tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010690537845702992023-11-16T12:42:57.590+05:30The C.H.I.L.D BlogDialogues on Child and Adolescent Mental Health And WellbeingUndeniablyBlahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14104061127228772833noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-78147399186190310392014-04-21T12:16:00.002+05:302014-04-21T12:35:12.391+05:30Unleash the Power of Collective Imagination<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. That is the beauty of human civilization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> Look around you for a few moments at everything that makes up your home – the fan, the television, the light bulbs, the carpets , curtains and sofas, the kitchen ware and crockery…did you make any of these? Did you make even the simplest clamp or screw that fits the beautiful artefact to the wall? Perhaps the artistically inclined amongst you created the lovely wall painting or piece of embroidery to adorn your walls. Certainly I cannot claim any such competencies. It is a matter of wonder to me very often that we live in a world which we have created collaboratively over several centuries. I marvel at and salute all those people existing and those gone by, who have made it possible for us to use all of these products. Everyone of these products is again produced by some collaboration – if you painted the masterpiece on your wall, someone made the paints, brushes and canvas. Someone, or more accurately, many hands at some factory produced the hammer and nails which the carpenter uses to put up your masterpiece on your wall. It is mind boggling to think that collaborative effort of totally disconnected people has woven this beautiful tapestry of civilization that exists today. It is the brilliant power of collective imagination that actually has made all this possible. It could be one tiny discovery, invention, or innovation which triggers another. It then has a seemingly cascading effect, and many innovations lead to a totally new product, perhaps. When Apple launched the iPhone with a few hundred Apps, little did they imagine it will lead to the flood of Apps we see today. All it did was create the platform for people from anywhere in the world to create Apps that many, many more people could use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> We build on what is left to us by previous generations in the areas of Science and Technology. Every now and then a breakthrough comes out of the blue and speeds things up at a phenomenal rate and the world is never the same again. Like the leaps and bounds human civilization made in the 20<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century…Like the digital revolution…Like the revolutions in communication…Always, however, it is up to the users, be it the leaders of the most powerful nations, or the teenagers at home, to make judicious choices when using these products of collective imagination laid down at their feet by civilization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> Our daily world is filled with just so many examples of the products of individual creativity, collective imagination, collaboration and critical thinking. Yet, we have not picked up the pace of consciously building these skills into daily teaching and learning in the classroom. It is time to create the conditions that will make these skills an implicit part of facilitating learning. The way forward is to surely, consciously build skills of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking in our schools. Jobs today are very different from what they were a few decades ago. Even clerical jobs have changed. The person who sits at the computer in a call centre today has to be discerning - it does not suffice if he or she merely speaks with a good accent and answers politely. Newsreaders do not merely read the news any more -merely good diction and an unaffected style of speech do not suffice as essential attributes for the newsreader today.A person with an authoritarian style of work is no longer considered good material for being a manager. Today a manager should be a person who is able to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively and who is able to work collaboratively with team mates and other stake holders to get the job done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> When we quell choice and stress on implicit obedience in overcrowded classrooms we instantly create conditions that stifle creativity. When we foster conditions that encourage competition we build conditions to eliminate collaboration. When we rate skills of arithmetic higher than knowledge and skills in the fields of languages, humanities and arts, we foster the “only one answer is correct approach”, and we are training our students to shut off many areas of their brain. I will relate one small incident which happened some years ago. My daughter had drawn and coloured a pond with lotuses and ducks – a typical scene a kindergartner draws in India, immaterial of whether he or she has ever seen an actual pond with ducks and lotuses! Her teacher in Kindergarten had to “correct” this and place her signature on this in her drawing book! So, diligently, she corrected in red ink and wrote the remark “use light blue for water”! My daughter had used dark blue from her crayon set. Perhaps the ducks would also have to be coloured blue because they drank blue water and swam in too? ! I certainly wouldn't want light blue or dark blue water supply from that pond for my house! She was an otherwise kind teacher and I can’t say my daughter did not learn anything from her or from that school which she attended for a brief three months. Although she was upset, I am glad that this incident did not dissuade my daughter in any major way, and to this day she continues to sketch, paint, and write poems and articles, while she pursues a degree in Chemical Engineering, which she claims is the best course ever in the world! Kindergarten is not the gateway to University!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> However, imagine what would happen eventually if this were the attitude adopted time and again by a majority of teachers in that school. Believe me, this is not uncommon. I have come across many teachers who behave in a similar manner. Not that they are to blame entirely. Are the teachers even trained to foster creativity? Can the average Primary School teacher in India recognize what creativity is? Are our teachers allowed to be creative at all in a profession which is essentially a creative one? If allowed the time and given access to professional development and the right conditions with small class sizes and limited “teaching periods”, is it too difficult to invest time and effort to foster creativity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> It is time we realized the only way forward is by collaboration and not by competition. When we compete against one another, we build walls of distrust. Ever wondered why for most of us our college days were probably the most enjoyable times of our lives? Probably for the first time we were given more freedom of choice – both academically in choosing our majors or ancillary courses, and even personally. By then parents stop supervising your daily work, you should have learnt to manage your time effectively and you can choose when to go for a movie or ice-cream with your buddies. Above all, it is time when you experience the collective generosity of your friends. They share notes with you, help you to study and get a better grasp of concepts that seem foggy, appreciate your talents unconditionally, criticize you and cut you down to size when they have to, but again stand up for you in what could be dire circumstances you put yourself in with a Professor, and in some cases may even give you the daily morning wake up call! And you would do the same for them any day. You collaborate with your friends to run your daily life, study long hours, get your dissertation done on time, and also have fun. And you also collaborate with your Professors who essentially are there to help and guide their students. Everybody is working collaboratively towards the common goal of ensuring that you and your friends get that much coveted degree with flying colours! And that is why the whole process turns out to be so joyous. But what happens when you enter the work place? Why does it seem so different? If your workplace is one that pits one against the other and declares an individual as a topper every month based on the volume of sales or number of phone calls one attends or number of pleased clients, well it is one that is merely focusing on competition and not collaboration. The joy of a job well done returns when you are part of a team that works creatively, solves problems, communicates effectively, acknowledges the contribution of its team members, but always recognizes that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> Some years back, when I said 5-6 year olds should begin to work collaboratively in a reading class, a math class and then eventually even do small projects together, teachers in a school were flabbergasted. They said this wouldn’t be possible. But then they had to face with my conviction that it is perfectly natural for even little children to work together and the fact that I spoke from prior experience with little kids working together. When things beyond their lesson plans began to unfold in the collaborative classrooms, the same teachers were overwhelmed! Here were little ones sharing their thoughts about the story they had read, making little story books together, communicating with one another, explaining to each other, helping one another to understand better, and above all, resolving conflicts! If this is an example of what we saw in Grade 1, similar wonderful scenarios opened up in all the other grades. It is indeed possible to foster creativity and critical thinking, through skills of collaboration and communication, at all levels of the school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> Like it has been said time and again, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So, let us unleash the power of collaboration and collective imagination in our classrooms.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">- Dr. Gayathri Deepak</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-13626687946763775902014-04-03T13:05:00.000+05:302014-04-21T12:17:43.238+05:30Towards Liberal Education...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Dr. Gayathri Deepak is the Director of Centre for holistic Empowerment of Teachers, Children and Adolescents, [CHETANA] which is CHILD's school mental health wing. She has successfully led International Schools in India and abroad and is now executing revolutionary training protocols with educators to usher in the practice of emotionally literate pedagogy in mainstream education.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It is that time of the year again…time for the scramble for college admissions. Despite the huge variety of jobs available now, what are still the most popular courses? Engineering, Medicine, Commerce… has anything changed in the past few decades?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Why should we think that the <b><i>sole </i></b>goal of school education is to prepare students to enter University? And in particular, with emphasis being placed mainly on Mathematics and Sciences, the jar of gold at the end of the rainbow seems to be that much coveted seat into an Engineering college or Medical college. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> As the Principal of an international school in India, I was often questioned by parents who sought admission to Kindergarten, whether our school and the curriculum prepare their child to face entrance exams to join IIT. Well, quite frankly, it didn’t. We could not give such promises because we did not believe that is what education should be all about. And we ran a school, not a coaching centre for entrance examinations! And it baffles me no end that there are several parents out there who think that certainly Kindergarten is the gateway to University, particularly a foundation for a career in Engineering or Medicine!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Let’s take a few moments to ponder about the status we in general give to subjects other than Mathematics and Sciences…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We as a nation celebrate the achievements of our cinema stars, and deify them. We celebrate the achievements of our authors, classical dancers and musicians too. We are justifiably proud to belong to a nation that produced such all-time greats as M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ravi Shankar, Padma Subramanyam, AllaRakha, Rabindranath Tagore, to name just very few of the stalwarts. It seems such a paradox that we as a nation celebrate performers in the classical or modern arts, perhaps more so than any other country, and yet fail to give due place for the performing arts or literature in our school curriculum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Time and again research has proven the immense benefits and powerful impact of Drama or Theatre in the curriculum, but we steadfastly choose to ignore it and refuse to bring it into mainstream curriculum. Even in schools which do offer Drama, it is offered usually only up to Middle School. In schools where it might be offered in High school, it might get about 2 periods a week, compared with 5 to 8 each for English, Math and Science.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In fact, we seem to have regressed rather than progressed in providing holistic education. In my grandfather’s days, schooling placed emphasis on areas like Languages and Literature and Philosophy, apart from Math and Science. They even had to learn Greek and Latin, apart from English!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> How can we now claim to have progressed in providing education when our focus has largely become narrowed to the Math and Sciences alone?The general perception amongst some schools, parents and larger society is smart children are only those who excel in these subjects! The only “other” stream available in most Chennai schools is the Commerce or Business stream. How many schools are actually offering courses that prepare students to seriously pursue streams like Design, Geology, Sociology, Sports, Drama, Music, Media, Hotel Management?