How to Win Friends and Influence People: What I Once Learned — and What I Now Question

How to Win Friends and Influence People: What I Once Learned and What I Now Question

When I first picked up How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie in 2023, it came to me the same way many books do for people in their early twenties today — through the algorithm. YouTube “life-changing books” lists, Instagram reels about communication skills, and Google searches about confidence kept repeating the same recommendation. At that time, my reading habits were shaped by that entire online culture: productivity, motivation, persuasion, mindset. Books weren’t something to study; they were tools to improve life quickly.

So when I saw this book again and again, it seemed like an obvious choice. The title itself sounded almost like a cheat code for social life. I didn’t know anything about literary canon or narrative theory then. I simply believed that somewhere inside this book there might be a set of rules that would make conversations easier, friendships smoother, and maybe even help in professional life.

The cover itself carries a bold promise: it suggests that this might be “the only book you need to lead you to success.” For someone in that phase of reading, such statements feel exciting rather than suspicious. They create the impression that the book contains distilled wisdom — something practical, almost like a manual for dealing with people.

The book’s core message is fairly simple. Carnegie argues that most human interactions improve when we make other people feel valued. Instead of criticizing people, we should appreciate them. Instead of dominating conversations, we should listen carefully and show interest in others. The book’s very first rule even encourages readers to change their mindset: get out of a mental rut, think new thoughts, acquire new visions, discover new ambitions.

Throughout the chapters, Carnegie reinforces these ideas through anecdotes and quotations. One line he includes is from the nineteenth-century philosopher Herbert Spencer: “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” The message behind such quotations is clear — knowledge matters only if it changes how we behave in everyday life.

And to be fair, much of the advice is genuinely reasonable. Listening carefully, remembering names, avoiding unnecessary criticism — these are habits that can improve communication. When I first read the book, those ideas felt fresh and surprisingly practical.

But when I look at the book now with a slightly more critical reading approach, I notice that the way the advice is framed also raises some questions.

One interesting thing is the narrative voice — the personality the author constructs inside the book. Carnegie speaks with strong authority, presenting himself almost like a mentor who has discovered reliable rules of human behavior. The many success stories and anecdotes give the impression that these principles work almost universally.

At the same time, the book quietly positions the reader as someone who wants influence. The language of appreciation and empathy is constantly connected to outcomes: if you behave this way, people will respond positively to you. In other words, kindness is encouraged, but it is often framed as a strategy.

This becomes clearer when we think about the book’s deeper assumptions — what literary critics sometimes call subtext. The dominant theme is respect for others, but beneath that message lies another idea: that social interaction can be managed through techniques.

For example, the book repeatedly emphasizes making others feel important and appreciated. In practice, that can be good advice. But if taken too literally, it might create a strange dynamic. A person could start appearing as someone who constantly seeks approval or admiration within a group — someone who wants to “win” people over rather than simply relate to them naturally.

This is where a small deconstructive reading — meaning looking at how a text might contradict itself — becomes interesting. The book suggests that genuine appreciation is important, yet it also encourages readers to use appreciation as a method to influence others. The line between sincerity and strategy can become blurry.

Another example is the book’s strong warning against arguments. Carnegie often suggests that the best way to win an argument is to avoid it entirely. In many situations, this advice can prevent unnecessary conflict. But there is also another side to it. Sometimes disagreement is necessary — not to prove oneself right, but to ensure that decisions are more accurate or thoughtful. Avoiding every argument might lead to politeness, but it might also silence useful criticism.

Looking back, I can see why the book appealed to me at that stage of my life. It gave me a clearer awareness of social behavior. I started noticing how rarely people listen carefully in conversations, and how meaningful simple appreciation can be. Those insights were valuable.

But now I also see the limitations of treating human relationships like a system that can be optimized. Friendships and conversations are not only about influence or persuasion. They involve disagreement, awkwardness, honesty, and sometimes even conflict.

To be clear, pointing out these limitations is not meant as an attack on the book or its author. The book was written in a different historical context — early twentieth-century American business culture — where persuasion and personal charm were closely connected to professional success. Many readers still find its advice helpful, and that perspective deserves respect.

For me, the more interesting realization came later: books don’t just give advice; they also shape how we imagine the world. When a book frames social life as something we can master through techniques, it subtly changes the way we approach people.

