College Admissions Essay: I Seek the Grail :: College Admissions Essays

I Seek the Grail " You travel and see what the camera saw. The wonder of the human mind, heart, wit, and instinct... You might catch yourself saying, 'I'm not a stranger here.'" John Mahtesian John Mahtesian's photography offers a visual poetry of the human condition. It is a direct expression of his warmth, depth of spirit, and humanity. A true gentleman, extremely humble and unfailingly polite, he achieves an invisibility that is the success of his art. His patience and commitment to his vision allow him to capture moments others could not. If his subjects are aware of his presence, his gentle nature so enchants them that they are unguarded and their essence is revealed. So compelling are his images that we are truly convinced his insights are our own. They make us rejoice in the world around us, and in the nature of human existence. Mahtesian's compassionate understanding of the human condition began early as the youngest child of Armenian immigrants who settled in Chicago's south side. Born in 1915, John's life was filled with all things Armenian. His parents spoke little English and their attachment to Armenia - the newspaper they read and the stories they told - spurred in him longings to see their beloved homeland and to venture beyond his Chicago neighborhood. Ever attentive to the caring of his parents, John's desire to experience and capture the wonders of other peoples and places unfolded slowly and gently. It wasn't until 1974 that fate opened the door for him to go to Armenia - a trip he had been preparing for his entire life. The events leading to this lifelong aspiration are a testament to his hard work, loyalty, and a belief in steadily pursuing his dreams. That first trip to his ancestral homeland began a personal photographic project that included nine visits over a period of fifteen years. The many images he captured of markets, churches, artists, and people attending to their daily lives, gave reality to the stories he heard from his parents and fulfilled an unspoken commitment to his family legacy. As most people who have lived a long while, John Mahtesian can look with amazement on the events of his life and the twists and turns that have shaped his journey. Although he began his commitment to learning and creating art in his early twenties, he didn't start taking photographs in a serious way until the age of 40.

Introduction :: Economics

Introduction The aim of this coursework is to use economic theory and explain how supermarkets in my area compete for custom. To provide a fair competition, the four dominant super markets, Sainsbury, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons are chosen. I shall investigate how the ‘big four’ compete for profit against each other in Leicestershire. Research Plan: To prevent complications the class is divided into 4 groups according to their local supermarkets and accessibility. Each student is provided a price check list with a complete list of common items and compares each different supermarket’s product listing. This is the basic plan but comprehensive analysis and research techniques shall be started later on as we familiarize with economic skill and business brain of these clever large firms. Competition Theory: The medium in which a monetary exchange on a basis of business values takes place is known as The Marketing System or The Marketing Industry. Now The Market is such a place where buyers and sellers meet (outdoor/indoor) to exchange goods and services for a monetary value. The Buyer is actually the customer, consumer or the general public. In the U.K. Market is more defined as a place of competition, where survival of the fittest is the only necessary skill. A market can be an opportunity for success or a road to downfall. There are two kinds’ major kinds of businesses in a market that are Product Orientated Businesses and Market Orientated Business. A Market Orientated Business is where the focused product is produced first and then a market place is searched for it. Whereas, A Product Orientated Business is where the market environment and its demands are recognized first and then the product manufactured accordingly. This process of discovering the needs and investigating opportunities in a market is called Market Research. A market orientated business is more likely to have a Marketing Budget as it has performed market research and knows the pros and cons of the marketable product and therefore can predict a financial plan for a specified period of time and value , say a ‘5 years plan of 1million pounds’. The market is risky and tricky place for both buyers and sellers. The sellers want to drain the maximum money out of the public pocket. The seller’s goal is to sell a. Product for the maximum price and the buyer’s is to buy a product for the minimum cost. In order to make their goals not coincide, the sellers try to provide satisfaction for the products they sell. It’s all about the customer needs. For example; if a manufacturer (Asda) decides to enter the toy market, the firm will do a market research and try to predict the choice of

How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States?