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> And all schools actually claim that they cater to “holistic development” or “wholesome” development! Most modern schools in our country today claim to base their pedagogical practices on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Are schools really justified in making such claims when they totally neglect the Arts, Humanities, Languages and Physical Education?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Let us for a moment consider simple facts…Drama and Dance come naturally to little kids. Even a kid left alone enacts little scenes by herself or stands in front of the mirror imitating her mother or teacher. When a group of kids get together, it is perfectly natural for them to enact scenes in a school or home setting. It is a natural way of expressing themselves and making better sense of their worlds. When we see toddlers or young children, the natural grace with which they move fascinates us. Children love to move – it is normal for them to break into a skip even as they are walking. It is natural for them to spontaneously tap to music or dance. Their whole body seems to be happy when we see them move, act, sing, run or play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Research has proven the value of the Performing and Creative Artstowards emotional development. Literature and the Humanities kindle the finer aspects of human nature and make us the social beings that we are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> So, why do schools feel compelled to allot little or no time to physical education and the performing arts? It is sad and actually dangerous that it is increasingly becoming the trend to allot these important areas of learning to “after-school activities”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Given that Universities set almost impossible “cut-off” marks for admission, schools and parents blame them for fostering the “rat race” for top scores. Statistics year on year show that stress levels during Standards 10 and 12 are just so high, causing serious mental health problems like depression, anxiety and even leading to suicide. It is time for Universities and Colleges to base admissions on the overall achievements and talents of aspirants and not merely on their marks/grades in their qualifying and entrance examinations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It is time we wake up to the importance of encouraging inter-disciplinary learning and providing a liberal education in schools, colleges and Univer<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>sities.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-75773315824577593292013-08-06T19:28:00.000+05:302013-08-06T19:28:43.141+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 22</b></span><br />
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Handshake And A Half!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Any social situation can cause a certain amount of nervous
energy in most of us, but none more so than the highly uncertain “first
meetings”! In an age when self-presentation is a key priority in interactions,
it becomes even more important for us to strike the right first impressions on
a stranger. What truly goes into our attempts at making favourable impressions
on others? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> There are two main tactics we employ to build a positive
social image of ourselves. One is the rather obvious tactic of “self-enhancement”
that involves looking our best to constructing positive self-descriptions of
ourselves to making use of appropriate “props” such as putting on a cool pair
of glasses to appear well-read and so on. Good social skills have been shown to
be very good predictors of promotion at the workplace by many research studies. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The second tactic we often use is “other-enhancement”. This involves inducing
positive moods and states of mind in other people through lively conversations
and pleasant interactions, showing genuine interest in others’ ideas and
opinions, and even performing small favours for them. People also hope to
create a good image by offering flattery, praise and agreeing excessively to
the opinions of the other, particularly when they are perceived to be superior
to oneself. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The chances of this tactic backfiring are quite high when executed
without tact, in which case the person gains a highly negative evaluation as
opposed to creating a positive impression! This effect was described by Roos
Vonk as the ‘slime effect’. One will do
well to avoid such overly ingratiating behaviours being as the term doesn’t
really ooze with appeal!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> We have a strong desire to be associated with attitudes
that we perceive to be honourable. In many situations we look to further our
self-image by expressing such desirable attitudes where appropriate. Understandably
we also tend to hide or suppress attitudes that may not show us in the right
light, such as our prejudices. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In any attempt at self-presentation, there is always the
risk of failure such as when our efforts backfire or when our performances
yield unfavourable outcomes. Imagine talking to a teacher you really admire
about the time you lost out in an important tournament. You may attempt to
manage the possible embarrassment by explaining them away as caused by uncontrollable external
factors and downplaying the effect of personal factors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Impression management can be a little challenging for
people who find social situations uncomfortable and distressing. But despair
not, as research suggests that cognitive distractions such as activities that
the person really enjoys doing and is likely to be successful at can go a long
way in reducing their social anxiety and making them appear sociable and
extroverted! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Striking the balance between our desire to appear in a
certain way and genuinely having a good time in a social gathering is the trick
to not let the pressure get to us! Social psychologists assure us that despite
all the challenges and obstacles, the art of self-presentation comes quite
naturally to us.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></div>
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Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-65409353726511093302013-07-30T22:24:00.003+05:302013-07-30T22:30:28.209+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 21</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> An old house that has forever stood at the end of the
street has been replaced by a multi-storey apartment complex. Uh oh, unease.
The affable elderly gentleman who sold stationery and soda pops at the small
shop next to school retires and is replaced by someone else, unease. New
neighbours, unease. Friend leaves school, or worse, the country, awful unease.
Friend comes back with an accent and new ideas, well that’s tragic!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Some people really hate change! So much so that just mere
contemplation of it can cause apprehension and anxiety. But why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Change is a very effective reminder of how we are not in
control of everything that happens to us. And that is OK! It is alright to not
be able to control everyone and everything around you. It is a free world and
no one should be controlled and manipulated to suit the needs of another. The
point is, the kind of control that matters is the one you have over yourself
and how you make change work for you!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It is true that a reasonably stable life without too much
flux offers security. But when our living conditions change, such as when you
have to move because of a parent’s job, a new sibling is about to enter the
family or a family member falls sick, they signal the arrival of an important
milestone in our lives. It can be quite anxiety provoking but how well we deal
with such transitions determine how much stronger and well-adjusted we emerge. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> When the change is self-initiated, like when you choose to
shift to a new school, or take up a new extracurricular commitment, one would
expect the transition or adaptation to be easy. But that may not always be the
case. One would still need to deal with how different the actual situation is
to how one had imagined in their mind. There may be a few challenges to overcome
and few adjustments to be made to settle in. What makes the transition
successful is staying committed to one’s decision and a dedication to have fun
and learn more, no matter what! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In case of change which is externally imposed, the
resistance to accommodate is much higher, making successful transition more
difficult. Adaptation then, depends on what one makes of this change. If it is
seen as an opportunity to break away from the monotony and grow, one’s
commitment to acclimatize is higher and one can develop into a free agent whose
outlook is evolved and more open to experience than ever before. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> To deal effectively with change, be it situational or
relational (like the problems with the “new” old friend!) requires one to be a
flexible individual who is willing to transcend the limitations of their
preferences and characteristics. “I can’t do this”, “I don’t like this” and
many such self-defeating declarations keeps a person from achieving their
potential to be more, do more and give more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Rolling with change can be very freeing and liberating as
one doesn’t need to feel like a victim of the situations they are in but
instead take charge of how they can ride this change with dignity and purpose. Stagnation is after all,
not for the life-affirming human spirit!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></div>
<br />
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</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-343828085786059242013-06-06T13:03:00.000+05:302013-06-06T13:07:36.520+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 20</span></b><br />
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Success In The Big Picture</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In other astonishing news today, it has been learned that
the word ‘school’ derives from the Greek word <i>schole </i>which can be translated to mean, hold your breath, leisure! Given
today’s scenario where school education is inextricably linked to a fifteen
year chase of ‘success’, this piece of trivia sure boggles the mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The ancient Greeks, bless them, meant school to mean a
leisurely time set aside to learn the nature of our universe and of human life,
not for cracking competitive exams but quite simply, for the sake of knowledge
and enlightenment. An activity was taken up in leisure purely for the love of
it. This belief that pursuing knowledge could liberate the mind and spirit was
strongly held in ancient India too. A key aspect of education, then, was to
support a student’s spiritual growth alongside intellectual exercises and social
awareness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In order to stay relevant to the socio-political context we
live in, education has been subjected to repeated alterations in terms of subject
matter as well as modes of transmitting information. But what has been largely
left behind in the times of yore is the wide-eyed wonderment with which to look
at the vast universe around us. There is now a significant distance between the
individual and what he studies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Children, in their most natural state are curious. They
explore their environment in any way that their current development allows, be
it through investigative touching or unceremonious yanking, on all fours or on
tottering twos. If you have ever witnessed the unrestrained mirth of a toddler
after “figuring out” how something works, you know that their reward lies in
the joy of discovery. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">To imagine we were like this once upon a time when today,
mastering a lab experiment holds only as much enticement as an A+ is
disheartening. Maybe the hunger to learn diminished when one realised whatever
one learns is only as good as the grades and applause it fetches. Appreciation
and acknowledgement from one’s family and peers are very important in that they
offer us a warm and supportive environment for us to apply ourselves better. To
hold an inadequate definition of success as meaning top grades and a high
remuneration at the workplace is very narrow-minded, not to mention fraught
with potential causes of mental distress and fatigue. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Success may mean material accomplishments to some,
effective relationships to some and joyful involvement in activities or fields
of intellectual/emotional value for others. A rich businessman and a passionate
stay-at-home mother are both successful in their own rights. What makes them
successful is giving themselves wholeheartedly to their duties and treating
failures as unavoidable yet valuable opportunities to learn from, without
lowering their expectations or standards of performance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is nothing wrong in looking for money and fame in
one’s life. It is, however, important to realise that these are inevitable “by-products”
that will happen to you anyway if you remain committed, competent and confident. Einstein put it best when he said, "We have to do the best we can. This is our scared human responsibility." How is that for some good "old school" wisdom?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-37364012001918252302013-05-09T09:46:00.001+05:302013-05-10T15:33:30.273+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 19</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Social Networking, NOT Working! </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Deepa came home after a long hard day of tuitions and tests
and threw herself across the bed, thoroughly exhausted. As sleep crept over
her, she wondered, in the last moment of heavy-lidded consciousness, if her
latest profile picture had received a new comment. Her sleep drew back a little. Had she edited her picture just
right so that the lighting and colouring flattered her features perfectly?
