Financial crisis 2008 for corporate governance & ethics course Case Study

Financial crisis 2008 for corporate governance & ethics course - Case Study Example Moral hazard occurs when a party to a contract understanding that the consequences of their actions will be borne by a different party puts themselves under more risks. This paper aims at analyzing the characteristics that make the 2008 financial crisis an ethics and specifically moral hazard situation and the measures taken for effectively eradicating the recession. Reasons for the 2008 financial crisis include massive nationwide residential housing bubble, financial sector overleveraging, unregulated subprime lending growth at a large rate, and lack of transparency in new, complex, and more popular mortgage based funds. The other reasons for the global financial crisis in 2008 was resultant inability to measure risk, screening of borrowers and bank lending of precarious loans and lack of concern on ability to pay with main aim being origination of loans (Dowd, 143). These factors that resulted in the financial crisis shows the blatant disregard by the financial institutions of the needs of the stakeholders through taking on precarious loans depicting an example of the lack of ethics or moral hazard situation. Securitization and subprime mortgage origination rose until 2006 when household debt was 100% of US GDP, causing rising interest rates making refinancing difficult and drop of housing prices and 1.3 million housing projects were on forecl osure in 2007, the crash had began. The proceeding days would be so tough for banks and other financial institutions owing to bank runs and collapse including certain governments that depended so much on foreign market loans. The crisis could have been prevented through a reduction in the bailouts or the expectation of bailouts by firms since set precedence for firms to invest in risky activities. This is because when these activities are successful; the investors benefit, but in case of failure, there are bailout by the government. Having a law holding each person responsible for the risky actions that led to the

Examining the influence of street gangs on juvenile delinquency in Thesis

Examining the influence of street gangs on juvenile delinquency in eastern NC - Thesis Example Currently according to police reports of eastern North Carolina the rate of growth of gangs is estimated to be at 35%. This year alone there are about 14,000 gang members with over 500 gangs. Some individuals have even attempted to carry out research on gang activities (Carlie, 2008). The table below was used by the department of Juvenile justice and delinquency prevention in North Carolina. It shows the level of prevalence of gang activity in North Carolina In his own account, Patrick Radden wanted to understand why the groups seemed to be distributed almost everywhere. He took the initiative of carrying out a research on the migration of gangs and the reason for gangs’ prevalence in some of the states, in the US (Kate, 2012). . He was able to carry out on the research explaining in details how the gangs migrated and spread to most parts of the state (Joyce, 2012). According to his research, he was unable to provide quantitative data, his information is only theoretical, and it proves the desire for further exploration. According to the various research activities carried out there is a problem to the society, as well as to the government. However, this works have helped the society to understand the magnitude and type of challenge it is facing. Conversely, the government has strived to establish the level of prevalence of the gang activities in the society together with its magnitude (Karen, Bullocka and Tilley, 2008). Although there is no much data concerning gang activities, what is available is enough to give all parties concerned i.e. the government and the society of the true picture of what is in the ground. The government has already done much concerning the issue of the gangs as well as the society. However, it is clear that what has been done is not enough and there is the need for more to be done (Harlow, 1983). These

A Brief Summary of 5 Disorders Essay Example for Free

A Brief Summary of 5 Disorders Essay Bipolar I Disorder is defined by the DSM-5 as manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. During this manic episode, people typically experience an expansive mood, excessive optimism, grandiosity, and poor judgment. Usually, the person also has depressive episodes, typically lasting at least two weeks. During the depressive episode, people may become hostile and physically threatening to other and also, when delusional, may be physically assaultive or suicidal. The symptoms of mania or depression must be a major change from the persons normal behavior. Hypomanic episodes also exist in which a person experiences at least 4 consecutive days of increased energy and activity and elevated mood. Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) 300.23 (F40.10) The diagnostic criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) includes an anxiety associated with social situations in which a person feels pressure or scrutiny by others. Such social situations almost always provoke fear in the individual typically lasting for 6 months of more. There is a specific branch of this disorder in which the individual only fears public performance: such as singing, communicating a speech, an athletic event, and often affects work and school activities. Typically those individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder have a fear or anxiety that is judged to be out of proportion to the actual risk of being negatively evaluated or to the consequences of such negative evaluation. Nightmare Disorder307.47 (F51.5) Nightmare Disorder is a repeated occurrence of dysphoric and well-remembered dreams that involve threats to survival and personal security. Typically, the dream occurs in the second half of the major sleep episode. Other criteria involves the individual experiencing distress affecting social interactions at work or other important areas of function.  