Another possible concern appears when we extend this idea beyond everyday conversations and think about leadership. Communication techniques that make people feel valued and appreciated can be genuinely positive. But they can also create a situation where a persuasive speaker gains an unusual level of trust.

A leader who constantly speaks with warmth, appreciation, and calm confidence may appear deeply trustworthy. Their words can sound thoughtful, generous, even inspiring. Because of this, people might become less inclined to question them. The pleasant tone of communication can sometimes replace careful scrutiny.

This does not mean that every persuasive or charismatic leader is manipulative or corrupt. Many leaders use these skills responsibly to build cooperation and understanding. Yet the possibility remains that influence and charm can also function as a kind of protection. When someone consistently speaks in a sweet, reassuring, and persuasive way, criticism may begin to feel unnecessary or even inappropriate.

In that sense, techniques of influence are not morally good or bad in themselves. Their value depends on the intentions behind them and on the awareness of the people who listen. A society that values respectful communication should also preserve the ability to question authority. Otherwise, the very qualities that make a leader admirable — confidence, persuasion, and emotional connection — might also make it harder to challenge them when challenge is necessary.

This leads to a broader question about reading itself. When we pick up a book that promises success, confidence, or influence, are we only learning new ideas, or are we also learning a particular way of seeing other people?

Between Belief and Reality: Reading The Power of Your Subconscious Mind Again

Between Belief and Reality: Reading The Power of Your Subconscious Mind Again

I first picked up The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy during the same period when most of my reading choices were guided by social media recommendations. Around 2023–24, my YouTube feed was filled with videos about manifestation, mindset, and the secret psychology of success. Instagram reels summarized entire books in under a minute, each promising that the real key to life lay somewhere inside the mind.

In that environment, Murphy’s book sounded almost mystical. It claimed that beneath our everyday awareness there exists a deeper layer of the mind — the subconscious — which quietly shapes our circumstances. If we learn how to influence that hidden layer, the book suggests, we can transform our health, wealth, and relationships.

For a young reader entering the world of self-help literature, the promise feels powerful. It implies that the solutions to many problems are not outside us but within us.

One of the central statements in the book summarizes this belief very clearly:

“Every thought is a cause and every situation is a result.”

Murphy’s argument is built around this simple equation: thoughts produce reality. According to the book, if a person repeatedly impresses certain beliefs upon the subconscious mind — through affirmation, visualization, and faith — those beliefs eventually materialize in external life.

This idea is supported throughout the book by stories and examples. Murphy describes people overcoming illness, attracting opportunities, or solving personal problems simply by changing their mental patterns.

He even suggests that the subconscious mind can be addressed almost like a powerful internal authority. In one passage, he encourages readers to mentally command negative thoughts with statements like:

“Be still, be quiet, I am in control, you must obey me; you are subject to my command; you cannot intrude where you do not belong.”

Reading these lines for the first time, the tone felt strangely empowering. It gave the impression that the mind could be disciplined like a tool, controlled with enough belief and mental repetition.

The book also draws on earlier philosophical voices to reinforce its message. For example, Murphy quotes the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who famously wrote:

“Man is what he thinks all day long.”

When I first encountered these ideas, they felt almost revolutionary. If thoughts shape reality, then perhaps changing the way we think could genuinely transform our lives.

But as I look at the book now with a more reflective mindset, several questions begin to appear.

Take the claim that every thought becomes a cause and every situation becomes its result. At first glance it sounds inspiring, but it also simplifies the complicated nature of life. People live within economic systems, social conditions, family circumstances, and unpredictable events. If thoughts alone determine outcomes, how do we account for these external realities?

For instance, imagine a person living in poverty who dreams of becoming wealthy. According to the logic of manifestation, if that person spends years visualizing prosperity, repeating affirmations, and believing strongly enough, wealth should eventually appear. But does that belief alone guarantee financial change within a year — or even within twenty years?

The book rarely explores such limitations. Its philosophy leans heavily toward optimism about mental power, sometimes leaving the practical complexities of life in the background.

Murphy also presents techniques that border on the ritualistic. One example appears in the chapter sometimes summarized as “sleep and grow rich.” He suggests that before going to sleep, a person should repeat a single word — wealth — quietly and repeatedly until sleep arrives.