It is no surprise that Buddhism has been embraced by the Americans with gusto. The Buddha was a man of ethics. And, the Chinese bodhisattva is a lady of compassion. Such are the deep values that the American peoples have cherished over the ages – moral principles coupled with compassion. The Chinese bodhisattva, in particular, is a great inspiration for the Americans. She is Kuan Yin: She Who Hearkens To The Cries Of The World (Blofeld, 1997). Is this not the present definition of America as well in global affairs? Zen Buddhism has acknowledged that ‘All is One.’ In other words, there is no essential difference between the different kinds of Buddhism practiced in the United States today. Rev Patti Nakai writes that the American female followers of Tibetan Buddhism have been at the forefront of dealing with women’s issues. To put it another way, the American woman is trying to closely follow She Who Hearkens To The Cries Of The World. The American man, too, is following her lead, by voicing his agitation at injustices throughout the world, and supporting his government in struggling for human rights everywhere.The American women, while fighting for women’s rights, do not hesitate in mentioning Shakamuni’s denunciation of women to prove their point, however. Shakamuni knew women as mere objects before it was explained to him that women, too, should be given a chance to grow in spirituality, simply because everything in this world is impermanent. Finally, Shakamuni did agree to respect women – he had seen impermanence in the death of his father. Before this event, he had been taught that women were akin to animals that are trained to breed, nurture, and How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States?3 entertain the opposite sex. Shakamuni had seen all the women in his life – from his stepmother to his wife, to all the dancing girls and servants of his palace, as creatures that lived solely to p lease men. The change came only when Shakamuni was told by Ananda, â€Å"Give women a chance; we cannot say for sure that they will fail unless they have a chance to study and follow the Dharma† (Nakai). In any case, it was the aunt of Shakamuni Buddha who became the first Buddhist nun and an inspiration for the American Buddhist women apart from Kuan Yin (Nakai).On the other hand, the American man is inspired by Shakamuni Buddha himself, who can learn and grow based on new experiences without turning back to his time of ignorance. This time of ignorance is experienced by every soul; the Buddhist American man delights in the fact that there truly is no turning back once he has had a chance to study and practice the straightforward, uncomplicated and harmless Buddhist principles. Yet another reason why American women have embraced Buddhism is that the Buddhist concept of karma, with its emphasis on self-knowledge, has become a powerful source in helping them overcome the hards hips they faced in life.American women believe that by employing the Buddhist concept of karmic retribution, they hold themselves responsible for the tragedies in their lives. These women have now come to believe that those tragedies are of their own making – that they have created their own suffering. Practicing Buddhism, then, is a form of ‘psychological healing,’ by means of which they not only engage in the Christian expression of ‘Know thyself’ but also begin a process of self-renewal. Sharon A.Suh (2004), the author of Being Buddhist in a Christian World: Gender and Community in a Korean American Temple further writes that the Buddhism of psychological healing for female practitioners at the Korean How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States? 4 Buddhist, Sa Chal Temple in the United States, differs from the Buddhism understood by the male practitioners, who do not understand Buddhism as an emotional and fortune-seeking religi on like the women do. Rather, the American man appears to show more interest in the intellectual and political approaches to Buddhism.He wants to genuinely understand how Buddhism can be used to further the interests of his nation besides improving his position/ situation in the home and workplace. American Style Buddhism There are two main types of Buddhism being practiced in the United States today: the Asian immigrant Buddhism and the American convert Buddhism. On the surface level, the only difference between the two forms of Buddhism lies in the respective languages spoken by each group. On a deeper level, there are quite a few differences in the way each group comprehends Buddhism.The practices of each group differ but naturally. In our day, there is an increasing body of scholarly research and writings on the American convert Buddhism, and although the American individual wants to look at all kinds of Buddhism, he or she is left with no choice but to engage in American style Buddhism. The American is, no doubt, expected to understand his or her language more clearly, apart from the benefits of easy identification with American style expressions (Suh). Converting to another religion always requires study. The American Buddhist is not naive either.All styles of Buddhism (and all religions, in fact) look upon the welfare of the individual with respect to the human society, as well as the welfare of the human society with respect to the individual, as their chief interest. The American Buddhist is not only practicing different kinds How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States? 