These nightmares are not caused by the substance consumption of alcohol, drugs, or medication. The DSM-5 defines a nightmare as a long and detailed, story-like sequence of dream imagery that appears real and causes anxiety, stress, or fear. In several instances, nightmares may be comorbid with several medical conditions, including coronary heart disease, cancer, Parkinsonism, and pain, and can accompany medical treatments. Paranoid Personality Disorder301.0 (F60.0) Paranoid Personality Disorder falls under the broad category of personality disorders. The criterion for paranoid personality disorder includes a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent. Typically the individual suspects without evidence that other people are out to harm or exploit him or her, determines that friends and associates are not to be trusted, is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fears, reads into hidden meanings about people or events, has unforgiving attitude and grudges towards people, counterattacks angrily when feeling that character or reputation is being attacked, and has recurrent suspicions without justification regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner. The pattern of this disorder is obviously one of distrust and suspiciousness. Generally these individuals are difficult to get along with and often do not participate in close relationships with others. Pedophilic Disorder302.2 (F65.4) Pedophilic Disorder is defined when an individual has recurrent, intense sexual arousing fantasies, urges, or behavior with a child 13 years or younger over a period of 6 months. Either the individual has acted on the urges or these urges have caused serious distress and interpersonal difficulty. The individual must be at least 16 years old and at least 5 years older than the child or children. If individuals complain that their sexual attractions or preferences for children are causing psychosocial difficulties, they may be diagnosed with pedophilic disorder. The presence of multiple victims is sufficient but not necessary for diagnosis of pedophilia. Pedophilia per se appears to be a lifelong condition. Pedophilic disorder contains elements that may change over time with or without treatment: subjective distress, psychosocial impairment, or the decision to  act upon desires. References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Simply Recipes Business Plan The App Marketing Essay

Simply Recipes Business Plan The App Marketing Essay Simply Recipes app is the next step in food recipe apps, and unlike anything currently on the market today. The goal of this app is to save users money while at the same time reducing food wastage and getting its users eating healthier. Its an easy and straight forward app that anyone can use and enjoy. One of the unique selling points of this app is the ability to select what items you have left in your fridge and the app will come up with recipes that will use as many of those ingredients up as possible. So if all you have left in your fridge is say an avocado, some goats cheese and beef, it will find recipes encompassing as many of these ingredients as possible. The healthy aspect comes in when browsing recipes that will contain nutritional information on how healthy the recipe is. If you are still in need of some ingredients it will create a shopping basket automatically for your desired ingredients and show the user deals and offers for the required ingredients at several supermarkets. This would allow the user to go to a store nearby to pick up your order or have it home delivered. As not all the items your want would be part of a recipe, or you may want to add something to the dish, the app would also gives the user an option to purchase any other items they require from the chosen supermarket sells. Mission Simply Recipes is looking to become the next kitchen essential, and the next stage in how people find out and access recipes. The mission is not only to have a simple to use app but to have a vast amount of choice available to its consumers. We want a fair profit for the owners and supermarket chains who sign up, while having a rewarding place for the employees to work. While at the same time being green and helping people reduce wastage and save money. Objectives Simply Recipes objectives for the first 5 years of operation include: Expanding into new customer segments. Introducing new celebrity chefs to the application. Keeping Employee Costs below 25% of revenue. To maintain a profit. Help People maintain a healthier lifestyle. Keys To Success The creation of a unique and innovative recipe app with many unique features, that differentiate us from the competition. Simple and easy to use app. Many discounts and offers to our customers. Large Amount of Monthly Active Users. To get several of the large supermarkets signed up to Simply Recipes. Several Celebrity Chefs signed up to Simply Recipes. Controlling Costs at all times without exception. Key Partners The first key partners we expect to obtain would