Sleep struggled to take over but Deepa’s anxiety managed to keep it at bay. What
if Sneha, Arjun, Karthik and Chitra had posted “funny” comments really designed
to just annoy her and make her feel silly about herself? Sleep gave up trying
to bring her under its calming oblivion as she forced herself out of bed to
take a “quick look” at her profile. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> How about you? Do you check and recheck your response to
others’ online posts so that you appear at your humorous best? Have you
convinced yourself that the number of “likes” you get on a post is a direct
estimate of your value as a person?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Our primal need to belong to a certain social group in
which we feel loved, appreciated and approved of, is beginning to manifest in
quite an interesting way through our contemporary obsession with social
networking. To be connected with friends and family on an informal platform
where all our quirks are celebrated and accepted whereas at the dining table
they would be frowned upon, can be very liberating. One is also encouraged to
take a moment to understand what they are feeling at a particular time and what
opinions they hold on a particular issue so that they may be updated as
statuses or tweets. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> This ability of these platforms to stimulate reflection and
thought is a wonderful thing. They promote dialogues between people from
different disciplines and backgrounds, thereby providing everyone with an
opportunity to expand their sphere of experience and knowledge. Right? Well,
maybe not if our understanding of social networking is limited to its potential
to generate a flawless image of ourselves that completely disowns our
imperfections and shortcomings. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Such a “construction” of ourselves and our
lives takes an inordinate amount of time to craft and maintain! Sources
estimate school-going students spend 7 hours a day on an average on these
sites. That is just a criminal waste, considering there are actual people to
meet and make eye contact with, real footballs to be kicked, real saplings to
be planted, real rooms to be tidied up instead of virtual villas, not to
mention an actual person to improve and nurture (thy honourable self), rather
than a virtual avatar! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Everyone has self-doubts, including the circle of friends
whose approval we seek so much. The identity you have for yourself is such an
intimate part of your growth. To invite others’ opinions and judgments in
shaping your self-concept is unfair and harmful. To contribute to a trend of
“watching” what others do with their lives and to exploit the anonymity that
internet affords us to sling harmful comments at others robs the growing
generation of integrity and personal accountability. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Try to look beyond the superficial and you may be able to
experience the joy of genuine human connectedness that goes beyond mere popularity.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-27426285008127281982013-04-26T21:47:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:47:34.312+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 18</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Scaling
Morality<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Toddler Shiva was forbidden from biting his brother
as his mother said it hurts him very much. Well, thought Shiva, why else would
I bite him if I didn’t want it to hurt?! So his mother tried another tactic. She
would emit a shrill, frightening shout when he attempted an assault on his
brother. If this doesn’t succeed in stopping him, his mother’s palm would meet
his backside in a loud thwack. This did the trick. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The fear of punishment and threats of an all seeing
God who will poke our eyes if we did anything wrong was the first ever moral
code of conduct we learned. Our morality then was something external to
ourselves and not an integral part of how we lived our lives. This is described
by Lawrence Kohlberg as the first level of moral development. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The second stage is when we begin to understand
there is no absolute right and wrong. We have the freedom to act in ways that
meet our interests. Ria might fight for her friend’s cycle as they had decided
to ride it in turns and her friend doesn’t want to share. A smaller child might
reason that since the cycle is her friend’s, Ria shouldn’t fight for it but an
older child recognises that it is not quite so simple as the friend is not
being <i>fair</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The third stage is when we want to live up to the expectations
of those whom we respect such as the elders in the family and figures of
authority like our teachers. Our moral reasoning now goes beyond fear of
punishment to holding good intentions and operating out of concern and empathy
for others. This may be why we celebrate the idea of modern day Robin Hoods who
act in questionable ways for the larger good of the poor and underprivileged. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> If you believe staunchly that no matter what, one shouldn’t step over the law
for the good of society as a whole, you are in the fourth stage. Staying on the
good side of the law isn’t to avoid punishment but to preserve social harmony.
The idea here is, if everyone starts to live by his own rules then the society
will be ruled by chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In stage five, our morality expands to respect
individual values and rights of people in the society and this can lead to
revision of laws that are unfair to certain sections of society. For example,
legal Acts were amended declaring that daughters should also benefit from
parent’s property and not just the sons. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It is important to not just understand which stage
we are at but to aspire to the next level too. As your social circle expands,
you will come across a variety of people who have their own ideas of morality
and many times this will differ greatly from yours. The most important
responsibility as a citizen of this world is that we don’t <i>exclude or condemn </i>a particular person or group because of their
moral codes. A non-judgmental and inclusive mindset driven towards justice and
equality for all is the true sign of moral growth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL </span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-84686961617830663052013-04-26T21:43:00.000+05:302013-05-03T13:33:06.106+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 17</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>A Severe Case of <i>Hilaria*</i>!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> On what is easily the most colourful day of the year, some
respected members of the society, discerning adults, serious students preparing
for final exams and curious little children alike, had their nose plastered
against their computer screens trying to “smell” a wet dog, vampires, a new
car, and of course the indispensable olfactory delight, roses! This foolish
enchantment with what technology can possibly achieve was fuelled ingeniously
by the pranksters at Google who released their Google Nose gag to celebrate April 1. Once upon a humorous time in New York, a practical
joke aficionado of the name Hugh Troy used an old-fashioned umbrella shaped
like a rhino’s foot to create imprints in snow, causing the students, faculty
and management of Cornell University to believe there was indeed a rhino in the
campus!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Honking a horn every time your mother opens her mouth,
sticking insulting signs on an unsuspecting (or a fully suspecting) friend’s
back, punching holes in a sibling’s water bottle are just some of the countless other
imaginative pranks that have been fundamentally designed to celebrate our
childlike love for play. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Play has the very important purpose of dispelling tension.
