Anything that is unusual, extraordinary or peculiar draws attention. Even if people consider someone to be odd in a repulsive way, they will talk about him/her. People who have unusual habits or carry themselves in a way that is not according to societal norms and current trends are usually labeled as "eccentric." Being eccentric though, is not a bad thing.
Not everyone has the ability to stand out in a crowd and those who manage to set themselves apart from society are often criticized. Most people are unable to accept the fact that someone does not conform to the values and beliefs that are perceived as normal. "Normalcy" however is a subjective matter. For example some may think that it is abnormal for a woman to remain single and live alone, furthermore the fact that she owns six cats puts her in the category of eccentric people. Others however may believe that marriage is a personal choice and would therefore be more empathetic towards her and her cats.
Somebody may be considered eccentric because of cultural differences. If an individual from a varied background is unable to adjust to the local culture then he/she may come across as odd. For example a Japanese girl who insists on wearing her kimono no matter where she goes, despite having moved to the US two years ago, will definitely draw oodles of attention. Similarly, upon moving to a new job certain adjustments in behavior and attitude are expected. Wearing casual flip-flops to work may be perfectly normal at one organization. Another organization may be willing to condone such an informal get up but other employees would still consider it strange and funny, and so the ill dressed new comer will become the butt of many jokes.
Often we find that society is quite cruel and judgmental towards individuals who are a little different. Terms such as "mental", "psycho" and "abnormal" tend to be used when referring to someone who has beliefs and/or behavior patterns which do not sit well with the general population. Examples of such eccentricities could be a man who conceals his acne with foundation, or a woman who is always seen wearing red lipstick and flashy clothes. Such attributes though should not socially limit these individuals. In an ideal world, the society would be tolerant of such peculiarities. What matters most is an individual's sincerity in his/her interactions and relations with others. If a person meets others in a congenial way and is genuine and honest, society should ideally not ostracize someone for being a bit strange or different.
The world however is far from ideal. Eccentricity is mostly categorized as abnormal behavior However, another point to realize is that the word abnormal simply means that something is not typical, or usual. Is being unusual really such a bad thing?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8950484
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Liars, Liars, One and All
"Liar, liar, pants on fire" goes the childhood chant-and, oh, how many of us truth stretchers there actually are. And while most of us don't get called on the carpet for it, Brian Williams was not so lucky. The popular NBC news anchor captured relentless media attention, and, in the end, was forced to fall on his sword, so to speak, as he followed one lie with another.
Meanwhile, Judicial Watch recently uncovered U.S. State Department documents revealing that aides to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "knew from the outset that the Benghazi mission compound was under attack by armed assailants tied to a terrorist group." About that incident, though, she once said, "What difference does it make?"
And who can forget her saying that she "misspoke" and showed she's human when recalling her landing in Bosnia as First Lady. Her spin: She and daughter Chelsea were greeted by sniper fire, when in truth she was handed a poem by 8-year-old Emina Bicakcic.
The upshot: Williams received a six-month suspension without pay and has no credibility left. Clinton, on the other hand, may be the next president of the United States. Does the word Teflon come to mind?
At the same time, writes Michael Smerconish, "We all lie. I'll give Mother Teresa a pass, but that's it. Everyone else lies, and often our lies are self-aggrandizing; we're just trying to be better than we are."
So, yes, lies abound, but some simply matter more.
For instance, if I tell you that it's good to see you when it's not, no harm done. Same if I say I already have plans instead of flat out refusing your invite. And if my kid says he flushed the toilet, but didn't, no big deal. So-called white lies rarely have dire consequences.
Not so the other kind, the big, bad ones. Take the one recently revealed by David Axelrod, Obama's confidante and advisor. In his new book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics, we learn that the President pretended to be opposed to gay marriage in the 2008 election. Could that have swayed some voters?
Unfortunately, that's only one in a string of documented presidential untruths. A quick Internet check tells that tale. Meanwhile, can any of us ever forget the one that goes, "If you like the health care plan you have, you can keep it."
Obama, of course, is not the only truth-stretching office holder. As the saying goes, "How can you tell a politician is lying? His lips are moving."
True or not, as already noted, the rest of us are at it, too--and we all get started early on. In fact, says researcher and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry Dr. Michael Lewis, "About 70% of kids are already lying by the age of 2 or 2-1/2. And by age 6, almost 100% are lying."
And that fact goes a long way in explaining why so many parents-86% of us--are told lies. ByReputation.com's CEO Brandon Gaille has also found that 75% of friends lie to each other, followed by 72% of siblings, and 69% of spouses. He also reports that, "Most people lie an average of four times a day, which equates to 1,460 lies every year."
Yikes! You can almost feel your nose growing!