be the companies that manage and maintain the app stores for the mobile operating system such as Google and Apple. These partners would give Simply Recipes a simple and effective method of distributing the app to potential customers. These partners would also give a simple and effective method of collecting users subscription fees, explained in more detail in the revenue section. Other key partners would include supermarket chains such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys, as this is where the users of the app would be purchasing their ingredients from. Having a close connection with these partners will help provide our customers with the greatest possible selection of ingredients and offers. While at the same time we will be able to provide the supermarket chains a better understanding of what its customers require. Key Activities Simply recipes will keep a keen eye on the maintenance and future development of the app. We will make sure it continues to function correctly and remains bug free. This will ensure its users have the best possible experience while using the application. As users will have the ability to upload their own content, we would like to have these recipes to have the recipes displaying their nutritional information such as how much fat, salt, etc is in the meal. The users of the app may be unaware of this information. So Simply Recipes plans on updating and maintaining this information for its users. We would also like to reward our customers who use the app regularly by uploading their own content and use it to purchase their weekly shop. To do this we will need to continually be looking for potential offers for our customers, whether they be free subscription to the app, restaurant/ supermarket vouchers etc. Key Resources To maintain Simply Recipes we will need a few key resources. One of these is computers to maintain and update the application. To distribute the app through the various application stores an internet connection will also be required. We currently have one member of our team who is technically minded so will be in charge of the development and maintenance of the application. We currently have three members of our team who are incredibly knowledgeable about the nutritional information in food. But as the application expands and more users upload their content they may not be able to handle the volumes so other nutritionists will need to be recruited. Value Propositions What are we selling? For the app user we would be offering them a vast amount of high quality recipes, and a highly discounted rate to those found in a recipe book. While at the same point having many unique features not currently found in current mobile recipe apps, such as the ability to enter several ingredients and the app will bring up recipes using as many of those ingredients as possible. Reducing wastage and saving the user money in the process. Another feature that you wont find in any other recipe app, is that if the user likes a recipe they can add the required ingredients in the recipe straight to a shopping basket. For the supermarket, we will be offering a large amount on active monthly users, enthusiastic cooks who are looking to cook something new. By giving supermarkets a chance to get closer to their customers they will receive a better understanding of what customers are buying and what items, if any, they should begin to stock. It will also give supermarkets a easy and cheap way to advertise what food and drink they currently have on offer. Finances Revenue Revenue will be created in several ways. The first method will be by charging the users a small subscription fee of around  £0.79. The reason why this price will be introduced at this rate as in our market research it has shown what people would be willing to pay for such a service, shown in Figure [1]. Figure [1] Subscription Price The majority of our revenue will come from the supermarkets. By allowing users to purchase the ingredients they require directly from supermarkets we would ask the supermarkets for a small cut of the profits they make from the transaction. In 2012 Tescos PLC was operating on a 6.1% profit margin [7], meaning a family of 4 spending  £100 a week on food Tesco would see  £6.10 of that. We would be asking Tescos for a 10% cut on their profit they receive through the app, resulting in Simply Recipes receiving around  £0.61. If we manage to achieve the 10,000 active monthly users at the beginning of the first year that could bring in revenue of up to  £317,200 from the supermarkets alone. We are looking at the end of year 5 to have around 60,000 monthly active users with around 70,000 that use the app for special occasions. This projection would bring in revenue of anywhere up to  £1,305,400. For users wishing to purchase a subscription to the app many of the Mobile operating systems allow users to purchase this through the operating systems designated application store. Then the company in charge of the app store pays the developer at the end or beginning of each month taking a cut of around 30% [2]. So for a  £0.79 subscription fee per user Simply Recipes would receive  £0.553 per month per user. This is a good way of collecting users fees as it can make users feel more comfortable with the transaction, as many people feel uncomfortable giving their card details to new websites/ Apps they are unfamiliar with. For users purchasing their shopping the users can purchase this in App, using either a debit or credit card. This purchase will be forwarded initially onto the supermarket with them returning