Category: Psychology
Does having knowledge of evil cause a person to commit evil?
One thing, though, is the repeated attempt toward good and the desire for such. Yes, one does think of finally having arrived at a place, to a state of solution from which evil no longer rises. Philosophers have wanted that; religious texts speak of it. Both of these in the ideas of Utopia, of Paradise,…
A fondness for the fountain pen, but more so, for writing by hand
“To sit at one’s table on a sunny morning, with four clear hours of uninterruptible security, plenty of nice white paper, and a fountain pen — that is true happiness.” – Winston Churchill
About creating art by going outside of contemplating the process
Creating anything is art. It is an act of art that goes through a process. Whether one is consciously and methodically following a method like Sherlock Holmes, the detective, or spontaneously giving rise to art, creating is a process. Creation lies in moving beyond the stage when one is about creating; one, then, moves outside…
Discovering optimistic individuals and their contribution to our world
In this interconnected modern world, there are possibilities like never before. The possibility of discovering optimistic individuals who can contribute positively to our world is definitely there. It is with optimism for such a possibility that enormous efforts have been made. From a local level to the global, this possibility drives so much human communication.…
John Steinbeck about understanding people
John Steinbeck is a great writer, as the Nobel committee seemed to have suggested. He answered the recognition in his own way. It is a pleasure even reading his quotes. As he says, understanding other people – that would seem rather obvious to be the cornerstone of communal living, of individuals co-existing in society. While…
The adaptable self through the connections
The idea of the self is important and very clearly seen in human thinking. It is because humans are intelligent and aware. This consciousness we have through the workings of instincts, as well as very complex emotions, leads to the self. What the self is, becomes clear as it continues to be defined by experiences. …
Realization and changes
There is a lot in life that depends upon realization. We have the information before us a lot of the times. The judgments as to whether that information is correct or not are important but remain secondary. The more important factor is to move from interacting with the information and move on to the point…
Myths give us power – The Power of myth
Source: Myths give us power – The Power of myth When we think of a myth, we tend to think of old stories. Those stories may be real, or at least what we have come to think of as real. Or those stories may be so far removed from how we understand life, we may…
When attention is sustained, a small change can hold the potential for a major shift
Could it rightly be said that small things can hold the potential for a major shift? It is possible that you already understand the possibilities. It is possible, you have seen by way of observation, or experienced in your life when such a thing happens. A very simple, innocuous-seeming conversation, reading a passage in a…
The experience of engaging with people – how a change in views is a fundamental need and also beneficial?
There isn’t a greater art and more of it needed at this time than of engaging with people. Engaging with people should be considered the end of all philosophy, systems of belief, or even the systems of society. When a person engages in thinking out solutions to issues or attempts to foresee the end of…
Peace is the slowing down of contradictions
It has been observed in recent times, how the more we discuss matters the more we move away from peace. This cannot possibly be created by any one person or group of persons. The masses of millions of people who take out a portion from their own time to engage in arguments and debates have…
Remembering what my father said about belief
I remember my father as a wise man. He acquired a wisdom that comes from doing work with his own hands, tinkering with any machine for hours and finding a fix when many others would simply give up. And he had the gift of interacting with people face-to-face with an uncommon familiarity. I don’t know…
When the creative meet the unrewarding world of social networking – a basis from Bertrand Russell
A [creative] boy will toil up hill with a toboggan for the sake of the few brief moments of bliss during the descent; no one has to urge him to be industrious, and however he may puff and pant he is still happy. But if instead of the immediate reward you promised him an old-age pension at…
Writing – pen to paper or fingers to keyboard – tradition over modernity
These days, everyone is a writer. That is what technology has done. From the person who composes a short text message and garnishes it with the perfect emojis, to the one who prepares the agenda for an important board meeting, to the one writing in her own journal, everyone is writing. Whether there is some…
Bipolar disorder – the inner conflicts arising from trying to reconcile the Old and New Testament writings
Bipolar disorder has become the accepted name given to the manifest inner conflicts of disturbed individuals. While there are questions and concerns over the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) itself, there are special considerations that arise as a person’s beliefs are considered. The source of those beliefs also invariably comes into question. Aside from…
How the diagnosis of bipolar disorder keeps a person psychologically trapped?