Practical jokes allow us to get in touch with our inane whims, which were
indulged so much more when we were younger. In their ability to provoke
spontaneous laughter, hoaxes and pranks (that are not dangerous or frightening)
lower blood pressure and help one cope healthily with the demands of everyday
life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Many of you may have stopped playing routinely when you
reached middle school. Students in older classes may still play competitive
sports but it is adults who seem to have completely forgotten the simple
pleasures of playing! It is an art that seems to be lost in the transition of a
child into an adolescent and finally an adult. Play is crucial for improving
one’s creativity and problem solving skills. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Play (preferably without serious
competition) brings people closer as inhibitions are lowered causing one to
become more open to the individuality and uniqueness of another person. The communicative value of play is an
important reason why companies invest so much time and resources in team
building exercises which are essentially games and group tasks designed upon
the carefree principles of play. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The modality of
“play therapy” is particularly designed to establish an unthreatening
environment to children who have experienced trauma, suffer from psychological
issues such as depression, anxiety or have learning difficulties. Play offers a
medium of communication that a child is comfortable with while at the same
time, encouraging the child to learn social, academic and emotional skills in an exploratory,
undemanding setting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Lay aside the cynicism and celebrate April Fool’s week with
gusto. Play has a lot more to offer than simple fun. You will be the better for
indulging your inner clown!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*<i>Hilaria is Latin for hilarious.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-21986547864970772292013-04-26T21:37:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:55:18.880+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 16</b></span><br />
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Déjà vu: Paranormal or Neurological?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> “Oh! Look the new cafe is finally open! I love how cosy and
quaint it looks!” <i>“Oh! Look the new cafe
is finally open! I love how cosy and quaint it looks!”</i> Pia was walking along
the market with her mother, remarking casually on the new cafe which had opened
up as an odd feeling swept over her that she had been in this exact situation
before, commenting on this very cafe which had not even been in existence until
a week ago! This eerie feeling of having experienced a situation before when,
in fact, we know for certain we haven’t is termed “déjà vu” which is French for
“already seen”. Some of us may even feel like we have “felt” something
previously called déjà senti; or having had already visited a place called déjà
visite. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Deja vu is a familiar sensation that most of us have
experienced and it can be somewhat unsettling due to its strange premonitory quality. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;"> Parapsychologists attribute this phenomenon to clairvoyance
and even to previous experiences in a past life repeating themselves. Since
such a claim cannot be proved, disproved or otherwise investigated, we turn to
research in neuropsychology to understand the nature and cause of déjà vu.</span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Neurological causes are typically complex and varied given
the complexity of the brain, only a fraction of which has rendered itself to
scientific knowledge. Early investigations in to déjà vu centred around people
with brain pathology as their reports of déjà vu were striking and frequent.
For instance, in 1896, a prominent neurologist F.L. Arnaud described the déjà
vu experience of a 34 year old man who was recovering from cerebral malaria. He
claimed to recognise certain newspaper articles and seemed to “recognise”
almost every situation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> A series of research spanning decades suggests that déjà vu
is caused by misfiring of neurons in the part of the brain which is responsible for recognising familiar stimuli.
This particular system in the brain is responsible for judging if we have come
across a certain situation before or not. In people suffering from epilepsy
originating in their temporal lobe (which is on either sides of the brain),
this recognition system falsely gives an impression of familiarity with a new
situation, giving rise to a sense of déjà vu.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In people who do not suffer from epilepsy or any other
pathology of the brain, the brain areas responsible for retrieval of memory,
i.e. accessing old memories to aid in the current situation, can lead to a
sense of already having been there before. These brain areas have been identified
by Spatt (2002) as being the prefrontal cortex (the front region of the frontal
cortex) and hippocampus (a structure present in the limbic system of our brain
crucial for memory processes).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Deja vu is one of
the glitches in our memory system which makes us ponder as to what makes our
memories feel real or surreal as the case may be as <i>the case may be</i>. Oh well!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-40354261793656103822013-04-26T21:30:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:30:38.633+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 15</b></span><br />
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Evolved Distrust</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> “Us-Them”, “Insiders-Outsiders”.
This human tendency to look in boundary-establishing binaries is a natural and untaught
mechanism that has developed evolutionarily. As most of us know, humans have
always lived in tribes for safety, security and to procure valuable resources
for survival. Any given tribe was always wary of strangers from other tribes as
they were threats who could possibly pass on terrible diseases, otherwise hurt
and harm individuals and children or even compete for life-sustaining
resources. In a sense, it paid off to think of outsiders as “bad” or
“dangerous” for the protection of one’s own tribe. This ancient distrust of
individuals who didn’t belong to our group manifests itself in many varied and
complex ways today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> An inevitable outcome of
ignorance is that we assume certain things about these “outsiders” and use
these assumptions or <i>stereotypes </i>to
understand their behaviour. For example, “<i>Women
are</i> <i>emotional”, “Men are
insensitive”, “Math teachers are strict” </i>are all stereotypes and not
universal truths, yes even the last one! Stereotypes mostly tend to
characterize the subjects as possessing undesirable qualities or lacking in
virtue, talent or even morality, when compared to the in-group. This is the
beginning of all sorts of trouble and it has a name too- prejudice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Psychologists describe
prejudice as a baseless (i.e. without backed by evidence), usually negative
attitude towards members of a certain group. At a thought-level, either
conscious or unconscious, all of us hold preconceived notions about people,
groups or ideas foreign to our own but many of us, when we come in actual
contact with different groups, <i>act </i>on
our prejudices at which point it is called discrimination. Discriminating means
denying respect, opportunities and resources to others on the basis of race, religion, language or even talent and
ability. It is a misguided act and causes great damage to those on the
receiving end as it damages their self-esteem and effectively alienates them
from the larger society. To snatch away a sense of belonging and purpose from
someone just based on inadequate understanding and intolerance to difference is
a terribly irresponsible thing to do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> So what can be done about
our prejudices if they are, as proved by countless research, an evolutionary
trait and an automatic mechanism? Surely we can be excused for it! No. When we
are equipped with a superior cognitive apparatus that is amazingly malleable,
flexible and has a tremendous capability for self-awareness, the option
available to us it to simply acknowledge our prejudices and self-correct them
by developing empathy towards others. A simple assumption of ourselves as being
in their shoes and living their lives can help the most dogmatic of individuals
to expand their minds to newer possibilities and appreciate differences in others.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-36344810224850005852013-04-26T21:25:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:25:25.375+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 14</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Sour Grapes All Over Again!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> So! Here we are, reading the newspaper
post 21<sup>st</sup> December, 2012! The earth still sturdy beneath our feet,
the breeze still unperturbed and cool on our face, and all the exams of the
future steadily approaching us with crushing inevitability, no doomsday to the
rescue! The 2012 phenomenon as the doomsday theory is being referred to has caused
substantial panic among many throughout the globe. Numerous online discussion forums,
blogs and videos on survival tips in case of cataclysmic earthquakes or
hurricanes, hundreds of assurance-seeking questions addressed to scientist and
space researchers over the last year are all testament to just how shaken many
people were. But what is particularly interesting about this mass panic is many
of us have been brought to consider hard facts as evidence that the world is
not going to end! But once some of us come to believe in a tiny worm of an
idea, it is a matter of time before it germinates to a stubbornly held belief
that resists all evidence to the contrary.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The bunch of us who have always scoffed
at the idea of the world ending may now be smirking. But what of those who
truly and completely believed so? The contradiction between what they thought
and what has come to be will cause what psychologist Leon Festinger called
cognitive dissonance. All people are motivated to solve this dissonance and
maintain consistency in their thoughts and beliefs to enjoy inner equilibrium. In
one of his books, Festinger had written about the case of a group of people in
a cult who believed that the world would end after a catastrophic flood on 21<sup>st</sup>
December, 1954. The founding member of the cult claimed to have received the
prophecy from a fictional planet. The prophecy continued to say that only true
believers will be rescued by a flying saucer. The members who staunchly
believed this left their jobs, families and possessions to leave on the saucer.
The said flood did not come to be. Some of the members were so distraught that
they started crying. To reduce the terribly disturbing dissonance between their
belief and the thought that they were wrong about the flood, the group
made a statement to the media that this
disaster was averted owing to the faithfulness of the members! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The attempt at reducing dissonance can
make us resort to maladaptive thoughts and actions such as when we know smoking
is injurious and yet, contrary to this knowledge we still smoke. Many smokers
resolve this by altering their attitudes about smoking instead of just
quitting! Calling the grapes sour is not the best practice most times. It is
important to rightly choose which attitude is best altered for resolution of
dissonance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-87053360783691367712013-04-26T21:18:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:18:55.480+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 13</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Knock on Wood so the Going Gets Good!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Cause and effect. Even as you hear it, it
feels like one has hit upon an infallible formula to demystify the world. Cause
and effect makes one believe that everything is caused by <i>something, </i>and everything has a predictable consequence(s). What a
comforting feeling it is to know that we can account for any phenomenon,
however confusing or inexplicable it may seem at first! There <i>is </i>an understandable cause and effect
relationship between sitting in a hot and humid classroom and low levels of
concentration; between poor eating habits and low immunity and between excessive
internet use for entertainment and a hopping mad parent! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Just when we think we have figured it all
out, a black cat crosses your path on your way to school and somewhere over
your head, a pigeon decides to relieve itself. Just as you are making faces at
God above, the real culprit, the black cat comes to mind. There, we have a
cause and effect explanation, albeit a skewed one, which psychologists call “magical
thinking” but we are satisfied as we have hit upon a reason for why something
happened. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> We like having a fairly certain idea of
what is going to happen in our future. But sometimes things such as loss or
failure happen outside of our control and there is really no plausible
explanation as to why it happened to <i>us</i>!