the 10% of their profit to Simply Recipes. Below is a short breakdown of the where the revenue we plan on generating comes from: Revenue Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Investment 50000 0 0 0 0 Supermarkets 152500 228750 305000 457500 915000 Subscription 18960 3950 6320 15800 35550 221460 232700 311320 473300 950550 Costs The main cost for start up of Simply recipes will be the development of the app. This will be a one off cost for the initial start-up of the app, but a running cost will need to put into place of around to maintain the app keeping it up to date and bug free. As users will be able to upload and download recipes a server will initially need to hired to have some where the recipes can be stored for uploading and downloading. This will become a running cost for the first 5 years, where we would be looking to purchase a server for the company. To remove this running cost, and allow Simply Recipes to have easier access to the content its users are uploading. Once the first year of trading is complete and recruitment is required, Simply recipes will locate to a rented office. Another major cost in developing the app is advertising as without it people will be unlikely to hear about Simply Recipes. Below if a short break down of where the major costs of the business will be going: Expenses Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Wages 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 Total Bills 20000 8000 8000 8000 8000 Advertising 20000 20000 20000 20000 20000 Rent 300 300 300 300 600 190300 208300 258300 308300 358600 Profit Simply Recipes is looking to help people lead a healthier and more productive lifestyle. By providing its users with a quick and simply to use app, it can help people tackle the problems that come with unhealthy eating such as diabetes and obesity. Modern society is beginning to prefer companies and individuals who have a greener attitude. Simply Recipes aim to become other company with the ambition of offering its users a great product while at the same time helping out the environment. By helping people come up with recipes with the ingredients that have lying around will reducing the amount of food and package wastage each household produces, while at the same time reducing the expenditure on their weekly shop. We are also looking to turn over a profit, which grows with each year of trading. Allowing us to expand the apps capabilities and what Simply Recipes can offer its customers. Below is what we are looking to make in the first 5 years of trading. Profit Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Revenue  £221,460.00  £232,700.00  £311,320.00  £473,300.00  £950,550.00 Expenses  £190,300.00  £208,300.00  £258,300.00  £308,300.00  £358,600.00  £31,160.00  £24,400.00  £53,020.00  £165,000.00  £591,950.00 Figure [2] Profit Channels The way to deliver apps to customers currently for the majority of mobile platforms is through there designated app store. For apple that would be the iOS app store [2], for Google the Google Play store [4] and for Windows phone the Windows Marketplace [6]. These stores allow users to find the application quickly and easily. So we will be submitting versions on the app to these stores to allow quick and easy access to the app. For Googles Android operating system their app store is not the only place that their users can access apps from, they can also be accessed from sites such as Amazon Apps [1]. Therefore Simply Recipes will be uploaded to these stores as well. Typing up recipes on a mobile device is tiresome and can take much longer than a desktop counterpart. So we would be looking in the future to have a website counterpart to the app. That would have similar functionality to that of the app. So people gain knowledge of Simply Apps quickly, we are aiming to advertise Simply Recipes in students campus news papers and news papers such at metro to attract business men and women. Customer Segments There are several different types of customers who are likely to use the app. Initially it will be aimed at the student market and the busy business men and women who dont have much free time so tend to look for meals that are quick and healthy, while at the same time trying to save some money. We would be looking in the future to expand the customer segments in the future to having recipes specific to users dietary requirements such as if they are diabetic or cant eat gluten. Its often hard to find a good set menu for dinner parties so this is another area which Simply Recipes would like to expand on. Our market research showed that the most common meal people make at home was dinner, shown in Figure [3], so this is the meal the Simply Recipes app will try to include the most content for. Figure [3] Meal Usually Cooked At Home Customer Relationships Customer relationships will be maintained in several ways. The first is by allowing users to easily upload and share their own recipes and rate others on theirs, to give the app a greater sense of community. The second will be by offering users special offers such as a free upgrade of the app to the premium service, money off their desired supermarket or even the chance for vouchers on meals out. The more the users uses the app for purchasing their weekly shop or even by uploading their own content the more discounts and offers they will receive. The final way this app aims to maintain a good customer relationship is by having a celebrity chef section. People buy many celebrity chef books, the size of the cookbook market in the US was around $1billion in 2011 [4].