If you have had even a minimal contact with books on psychology and psychiatry, it is impossible that you have not heard of bipolar disorder. It was previously known by a more sinister name, manic-depressive illness. The words, bipolar disorder, evoke a vivid imagery; manic-depressive illness is even more evocative! The idea of a person…
Can real happiness be found through objectivity?
It would be difficult to place an exact event or time when a person experiences happiness for the first time. One would very much hope, it was during the days of infancy, even before the faculties of reason had started to develop. And so, by this way of referencing, happiness or the experiencing of it…
Creating a defense mechanism by assigning all ideas to the intellect
The intellect can seem like a safe realm to keep and examine ideas. However, if human interactions remain at that level, something is soon realized to be missing. Our response to suffering, ability to empathize and connect also are affected. In the age of social networking, what can we practically do to rise above it?
Does social networking encourage jumping to conclusions?
What is Jumping to conclusions? Jumping to conclusions (officially the jumping conclusion bias, often abbreviated as JTC, and also referred to as the inference-observation confusion[1]) is a psychological term referring to a communication obstacle where one “judge[s] or decide[s] something without having all the facts; to reach unwarranted conclusions”.[2][3] In other words, “when I fail to distinguish between what I…
What is one to do when confronted by stories of evil?
I understand that so many of us would like to find a place of security and comfort, away from all the evil done in our world today. And who are the doers of great evil? Not the wild animals or some predatory birds; it is the people who live right among us, people who look and…
The Guardian’s Cambridge Analytica & Facebook data story
The algorithm used in the Facebook data breach trawled through personal data for information on sexual orientation, race, gender – and even intelligence and childhood trauma Source: How Cambridge Analytica turned Facebook ‘likes’ into a lucrative political tool | Technology | The Guardian Public data has become a means of dispassionately looking at humanity for…
Why mentors and teachers are especially needed to counter extremism?
Mentors and teachers are a special gift to human society. These cannot simply be understood to be professions or titles, or some kind of a degree that is earned from an institution. Rather, these are linked to the personal qualities and concerns of the individual. Even more so, it is connected with how a person…
The exclusive focus on physical things will create an imbalance
There has been a noticeable insistence on physical things in recent times. It has been very deliberate, systematic, and evident of great intelligence. Who are its proponents is not the most important thing. One could, of course, examine the sayings of modern, atheist thinkers like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. Listening to such intelligent men…
Finding belief in moderateness in the nuclear age
Nuclear technology is not bad in itself. We have understood the sun and the stars, and in a way, have harnessed the same power to a lesser extent. We have controlled fission, and are yet to understand ways to control fusion for peaceful purposes. The insistence on using solar energy to fulfill the requirements for electricity…
Can today’s leaders improve our future by making more positive predictions?
Predictions are humanly impossible and are equally common. Yes, as rare as they should be, they, in fact, form a part of everyday speech. Whenever someone says, I will do this and I will do that, we are in a sense indulging in a prediction. It is our certainty about life itself and our ability…
How compulsion and desperation are driving the conversation toward extremes
A conversation has the power to liberate a human being. It has the power to set free the mind from bondage. Even one exchange of ideas is able to give a new direction to the thinking of a person, or the chance of realization. Why would anyone want to do so? The real reason has…
The value of having a fluid mind to interact with a diversity of people
Is peace a valid goal to have? In the short term, it may not seem so. In the long term, it is one of the ultimate desires. The end of a war, the start of a conversation – it will all make sense if there is peace at the end of it. If peace is…
How can the youth protect themselves from addiction to technology?
It has been with every generation, especially in the past 100 years that addiction to technology has been a very real possibility. Since the start of the industrial revolution, the speed of change has been tremendous. Dependence on machines and development in technology has gone hand-in-hand. The younger ones, more enthusiastic and curious by nature,…
The mind and its need for certainty – a tendency toward black-and-white thinking
Time goes by and a human mind is able to persist despite a lack of certainty. It requires a simplicity and an exercise of patience, but it is possible. Keeping a sense of contentment is very important during times of uncertainty. It is quite like a ship out in the open sea. A ship can…
Finding peace through a willingness to adjust
The willingness to adjust comes upon consideration of several factors. While it is tempting to let all of one’s thinking and desires be centered on oneself or one objective, life rarely lets it be so simple. There is a multitude of considerations for every person who recognizes his responsibilities. Such a recognition brings a slowness…