The instruction is very direct:

“Repeat the word ‘Wealth,’ quietly, easily, and feelingly… lull yourself to sleep with the one word ‘Wealth.’ You should be amazed at the result. Wealth should flow to you in avalanches of abundance.”

When reading this today, I find myself pausing at the boldness of the claim. Can repeating a word before sleep genuinely cause wealth to arrive “in avalanches”? Or is the exercise meant simply to cultivate motivation and confidence?

This is where critical reading becomes useful. Literary critics sometimes talk about subtext, meaning the deeper assumptions beneath a text’s surface message. The dominant theme of Murphy’s book is empowerment — the belief that individuals possess hidden mental strength. But beneath that optimism lies another assumption: that personal thought is the primary driver of reality.

Yet there are alternative perspectives on human development. A well-known philosophical idea, often associated with Aristotle and later summarized by Will Durant, offers a slightly different emphasis:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

This idea shifts attention from thought alone to action and practice. A person may think about success all day, but it is consistent behavior — study, work, discipline, collaboration — that usually shapes outcomes.

This contrast raises an important question about manifestation. Many people constantly imagine better futures. They dream about success, happiness, and improvement. Yet imagining something does not automatically remove real-world constraints or limitations.

The subconscious mind certainly plays an important role in shaping confidence, motivation, and emotional resilience. Our thoughts influence how we approach opportunities and difficulties. But recognizing that influence is different from believing that thought alone can override every external barrier.

When I first read Murphy’s book, I genuinely enjoyed it. It encouraged me to think about my own mental habits and how negative thinking can limit our sense of possibility. In that sense, the book served as a useful introduction to the idea that the mind deserves attention and discipline.

But reading it again today, I see both its inspiration and its exaggeration. The power of the subconscious mind may indeed be significant — but like any power, it operates within limits.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson from books like this is not that the mind can magically transform reality, but that awareness of our thoughts can influence how we respond to the world. The challenge is remembering that belief alone cannot replace effort, circumstance, and time.

And that realization leads to a deeper question for any reader exploring self-help philosophy: where does the power of the mind end, and where does the complexity of reality begin?

A Dance of the Forests — Alternative Ending

 A Dance of the Forests — Alternative Ending

This activity was assigned by Megha Trivedi Ma'am. It is part of the "Thinking Activity" series for the study of Post-colonial Literature or African Drama, specifically focusing on the complex ending of Soyinka’s 1960 play.

[The court of the Forest Head. The masquerade has reached its fever pitch. The Half-Child hovers above the assembly, borne aloft by Eshuoro's dark insistence. Demoke stands below, the carved totem at his feet, his hands trembling with the weight of what he has done and what he has yet to do. The Dead Man and the Dead Woman watch from the margins of the clearing, their faces no longer mournful but expectant — the way the very old watch the very young make the same mistakes.]

FOREST HEAD (withdrawing into the canopy, his voice descending like rainfall): I have seen enough of what men choose. The Half-Child is above you. Reach for it or let it fall. What you do now, you have always done. What you do now, you will always do.

DEMOKE (raising his hands slowly): Then let what I always do — be different this time.

[A silence falls over the forest. Even the drums go mute. Eshuoro freezes mid-descent, uncertain. This — this pause, this hesitation in the machinery of fate — was not supposed to happen.]

ESHUORO (hissing): You cannot unmake the pattern, carver. Your hands kill what they love. They killed your apprentice. They carved a summit that should not have been carved. Give me the child, and the dance ends cleanly.

DEMOKE: The dance has never ended cleanly. That is precisely the complaint.

[He does not catch the Half-Child. He does something unexpected: he kneels. He kneels beside the totem he has carved, that enormous, sky-reaching column of wood that cost Oremole his life, and he begins, with his bare hands, to dismantle it — pulling at the carvings he spent years perfecting, breaking faces from the bark, pressing the fragments into the forest floor.]

ROLA (stepping forward, alarmed): Demoke — what are you doing?

DEMOKE: I am returning what I took. I climbed too high because I could not bear that another should stand where I stood. I carved Oremole's face into the totem so the world would remember my guilt while celebrating my genius. Every face I cut was an act of vanity dressed as devotion. I am unmaking it.