When we have done everything in our power to succeed in something, we leave the
eventual unfurling of outcomes to some higher power, such as when we take our
“lucky” pen out to an exam, wear a “lucky” charm bracelet, put our right foot
forward, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Now, most of us know that there is no
direct causal relationship between any luck charm and winning a game of tennis.
But what keeps the faith alive, then? The effect that superstitious beliefs have
on actual outcomes are mediated through our mind. The belief that if you have
faith in A, then B will happen offers a lot of hope and a great level of
perceived control in us. Imagine as you go through a typical school day, your
right eye twitches and the promise of good luck through the day lingers like a
glowing candle in your mind, boosting your spirits which allows for better performance and better interactions with peers
through the day! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> This feeling of hope and peace feeds
further superstitious entanglements and that’s when things get dicey! If you must always wear your right shoes
before your left, the odd day that you
forget this routine may disrupt your peace and thereby make you perceive the
happenings of the day to be more awful than they really were! You feel
everything could have been better, all because of one personal routine! We need
to be wary of when our beliefs begin to take control over our reason and become
compulsive. The minute our beliefs start causing us anxiety, we are going to
have to take a step back and reassess their utility.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Superstitious routines and beliefs are
useful only insofar as they keep up our good humour, but then again, how many
other alternative sources of good humour do we have other than a twitchy eye? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-73956073900833597792013-04-26T21:10:00.000+05:302013-04-26T21:10:07.530+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 12</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chink in the Mirror<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Quickly jot down the
words that jump to your mind when you hear the following words:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">FOOD
ATTRACTIVENESS HEALTH<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> An increasing number
of school children are beginning to relate to food and eating in shockingly
negative ways. To many children and young adults, food is not so much a factor
that affects their health than something that affects their physical appearance,
and consequently, their social desirability. Enough has been written and read
about all the negative messages that media propagates with regard to body image
(which essentially refers to the ways in which we think and feel about our body
and appearance). Pictures of pencil thin women and perfectly muscular men used
in magazines have been widely condemned as being unrealistic as most men and
women who eat healthily cannot attain such low body weight and perfectly
chiselled body parts. Movies that celebrate women who are beautiful by virtue
of their waists that are thin as "noodles" and dramatic hour-glass
figures while banishing plump and over-weight characters to the sidelines or in
comic roles send a pretty clear message as to what our society considers attractive
and what not. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> This mass obsession with being lean has infiltrated our
classrooms and a large group of parents and lunch boxes are pretty unhappy. Aromatic ghee <i>dosas</i> and cheese
sandwiches are thrown right into the dustbins and dry toasts and skimmed milk
are the preferred meal for school-going children as young as 10. This
unrealistic fear of being fat is terribly misplaced and the blame doesn’t lie
with just the children. Parents need to be careful while communicating their
criticisms over their children's eating behaviours. Making fun of a large
appetite, of excessive snacking and of body weight can prove very harmful to
their kids' self esteem and body image. A joint learning exercise where parents
and children explore healthy eating habits and re-establish a positive
relationship with food in a mutually supportive manner will go a long way in
establishing a conducive home environment where myths and misunderstandings
about food can be challenged. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Families need to understand the place physical appearance
has on the members' levels of self esteem. What is considered attractive by
one's family may not be what one's peer group considers attractive! So who are
we trying to please at the cost of our health and self-confidence?
Parents need to take care not to complain of their own weight and appearance.
Healthy play and exercise should be encouraged and taken up as a family
routine: bonding this way hugely enhances relationships as well as health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> A poor body image
renders the person vulnerable to depression and anxiety. The vulnerable
individual has a distorted perception of his/her own appearance which then
leads to poor eating habits, making the individual look under-fed, further
fuelling his/her dissatisfaction with own appearance. This vicious cycle needs
to be broken by embracing your body as an able machine which requires
sufficient fuel to function and be productive. To tie your appearance to how
much you value yourself is a sure way to damage your social and physical
self-esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Do remember this: if
you are being bullied because of your weight or appearance by others, the
dissatisfaction and low self esteem that you experience is NOT because of your
weight. It is , in fact, a response to being bullied. Take a stand, be proud of
who you are and get started on a healthier lifestyle for the sake of your
physical and psychological health. We are, after all, a lot more than the sum
total of two pairs of limbs, torso and a head of shiny hair!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-70252718161301568542013-04-26T20:52:00.000+05:302013-04-26T20:52:22.561+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 11</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Yeah, Right!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> What we say is not always what we mean. We
like to play with words and confuse others just as much as we like to be heard
and understood! The process of communication typically comprises spoken
language, body language, gestures, facial expressions, tone, pitch and volume
of voice. We have the capacity to creatively alter any number of these factors
in communication in order to change the very meaning of the same set of words!
It’s not always that words carry their apparent meanings. This is particularly
true in cases where we employ <i>sarcasm. </i>The
statement: “Oh! What a big surprise!”, when said in a high pitch of voice and
accompanying facial expressions and gestures is a straightforward expression of
surprise, but if said with a flat and dry tone with a roll of the eyes, becomes
a sarcastic expression of the predictability or mundaneness of the event. Sarcasm
also includes exaggerating information to a point where it is meant as mockery.
Saying “You are too early for tomorrow’s class” at a tardy person, “Is there a
famine in your town?” at an overweight person, or “Man, do you light up a
room!” at a gloomy person, etc., are all exaggerated accounts that mock the
state of the other. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In a fight, it is not uncommon for people
to say, “Yes, I am wrong! I am always wrong and I am oh-so-sorry!” If we really
meant this, we would need to look for excuses to fight! But since no one is in a
hurry to turn into a saint, we twist our faces and adopt a harsh accusatory
tone at the other person to imply the opposite! In this manner, sarcasm is used
a tool to express frustration and aggression. This can be potentially cathartic
(<i>tension-releasing</i>) but when sarcasm
is used like this to boost one’s own self-esteem by putting others down, it can
be very damaging and eventually destroy a relationship if it becomes habitual.
Destructive sarcasm needs to be assertively confronted as it can hurt the
confidence of the person in the receiving end. In close friends circles,
sarcasm can feed many a laughs if based on mutual respect and trust. Sarcasm
directed towards the self can be a healthy way of making light of one’s
shortcomings but if done too extensively, it can damage self-esteem even more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Sarcasm is one of the most ambiguous ways
in which people communicate with each other. If you have ever met a person who
seems to be actually teasing people through his apparent compliments to them,
you know what this means! Are you rethinking some of the compliments that came your way, yet? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-44353936456793431842013-04-26T20:41:00.000+05:302013-04-26T20:41:34.793+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 10</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The Funny Work-Out</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Why is laughter the best medicine? Why do
we attempt humour as a way to distract our minds from distress every day? A new
field called Psychoneuroimmunology, which is a multi-disciplinary area of study
that uses the principles of psychology, neuroscience and immunology has
explored the causes, function and brain areas responsible for laughter. Doesn’t
sound like much of a laughing matter now, does it! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It appears that heart-felt laughter,
which is usually elicited at something funny, releases endorphins into our
blood-stream, making us experience a general feeling of well-being. These endorphins also act as analgesic and hence reduce our perception of pain! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In an interesting
study by Dr. Dunbar and colleagues at Oxford University, two groups of people
were first tested on their pain threshold, that is, an indication of how much
pain they can normally withstand. These two groups were then shown either comical
videos, or serious, fact-filled documentaries. The group of people who watched the
funny videos were observed to laugh from their bellies, (which the researchers
say is equal to physical exercise since it leads to muscle exertion, increased
blood pressure and heart rate!) thereby releasing endorphins into their
bloodstream. As a result, their pain threshold increased, i.e., they could withstand more pain! But the second group
of people who watched serious documentaries felt as much pain as they did
before. In the same study, it was also noticed that people laughed more readily
and intensely when in a group and their pain threshold increased even more in a
group viewing of the videos than individual viewing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> There is a type of laughter which occurs
in polite social company, when we laugh to accompany someone else out of
courtesy or to pleasant information which may not particularly be funny. Such
kind of laughter does not elicit the kind of repeated, exerted exhalations of breath
that belly laughs involve, and hence do not qualify as “exercise”. Nonetheless, any kind of laughter
acts as a great emotional coping mechanism as it reduces the level of stress
hormones in the body and promotes relaxation. The positive state of mind that
follows offers us more creative problem solving abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-1439997220011802072013-04-26T20:31:00.000+05:302013-04-26T20:31:19.799+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 09</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">DECISION-MAKING, THE RIGHT WAY</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> Social psychologists have termed humans
“cognitive misers”, essentially pin-pointing to the fact that we take into
consideration a very small amount of all the information that is available to
us while making a decision, be it our assessment of a new friend in class, what
group to take in high school or which of two parties to attend, among other
tougher life decisions. Here are some of the cognitive short-cuts that we tend
to take in decision-making which do help in making efficient decis</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">ions many
times but </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">still often fall prey to
biases and errors.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Consider a situation in which you hear
about tragic road traffic accidents on and off. Such disturbing information is
high on vividness, not a very usual occurrence and is quite emotionally
charged, thereby having a strong impact on our memory. When it comes to
deciding whether you want to go on a cross country road trip or even buy your
own vehicle one day you may falter and decide otherwise based on the
availability of only negative examples of driving in your mind. Such a type of
decision-making short-cut is termed availability heuristic (heuristic=short-cut).
