Analytical Skills Gained from Analysis of The Myth of Universal Love by Asma Stephen - Essay Example

The essays that we have written this semester are very instrumental in the learning process. Each of them brought a new dimension that enriched my skills. The personal essay made me reflect on empathy, which has its origin from my family background. On the other hand, I was able to learn a number of analytical skills through the analysis of the article, The Myth of Universal Love by Asma Stephen.

I believe in empathy; this formed the basis of my first essay. I came to the realization that showing empathy can be transformative. Initially, I was stuck on what to write about. However, the idea of my encounter with Karem back in elementary school came to my mind. Karem was initially a bully in the school but was transformed through my empathy towards him. My parents had always emphasized showing empathy to other people. This principle ultimately became part of me, I found myself getting to befriend Karem, who had bullied me at school. As I reflected and wrote about the experience with Karem, I was able to learn that there are many other incidences that I have shown empathy to others without being aware. Besides reflecting on this particular situation, through the writing I was able to advance further my comprehension skills. I first developed the first draft, and then made amendments until I developed a refined copy of the essay. I learned to be systematic and consider learning from mistakes.

The analysis of Asma’s, The Myth of Universal Love presented a great learning experience for me. The article invoked my thoughts. I read the article in a systematic way, got the gist, and went ahead to dissect Asma’s thoughts. The article presented a very interesting perspective that applies to almost every other individual. His argument was that care and concern begin at the point of relationships. Asma brushes off the concept of universal love and argues that people are inclined to nepotism in their show of love. Getting to understand this article, I could not agree more with Asma. I bought his idea and based it on the saying that ‘charity begins at home. In most scenarios, family is given the first consideration. Just as argued by Asma, there is a greater emotional connection with family as opposed to strangers. However, I presented my critical thoughts with an argument that emotional touch and empathy should be directed to the entire humanity. Being good to people is a nice thing, irrespective of their relationship with us. A good example is provided by the view that we make sacrifices and donate our resources to people that we have never met in needy countries. The article invokes thoughts about caring for others; I could not imagine how the world could be if everybody were inclined to their own family and never lent a helping hand to strangers.

The final essay dealt with the issue of guns and gun control in the United States. Perusing through literature especially on current affairs, I found many controversies that surround this issue. This essay helped me to enhance my argumentative skills by analyzing both sides of the divide and establishing a position. I bought the arguments from the pro-gun lobbyists and tried to argue my thoughts in comparison to their position and concerns. First, concerning the issue raised about the Second Amendment, I did not find any valid reason why the lobbyists are inclined to this constitutional provision when it is clear that it provides for gun rights for individual regions and states and not for individuals as it has they argue. Through this literature, I gathered insurmountable information about American history with guns. Finally, I made a conclusive statement that the United States requires a better gun control policy that will help strike a balance between the individual ownership of guns and the Second Amendment.

In conclusion, it is clear that the articles made a difference in my learning. I was able to develop analytical skills. I was also very critical of the literature that I read while writing the essays. On the other hand, I was able to gather a lot of information that I used to develop my arguments.