Understanding of the Self Essay -- Compare Contrast Psychology Essays

Understanding of the Self INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social constructionist perspective holds the view that the self is continuing "shaped and reshaped through interactions with others and involvement in social and cultural activities" (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996, p 220). Social constructionist is concerned with explicating the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or otherwise account for the world (including themselves) in which they live (Gergen, 1971). Thus, the social constructionist approach implies that the self is shaped by social interaction within historical, cultural and social contexts. Social constructionist's apply an analysis of societal level which explain the self through social relations. Conversely, the psychodynamic perspective approach emphasises that much of the self of what we are driven by is hidden away in the unconscious and a battle for control takes place between the id, ego and superego. It is a very important point as it suggests that our internal representations of the world could be based on some innate propensities and these of course are unconscious. This interrelationship between world and the unconscious seek to rationalise that a self is produced through the internalization of the introjections of external people (Thomas, 1996). The essay will provide a brief introduction to the theory of the self as presented by both perspectives, then compare and evaluate the explanation offered by them. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST AND PSYCHODYMIC PERSPECTIVE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnographic accounts of incongruent cultures as provided by anthropologist are used to defend the argument that the self is socially constructed through socialisation processes (Sapsford, 1996). For example, Markus and Kitayama proposed that with the existence of social influence, there is a greater sense of autonomy in western cultures as compared to the eastern (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996). Therefore, the social constructionist point of view is that our personal private worlds are fused with our external environment's social contact. On the other hand, the self will continue to develop through the utilization of multiple internalisation's of social identities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harre believes that this internalisation can occur through language, linguistic practices and conversations. Language can be used for internal symbolisation. (Wetherell and Maybin, 1996). In ... ...y. The different levels of analysis require different methods; the social constructionist emphasizes on cultural studies of anthropologists whereas the psychodynamic focuses on psychoanalysis to explain subjective experiences. Both views concur that internalisation of others is a vital aspect for the development of self identity, which in actual fact is not a unitary self but the buildup of the fragments of others. The social constructionist's postulates that others are internalised through conversations and language influences, which leads to the generalization of others, to become internalised as our self identity. Mead and Vygotsky, however do not propose that self identity is totally developed from the external society, but instead attributes its development to the varying degrees of people interactions with the wider society. As such, our inner world is converged and dispersed to the wider society. On the other hand, the psychodynamic view recognizes that fragmentation of on e self is unavoidable, which will stimulate unconscious disagreement, only to be dealt with defence mechanisms within. This will eventually produce a self identity which is either incomplete or distorted. Understanding of the Self Essay -- Compare Contrast Psychology Essays Understanding of the Self INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social constructionist perspective holds the view that the self is continuing "shaped and reshaped through interactions with others and involvement in social and cultural activities" (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996, p 220). Social constructionist is concerned with explicating the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or otherwise account for the world (including themselves) in which they live (Gergen, 1971). Thus, the social constructionist approach implies that the self is shaped by social interaction within historical, cultural and social contexts. Social constructionist's apply an analysis of societal level which explain the self through social relations. Conversely, the psychodynamic perspective approach emphasises that much of the self of what we are driven by is hidden away in the unconscious and a battle for control takes place between the id, ego and superego. It is a very important point as it suggests that our internal representations of the world could be based on some innate propensities and these of course are unconscious. This interrelationship between world and the unconscious seek to rationalise that a self is produced through the internalization of the introjections of external people (Thomas, 1996). The essay will provide a brief introduction to the theory of the self as presented by both perspectives, then compare and evaluate the explanation offered by them. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST AND PSYCHODYMIC PERSPECTIVE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnographic accounts of incongruent cultures as provided by anthropologist are used to defend the argument that the self is socially constructed through socialisation processes (Sapsford, 1996). For example, Markus and Kitayama proposed that with the existence of social influence, there is a greater sense of autonomy in western cultures as compared to the eastern (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996). Therefore, the social constructionist point of view is that our personal private worlds are fused with our external environment's social contact. On the other hand, the self will continue to develop through the utilization of multiple internalisation's of social identities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harre believes that this internalisation can occur through language, linguistic practices and conversations. Language can be used for internal symbolisation. (Wetherell and Maybin, 1996). In ... ...y. The different levels of analysis require different methods; the social constructionist emphasizes on cultural studies of anthropologists whereas the psychodynamic focuses on psychoanalysis to explain subjective experiences. Both views concur that internalisation of others is a vital aspect for the development of self identity, which in actual fact is not a unitary self but the buildup of the fragments of others. The social constructionist's postulates that others are internalised through conversations and language influences, which leads to the generalization of others, to become internalised as our self identity. Mead and Vygotsky, however do not propose that self identity is totally developed from the external society, but instead attributes its development to the varying degrees of people interactions with the wider society. As such, our inner world is converged and dispersed to the wider society. On the other hand, the psychodynamic view recognizes that fragmentation of on e self is unavoidable, which will stimulate unconscious disagreement, only to be dealt with defence mechanisms within. This will eventually produce a self identity which is either incomplete or distorted.

Far From The Madding Crowd :: essays research papers

English Literature Coursework Assignment - Far From The Madding Crowd (Prose written before 1900) ‘Compare and contrast Bathsheba Everdene’s three suitors’ In the novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ the main female role, Bathsheba Everdene, is pursued by three suitors, each of whom is very different from the others. These three men are Farmer William Boldwood, owner of the farm adjacent to Bathsheba’s, Gabriel Oak, bankrupt farmer who becomes Bathsheba’s shepherd, and later, bailiff, and Sergeant Francis Troy, a soldier whose regiment was close by to Weatherbury. Each of the three suitors pursues Bathsheba in a very different style, each of which I will look at in this coursework, but, unfortunately for naïve Bathsheba she fails to choose the best for her, Gabriel Oak, when he becomes her first suitor. Only at the end of the novel does she make the obvious and correct choice. The first character I will look at is Sergeant Francis Troy who came upon Bathsheba one night as she walked along the fir plantation, checking that all was well in the fields and paddocks, although Gabriel Oak had check before her. When Troy had become entangled with her, one of his first questions was ‘Are you a woman?’, to which Bathsheba replied, ‘Yes.’ His immediate reaction was to compliment her by calling her a lady, illustrating his natural tendency to see most young ladies he comes across as merely objects for personal conquest. Flattery is of course his chief weapon in charming and conquering the female heart. One of the main reasons that Bathsheba fell for him in the first place is her own vulnerability to flattery, as she is such a vain young lady. From this point on, on the occasions that he meets her, he continues to remark on how beautiful see looks, concentrating on praising her appearance. His first attempt at courtship was filled with nothin g more than these praises as he quickly wormed his way into Bathsheba’s heart. His impressive skills at swordmanship astonished Bathsheba, as shown in the hollow among the ferns when she realised how sharp his sword really was as he manoeuvred it around her, and she suddenly found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. There are a number of things which had attracted her to Troy, the most principal being the constant flattery and praise of her beauty. His sword skills in particular excited her and were a wonder, something totally different from the mundane ways of country life which surrounded her at present.