ADENEBI (sneering from the edges): Sentimental fool. The totem is already part of the Gathering. It cannot be unmade. History cannot be unmade.

DEAD WOMAN (stepping forward for the first time with volition, not as ghost but as witness): He is not trying to unmake history. He is refusing to let it justify him.

[The Half-Child descends slowly, not caught, not dropped — it settles, as if choosing, into the arms of the Dead Woman. She looks at it. The child, that perpetually unborn thing, that vessel of all the futures humanity has aborted, opens its eyes for the first time in the play.]

DEAD MAN (quietly): It sees her.

FOREST HEAD (re-emerging, his tone different now — less like a god performing and more like one genuinely surprised): This was not what I expected.

ESHUORO (in fury): It is a trick. The carver distracts us with false humility while —

DEMOKE (still kneeling, hands bleeding from the broken wood): There is no trick. I am not a good man. I murdered my apprentice for the crime of being talented and young. I have lived inside the monument to that murder and called it art. I do not deserve the Half-Child. I do not deserve redemption. I am simply refusing — for once — to accept the story that my greatness excuses my cruelty.

[A long pause. The forest breathes.]

ROLA (slowly, something cracking open in her voice): And what of us who sent men to their deaths with a smile and called it power? What is the shape of our refusing?

ADENEBI: I have built roads, I have spoken for my people — what is the refusing for a man who served?

DEAD WOMAN: The refusing looks different for each of you. But it begins the same way. It begins by stopping the dance long enough to hear what the drums are actually saying.

[She holds the Half-Child up. The child does not cry. It turns its head slowly — toward the forest, toward the gathering, toward the distant sound of celebration in the village where men are busy congratulating themselves on independence, on newness, on a future they have not yet examined.]

FOREST HEAD: What will you do with it, woman? You are dead. You have no future to give it.

DEAD WOMAN: No. But the living do — if they choose to stop celebrating long enough to earn one.

[She walks toward Rola. Not Demoke — Rola. The woman who sinned without genius to hide behind, who destroyed without art to sanctify the wreckage. Rola who has no monument, no totem, no posterity to appeal to.]

ROLA (recoiling): Why me? Give it to Demoke. He is the one who — he is the artist, he is —

DEAD WOMAN: He is still kneeling. That is good. But you are standing. You are the one still choosing.

[Rola receives the Half-Child. It is heavier than she expected. She almost staggers. The Dead Woman steps back, satisfied — and then, for the first time, she looks at the Dead Man with something other than grief.]

DEAD MAN: Is it over?

DEAD WOMAN: It is the same. But perhaps the same can be different this time.

[Eshuoro howls. The sound fills the trees and then — empties out. He does not vanish so much as become unnecessary. He retreats into the upper canopy, biding.]

FOREST HEAD (to himself, in a voice the audience hears but no character does): They will forget. They always forget. The child will grow heavy, and Rola will set it down, and Demoke will rebuild his totem, and Adenebi will find new roads to charge too much for. The dance does not end. But —

[He pauses. He watches Demoke still kneeling, pulling apart his life's work with bleeding hands.]

FOREST HEAD: — but this is new. This small refusal. This one man, in this one clearing, choosing not to be forgiven too quickly. Perhaps that is enough to change the music, if not the dance.

[The drums resume, slower now. The Half-Child turns its face toward the audience. Its eyes are open. The forest closes around them all.]

[END]

A Note on the Alternative:

Soyinka's original ending is deliberately bleak and cyclical — Forest Head delivers his famous soliloquy lamenting humanity's incorrigibility, and Demoke's act of catching the Half-Child offers only a fragile, ambiguous mercy. This alternative shifts the locus of possible grace from heroic action (catching the child, the grand gesture) to renunciation — Demoke's dismantling of his own monument. It also reassigns moral agency to Rola, traditionally coded as the play's most sensual sinner, as a way of arguing that redemption, if it comes at all, comes to those without the cover of genius or office. Forest Head's final speech preserves Soyinka's deep skepticism while allowing a hairline crack of possibility — not optimism, but the suggestion that even a pattern worn into stone can shift, grain by grain, under the pressure of one person refusing to perform it.