5 of meditations to be at peace with himself and the world; but, as mentioned previously, also to fight for human rights in the United States and across the world, albeit peacefully.Karma Lekshe Tsomo writes on the women’s rights issue at the forefront of Buddhism: Since 1987 Buddhist women from around the world have begun to unite on a grassroots level and a ssume leadership in working for the welfare of human society. Now, just fifteen years later, the Buddhist women’s movement is recognized as a highly dynamic forum representing over 300 million women worldwide. This movement, emerging from the margins into the international spotlight as a force for social change, is an example of how women can unite their resources and talents, workin harmony, and make significant contributions to global understanding. This innovative movement focuses on Buddhist women’s issues and perspectives, but embraces all living beings. It is innovative in incorporating scholarly perspectives, spiritual practice, grassroots activism, and cultural performance as equally valid dimensions of women’s experience. Creating a forum that unites women from such a rich variety of backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives with respect and appreciation is an expression of women’s enormous potential for global transformation (â€Å"WomenPracti cing Buddhism†). Buddhism looks upon itself as a religion of peace. But, for there to be overall peace within the individual and the human society, all issues of importance to the individual must be dealt with in a peaceful and amicable manner. The American would not feel satisfied until he has dealt with issues that concern himself. It is difficult for this individual to feel at peace until he or she has intelligently tackled the human rights issues in society, for example, sexual discrimination. After all, the American has converted to Buddhism keeping its benefits in mind.This individual would not settle for less, just as the Buddha never sacrificed his principles. The American Buddhist would like to experience peace at home, peace at work, and peace in the community at large through his or her conversion to Buddhism. Inequality and discrimination, as an example, have stolen peace at many levels. But, Buddhism is encouraging How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States? 6 the American to be true to Self, and to be at ease in every situation in order to successfully engender peace.Karen Andrews, an American Buddhist woman, explains the meaning of discrimination in Buddhism itself: Buddhism has, throughout its history, slowly moved east, from India through China, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan. Most recently, it has begun its jump across the ocean to the United States. With each move, the expression of Buddhism has changed to suit the culture of the people. Buddhism has not yet been in the United States (or any other Western country) long enough to develop into a clear new form, suitable for Western culture.There are many aspects of traditional Buddhism which need slight adaptation in order to be accepted within the complex structures of Western society. One of the areas of traditional Buddhism which modern Western Buddhists find the most problematic is the area of gender. In most Asian Buddhist traditions, the leaders and teac hers are all male, while females are given less prestigious roles. Western Buddhists tend to come from highly educated and socially liberal backgrounds, which means that they tend to feel that men and women are equal and should be given equal opportunities in all endeavors.This difference of opinion between Western and Asian Buddhists causes a certain amount of tension. Even though the American woman loves Buddhism for the freedom, dignity and peace it allows her to enjoy, this Eastern religion is also disadvantageous in terms of Buddhist patriarchy. To take control of this disadvantage, many American women have pioneered a gender-neutral and gender-free way of understanding and practicing Buddhism. This has been made easy by the fact that Buddhist teachings do not revolve around divine revelations that would allow for no change in the understanding and practice of Buddhism.American women who have been raised to hate discrimination, have chosen to ignore the obvious sexist practices in Buddhism by following a middle path. In so doing, however, they have ensured that they do not step out of Buddhism altogether (Boucher, 1998). The American Buddhist men have agreed with the American Buddhist women on this issue. They have been taught to hate discrimination, too. How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States? 7 And so, American Buddhism does not face a dire problem of discrimination within the institution itself.Besides, peace is helpful; and hence, Buddhism is good news in America. How is the practice of Buddhism expressed in the United States? 8 References Andrews, Karen. Women In Theravada Buddhism. Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley. Retrieved 25 June 2007, from http://www. enabling. org/ia/vipassana/Archive/A/Andrews/womenTheraBudAndrews. html. Blofeld, John. (1997). The Bodhisattva Of Compassion: The Mystical Traditions Of Kuan Yin. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boucher, Sandy. (1998). Turning the Wheel: American Women Creat ing the New Buddhism.(1st rev. ed. ). New York: Beacon Press. Nakai, Rev. Patti. Women in Buddhism. Urban Dharma. Retrieved 5 December 2006, from http://www. urbandharma. org/udharma/womenbuddhist. html. Suh, Sharon A. (2004). Being Buddhist in a Christian World: Gender and Community in a Korean American Temple American Ethnic and Cultural Studies Series. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Women Practicing Buddhism: American Experiences. Smith College. Retrieved 5 December 2006, from http://www. smith. edu/buddhism/index. php.

