Personal Renaissance

After a slew of epiphanies, I feel as though I have finally begun to grasp the breadth of

material encompassed in business. Business has a much deeper foundation that I had previously

contemplated. Traversing through fundamental thinking principles to ancient philosophy was an

incredible learning experience. I found myself awe stricken multiple times throughout this course

while discovering new concepts and rediscovering and applying previously acquired concepts.

The world of business is as dynamic and ancient as human civilization. Acquiring additional

knowledge surrounding the history and foundations of business has truly been enjoyable and

informative. The topics I found to be the most thought-provoking and influential include

alienated labor, impacts of technology on the workforce, and concepts and materials surrounding

critical thinking.

Alienated labor was the topic I found to be the most interesting and thought-provoking

subject over the semester. I found myself thinking about how it influences intergenerational

poverty and overall human experience. This particular topic has significantly impacted my

personal life. I myself have experienced the pains of alienated labor, trapped in a vicious circle

unable to withstand the daily hardships but also equally unprepared to risk a change that could

leave me desolate and without resources. Additionally, I deeply connect to the experience of

alienated labor because of first-hand experiences of watching the impacts slowly deteriorate my

friends and family. It was interesting to see that this experience is more than a personal belief but

instead is a studied concept with multiple source materials. It makes me question why the

population has not broken down and further advocated for better treatment from employers.

Despite how difficult alienated labor is to experience I am grateful for the material providing a
better understanding of the impacts of myself and my social circle. Having gained a greater

understanding of this dynamic as awakened a need for further awareness on how I choose to let

this dynamic impact my behaviors and emotions. As a strong advocate for self-awareness,

having awareness allows an individual to have stronger critical thinking skills surrounding social

constructs and situations. This can help overcome the emotional impacts of alienated labor and

can help lead to decisions that can break the metaphoric chains of intergenerational poverty.

The rise of technology and automation and how it can impact the workforce and economy

was a fascinating topic to study during the semester. This topic was interesting to me because it

shakes up the foundation for the economy and social structure. The concept of professionals or

laborers being rendered obsolete is a viable possibility and something worthy of discussion and

preparation. As automation and programming reach new levels of capabilities the benefit of

reduced liabilities and cost-saving become more lucrative and hypothetically could remove the

need for human laborers. If this is true then tens of millions of people or more could be

unemployable, creating a huge problem with society. Regardless of the impending threat to our

infrastructure, I am confident that we have the ability to adapt. Being a millennial I have been

impacted by the exponential growth of technology and the internet and have been placed in a

position where I can more easily adapt to the changes as time progresses. However, I realize that

I am far from irreplaceable and feel that the only way to have absolute reassurance is being in a

position of power and in control of your own company or industry. Awareness and strategic

planning can help prepare people to adapt to the job climate as technology becomes more

capable of displacing workers. Additionally, I find it fascinating to identify and investigate the

fallacy of the concept of replacing human labor entirely. Robots can replace a labor force but
cannot replace the consumer. Companies will have to identify and abide by a social contract that

creates a permanent use for human labor. Unless we reach a utopian society where humanity is

not required to perform physical labor or tasks and we simply get to exist and an enjoy the

limitless amenities at our disposal.

The final topic I would like to note is how the foundation of business all correlates to

critical thinking skills. The principles of critical thinking and decision making is a skill of

paramount importance. Effective decision making is essential in any management position.

Employers must have confidence in your decision-making skills or you are a liability and not an

asset. One of the best distinctions you can have in the field of business is a reputation for solid

critical thinking skills. Additionally, having these critical thinking skills brings a level of

awareness that can help a person navigate social constructs and promotes adaptability. Learning

out types of thinking errors was interesting and had me shaking my head constantly while

considering the current political climate. The renaissance experience I had with this topic is the

rebirth of awareness around treating critical thinking as a skill. I have always thought myself to

have good critical thinking skills, but I cannot say that it is a distinguishing feature or an

advantage that I have. Although critical thinking skill can be considered somewhat innate it is

imperative to also treat the skill as something that can be honed and sharpened. When I

participated in a debate program in school, I had a practice regimen. Having this type of regiment

sharpened my critical thinking and decision-making skills. Having drawn this distinction has

awoken new awareness that motivates me to continue my personal development in critical

thinking skills.
 In conclusion, I am better equipped to proceed with my current career path. I learned

numerous fundamental business practices that will be useful in as I continue development in this

field. As a social advocate, I feel more prepared to have discussions surrounding alienated labor

and the impact that it has on the society. Additionally, building a plan and having awareness

around the rise of technology will help me blueprint a career path that will lead to continued

success. Finally, a new realization for further development in critical thinking skills will result in

practice and further refinement. This course was rich with information and philosophy and I will

reference this course throughout my education.