Book Review: In the Silence You Left Behind

In the Silence You Left Behind – A Reflective Book Review

For weeks, I kept seeing In the Silence You Left Behind everywhere on my social media feeds. It appeared in reels layered with soft instrumental music and in carefully curated photographs of annotated pages resting beside coffee cups. Readers wrote emotional captions about how deeply the book had affected them. The constant visibility created a kind of quiet digital storm around the text, making it feel less like a personal discovery and more like an unavoidable cultural moment.

Before purchasing the book, I checked its Amazon rating and found it holding a strong 4.4 stars. That number suggested widespread approval and emotional resonance. Still, popularity alone does not guarantee literary depth, and that tension between visibility and value became my entry point into the reading experience.

From the very first pages, it becomes clear that this work belongs to popular literature rather than classical tradition. It does not aim for structural complexity or symbolic density. Instead, it prioritizes immediacy and emotional clarity. To judge it through the lens of canonical literature would be unfair; it must be read within its own framework and intention. The book states early on,

“Written for the hearts that break in quiet.” 

This line establishes its emotional direction. The heartbreak depicted here is not dramatic or explosive. It is subtle and gradual, defined by emotional withdrawal rather than confrontation. The pain comes not from loud endings but from fading presence.

Another line deepens this perspective: “Not all heartbreaks come loud. Some slip away silently leaving you to carry the weight.” The emphasis rests on private grief. The book repeatedly explores silence as a lived experience rather than mere absence. Silence becomes a space where memory lingers and unanswered questions accumulate.

Structurally, the text is composed of short reflections rather than a continuous narrative. There is no clear beginning, climax, or resolution. Instead, it moves through emotional states such as longing, remembrance, regret, and gradual acceptance. This fragmented form mirrors the non-linear nature of heartbreak itself.

However, while reading, I found myself questioning why the book is recommended so passionately across platforms. Its sincerity is evident, and its tone remains consistently gentle, yet its overwhelming popularity suggests broader cultural dynamics at work.

Many contemporary readers appear to prefer clarity over layered symbolism and direct expression over interpretative ambiguity. Classical literature often invites readers to read between the lines, to uncover themes embedded within metaphor and structure. In contrast, this book presents its meaning transparently. It does not require excavation or complex analysis.

This accessibility may explain its appeal. In a digital environment shaped by speed and visual culture, concise and quotable lines travel easily. The book integrates seamlessly into social media spaces where aesthetic presentation enhances emotional content. Influencer culture also plays a significant role in its visibility. Well-known personalities frequently recommend the book, shaping reading choices for large audiences. Their endorsements function as signals of credibility and desirability, guiding young readers toward particular texts. While this has helped revive reading communities, it also raises concerns about independence in literary selection.

Reading based solely on trend or recommendation limits intellectual exploration. Literature should not be consumed only because it circulates widely. Readers benefit from cultivating independent taste, seeking works that challenge as well as comfort.

Despite these concerns, the emotional resonance of the book remains genuine. It captures a contemporary form of heartbreak characterized by ambiguity, ghosting, and gradual emotional distance. For many young readers, this representation feels accurate and validating.

The line “This book will hold your heart the way you once held theirs.” illustrates the book’s intention to provide companionship rather than critique. It does not attempt philosophical interrogation of love; it offers emotional reassurance.

The strengths of the book lie in its accessibility, consistent tone, and immediate relatability. The language is clear and gentle. The atmosphere remains cohesive throughout. Readers experiencing heartbreak may find comfort within its pages. Its limitations are equally apparent. Emotional motifs repeat frequently, and narrative complexity remains minimal. Symbolic layering is limited, and the emotional progression from sorrow to acceptance follows a predictable path. These qualities do not invalidate the work but define its genre and scope.

Ultimately, In the Silence You Left Behind reflects its generation. It articulates silent heartbreak in a world saturated with noise. It provides vocabulary for private pain and offers emotional recognition to those who feel unseen.

However, while it succeeds as a companion text, readers should remain mindful of maintaining independence in their literary journeys. Popularity can invite engagement, but it should not determine the boundaries of one’s reading life. Emotional accessibility is valuable, yet interpretative depth remains equally important. In conclusion, the book fulfills a meaningful cultural function. It may not achieve canonical status, but it speaks clearly to its moment. It reminds readers that some heartbreaks dissolve quietly and that silence itself can carry weight. At the same time, it encourages a broader reflection on how and why we choose the books we read.