So, does that explain the 40% of resumes that are padded with untruths? Or how about the 90% of folks who reportedly misrepresent themselves on dating sites? On those, apparently, women are apt to say they weigh 8-1/2 pounds less than we actually do, while men likely say they're taller, richer, and/or better educated than they really are.
And making ourselves look better or manipulating others for our own gain aren't the only reasons we lie. We also resort to untruths in order to:
Shift blame
Avoid confrontation
Get one's way
Be nice
Make ourselves feel better
But how can we tell if someone is being untruthful? Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, a forensic psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests these tell-tale signs:
"They change their head position quickly.
Their breathing changes.
They stand very still.
They repeat words or phrases.
They provide too much information.
They touch or cover their mouth.
They instinctively cover vulnerable body parts.
They shuffle their feet.
It becomes difficult for them to speak.
They stare at you without blinking much.
They tend to point a lot."
Bottom line: Think twice before bending the truth. As philosopher Friedrich Nietzche once noted, "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."
And that goes for the mightiest amongst us, too.
Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy University and Ursinus College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8952230
Meanwhile, Judicial Watch recently uncovered U.S. State Department documents revealing that aides to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "knew from the outset that the Benghazi mission compound was under attack by armed assailants tied to a terrorist group." About that incident, though, she once said, "What difference does it make?"
And who can forget her saying that she "misspoke" and showed she's human when recalling her landing in Bosnia as First Lady. Her spin: She and daughter Chelsea were greeted by sniper fire, when in truth she was handed a poem by 8-year-old Emina Bicakcic.
The upshot: Williams received a six-month suspension without pay and has no credibility left. Clinton, on the other hand, may be the next president of the United States. Does the word Teflon come to mind?
At the same time, writes Michael Smerconish, "We all lie. I'll give Mother Teresa a pass, but that's it. Everyone else lies, and often our lies are self-aggrandizing; we're just trying to be better than we are."
So, yes, lies abound, but some simply matter more.
For instance, if I tell you that it's good to see you when it's not, no harm done. Same if I say I already have plans instead of flat out refusing your invite. And if my kid says he flushed the toilet, but didn't, no big deal. So-called white lies rarely have dire consequences.
Not so the other kind, the big, bad ones. Take the one recently revealed by David Axelrod, Obama's confidante and advisor. In his new book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics, we learn that the President pretended to be opposed to gay marriage in the 2008 election. Could that have swayed some voters?
Unfortunately, that's only one in a string of documented presidential untruths. A quick Internet check tells that tale. Meanwhile, can any of us ever forget the one that goes, "If you like the health care plan you have, you can keep it."
Obama, of course, is not the only truth-stretching office holder. As the saying goes, "How can you tell a politician is lying? His lips are moving."
True or not, as already noted, the rest of us are at it, too--and we all get started early on. In fact, says researcher and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry Dr. Michael Lewis, "About 70% of kids are already lying by the age of 2 or 2-1/2. And by age 6, almost 100% are lying."
And that fact goes a long way in explaining why so many parents-86% of us--are told lies. ByReputation.com's CEO Brandon Gaille has also found that 75% of friends lie to each other, followed by 72% of siblings, and 69% of spouses. He also reports that, "Most people lie an average of four times a day, which equates to 1,460 lies every year."
Yikes! You can almost feel your nose growing!
So, does that explain the 40% of resumes that are padded with untruths? Or how about the 90% of folks who reportedly misrepresent themselves on dating sites? On those, apparently, women are apt to say they weigh 8-1/2 pounds less than we actually do, while men likely say they're taller, richer, and/or better educated than they really are.
And making ourselves look better or manipulating others for our own gain aren't the only reasons we lie. We also resort to untruths in order to:
Shift blame
Avoid confrontation
Get one's way
Be nice
Make ourselves feel better
But how can we tell if someone is being untruthful? Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, a forensic psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests these tell-tale signs:
"They change their head position quickly.
Their breathing changes.
They stand very still.
They repeat words or phrases.
They provide too much information.
They touch or cover their mouth.
They instinctively cover vulnerable body parts.
They shuffle their feet.
It becomes difficult for them to speak.
They stare at you without blinking much.
They tend to point a lot."
Bottom line: Think twice before bending the truth. As philosopher Friedrich Nietzche once noted, "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."
And that goes for the mightiest amongst us, too.
Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy University and Ursinus College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8952230
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Traffic, Then and Now
I live in a state that doesn't have mass transit anywhere in the state; if you want to go anywhere, you have to go by car. I grew up in a city that depended on mass transit to move its millions of people from place to place.
Elsewhere in the state, you drove your car but I didn't see bicycles or motorcycles on the highway. I'm sure they existed but they didn't have the right of way and, in those years, there were no bicycle lanes in traffic.