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Assuming you have a new neighbour who
looks intelligent, is very social, has headphones on most of the time and has
wild, hair in a “I store my creativity in my unkempt curls” kind of way , what
would you evaluate his occupation to be given a choice between Band Musician
and Medicine? </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;">You may lean more towards the first
option, given his characteristics which are more representative of that
occupation but if you had to consider the actual proportion of medical students
to students of music, the chances of him being the latter is more! The success
of this heuristic thus largely lies on how well we can balance
representativeness and probability in answering a question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Going with popular preferences (e.g in
music and technology) is another short-cut to deciding. Some situations do not
afford us the luxury of deliberating logically and in such instances we go by
our gut feeling. If our emotions at the moment, in response to the situation is
positive, we assume the risks are low and the gains are high, which is a very
helpful, energy-conserving heuristic but it may lead us into harm in some
unusual situations such as when students decide to smoke just because it is
“cool” or it is what your friends do and we just assume cancer will not affect <i>us, </i>just the guy standing next to us!<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> A very important and relevant type of
cognitive miserliness is stereotyping, which is when we attribute certain
qualities to people belonging to a certain group. Beliefs about a particular
race or religion, if strong enough, affect the way in which we assess any
person belonging to that group, without paying any attention to the individual
characteristic of that person. It is very important to be mindful of using this
heuristic in social interactions so as to keep from behaving in a prejudiced
and discriminatory manner.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-46674734696423333812013-04-26T20:12:00.000+05:302013-04-26T20:12:15.933+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 08</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The ‘Why’ of
Boredom</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">
Try this: When you are feeing alert and energetic, turn off all sources
of noise, such as the windows that bring external noise, turn off the TV, lie
down on your couch, close your eyes by wrapping a thick piece of cloth around
your head for good measure, tying your hands very close to your body so your
ability to explore the surrounding textures and surfaces is completely
curtailed. Notice how long you can lie like this and what feeling this gives
rise to. Yawn, right?</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">
A group of people who volunteered to be participants in an experimental
study by researchers Bexton and colleagues(1954) would beg to differ from your
opinion! They agreed to be kept in an isolated cubicle and were paid a handsome
amount per day for staying in this cubicle without doing, seeing, hearing, or
touching anything! They were only allowed to be rid of these encumbrances while
eating or using the toilet. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The participants seemed highly motivated to stay
this way for about four to eight hours but all of them dropped out of the study in 3 or 4 days after exhibiting extreme
restlessness and acute boredom. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Being kept from doing something of interest or
importance quickly gets us in a state of boredom. On the other hand, being made
to do something that we do not want to engage in at the moment leads to boredom
as well. There is an increasing number of psychologists today who identify
boredom to be an emotion. It can be thought to be an unpleasant emotion
characterized by lack of interest and difficulty in concentrating on current
activities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Any activity with which we are unable to
engage actively with attention and focus is promptly judged boring or monotonous. You
may have noticed how people who generally lack attention tend to get bored very
easily. As ones attention keeps sliding superficially over a number of stimuli,
meaningful association with the topic or subject becomes very difficult and
hence it turns boring. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> As we learn and grow, it gets harder for
us to be entertained or interested by things! Can you play all day with a spoon
with as much involvement and excitement as a toddler? When something doesn’t
align with our level of intellectual capability, it leads to boredom!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> We as humans seek meaning in everything
we do. We take up our curricular and extra-curricular activities with a certain sense of
purpose and ambition. We take up jobs and many friendships and relationships,
all in the quest to find a place for ourselves in the world. When one
recognizes that whatever they are engaged with currently doesn’t satisfy their
will to meaning sufficiently, they appear bored with life! </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Interestingly,
recent studies have identified that boredom is, in fact, a good thing! It
pushes many of us to pursue meaningful, prosocial endeavours aimed at making a
difference in the lives of others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-17593688013053848452013-04-26T20:01:00.000+05:302013-04-26T20:01:50.253+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 07</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Petting the Cushion and
Fluffing the dog!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> So, there are many of us who are hugely
proud of our ability to do several things at the same time. Maybe your mother
can rattle off a train-long, multi-syllable mantra which twists and turns
dramatically as she prepares breakfast for everyone and supervises the maid! A
pilot has to monitor air traffic information, radio signals as well as the
actual piloting! A surgeon needs to pay attention to the status of the patient,
execute critical procedures and manage his surgical team, all at once! </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Well, all these are instances usually
thought to be acts of multi-tasking, i.e., performing different tasks that
demand attention in a given time period. The assumption that we can split our
attention so super-humanly and emerge as effective performers makes us feel
confident. On the flip side, it is an inaccurate assumption because research in
the field now reveals that humans are not capable of simultaneously engaging in
different tasks but can shift attention from one task to another so quickly
that it appears to be happening all at the same time!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In an interesting study by Daniel
Weissman at the University of Michigan, a research participant had to perform
two tasks while his brain images on an MRI scan was photographed. Two numbers
were displayed on a screen and the participant was told to decide which digit
was larger than the other if the numbers were in red. If the numbers were in
green, the participant had to decide which one had a larger font size! This
test employed a simple enough task but the MRI showed that when the participant
had to switch from the red to the green numbers, his brain went on to pause
mode as he had to gather different sets of instructions in order to perform
well! So if we had to switch our attention from one task to another rapidly,
our brain gets fatigued, thereby making multitasking on different tasks of
higher difficulty, impossible!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Many times you may have tried to complete
an essay while singing your favourite song and failed to do either one of these
correctly. That is because writing employs the same part of your brain which is
responsible for vocally using words! Both these tasks fight for the same brain
area and confusion results. Hence multi-tasking of similar activities is very
difficult. However, if you had to run while listening to music and sing along,
it is possible as the motor behaviour employs a different brain region from the
singing behaviour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Dividing our attention among multiple
bits of information makes sub-optimal levels of attention available to each
task making learning ineffective and retrieval and recall unsuccessful!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Although multi-tasking is useful for
completing a number of menial jobs, and those with which we are very familiar
and practiced at, it proves ineffective and fatiguing when applied to learning
important facts and concepts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-44864790533453331752013-04-26T19:55:00.000+05:302013-04-26T19:55:07.961+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 06</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>On Meaning and Memory<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> There works a mysterious mechanism within
us which teaches us not to touch a hot iron twice, enables us to calculate
forty divided by two, to recall what we first noticed about our favourite
teacher, and even form a sense of who we are and what our life is about. It is
a curious phenomenon which seems to decay even as it just begins to form! You
will be able to understand this statement better if you heard a 10- digit phone
number that seems easy enough to remember until when asked to repeat it! This
amazing capacity allows you to recall in great detail every colour you saw and
every sound you heard on a trip to your favourite amusement park while at the
same time, it may fail you when you try to recall some important dates from
your history lesson! This indispensable, yet sometimes amusing psychological
process is Memory! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> There are many different kinds of
information that comes to our attention every day. Some of these we may
classify as irrelevant to us and these never get coded in our memory while some
other bits of information may be necessary for our functioning and performance
in our everyday tasks. These personally relevant information get coded and
stored more easily than the peripheral data. Just imagine how much easier it is
for you to remember the address of your new house than the birthday of your
father’s friend! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Information that stand out in terms of
their novelty and intensity get coded in our memories faster and are retained
for longer periods of time! A piercing noise that breaks the silence of your
exam hall gets into your memory system more readily and strongly that the sound
of a falling pencil. A funny comment in the midst of a serious lecture, for
example, makes the information distinct and hence more easily committed to
memory! Thus, the mood or the state of mind in which we receive certain
information, hugely determines how much we are going to be able to recall
later! The context in which we study such as our surroundings, background noise
(or music in some cases!) can also facilitate or impede memory. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Meaningful information get stored more
easily than non-meaningful ones. A very interesting experiment by Hermann
Ebbinghaus, one of the earliest contributors to research on memory, explained
the remarkable tendency of human beings
to induce meaning into seemingly nonsensical information in order to memorise
and recall them better! He made a list of what are called “nonsense syllables”,
which are words that have no meaning. BAX, TOJ, LIY, DEQ and the like are
examples. He also made nonsense syllables using only consonants such as DRW,