Peculiarities of Promotion in B2B and B2C

?Leysan Zigangirova, group 1409, Marketing Department Relative importance of promotional tools in consumer and industrial market. Figure 4. 1 shows proportion of promotional tools in b2c and b2b market. It’s evident, that advertising is on the first place in promoting consumer goods. Producers of these goods try to cover mass audience and advertising is an optimum variant. Almost all the population is in touch with media, including TV, radio and newspapers, or can see billboards or advertising placards, so the information about product or service can easily achieve them. Of course, here comes the question why personal selling is not so popular here. First of all, it’s because of narrow cover. Personal selling is aimed to each customer, so it’s impossible to communicate with everybody. And secondly, the proportion between price and result makes this tool irrational: vast sums of money will be spent out, but the there will be no confidence in sales increasing. On the other hand is industrial or b2b market, where personal selling is on the top. And this result is understandable. The target audience here is not the man in the street, but representative of business, the professional, so it’s better to use personal approach. And advertising campaigns are not so effective here: advertising reaches a mass audience, personal or direct selling focuses on one customer at a time. Besides, industrial products and services are more sophisticated and require detailed explanation, customized application, or careful negotiation over price and payment plan. The salesperson helps the customer identify problems, works out a variety of solutions, assists the buyer in making decisions, and provides arrangements for long-term service. Does advertising do the same? Unfortunately, doesn’t. And in b2b market all of the enumerated points are key to the success in business. If we continue examination of promotional instruments, we will see that usage of other tools is the same. Both b2b and b2c use sales promotion in order to increase sales volume, as an addition to personal selling and advertising. And also public relations are on the lowest position as the most unpopular tool. This can be explained by the result of PR: it builds image, reputation, not sales. Very few companies use this form of promoting, because most of them put profit on the first place, and the image of the company on the second. Only after several years of stable position in the market they turn to PR. So, to make a conclusion, I want to say that it’s important to remember that choosing promotional tool depends on the market, where you do business. Businessmen should take it into consideration, if they don’t want to flow out their money without worthy result.

