Nahavandi, 2006). They achieve this by providing guidance and advise to their followers and by inviting others to participate in organizational team building activities. When leaders actively promote and encourage their followers to follow their examples they are effectively molding the future behaviors of theirShow MoreRelatedThe World Of Business And Politics1496 Words   |  6 Pagesbehaviors, and takes a first step toward an integrative theory of how leader traits and behaviors influence leadership effectiveness. There are processes to accomplish this, which are followed by a three-stage process. First, based on a narrative review of the literature, a conceptual model is developed that organizes the current literature and models how leader traits and behaviors affect leadership effectiveness. Second, the relative validity is tested of select leader traits and behaviors usingRead MoreThe Ro le Of Leadership As A Leader Centric Or Individual Level Phenomenon1499 Words   |  6 PagesThe conceptualization of leadership as a leader-centric or individual level phenomenon has long been dominant in both research and practice (Friedrich et al. 2009). As organizations have taken on more complex structures in response to the speed of operational, strategic and technological change, the limitations of top-down models of leadership are increasingly apparent (Thorpe et al. 2011). In response, there has been significant advancement in research on a number of different constructs thatRead MoreLeadership : The New Ceo Of A Executive Team1300 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership Leaders are conceptual thinkers and must think in the abstract. Decisions made by leaders are non-programmed decisions, which have never been made before, in respect to the direction in which the leader intends to take the organization into the future. The leader is hired by the Board of Directors (BOD) to maximize the wealth of the stockholders whom they represent. The leaders planning horizon is generally three years and beyond, depending on the employment contract signed. The BODRead MoreLeading Organizational Change : Tragedy Or Transformation1287 Words   |  6 PagesLeading Organizational Change Cornelius Cash Grand Canyon University LDR825-Organizational Change: Tragedy or Transformation August 10, 2016 Leadership Leaders are conceptual thinkers and must think in the abstract. Decisions made by leaders are non-programmed decisions, which have never been made before, in respect to the direction in which the leader intends to take the organization into the future. The leader is hired by the Board of Directors (BOD) to maximize the wealth of the stockholdersRead MoreA Leader Of Mine By George Washington1447 Words   |  6 PagesLooking back to an inspiring leader of mine, George Washington, I see a man that was able to influence other to do great things that ultimately formed the United States after overcoming great odds against Great Britain. He was a transitional leader that was able to accomplish great things for which I idol him for that especially in a time where I do not see any true great leaders of George Washington’s caliber. I aspire to be a great leader in my future and I have been working toward this goal everRead MoreLeadership Influences Organizational Culture And Employee C ommitment1502 Words   |  7 Pagesto understanding the mechanisms and processes through which leadership influences organizational culture and employee commitment, in order to develop a more complete understanding of the inner workings of leadership† (Bass, as cited by Aolio et al 2004 p.952) . Ellemers, Gilder, and Haslam (2004) agree that â€Å"additional understanding of work motivation can be gained by incorporating insights into social identity processes† (p. 459). Since motivational processes may be processed in group contextsRead MoreLeadership And Management : Similarities And Differences1363 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Management Similarities and Differences Introduction In this essay the intention is to define the similarities and difference between the functions of Leaders and Managers where their roles influence the functions within the Government sector. Leaders and Managers can be defined as â€Å"one possessing a natural ability to influence individuals and or groups† as opposed to one who is guided in â€Å"a set of processes that keep an organisation functioning where one is a non-inherent traitRead MoreOrganizational Excellence And Change At Pepsico850 Words   |  4 Pagesassociation with PepsiCo are organizational processes and behavior and structure. PepsiCo organizational process and behavior lays within the Pepsi University is the area of job performance. PepsiCo?s women leadership is low in numbers. The gap analysis of PepsiCo is to work toward an action plan to increase real-world experience and women leadership. Content and Analysis Complexity leadership theory investigates the role of leadership in advancing those processes in organizations through which co-dependentRead MoreLeading Organizational Change : Tragedy Or Transformation1294 Words   |  6 Pages Leading Organizational Change Cornelius Cash Grand Canyon University LDR825-Organizational Change: Tragedy or Transformation August 10, 2016 Leadership Leaders are conceptual thinkers and must think in the abstract. Decisions made by leaders are non-programmed decisions, which have never been made before, regarding the direction in which the leader will take the organization. The leader is hired by the Board of Directors to maximize the wealth of the stockholders whom they representRead MoreLeadership Reflections: Motivating and Influencing Behavioral Change1156 Words   |  5 Pagesconsultant, the author acts both as a leader and as a follower (Vecchio, 2007) in motivating and changing the behavior of others within a client organization. The follower role develops from â€Å"subordinate† responsibilities for guiding the leadership team in processes of diagnosis, design, and deployment of strategies for organizational change (Cummings Worley, 2009), which includes influencing change in leaders’ mindsets and behaviors (Schein, 2004). The leader role derives from ensuing responsibilities