References:

Manda, Sumitra, editor. In the Silence you left Behind: Written for the hearts that break in quiet. Ebury Press, 2025.

Reading Task: Documentation - Preparing a List of Works Cited

1. Why Are Citations Needed?

Citations are not merely technical devices added at the end of a research paper; they are foundational to the very structure, ethics, and epistemology of academic writing. In the context of Chapter 4 of the MLA Handbook, which focuses on the formal presentation of research, citations function as both ethical markers and structural components that transform a written document into a scholarly text. They signal responsibility, accountability, intellectual positioning, and methodological transparency.

1. Citations as Ethical Accountability

At the most fundamental level, citations are required to acknowledge intellectual debt. Academic research is cumulative; every argument, theory, or interpretation emerges within a field shaped by prior scholars. When a writer incorporates another author’s ideas—whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or conceptual influence—citation ensures that credit is properly assigned.

Without citation, borrowed material becomes indistinguishable from original thought, resulting in plagiarism. Chapter 4 emphasizes the consistent and visible placement of in-text citations and corresponding entries in the Works Cited page precisely because academic integrity depends on clarity of authorship. In this sense, citation is an ethical practice: it publicly recognizes that knowledge production is collaborative rather than individualistic.

2. Citations as Intellectual Transparency

Research writing requires transparency. Readers must be able to see how claims are constructed and on what foundations they rest. Citations function as evidence trails: they show the sources from which data, arguments, or interpretations are drawn.

This transparency serves two qualitative purposes:

• It allows readers to evaluate the credibility and authority of sources.
  
  

• It makes the research process open rather than concealed.
  
  

Chapter 4’s emphasis on formatting—clear parenthetical references and precise Works Cited entries—ensures that this transparency is not disrupted by ambiguity or inconsistency. The formal system of documentation therefore supports intellectual clarity.

3. Citations as Participation in Scholarly Dialogue

Academic writing is dialogic. It is not an isolated expression of opinion but an intervention within an existing scholarly conversation. Citations demonstrate how a writer positions their work relative to other scholars—whether by supporting, extending, challenging, or revising previous interpretations.

Through citation, a research paper becomes part of an ongoing discourse. It acknowledges that knowledge is historically situated and socially constructed. Chapter 4’s formatting rules are significant here because they standardize this participation. By adhering to MLA conventions, the writer ensures that their work is legible within the academic community.

Thus, citation is not only about avoiding plagiarism; it is about situating oneself within an intellectual tradition.

4. Citations as Structural Organization

In Chapter 4, citations are closely linked to the formal structure of the research paper. The relationship between in-text citations and the Works Cited page creates coherence between the body of the paper and its documentation.

This structure performs several qualitative functions:

• It reinforces logical flow by linking claims to sources.
  
  

• It enhances readability by providing concise parenthetical references.
  
  

• It ensures systematic organization of scholarly material.
  
  

The formatting conventions—such as alphabetical arrangement, hanging indentation, and standardized entry components—are not arbitrary. They create uniformity and accessibility, enabling readers to locate information efficiently. In this way, citation contributes to the formal integrity of academic writing.

5. Citations as Epistemological Responsibility

Beyond ethics and structure, citations reflect a deeper epistemological principle: knowledge must be verifiable. A claim without a source remains assertion; a claim with citation becomes evidence-based argumentation. Academic disciplines value replicability, verification, and critical examination. Citations allow others to revisit sources, reinterpret evidence, and continue the conversation.

In this sense, citation sustains the continuity of scholarship. It ensures that research remains accountable to standards of proof and reasoning rather than personal belief.

Conclusion

Citations are needed because they perform multiple interrelated functions: they uphold ethical responsibility, provide intellectual transparency, situate the writer within scholarly discourse, organize the formal structure of the paper, and sustain the verifiability of knowledge. In the framework of Chapter 4, citation is not an optional decorative feature but a defining characteristic of academic research writing.

A research paper without citation lacks legitimacy and authority. With proper citation, however, it becomes part of an accountable, structured, and intellectually rigorous academic tradition.