FXP, KDR which are hard to even associate with words we know already! He found
that people still attempt to induce meaning into these words and recall them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Imagine the sheer will to meaning that we
as human beings have even when faced with recalling non-words! If only we can
adopt a more meaningful approach to information in the curriculum so that the
drudgery we associate with learning can be replaced with wonderment and
enjoyment!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-12213169067064537832013-04-26T19:44:00.001+05:302013-04-26T19:46:42.697+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 05</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The Time Cure</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Many a sympathetic soul, at our time of
distress, croons, “Oh! You will feel better in time!”, “You will get over it in
time”, “Time is the best healer!”. If you
had ever cried to a sibling or a parent over a friend who has moved to a
different city, and they responded with “Don’t worry! You will stop missing her
so badly in a few days!”, the chances that you felt better is less and felt
unsure is more. After all, how can mere time heal deep hurt and
disappointments? Can time really set our emotions right when we choose to sit
and sulk and not DO anything about our situation?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> With passage of time, we tend to forget
details of a particular event and the whole memory diminishes in intensity and
significance and hence we begin to regain our stability. This is one way in
which time takes the credit for making us feel better! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Often times, an effective response that
happens unconsciously to a painful experience such as loss and severe trauma is
forgetting. Forgetting helps protect our peace of mind and functioning. By
pushing disturbing memories into our unconscious mind, we are able to move on
with life. But these hidden memories do have repercussions to our behaviours. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> How often has a past difficulty seemed
so much better when looked at from our present life situation? When our quality
of life and relationships is better than it was in the past, we tend to
discount the difficulties we faced earlier on as our perceptions are influenced
by our current positive outlook. The opposite can also happen, when we look
back and wonder how we ever got through such situations that seemed
insurmountable then! In comparison to our present, the past may seem even more
difficult than it actually was! </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;">Hence, more than just the duration of lapsed
time, what we learn and understand about ourselves and our life values
determine how much we heal.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> In the heat of any moment, our intellect
takes a back seat and our emotions become the ruling factors and it is in this
moment of vulnerability that we say or do things which are not particularly
well thought out! Once we get a little distance from the time of the
emotion-provoking incident, our affective (emotional) reactions quiet down and
our reasoning and thinking processes
kick in, enabling us to engage in problem solving! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Time affords us with opportunities for
self-reflection and analysis. It offers us the tool to moderate our extreme
emotional reactions and biased thinking, as well as the opportunity for
behaviour change to best suit our needs and visions for the future. It sure is
a very effective healer provided we put in our share of effort too!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-81076833516797475272013-04-26T17:30:00.002+05:302013-04-26T19:03:13.248+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 04</b></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;">Matters of Friendship</b></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Of all the relationships that we have in
our lives, the one that inspires much emotional investment and kin-like intimacy
is friendship. If you listen to stories about how people met their friends,
many interesting themes may come to the fore. Some would have started their
friendship on a point of shared interest such as an extracurricular passion,
some on a give-and-take partnership, and still others purely on the point of a
heady game of cricket. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Sociologists (those involved in the scientific study of
society) and psychologists agree that there are three main foundations on which
friendships are built: emotional support, shared interests, and simply, fun and
recreation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Why does friendship come to occupy such a
pivotal role in defining our personal life and success in the social sphere?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Simply because, friendship is a
relationship in which we stand to receive validation of the kind of person we
are. If we ignore the minor annoyances our friends suffer due to our occasional
quirks, it is easy for us to notice that we enjoy a great deal of love and
affection for the unique characteristics we hold. Very few people can tolerate
the snorts that punctuate your laughter other than your friends, surely! They
love us for all the long and tragically non-comical anecdotes that we share
with them, while at the same time allowing us to believe we are one of the
funniest in the group!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Friendship is a very enriching
relationship as we pretty much navigate this relationship on our own terms with
very less interference from other parties. People with close and trusting
friendships grow up to be highly empathic and tolerant of differences in
ability, culture and background of others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our friends form a crucial part of our
social support system, on which we can rely at times of distress and
difficulty. Such a support system that provides emotional support and hope,
boosts our ability to cope with adversities in a resilient and positive manner.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Having friends with whom we share a certain
intellectual and emotional wavelength creates a safe space for us in which to
explore our own personalities and values. In order to evolve into a person who
enjoys the respect and approval of friends, we adapt certain moral and personal
values by which to live and love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our conception of the big, strange world
out there is formed by the kind of experiences we have with our friends. They
form the basis on which we understand the rest of our social world. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Let us
extend the spirit of friendship by being more courteous and pleasant to all the
wonderful people we come across every day, from the auto drivers to the
gaggling bunch of classmates!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Let us hear about how you met your best
friend or group of friends! Email us or comment below on what you think is important in a
friendship! :)</span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-52025963918001252662013-04-26T17:22:00.001+05:302013-04-26T19:03:32.224+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 03</b></span><br />
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Helping: A Cost-Benefit
Analysis?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Little Boo liked to collect flowers from
the garden in a small wicker basket to give to her Grandmother for her morning
prayers. This cute assistance earned her a loving pat on her head and a kiss on
her nose every day. This greatly pleased Boo and she would skip away happily. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Then there was little Pummy, who greatly
enjoyed painstakingly drawing her favourite animals on her elder brother’s
school books, much to his chagrin but also to raucous laughter from her family!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Boo and Pummy have both been rewarded by
their family at an early age for contrasting behaviours. In Boo’s mind, helping
behaviour is strongly tied to rewards such as others’ affection, approval, and
happiness, whereas for Pummy, no such connection has been established between
helping others and favourable outcomes for herself. In fact, she has been
rewarded for being a little pest!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Although much research on the topic
consider reinforcements (rewards) offered by parents at an early age as a
significant factor in determining our prosocial (helping) behaviours, many other personal
and situational factors have also been identified. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Personal factors are simply those characteristics which a person possesses. Many studies have highlighted the importance that <i>motivation</i> plays in helpful behaviours.
If an individual is highly motivated to uphold his values of generosity and
consideration for others, the more helpful he will be. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Many children also tend
to <i>imitate </i>helpful behaviours of
their parents or other important adults. The more people we have around us who
model prosocial behaviours, more likely we are to be so ourselves. Another
crucial personal characteristic is, understandably, <i>empathy, </i>which is our ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes
and understand their emotions and needs with compassion and tenderness. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;">Closeness of relationship that one has with the person in need is also a strong
motivating factor to help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;"> When we help out of empathy, where benefits for
ourselves are low, this kind of helping behaviour is called altruism, or
selfless help! While it is wonderful to indulge in a fantasy where every help
is selfless, research shakes us awake with observations that we tend to weigh
the cost we will incur (such as time, effort, money) if we extend help against
the benefits we stand to gain from the same act. Aid will most likely be
extended if benefits outweigh costs! Even if one assesses that a prosocial deed
now will later bear fruits, one helps with the expectation of the favour being
returned at a later point.</span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Situational factors are the
characteristics of the situation one is in. It is common for many people to walk
on without helping a person who has fallen down on the street because they
believe there are other people present who will help and that it is not their
responsibility. This shaking off of responsibility can also be seen when a large
number of people are caught in a situation and need help! Individuals then
assume </span></span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">that their efforts at
helping them will be futile as they are only one as compared to the large number
of people that need help! </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> This finding is quite important as this explains why
entire societies become oblivious to the pain and difficulties of other
communities or groups of people in the same society. As you ponder upon this,
why not try your own experiment?</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></i></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-66889047900852434702013-04-26T16:58:00.001+05:302013-04-26T19:03:56.094+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 02</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 115%;"><b>The Emotional Body
and the Physical Mind</b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> What would you find in the snapshot of a doctor’s
waiting room? Toothy smiles and hearty laughs are far from the picture, surely.