Youths Today Are Too Obsessed Free Essays

Totally agree! Youth today are too easily obsess with all kind of thing, not only material thing but also idol, games, something that may attracted their attention. E. g. We will write a custom essay sample on Youths Today Are Too Obsessed or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"American idol† A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the Internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change. Did you think anything about your dream, your health or your family; forget about computers, it’s just material things. WHAT IS OBSESSION? It’s a passionate feeling of fascination that often quickly evolves into domination. One who becomes obsessed does so out of a lack of self worth or self esteem. The person they are obsessed with is their object of self worth. They believe that this person, as their mate, will bring value to their life. This person also believes they have very little value, which adds to the need to have a mate with value. Even if it’s imagined. Materialism Many people these days se em to have their priorities out of line. They seem to put way too much emphasis on material things such as money, jewellery, toys, games, and other things that they think will bring happiness. They feel that these things will make them happier in life and will make them live better lives. There sure are a lot of problems with that theory. So why is it that so many people are stuck in the train of thought of materialism and in an obsession with material things? Here are some ideas. Many people are lonely and feel that this will keep them entertained and happy and make them feel better and fill the hole that they feel. They don’t understand the importance of people in their lives so they try to fill the emptiness with materials thinking that it will make them happy and fill that gap. Another reason is that they just want to show off to people how much they have and own. They think that this will make them a better person because they own these things and that the more they have the better off they are. They believe that it’s a race to see who can have the most things, because whoever has the most, is somehow the best. Something is clearly wrong there. Also, many people are insecure, and are obsessed with what other people think of them. They don’t comprehend that they are who they want to be and who they become. They instead, rather believe that they are who other people claim that they are and therefore try to get as many cool things as possible, or beautiful things, to make other people wow at what they have. They feel like if other people think that what they have is awesome, then that must mean that they are an awesome person. It is tough for many people to get out of that train of thought. Finally, a lot of people do it without thinking. They are just caught in the wave of people who are materialistic. If they see something cool, they feel that they have to get it and don’t completely think through whether or not they need it. Of course, this isn’t the situation for all people. Some people just like the look of jewellery or like certain things or collecting items as a hobby. However, for a lot of people they are becoming lost in materialism and need to find the real things that make them happy and not the fake things. They need to locate the big ideas of life and find what truly makes them happiest. If you liked this article, a great book to read would be: The Gospel According to Larry. It is a book on materialism and a boy who tries to fight for a non-materialistic world movement. Trend toward something In this and other countries we tend to have an obsession with â€Å"youth† – especially for females. We have grown into a truly youth obsessed society, and the cosmetic, food, beverage, and supplement offerings are proof of the incredible market there is for anti-aging beauty products. There’s a glut of marketing that targets the beauty consumers, where the same products in many of these campaigns can do so much more for our health. Case in point: years ago there was an herbal product that claimed to treat and prevent gray hair. The product was originally formulated to lower cholesterol. During their research, they found that the product not only lowered cholesterol, but a considerable amount of test subjects lost their gray hair. What angle could they take? Health, vanity, health, vanity, health, vanity†¦ not surprisingly, they focused their marketing campaign on the gray hair aspect, not on the cholesterol treatment. I don’t disagree with their logic. Now that I have a few gray hairs, I want to track down this product. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner last week, yet I can remember a beauty product from well over a decade ago. How’s that for case in point? ***As an example, why if I send a bunch of teenage or youth to a village or a country without taking any entertainment gadget such as computer and even cell phones, they certainly will get bored. I love fashion but I’m not obsess with it Things are like this because people are corrupted by society. For many years, we are geared towards wanting the best things, the hottest spouses, and the shiniest sports cars–all so that we can have the bragging rights. By being able to boast about your wealth gives you power. Ultimately, power is what we all want–being able to tell people what to do so that we get what we want, when we want it, and the way we want it. Material objects that cost a mother lode makes us feel good when have it in our possession–a Louis Vuitton bag or a Lamburgini are so damn expensive