Tag: Individual
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Cults of black-and-white thinking – a lesson from Jehovah’s witnesses
Cults – what does the word bring to mind? There are thoughts of blind devotion. There most certainly is the charisma or power of a leader over his followers. Finally, there is the absolute certainty of purpose. Whether one thinks of Jim Jones, Hitler, or the Messiah of Israel, these things are to be found […]
Peace is simplicity
Simplicity promotes peace. Such peace is also easier to maintain because there is lesser that can go wrong. If it does, it’s easier to fix.
How can we use the speed of communication technology to social advantage?
In ancient times, a man would get on a horse if there was an important information to be delivered quickly. Horses were kept and cared for, for times just as these. Maybe the rider was sleeping in his bed. He was awakened for the express purpose of having to get the horse ready and deliver […]
How does a movie differ from real life? And why does present life seem like a movie?
Art follows life, or does life follow art? This question seems nowhere more relevant than in the case of movies. Movies are the depiction of life. The characters in some cases are so relatable, that people have seen themselves on the movie screen. They learn lessons, find out their own mistakes, and understand more about […]
Are there reliable ways of finding out the truth about a person on social networking? Part 1: imaginations
This post is not about technicalities of social networking. It is not about finding the exact IP address or other analytics data about a person. This post is not about finding technological features to accurately geo-locate a person. What this post is about are the limitations of human understanding, the capability of humans to deceive […]
