"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. " This line is incredibly important for building Dr. King's point of civil rights being done in a concise and clear manner, clearly showing to a hopefully unbiased reader that the activist groups are doing their due diligence. Thankfully, it was at least in some part effective back then, and we can only hope for the same in this era.

"Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work." I find this line to be incredibly poignant, as this really showcases to anyone reading this letter (addressed to them or otherwise) the plight a civil rights leader goes through, especially in such turbulent times. This line honestly still holds significance to this day, due in part to how we know how Dr. King's story came to its tragic end.

"It is usually naïve to expect such a transformation. Changing your character and habits is hardly easy. But the possibility of redemption is always there, and that is only because we are free to set our own course in life." This is a really applicable line that many people fail to realize as they make mistakes in their lives. Changing faults within your purpose is extremely difficult, but it really is all about how you change your viewpoint and pathway following the mess-up.

"It is paternalistic, for instance, if a roommate sells your TV set because he is worried about your spending too much time watching Seinfeld reruns" I actually kind of like the levity in this passage, it also puts the the concepts in the passage (which are somewhat hard to digest) into an easier-to-comprehend form, which is greatly appreciated.

"[thinks about death for a second] ... Nope. Nope, still scary as shit. No thank you." Considering how they felt that they were not particularly mad to be in the perceived nothingness of the afterlife, I find it super interesting that they believe that death is still not scary. In their mind, they totally died and felt fine, yet now that they know that they still live and breathe, they once again find it scary. I wonder if this is a common occurrence with people having near-death experiences, perhaps it's scary to them knowing they will have to go through such a surreal experience again in their lifetime?

"Thus, I find myself in a strange situation where people I love were traumatized and devastated by what happened to me, but I—the dude who actually suffered the injury—fell into a two-week time warp before waking up strapped to a gurney" I've actually put to thought the emotions one would undergo if they fell into a coma after a traumatic incident. Can you really say it was traumatic to you if you didn't even experience the pain? Maybe physically it would be traumatic, but not so much psychologically in my opinion.

"But Abraham in a low voice said to himself, "O Lord in heaven, I thank Thee. After all it is better for him to believe that I am a monster, rather than that he should lose faith in Thee" I believe this sentence here goes to show the extreme of a nonsecular variant of Leap of Faith philosophy. Abraham would rather be viewed as a sort of demon committing to a heinous act under the command of God rather than be disobedient and lose God's favor in him. While I can't imagine believing in a view like this personally, I can see it happening when going down the route of Leap of Faith, though in very extreme conditions.

"It is said also that Sisyphus, being near to death, rashly wanted to test his wife’s love. He ordered her to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square. Sisyphus woke up in the underworld. And there, annoyed by an obedience so contrary to human love, he obtained from Pluto permission to return to earth in order to chastise his wife. But when he had seen again the face of this world, enjoyed water and sun, warm stones and the sea, he no longer wanted to go back to the infernal darkness." I remember when we first began talking about the Leap of Faith school of thought this was the story that immediately sprung to mind! No bigger leap of faith in life than sacrificing your son because God told you so, I suppose!

"It is said also that Sisyphus, being near to death, rashly wanted to test his wife’s love. He ordered her to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square. Sisyphus woke up in the underworld. And there, annoyed by an obedience so contrary to human love, he obtained from Pluto permission to return to earth in order to chastise his wife. But when he had seen again the face of this world, enjoyed water and sun, warm stones and the sea, he no longer wanted to go back to the infernal darkness." I see this passage here as an example of literal irony, which I find very interesting that it is present here. Inside the infernal underworld, Sisyphus was filled with rage, seeking to chastise his wife from above. However, when he finally reached the overworld (a much more tame destination), his anger leaves him, with him only wanting to remain there. The main reason for his return leaving him the moment he finds a more peaceful environment, as if his anger was only a product of the underworld's surroundings (considering all the stories about it, I wouldn't doubt it!)

"If one believes Homer, Sisyphus was the wisest and most prudent of mortals. According to another tradition, however, he was disposed to practice the profession of highwayman. I see no contradiction in this." I find this line to be incredibly fascinating, in the sense that while one trait can be seen as a benefit and another morally repressible, that does not need to be mutually exclusive. In some cases, one can actually be both wise and a thief, such as one that crafts elaborate plans for their goals (such as the characters in the Ocean's Twelve series). Side note - I looked up the term "highway man" and was pleased to see that my guess on its true definition (a thief) turned out to be correct! I figured it had something to do with the term "highway robbery", glad to see I was onto something there.

5:00 I believe another reason as to why the loss of life may be considered the worst loss of all is due to the loss of even being conscious of loss itself. If you were to lose a wallet in a foreign land, you would at least still have your emotions and consciousness with you to recognize and react to the theft. However, the theft of life not only robs someone of any opportunity to gain it back, it also removes the possibility of even thinking about it, or even thinking at all.

1:23 I think this part of the video really stands out following me reading the other assignment. That assignment put into perspective that our time is limited no matter what, we just don't know when it's up. And yet, when we are given a diagnosis of a shortened yet determined fatality date, we do everything we would want. However, we don't do that while we live life with no guaranteed time (yet still determined) date. Truly makes one wonder why we don't prioritize having all the experiences we want to have over a life of struggle resulting in flourishing, so I suppose that might make me at least slightly hedonistic in thinking this.