that when we do have one to flaunt, we feel like we are at the top of the social hierarchy because vitrually no one else can have what you have. YOU can afford the expensive stuff, not â€Å"other people. In short, it’s all about greed, pride, lust, and corruption. Clearly, the world is messed up. Reasons Why youth today tend to obsess with material things. â€Å"How long can you go with out using an electrical device? How long would you go without power? Does your bank account reflex your narcissistic materialism or need for survival. The answers to those questions would be a good gauge of whether â€Å"we† are obsessed. † Good points nicshack. Our culture seems to be obsessed with the acquiring stuff and things. We have a very consumptive economy and ecology and we need to make some fundamental changes on a wide spread social and philosophical level or we might be in trouble as a species. Here’s what it boils down to: because we live on this slightly tilted planet Earth, revolving a certain distance from the star Sol, life as we know it can exist and flourish and grow and change and fill this great big Universe with life and light and hope. We owe it to ourselves as a species, our children, and our ancestors; to nurture and live in harmony with our planet and fellow life. So you have to ask yourself, do you help life continue and grow? Or do you tear things apart and consume for the sake of consumption to try to fill a hole that should be filled with love and empathy? I know it sounds really heavy and pedantic, but we seriously need to wake up and evolve, break the cycles of destruction in all forms, and start building and learning. It all comes from self satisfaction. People live their lives feeling very unsatisfied, there are always desires. These desires are a very unskilful attempt at becoming happy. When people become obsessed with material things, it is out of fear – if they already possess the matter, they don’t want to lose it because they feel without it, they will be unhappy. Other people desire and cling to money and what not because they feel that if they have it, they will be happy. But in both cases these people are driven by fear. Fear is heads on the coin, Desire is tails. Both complement each other. When people compare, they do this because they’re attempting to please the self-identity that they carry of themselves, the idea they have of themselves, of who I am. If the I is better off than others, they feel happy. And if it isn’t, they feel that they have to gain more material goods. The reason, primarily, is because we live in a capitalist society and is ‘taught’, from the moment we first enter society that the gaining of material wealth is our reason for being. The acquisition of status in our society comes from the striving for and gaining of wealth and the trappings associated with it. Once acquired, the structure or system we live within tells us that we require more to maintain our status and that, actually, we can never have enough. Karl Marx wrote about it in the Nineteenth Century. How many times a day are you bombarded with advertisements, telling you that you ‘need’ this, that or the other product? That if you don’t have it, you’re somehow missing out? While this may sound very obvious and simplistic, it’s the stuff we’re surrounded by all the time – constant messages informing us that our lives are in some way lacking or incomplete until/unless we have that house, this car, that phone, this brand, etc. We’re so used to it that we don’t question it. Zombie-like, we believe we ‘need’ these things – and that’s what keeps everybody on the same treadmill and all the multi-million dollar companies in business. Ways to solve your â€Å"bad habits†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"It’s like I have to buy things to validate myself. † It sounds to me like you get envious of other people’s possessions because you feel inferior or inadequate, and something in you believes that if you just had what they have, you wouldn’t feel inferior to them anymore. As far as how you can stop obsessing over material possessions, I think the root cause of your coveting other people’s things comes from your own feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. I think that by building up your own self-esteem, you will be able to love yourself more as a person, completely independent of material possessions. Then when you see other people with nice things, you won’t feel like you need those nice things to be â€Å"as good as† that person, because you will know that you are a good person regardless of what you have. One of the best ways that a person can build self-esteem is by volunteering. Helping others actually helps you in ways that you would never anticipate until you do it. Try to find an organization that is close to your heart, and ask if they allow teenage volunteers to help out on weekends. Do you love animals? Volunteer at a pet rescue. Do you enjoy spending time with kids? Volunteer at a children’s hospital or in a church nursery. Do you feel for the homeless? Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. There are also national organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, United Way, The Salvation Army, etc. ho helps people in the community and are always looking for volunteers to keep them up and running. By doing something that helps others, you will help build up your own self-esteem. You begin to see yourself as someone who is important to others, who is able to do something that is valuable and helpful to society. I can tell you from experience that even doing something as mundane as cleaning out kennels makes you feel important whe n you think about the reason WHY you’re cleaning those kennels – you’re helping that rescue save the lives of more animals that would otherwise be put to death. You are saving lives by doing something as simple as cleaning a kennel or taking a dog on a walk, and that makes you a seriously awesome person. When you see yourself in that light – as someone who is important to others, who is helpful to their community, who can give to others in a positive way – you will really begin to internalize those feelings and feel good about yourself as a person. Also, being able to see others who have a lot less than you will really put those materialistic feelings into perspective. When you go out to a rural community and hand out shoes and coats to kids who are walking around barefoot because their family literally cannot afford to put shoes on their feet, it really makes you think twice about what’s important in life. It can be a real good eye opener. I hope that helps! I don’t think you’re a brat, the fact that you said you don’t want to be a brat and don’t want to be shallow shows just how much you are not those things. Give yourself more credit, you already sound like a good person who is on the right track in life by trying to do the right thing. Other information that can be used It can seem, in the affluent parts of our globe, that to buy is our fortune. It could also be said that, if buying is good, more buying is better. Of course, we’re in the middle of an economic crisis and some folks might think we need moderation in interaction with the human-created marketplace—that we not treat it as some magically powerful entity that must be worshiped with human sacrifice. Are we completely obsessed with material possessions? Do they mean anything?. Here’s a representative sample of the comments: â€Å"An iPhone to match your sneakers? Sneakers to match your vest? † â€Å"I love clothes and dinners out with friends, and new shiny things but understand the completely vapid nature of these things. † â€Å"They only mean something if you let it mean something. If it makes you happy then buy it. † â€Å"Honestly, if you have the CASH to buy this stuff up front, go right ahead. † â€Å"Few people lie on their death bed and talk about that car they should have bought or that purse that they were so close to buying† â€Å"As someone below pointed out it does have a huge impact on making the world as we know it go round† â€Å"†¦yes we are obsessed, and its not a good thing. And yes, these things are important but shouldn’t be occupying our thoughts and efforts to the extent at which it is. † † Its all one big contest and a race to the finish line. Its a shame most people don’t stop and look around them more often. † I was happy to see, at least, a range of responses in the normally affluent participants on the site. I was very sad about a few of them: â€Å"If it makes you happy then buy it. †, â€Å"Honestly, if you have the CASH to buy this stuff up front, go right ahead. † Here’s where the idea of materialism brings up the idea of human sacrifice. Who suffers for the extraction of the raw materials needed to make all the fanciful things people buy? Who receives no help in their daily lives because they happen to live where the marketeers won’t put their markets? Who sweats away their days making the toys of the affluent? Who can any longer ignore that We are One Human Family and what hurts one hurts all ? Spiritual Quote: â€Å"Whether as world-view or simple appetite, materialism’s effect is to leach out of human motivation—and even interest—the spiritual impulses that distinguish the rational soul. For self-love,’ ‘Abdu’l-Baha has said, ‘is kneaded into the very clay of man, and it is not possible that, without any hope of a substantial reward, he should neglect his own present material good. ’ In the absence of conviction about the spiritual nature of reality and the fulfilment it alone offers, it is not surprising to find at the very heart of the current crisis of civilization a cult of individualism that increasingly admits of no restraint and that elevates acquisition and personal advancement to the status of major cultural values. The resulting atomization of society has marked a new stage in the process of disintegration about which the writings of Shoghi Effendi speak so urgently. â€Å"To accept willingly the rupture of one after another strand of the moral fabric that guides and disciplines individual life in any social system, is a self-defeating approach to reality. If leaders of thought were to be candid in their assessment of the evidence readily available, it is here that one would find the root cause of such apparently unrelated problems as the pollution of the environment, economic dislocation, ethnic violence, spreading public apathy, the massive increase in crime, and epidemics that ravage whole populations. However important the application of legal, sociological or technological expertise to such issues undoubtedly is, it would be unrealistic to imagine that efforts of this kind will produce any significant recovery without a fundamental change of moral consciousness and behaviour. † How to cite Youths Today Are Too Obsessed, Papers

Amy Tans Two Kinds Essay Example For Students

Amy Tans Two Kinds Essay In every family, parents have, at one point, imposed their failures and expectations on their children, and in worse cases have even tried to live through their children. At times, it can be in the best interest of the child to have a parent motivate them in a specific direction, but as in this story it can sometimes backfire, and the child can be left with feelings of disapproval and questions of self-worth. Instead of enforcing these standards parents should let their children be individuals, and have them learn through their own conscious decisions, and only interfere when the child is headed in the wrong direction. We will write a custom essay on Amy Tans Two Kinds specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Of course, family values and morals should be taught to a child at a young age to prevent any disastrous situations, and help the child determine between right and wrong. Jing-Mei