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All Writings Observations 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, or of Heaven (Hell, even, as a symbol of judgment) are ideas of that finality. It is the human desire for relief, again manifest in what humans think and aspire for as societies and individuals.

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All Writings Individual Society The Young

The young people’s search for optimism and for hope

Even personal problems, if constantly ruminated on, can drown any person’s enthusiasm. The young people of our day have the chance to leverage historically unparalleled resources and make a real difference.

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All Writings Art & Nature Individual Observations Self improvement Society

An eye for potential vindicated through actions

The ability to perceive, and to look deeper than mere appearances is a truly wonderful gift. Deeper insight is in the very constitution of some from birth. For others, it can at best be a gained skill. While for the former it comes effortlessly and naturally, for the latter it comes as a labored, deliberate […]

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All Writings Individual Psychology Society The Young

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. […]

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All Writings Individual Psychology Society

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 […]

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All Writings Psychology Self improvement

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.  […]

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All Writings Blog Individual Observations Psychology Society

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 […]

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All Writings Blog

Keeping some confidence in other human beings

It is difficult to communicate with others if you do not have any confidence in them.  One of the things that make being a human special is the ability to communicate.  It is the ability to put thoughts into words that make us unique.  It is also, thus, reasonable to conclude that we alone are […]

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All Writings Individual Observations

Assumptions regarding the maturity of the self

Maturity isn’t a quality of only the mind.  The simplicity of this understanding can have a transformative effect on an individual.  It need not have any such effects on society.  It might even be childish in itself to consider those ideas that can bind societies and lift them up.  There have always been individuals in […]

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All Writings Individual Self improvement Society

Identity and self-expression; with some ideas from David Hume and Swami Vivekananda

The act of writing, as one does in one’s own journal or a personal diary, brings a person into a unique state of mind. It is the same state of mind as one has when one is talking to himself. These peculiar practices of writing to build a self-record and the talking to oneself are […]

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All Writings Individual Observations Psychology Society

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 […]

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All Writings Blog Individual Observations Society

The culture of self in societies that appear connected

A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role. ~ Yehuda Berg It is a particular trait among thinkers and of their thinking to […]

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All Writings Bipolar Disorder Psychology

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 […]

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All Writings Bipolar Disorder Individual Psychology

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 […]

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All Writings Blog Observations Psychology

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?

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All Writings Observations Psychology

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 […]

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All Writings Blog Psychology

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 […]

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All Writings Government Individual Press This Psychology Society

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 […]

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All Writings Blog Observations Society

What kind of conversations can truly produce change in society?

Conversations are the most powerful tool to bring change in society. In a civil society, it is the only acceptable tool.  It is true, we have to make an assumption about a society being civil in the first place.  Aside from a limited personal experience and association, a very cursory reflection on the whole of […]

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All Writings Individual Self improvement Society

Curiosity and a spirit of adventure for those who seek answers, not absolute certainty

While it is very desirable to be able to come to a point of certainty, it is not always possible.  The rules we set, the goals we pursue, the desires we cherish could be examples of stable reasons for actions.  However, these too can change with time.  What appeared to be certain yesterday can appear […]