Fate vs. Free Will: Oedipus Rex Essay

Oedipus’ ignorance, disrespect, and unending search for the truth ultimately contribute to his free willing destruction of life and the completion of prophecy. Fate is the theory that our lives are â€Å"predetermined† for us, and the concept that states that humans have the choice to choose what decisions they make in life is know as free will. Society tends to generally feel that free will is the presiding element in their lives. It is important to distinguish reality from figment ideas like the belief that your life is â€Å"controlled by fate†; we live in a world where fantasies do not exist and truth surrounds us everyday. Ignoring this makes you ignorant to the truth; blind to reality and open to fanciful theories-fate-that close your existence to the real world. Free will is definitely the controlling factor in uncovering the truth about Oedipus’ prophecy. He governs all the choices and many obstacles he undergoes alone, including: Oedipus fleeing from Corinth, the riddle being solved, the refusal to quit the search for truth and the supposed fated events, like the death of his father, the marriage to his mother, and the encounter with the drunken man. After Tiresias, a man who foreshadows the future, informs Oedipus what lies ahead he flees from Corinth. â€Å"When I heard this, and in the days that followed I would measure from the stars the whereabouts of Corinth-yes, I fled to somewhere where I should not see fulfilled the infamies told in that dreadful oracle† (Sophocles 792-793). If we as humans were told a fate that would ruin our lives, we would all free willingly try to hide from it. It was not fate that led him to flee from Corinth but the human instinct to hide from the truth. Another major event leading to the fulfillment of the prophecy is when Oedipus solves the riddle in Thebes. The Sphinx asks Oedipus, â€Å"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? † He solves the riddle answering, â€Å"That man crawls on all fours in infancy, walks upright on two legs in adulthood, and uses a cane as a third leg in old age. † Technically Oedipus does not have to solve the riddle; he can turn around and travel elsewhere, but he willingly solves it. Oedipus refuses to stop looking for the truth that Jocasta and Lauis were Oedipus’ parents when Jocasta, his wife, told him to. â€Å"Stop in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! My suffering is enough. Listen to me† (Sophocles, Line1603-1605). Oedipus replied, â€Å"Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, I must see the truth at last† (Sophocles, Line 1169-1170). It was Oedipus’ freewill to continue the search of truth, despite the upcoming damage that is to come. Oedipus and those around him consider â€Å"fate† the source of Oedipus’ problems. A supposed fated event that occurred is when Oedipus states, â€Å"The driver, the old man himself, tried to push me off the road. In anger I struck the driver as he tried to crowd me off. When the old man saw me coming past the wheels he aimed at my head with a two-pronged goad, and hit me. I paid him back in full, with interest: in no time at all he was hit by the stick I held in my hand and rolled backwards from the center of the wagon. I killed the lot of them† (Sophocles, Lines 810-820) In the prophecy he was â€Å"fated† to kill his father, but clearly it is Oedipus’ decision to defend himself against the man who attacked him; it’s either life or death and death is not an option for him. The next is the marriage to his mother; marriage is the reward for solving the Sphinx’s riddle. Again, Oedipus could have rejected this prize from the town of Thebes but he voluntarily accepts to marry Jocasta. In the story Oedipus comes across a drunken man who accuses him of not having real parents; Oedipus chooses to listen to this man, which supposedly is â€Å"fate†. A drunken man does not always have the credibility of truthfulness so Oedipus did not have to listen to him, but he freely chose to take note of the things he said to him. In the end it was Oedipus’ ignorance, disrespect, and unending search for the truth that ultimately contributes to his free willing destruction and fulfillment of prophecy. He has plenty of opportunities to make better choices but he is â€Å"blind† to those opportunities because of his flaws and stubbornness. Fate separates us from reality and blinds us from the truth. The truth can be a positive aspect in our lives; we learn from mistakes and it is what fuels our growth. We must all learn that we have the choice to control our own being and the decisions in them–humankind must open their eyes and take control.