Dracula: Barrier of Sanity vs. Insanity Essay

The setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in the late nineteenth-century London, where the flourishing of technology is replacing people’s belief of the old superstitious ways. The characters in this novel experience contacts with the supernatural beings that is unable to be proven even by the most advanced technology at the time, which leads them to doubt their own sanity. However, the progression of the novel proves that peace is restored into the characters’ lives after their doubts and confusions about what is reality and who is really mad. Ultimately, the categorization of the sane against the mad is unnecessary since the distinguishing factors shown in the novel are ambiguous. Subsequently, no characters can truly be justified with being labelled as one type over the other. While certain characters in the novel, most notably Renfield, are placed in mental asylums for displaying mad or unstable behaviours, it does not qualify them to be categorized as mad sinc e the non-institutionalized characters undergoes irregular and unstable behaviours as well. These characters must go through their own forms of insanity to access the entirety of the truth that Dracula brings upon them, and thus they behave in ways similar to what is considered to be insane. The alternative reality Dracula brings into the logical and civilized London society can only be accessed by the characters through their own forms of insanity. Insanity is a psychological state of the mind being deranged and arousing irregular thoughts or actions (Barber 505). Sleepwalking is a form of psychological disorder resulting from troubled thoughts (Anitei). It is also thought to be a method of interacting with spirits from other realms (Anitei). During Lucy’s sleepwalking experiences, â€Å"her intention†¦disappears†¦for as soon as her will [thwarts] in any physical way† (Stoker 93). This shows that she only expresses her intention of meeting Dracula through an unnatural method. Similarly, when Jonathan â€Å"has had some fearful shock†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Stoker 108) from his experience in the castle with Dracula, he can only speak about it through nonsensical and insane ways to the sisters that took him in because not all of reality can be understood with logic and reasoning. Even Mina, whom â€Å"the good God fashioned† (Stoker 253) himself, still only connects with Dracula through abnormal behaviours shown by the quote: â€Å"She [has] risen, as if impulsively†¦and [raises] both hands, palms upwards, as if lifting a weight† (Stoker 374). All these characters acknowledge the existence to vampirism and Dracula’s powers through irregular behaviours, which shows that it is within human nature to use insanity as a form of psychological relief from the difficult reality. Asides from accepting the threats that Dracula presents, the characters continue to behave in characteristic commonly deemed as insane such as being emotionally unstable, and odd. Quincy Morris, who is known for his logical leadership skills, for he â€Å"has always been the one to arrange the plan of action† (Stoker 331), expresses passionate outbreaks when his mind is unable to tolerate the displeasing reality. He loses self-control and cries to his companions that â€Å"[He] shall not wait for any opportunity. When [he] see that box [of dirt he] shall destroy the monster, though†¦[he] is to be wiped out for the next moment (Stoker 356). Jonathan shows similar behaviour when he pities himself for living such an unfortunate fate of having a wife that is contaminated with â€Å"the vampire’s baptism of blood† (Stoker 350). He loses his pride in front of his friends and â€Å"[flings] himself on his knees beside her†¦and [hides] his face in the folds of her dress† (Stoker 355). He even openly admits that â€Å"[his] emotion [is] too great for even the relief of tears† (Stoker 355). Being unable to contain emotion is equivalent to admitting defeat to manhood and dignity, which men place at high values at the time. The fact alone that Jonathan freely gives up on these qualities by exposing his emotionally unstable behaviour irregular, so being irregular as well as unstable shows that he can be qualified for being insane. Lastly, the character Van Helsing, who is the wisest among the pack of friends, also â€Å"[gives] away to a regular fit of hysterics† (Stoker 186) when staying calm and logical is not satisfying enough to express his current situation. If even the wisest man can act unstable, then it shows that the average, sane, citizens habiting in Britain can also lose self-control, and act insane at times. At the same time, the less mentally stable characters are able to demonstrate philosophical thoughts and reasoning, very similar to the other educated and non-institutionalized characters. This is most notable for the character Renfield, who is a patient at the mental asylum operated by Jack Seward. Renfield is able to speak with proper reasoning when he chooses to, and descriptio ns regarding Renfield often results in the use of paradox or other forms of contrast. When Renfield feels there is the need, he will engage in proper conversations regarding theories and historical allusions. During the time that he is persuading his doctor, Seward, to release him from the asylum because he feels that he is a endangering them, he uses proper