Expressions of sickness, fear, apprehensive frowns and screaming kids (and the occasional
screaming adult) seem to be a more accurate description of the scene! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> There is such a close relationship
between our physical wellness and our emotions and vice versa. Many of us are
the very picture of gloom when down with a fever, but a surprise visit from a
close friend and fun conversations have the power to instantly make us feel
better. This indicates the existence of a two-way passage of information from
the body to the mind and the other way around too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> How do our bodies tell us our mind is feeling
something? Many of you must have heard the expressions “butterflies in the
stomach”, “giddy with excitement”, “scared to my guts” etc. Through physical
sensations such as sweating, giddiness, short and quick breaths, tightened
muscles, blood pressure and even acidity, the body is constantly trying to get
our attention to the state of our minds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Research confirms that our brain releases
a hormone called cortisol at times of high stress. Cortisol helps us to gather
more energy to either stay and fight or flee from danger. An increased
secretion of cortisol takes place when we are made to endure prolonged stress.
This can lead to many physical problems such as heart disease, aches and pains,
reduced immunity to diseases, ulcers and even aging! This is the extent of the
impact our emotional states have on our physical body. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The good news is it is possible to
control our emotional states through our bodies as well. A caring teacher may
have advised you to take deep, calming breaths before attempting a difficult
task. There is a fantastic scientific logic to this advice. When we are scared
or nervous, our sympathetic nervous system is activated, making us breathe in
short pants whereas a deep breath activates the opposing system called the
parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces the production of cortisol and
other stress hormones and thus induces a feeling of calmness and well-being. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> For an overall sense of well-being we
should pay attention to the mutual influence of the body and mind on each other
so we are better able to control one through the other and achieve balance!</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></i></div>
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Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-88043276706360252082013-04-26T16:54:00.001+05:302013-04-26T19:04:19.176+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>THE BEANBAG PSYCHOLOGIST 01</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was almost 1 ‘o clock in the
afternoon. Everyone had had their fill at Sunday lunch and was settling down
for idle chat and some post lunch belly-rubbing in the living room. Kiran
plopped on to his habitual perch, his purple squishy beanbag and lazily looked
over at his family. There was Aunty G fretting over the extra salt she had
added to the sambhar which had long since been polished off by everyone. Incessant
worrier, this one! There was Grandmother R, forever patient and compassionate,
listening to the woes of the extra-salt-adder, supplying reassuring comments.
She always said the right things! Then there was Uncle A, making inappropriate
jokes and provoking others. Moving on, we have Amma and Aunty S talking loudly
over the other interspersing conversations, in their own world and so
completely relaxed than they have been during the week!</span></i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> To Kiran, there was something at once puzzling yet arresting about watching
a bunch of people he knew so dearly. People- watching was akin to reading a
riddle to him! He loved trying to make-up hypotheses to predict others’
behaviour based on whatever he already knew about them. He enjoyed pondering
over why people say the kind of things they said and why they did the kind of
things they did!</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">One of the most puzzling questions in his mind was related to what
emotions were! Where do they come from and how come the same situation lead to
varied emotional responses in different people?!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Where could an inquisitive young person turn to find an answer to these
questions relating to people’s minds? The immensely intriguing field of
Psychology would be a great first stop! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> If you were to observe what words come to mind when you hear
“Psychology”, you would probably say “human mind”, “behaviour”, “mental
wellbeing” and “mental abnormality”! The last response is a particularly
frequent association that people make with this field. Sure, studying in depth
as to the abnormalities of the mind is a key focus of the subject but it would
be completely remiss to make statements about what “abnormal” is without
knowing the “normal”, wouldn’t you agree? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Psychology concerns itself with the scientific study of mental
processes (thinking, emotions) and behaviours in both humans and animals. There are some fascinating
branches which concern themselves with specific aspects of the mind. Here’s a
list of a few of the branches:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Experimental psychology for
designing research studies to prove or disprove theories of behaviour<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Physiological psychology to
study the role of the brain and other bodily processes on our mental lives<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Social psychology to study
the behaviour of individuals in a group setting<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Evolutionary psychology to
understand how memory, emotions, language and other processes developed as
an adaptation to our changing environments<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Abnormal psychology to study
mental disorders, their causes and treatment!</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cognitive </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px;">psychology that exclusively studies higher mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, reasoning, language etc.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px;">Developmental psychology to study the psychological development and changes a person goes through from infancy to old age!</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Neuropsychology to understand the structure and function of the brain in relation to behaviour</span></span></li>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Psychology is not an mysterious subject that is far removed from our
everyday lives. We are all psychological beings and the very capacities that we
enjoy such as our attention, perception, memory, emotions, social and intimate
relationships, motivation and what else have you, falls within the ambit of
Psychology! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> If we can open our minds and other senses to observe our personal and
social worlds, we can recognize the relevance of psychological principles in
our own lives and you could well be on your way to becoming a beanbag
psychologist! </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;"><i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, THE HINDU IN SCHOOL</span></i></span></div>
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Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-601069053784570299.post-33657645363714240412013-04-26T16:24:00.000+05:302013-04-26T19:28:56.687+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">YOUNG MINDS 13</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On Green Fingers and Pink
Hearts<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The glorious
vacation time is here! Particularly if glorious means face-melting temperatures
and the threat of another long academic year lurking on the other side of the
summer. But we’ll deal with potential threats later and possible alternates to
have fun this vacation now! Many of you would have a long list of activities
planned while some others would simply be looking forward to watch the fan spin
its motor off all day. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> While there are a lot of enjoyable things to do over the
vacations, the least considered candidates often would be activities that contribute
in some way to the community we live in. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Not more than a few students would
have planned to be a part of a pro-environment group or a bird-watching group.
Why is that so? Simply because playing video-games on the cool floor trumps picking plastic off the hot sands in the beach any day!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Getting involved
in activities that give back to society in some proactive way does
wonders for your mental health! Wondering how? For starters, such activities
are quite a change from the kind of things many people (adults included, of
course) usually engage in. Imagine that you decide to teach the letters of the
alphabet to a boy selling <i>sundal</i> on
the beach.<i> </i>The novelty of such an
experience contributes to expanding your comfort zone. You may learn to speak
in a way so that not just your English-speaking, school-going friends
understand you. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Dialogue with different members of the society will contribute to your
understanding of their rather different life situations. With
time, you will see that not only will your adaptation to new situations and
ideas be a lot easier, but your very perception of people and life will widen,
making your mind more open and accommodating of difference in thoughts,
opinions and ways of living. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Suppose you want
to get involved in a pro-environment movement. You will get to meet experts
from various related fields such as trekkers, scientists, photographers,
doctors, educationalists, and what else have you! You will see that your list of
interests grows with the number of new things you decide to try, not to mention
your repertoire of knowledge and information pertaining to different issues. You ability to connect what you learn at school to community issues you
care about will also develop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Surely you have
heard many professionals who work for the betterment of their community say that
the work they do gives their life so much meaning. Such a sentiment stems from
the fact that when we reach beyond our private cocoon to other people we feel a
strong sense of connection and belonging to a larger human network. We find
that we are able to understand others’ emotional and social circumstances
better. Such an involvement can inspire us to learn more, give more and do
more, which can be a much stronger driving force in our life and careers than
simply being ambitious to be the best in something. Imagine the level of
service an engineer can offer if he woke up every morning with the drive to
create technology that advances living sophistication to all in his country
rather than simply wanting to bag an interview in a big magazine! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> If you have ever
raised your eyebrows sceptically when an inspired soul said “Nothing is
impossible”, you will see that they slowly come back down once you realise that
every problem has a solution if you want to solve it passionately enough. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Take ownership of
the planet you live on and responsibility for the people you live with. Read to
an illiterate, go walking with an elderly person, plant a few trees, and leave
out water for the thirsty birds to sip on. The list of small, random acts of
kindness is long and its power, immeasurable. Happy holidays! </span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, </span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS- </i></span></span><i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SCHOOL EDITION</span></i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Jyothi Ravichandranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16809985380252637932noreply@blogger.com