Short note MLA Style 

MLA Style refers to the system of documentation and manuscript preparation recommended by the Modern Language Association (MLA) for scholarly writing and student research papers. It provides detailed guidelines concerning the mechanics of writing, including punctuation, quotation practices, formatting, and especially the documentation of sources.

What Is the MLA?

Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association is a major academic organization in the United States dedicated to the study and teaching of languages and literature. In addition to organizing annual conventions and publishing academic journals such as Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, the MLA produces authoritative style guides.

Its key publications include:

• The MLA Handbook – primarily for high school and undergraduate students.
  
  

• The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing – especially intended for graduate students and scholars.

Who Uses MLA Style?

MLA style is widely used in the humanities, particularly in fields such as:

• English Language and Literature
  
  

• Foreign Language and Literature
  
  

• Literary Criticism
  
  

• Comparative Literature
  
  

• Cultural Studies

It is less common in disciplines like psychology and education, where formats such as APA style are preferred.

Core Features of MLA Style

MLA style provides a system of cross-referencing between:

• In-text (parenthetical) citations
  
  

• Works Cited page

This system allows readers to identify and locate the complete publication details of any source cited in the text.

In-Text Citation Format

When quoting or paraphrasing a source, MLA uses a parenthetical reference that includes:

(Author’s Last Name Page Number)

Example:

“I am an invisible man” reflects the narrator’s social invisibility (Ellison 3).

If the author’s name appears in the sentence, only the page number is included in parentheses.

Works Cited Entry Format

Each in-text citation corresponds to a full entry on the Works Cited page. The general format for a book is:

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. Vintage International, 1995.

Conclusion

MLA style is a standardized system designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and academic integrity in scholarly writing. By providing structured rules for citation and formatting, it enables writers to acknowledge sources properly and allows readers to verify and consult the referenced materials efficiently.

Choose a topic of your choice and create an annotated bibliography containing at least 8 varied qualitative source types pertaining to that topic.

Annotated Bibliography: The Ethics of AGI (Corrected)

1. Book

Bostrom, Nick. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford UP, 2014.

Bostrom provides a foundational philosophical inquiry into what happens when AI surpasses human intelligence. He argues that an "intelligence explosion" could lead to a goal-alignment problem, where an AGI’s objectives conflict with human survival. This source is crucial for understanding the "existential risk" framework. Bostrom (115) emphasizes that we only have one chance to get the initial conditions of AGI right, making the qualitative analysis of "will" and "motivation" in machines a central ethical concern.

2. Journal Article

Cave, Stephen, and Seán S. ÓhÉigeartaigh. "Bridging Near-Term and Long-Term AI Ethics." Nature Machine Intelligence, vol. 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 5-7.

This peer-reviewed article seeks to reconcile the divide between researchers focusing on immediate AI harms (bias, privacy) and those focusing on future AGI risks. The authors argue that these two fields are deeply interconnected through the lens of "accountability." By analyzing the qualitative shifts in how we define machine agency, Cave and ÓhÉigeartaigh suggest that today’s algorithmic biases are precursors to the much larger control problems presented by future AGI systems.

3. Book Chapter

Russell, Stuart. "The Purpose Put into the Machine." Possible Minds: Twenty-Five Ways of Looking at AI, edited by John Brockman, Penguin Press, 2019, pp. 20-32.

In this chapter, Russell re-evaluates the standard model of AI—where machines optimize a fixed objective. He proposes a new qualitative approach where the machine is explicitly uncertain about human preferences. Russell (28) posits that an AGI must be "humbly" designed to observe human behavior to learn our values. This source is vital for its focus on the "Human-Compatible" design philosophy, shifting the ethical focus from absolute machine control to human-value alignment.

4. News Article

Klein, Ezra. "The Alarming Anticipation of A.I." The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/opinion/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-danger.html.

Klein explores the societal "vibe shift" following the release of Large Language Models (LLMs), moving from skepticism to a sense of inevitability regarding AGI. He interviews industry leaders to capture the qualitative sense of "acceleration" currently felt in the tech sector. The article is valuable for documenting the psychological impact on the public and the growing demand for regulatory pauses, highlighting the tension between corporate competition and global safety.