persuasive strategy to express his goal. He first recognizes that his target audience is not Seward alone, since his friends Morris, Lord Godalming, and Van Helsing are also present. He immediate decides to appeal to his audiences’ pathos by praising their honour and background. He alludes to the Declaration of Independence and the Monroe Doctrine of the United States when he compliments to Morris that â€Å"the power of the Treaty may yet prove a vast engine of enlargement, when the Monroe doctrine takes its true place as a political fable† (Stoker 263). Being the madman that he is labelled as, he proves to have a vast amount of knowledge by referring to information from outside of his home country. Following the statement, seeing that it is not enough to win over his audience, Renfield attempts to appeal to their logos by expressing a philosophical statement that â€Å"when an individual has revolutionised therapeutically†¦conventional forms are unfitting, since they would seem to limit him to one of a class† (Stoker 263). This type of behaviour with strategic and logical response is certainly uncommon for individuals deemed as insane, so it ironically questions the sanity of the people who brought him to the asylum in the first place. In addition, when describing the character Renfield, Stoker often uses contrasting devices to heighten the true quality of this character. After Renfield’s attempt to persuade them, Morris comments with the use of paradox that â€Å"[Renfield] is about the sanest lunatic [he] ever [sees]† (Stoker 267). Also, even Seward is astonished by Renfield’s impressive behaviour that â€Å"[he] at once [makes] the introduction† (Stoker 262) for Renfield and his friends, addressing Renfield as â€Å"Mr. Renfield† (Stoker 262). This can be contrasted to an earlier diary entry made by Seward when he refers to Renfield as â€Å"R.M. Renfield, aetat 59† (Stoker 65), showing that Renfield is nothing other than a subject of study to the doctor. This shows that Renfield is capable of both expressing himself freely as well as with proper manner, and that he changes between the two at will to fit the situations he occurs in. This puts the appropriateness his treatment in question, since his behaviour contradicts the way he is expected to behave. Overall, Renfield’s behaviour can be concluded with Seward’s alliterative paradox that â€Å"there is a method in his madness† (Stoker 74). With this in mind, the parallel between the sane and insane characters can be seen through the similarities between Renfield and Seward. Seward is known for his unique diary keeping style of recording his oral recounts of daily events on a phonograph. He does so because â€Å"to write with a pen is irksome to [him]† (Stoker 365), since he likes to make sure every detail is being recorded without the troubles of having muscles cramps. It is Seward himself that recognizes this similarity between his patient Renfield and himself: â€Å"He [closes] [his] daily account most accurately† (Stoker 76). Also, both of these characters display strong faith towards people they trust despite external influences. Renfield shows strong devotion and loyalty towards Dracula because of his belief that Dracula is able to fulfill his desire of consuming lives. He recognizes that Dracula is harmful in nature, but still remains loyal to him. At the same time, Dr. Seward keeps a blind faith towards his old friend Van Helsing purely because he trusts the professor’s wisdom from his experiences. At times, Van Helsing’s conclusions are too abstract for Seward to comprehend, but he never fails to obey and aid him to the best of his abilities. The nature of these two characters’ relationship intently sets them to have contrasting sanity levels, however the similarities between their habits and attitudes contradicts this, which shows that the state of sanity cannot be accurately placed upon an individual even despite their occupation. Through the supernatural experiences through course of the novel, Seward comes to the conclusion that: â€Å"[he] sometimes think [they] must be all mad and that [they] shall wake to sanity in strait waistcoats† (Stoker 295). Being the scientist that Seward is, the most significant character change he undergoes is that he opens up his mind and learns to accept new things. The significance of his conclusion is that the sanity of people is not always what others think it should be. He does not deny the possibility that he can, in fact, be mad, just as how Renfield is able to calmly declare his perfect sanity: â€Å"I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul† (Stoker 266). The confusion of how Seward is the psychologist and how Renfield is his patient is again aroused, which shows that these characters does not fit the one state of sanity labelled on them. All the characters are able to demonstrate traits of being mentally unstable as well as being reasonable and logical. The barrier between sanity and madness is then blurred as the sane and mad behave in very similar ways and shows that same attitude towards their interests. Since â€Å"all men are mad in some way or other† (Stoker 128), it becomes unreasonable and unnecessary to strictly place an individual under either one of these categories. Note to self: http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Causes-of-Sleepwalking-85332.shtml