stands for this individualism in the story, and the mother represents that obtrusive unwanted force. Amy Tans message in this passage is clear. Frequently imposing standards on a person throughout their life can greatly affect their actions, feelings, and attitudes. The major conflict in this story is between Jing-Mei and her mother. Ever since Jing-Mei was a little girl her mother has believed she could be a prodigy. Her mother would watch television or read articles in magazines to get ideas from other amazing children. Then she would test Jing-Mei tirelessly to try and find something she would be best at. At first Jing-Mei seemed to enjoy her mothers intentions, In fact in the beginning I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so 386, but as time went on the tests started to get harder and Jing-Mei kept failing repeatedly. After constantly having to see her mothers disappointed face, Jing-Meis attitude and feelings began to change, I hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations. 387 She began to see a new side of herself; a strong powerful girl with willful thoughts and lots of wonts, I wont let her change me, I promised myself I wont be what Im not. 387 So throughout the rest of her life she asserted her right to fall short of her mothers expectations, believing that she could never be anything she wanted to be, she can only be herself. Jing-Mei is the protagonist in this story; we read the story through her eyes and her point of view. She makes herself seem more like a victim of her mothers expectations rather than what she really is, a hurt little girl who does not understand why her mother does not accept her for who she is. Jing-Mei has to deal with both external and internal conflicts. The internal being her feelings of accepting who she is and how she would like to live her life, and the external being her mothers constant pushing of her pseudo images of what she believes Jing-Mei should be. Jing-Meis upbringing in a society that highly values individualism and autonomy has had a great effect on her feelings and actions. This influence has enabled her to make the decision that she cannot abide by her mothers expectations anymore, and it has helped her stand firmly behind it. The mother is the antagonist in the story; she does not realize what she is doing to her daughter. In her mind she is just helping Jing-Mei to strive for the best, by Jing-Mei opposing her it makes her feel that her daughter is ungrateful and disobedient. This wanting and pushing for the best stems from their current situation, of having little money, and from the mothers past experiences. America was where all my mothers hopes lay. 386 This is the country were she wants her daughter to have a better life than she had. .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .postImageUrl , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:hover , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:visited , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:active { border:0!important; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:active , .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud9d47a8f06a4b5c791aee2b04c6c6aef:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ben Franklin And William Bradford EssayShe was born in China where she lost everything: her mother and father, her family home, her first husband, and her twin baby girls. She was not regretful of her past, and she always felt things could get better in so many ways. 386 The loss of her daughters and her belief that you could be anything you want to be in America is a strong example of why she is so persistent in making Jing-Mei become the best she can be. Its like she is taking all her hopes and dreams for three daughters and throwing it all on top of one, as if Jing-Mei had to fulfill the lives of her dead sisters. Although the mother did not present her motivations in the correct manner, I believe she truly meant no harm, and was only trying to be a good parent. The atmosphere of the story continues with an array of conflicts. Jing-Mei is forced to take piano lessons after her mother saw a Chinese girl, whom resembled Jing-Mei, playing piano on the Ed Sullivan show. Being that Jing-Mei had no interest in playing piano she lazily went about her lessons, and got away with it, because she had a deaf teacher. Jing-Mei did this despite the fact that her mother had traded housecleaning services for her lessons. Not knowing of her daughters disobedience, Jing-Meis mother bragged about her one day after church If we ask Jing-Mei wash dish, she hear nothing but music. Its like you cant stop this natural talent. 390 This made Jing-Mei even more determined to put a stop to her mothers foolish pride. By not practicing and being determined to disappoint her mother, Jing-Mei is humiliated one evening after she tried to play the piano at a talent show. Even though Jing-Mei continuously wanted to disappoint her mother that night her mothers face devastated her. This situation lead to their final conflict. Not giving up on her, Jing-Meis mother tried to get her to return to her lessons one afternoon. After throwing a tantrum Jing-Mei said the words that would end their quarrels for good, Then I wish Id never been born! I wish I were dead! Like them. 393 After saying this to her mother everything stopped, her hopes, her dreams everything she wanted for her daughter ended in that single moment. Jing-Mei and her mother are both at fault in this story. Instead of trying to please one another, their heads were clouded with their own selfishness. They destroyed that mother-daughter bond they should have shared. It is unfortunate that Jing-Mei realizes what she has lost after it is too late , and her mother has already passed on. They were the same, Jing-Mei and her mother, but blinded by their own needs they never realized they were two halves of the same song.