5. Video

"The A.I. Dilemma." YouTube, uploaded by Center for Humane Technology, 9 Mar. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhYw-VlkXTU.

Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin, the creators of The Social Dilemma, present an argument regarding the "Second Contact" of AI. They draw qualitative parallels between the way social media algorithms eroded democracy and how AGI could erode the "language-based" fabric of reality. This video source is essential for visualizing the speed of AI development and understanding the argument that AGI doesn't need to be "sentient" to be profoundly transformative or destructive to human institutions.

6. Encyclopedia Entry

Müller, Vincent C. "Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Summer 2020 ed., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2020, plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-ai/.

This comprehensive entry provides the theoretical and historical context for AI ethics. It distinguishes between "Narrow AI" and "AGI," tracing the qualitative debate from Alan Turing to modern functionalism. This source is highly useful for grounding contemporary ethical fears in long-standing philosophical traditions, such as the "Chinese Room" argument, which questions whether a machine that simulates understanding can ever truly possess moral status or genuine "consciousness."

7. Webpage

"The Asilomar AI Principles." Future of Life Institute, 2017, futureoflife.org/open-letter/ai-principles/.

This webpage outlines 23 principles for the safe and ethical development of AI, signed by thousands of researchers including Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk. It categorizes ethics into "Research Issues," "Ethics and Values," and "Long-term Issues." It serves as a qualitative benchmark for international consensus on AGI, emphasizing that "superintelligence should only be developed in the service of widely shared ethical ideals." It is a primary source for the policy and governance side of AI ethics.

8. Image

The AI Index 2024: Technical Performance. Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered AI, 2024. Infographic. AI Index Report 2024, aiindex.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Stanford-AI-Index-Report-2024_Summary.pdf.

This infographic visually maps the rapid closing of the gap between AI and human performance across benchmarks like reading comprehension and visual reasoning. Qualitatively, the image communicates the "plateauing" of human superiority in cognitive tasks. It helps the researcher visualize the "acceleration" mentioned in other texts, providing a data-driven visual that serves as a warning for how quickly the transition from Narrow AI to AGI is occurring in real-time.

Choose a research article on any one of the following identities: refugees, immigrants, women writers, queer poets, tribal communities. Study the introductory section of that article and identify whether the section adheres to one or more of the 7 principles of inclusive language as discussed by the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook. Justify your observations. 

Here, I’m choosing this article on Tribal Communities.

Barnes, Stuart J., and Jan Mattsson. “Building Tribal Communities in the Collaborative Economy: An Innovation Framework.” Prometheus, vol. 34, no. 2, 2016, pp. 95–113. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1080/08109028.2017.1279875 . Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.

The Introduction section of the article largely adheres to the Seven Principles of Inclusive Language discussed in the MLA Handbook (9th ed.). The evaluation is as follows:

First, the section uses bias-free language. It does not contain discriminatory or stereotypical references to gender, race, class, nationality, or any other identity category. Terms such as “individuals,” “organisations,” “consumers,” “participants,” and “entrepreneurs” are neutral and professional.

Second, the text avoids the use of generic masculine pronouns. It does not use “he,” “his,” or “man” to represent all people. Instead, it uses plural and neutral expressions like “participants” and “unknown parties,” which align with MLA’s recommendation to maintain gender neutrality.

Third, the section respects self-identification by not imposing identity labels on any group. Since the article focuses on economic and business models rather than identity categories, there is no problematic naming or misrepresentation.

Fourth, the language does not imply superiority or deficit. No group is portrayed as inferior or less capable. Even when discussing “unknown parties,” the term is used in an economic context and does not carry negative judgment.

Fifth, the article avoids unnecessary labels. It does not mention social, cultural, or demographic categories that are irrelevant to the topic. All terms used are directly related to the research focus.

Sixth, the section uses generally culturally neutral and global language, referring to “societies,” “economies,” and “global scale.” Although one example focuses on Austin, Texas, the language itself does not exclude or marginalize other regions.

Seventh, the writing is precise and avoids generalizations. The claims are supported by citations, and careful phrases such as “one purported alternative” and “a recent study suggests” show responsible academic writing.

In conclusion, the Introduction section strongly adheres to the principles of inclusive language outlined in the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), particularly in maintaining neutrality, avoiding bias, and using gender-inclusive expressions.