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Dillard’s mother was fluent in English and taught her children many English phrases. The kids learned about the â€Å"Tamiami Trail† from their mother when they visited Florida. Tampa was on one side of the coast and Miami on the other. The road that connected the two was the one named Tamiami Trail. Her mother told them the struggles people had to through to build the trail. The road took fourteen years to be complete. Dillard’s family was speaking the wrong English. Her father had no problem with her English, but her mom was always correcting her by using the wrong words in a sentence (Dillard 354). Dillard’s mother had many jokes and joked on many occasion, from the supermarket cashier to the surgeon doing her surgery to the couple she did not know. Dillard’s mother was an intelligent woman with much energy. She got bored quickly and did not like focusing on a single thing for a long time. Dillard had two other sisters. The children plus their father were worried when their mother had a difficult time figuring out to do things or why certain things are in existence. It is a story told by White about his childhood experiences at the lake with his father. White then takes his son to the lake again after years. Lake Maine was a family vacation site for White’s family. They always visited the lake on summer holidays (White 1). White took his son for the first time to experience the life at the lakeside. White brings the audience down memory lane and ways he grew up going to the lake often. White reflects on how similar he is to his father. The relationship between him and his son is the same as the one he had with his father at the lake. The whole essay is about that fact. The fact that the lake has not changed a little from the time he was a kid until he had his child. His son reminds him of how he was when he went to the lake with his father. Family values are traditional values: values passed from one generation to

Assessment and decision making regarding depresion in dementia Assignment

Assessment and decision making regarding depresion in dementia - Assignment Example Among the signs and symptoms of dementia are despaired cognitive capabilities in memory, language, depression and poor problem-solving attention (Wang et al., 2007). The depressive nature of dementia makes it a rather delicate condition, requiring medical practitioners such as psychotherapists and physicians to make certain critical decisions regarding its management and treatment (Weiner et al., 2007). Consequently, guidelines for the evaluation of and decision-making on depression in dementia patients have since been developed. It is the prevalence, the depressive nature of dementia and its increased importance as a psychological concern in the health industry that has prompted stakeholders in psychology to establish certain guidelines for dementia evaluation and decision-making by psychotherapists (Hasegawa et al., 2005). An important aspect of these guidelines is that they conform to the ethical principles and codes of conduct most of the world’s psychological professions and associations such as the American Psychological Association. Decision-making by health care professionals while attending to depressed dementia patients is one of the core areas targeted by the guidelines. In this regard, professional conduct and endeavors by psychotherapists while making decisions on dementia treatment have been emphasized in most of the guidelines (McKellar & Gauthier, 2005). These guidelines on decision-making and engagement with dementia patients are particularly important given the role psychotherapists play in evaluating the memory changes and complaints that are characteristic of dementia (Stanley, 2008). However, the fact that most of the reduced cognitive performances occur in older people does not imply that the performance lapses are more pathological than they are physiological (Fago 2011). Instead, the decreased cognitive performances are directly proportional to the decrease in older peoples’ physiological functions (Wakisaka et al., 2003). Fortunately, psychologists are trained and equipped with skills in decision-making on dementia, supported by specialized neuropsychological tests that evaluate lapses and changes in dementia patients’ cognitive functioning (Barker, 2003). The main objective of the decision-making guidelines, however, remains the identification and specification of the most appropriate cautions, concerns and course of action for all clinicians. While engaging in decision-making on dementia treatment, psychotherapists are also advised to employ their expertise, uphold ethical values and consider patient choices and frames of mind/thought (Anthea & McCabe, 2006). In addition, various decision-making approaches such as categorical and probabilistic reasoning should be applied by psychotherapists when handling dementia patients. This paper thus explores the expertise, values, choices, probabilistic judgment and ethical engagement in decision-making for caring for depressed dementia patients. Decis ion-Making in Dementia Management Recent times have realized the replacement of the hitherto applied traditional approach of basing all medical decision-making processes on professional paternalism with more viable decision-making methods (Monahan, 2000). In the contemporary medical profession, most decisions made regarding the management of depression in dementia patie