INEWORD P

ronmental Systems and Societies is your focus of interest. In this case, you should know that the idea that all things come to an end is related to natural resource depletion, ecosystem degradation, and the limits of human social and economic systems. Social and economic systems reach their limits as they try to meet the growing demands of human population and consumption. These systems, beyond leading to social inequalities, are often built on the exploitation of natural resources, and thus drive the way to environmental degradation. Natural resources are finite; their extraction and use can cause their depletion and environmental degradation. This can lead to a decline in ecosystem services, such as the availability of clean water or the provision of food and shelter for wildlife, meaning:

This is the end, beautiful friend

This is the end, my only friend

The end of our elaborate plans

The end of everything that stands

…Even The Doors sound more hopeful!

For IB Psychology there is always the dilemma of whether to consider a Biological or Cognitive approach. A true dilemma! Personally, I prefer the second because the biological approach focuses on factors such as genetics, brain chemistry, the impact of disease and injury on the body and mind, and as if the end isn't dramatic enough, you have to consider all of these factors to understand why everything comes to an end! On the other hand, the cognitive approach in psychology emphasizes mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and reasoning, and how they influence behavior and cognition. From this perspective, all things come to an end due to the limitations of our cognitive processes and our inability to process and remember an infinite amount of information. Therefore, it can be argued that the cognitive approach offers a more complete explanation of why all things come to an end, as it considers not only biological factors but also the limitations of our cognitive processes. Surprisingly, there is a lot of absurd optimism that understanding our cognitive limitations, and improving our ability to receive and remember knowledge, may assist to delay the decline. Why? Because, obviously, there is no way to dodge the end!

Digging into IB English Literature is like feverishly trying to find an answer in hell! Literally in hell, since how else could the MAUS holocaust story or the Persepolis coming of age in a war-torn setting be described? Going further, isn't it just hilarious how MAUS and Persepolis are all about suffering, trauma, and oppression, while Michelle Obama's speeches are just filled with sunshine and rainbows about believing in yourself? I mean, who needs to grapple with complex themes of identity, belonging, and survival when you can just cheerlead people into thinking they can accomplish anything they want with enough positivity?