When I hear my clients talk about traffic in their European or Asian cities, I can see such a different life from when I was growing up. Of course, it may be that there are so many years separating my life then and my life now.
At the time, there were much fewer cars on the highway and everyone traveled by subway to get to where they were going. On the weekends you could take your car into the city and there was relatively little traffic and you could always find a place to park.
Nowadays, it's not only easier to take the subway to wherever you're going in the city but it's also more cost-effective because parking is so limited and so expensive.
The one thing that has not changed in all these years is that when you live in a metropolitan city, you are surrounded by everything you need or could want.
If you want to go out to lunch in the city, when you walk out of your office you're just a few blocks away from some of the best restaurants. Of course, you have to get there before the lunch crowd if you want to get a table because restaurants fill up very fast during peak times.
For the most part, I remember that it didn't pay to take a bus in the business district because most things are within walking distance. And, unless you were having a working lunch in your office, it didn't pay to order food to be delivered because restaurants were a hop, skip, and a jump away from your office.
I don't imagine much has changed in that regard between metropolitan cities and suburbia but I'm just very glad I grew up in a metropolitan area when I was young enough to enjoy all it had to offer. Nowadays, I'm just very glad I can get to where I'm going by car.
Connie H. Deutsch is an internationally known business consultant and personal advisor who has a keen understanding of human nature and is a natural problem-solver.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8959094
Elsewhere in the state, you drove your car but I didn't see bicycles or motorcycles on the highway. I'm sure they existed but they didn't have the right of way and, in those years, there were no bicycle lanes in traffic.
When I hear my clients talk about traffic in their European or Asian cities, I can see such a different life from when I was growing up. Of course, it may be that there are so many years separating my life then and my life now.
At the time, there were much fewer cars on the highway and everyone traveled by subway to get to where they were going. On the weekends you could take your car into the city and there was relatively little traffic and you could always find a place to park.
Nowadays, it's not only easier to take the subway to wherever you're going in the city but it's also more cost-effective because parking is so limited and so expensive.
The one thing that has not changed in all these years is that when you live in a metropolitan city, you are surrounded by everything you need or could want.
If you want to go out to lunch in the city, when you walk out of your office you're just a few blocks away from some of the best restaurants. Of course, you have to get there before the lunch crowd if you want to get a table because restaurants fill up very fast during peak times.
For the most part, I remember that it didn't pay to take a bus in the business district because most things are within walking distance. And, unless you were having a working lunch in your office, it didn't pay to order food to be delivered because restaurants were a hop, skip, and a jump away from your office.
I don't imagine much has changed in that regard between metropolitan cities and suburbia but I'm just very glad I grew up in a metropolitan area when I was young enough to enjoy all it had to offer. Nowadays, I'm just very glad I can get to where I'm going by car.
Connie H. Deutsch is an internationally known business consultant and personal advisor who has a keen understanding of human nature and is a natural problem-solver.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8959094
A Modern Display Of Lost Tradition
Mourning Cross Bereavement Pins
A modern display of a lost tradition, what is old and lost, is found and new again.
In many of our cultures and societies of years past, when a death occurred we outwardly displayed our mourning with jewellery, black mourning arm bands or buttons. Many people also wore black for a period of time.
An Irish mother and her three daughters who has experienced the loss of so many of their loved one's has revived this old tradition as a result of a conversation between them. During the conversation one sister who had been to a wake of a friend's grandmother explained how uncomfortable and embarrassed she felt as a result of not being able to locate her friend who was not in the house at the time, and not knowing the immediate family with whom she should sympathise. Each of the sisters gave examples of wakes and funerals that they had attended and experienced similar, uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. They also recalled their own family wake of their father explaining that some visitors had walked past them not realising that they were daughters and how uncomfortable that felt. They talked about the embarrassing whispers of people asking who was who and the stories that are lost about the deceased as a result of missed opportunities to share their cherished memories.
We use signs and symbols in our daily lives all the time and that symbols are important to help steer people in the right direction. She also said that after the funeral families like to wear the bereavement pins as an outward expression of their grief, its unique design and unspoken message provokes conversations of what the Pin signifies... allowing those who are mourning to share the memory of their loved one.
The family believe that reviving and preserving this true tradition provides a symbolic and special significance in remembering the departed, respecting the grieving at what is a very difficult time. The family are passionate in reviving this old tradition using a respectful symbol to enhance the funeral experience not only for attendees but families who benefit from wonderful stories that would have been lost.
The elegant pins, which also serve as treasured keepsakes, are offered in either black or white enamel in the shape of a cross or, as a non-denominational option, a circle. Both have a center image of a dove in flight and are presented on a card with the expressive poem, "It's My Time".
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8249908
A modern display of a lost tradition, what is old and lost, is found and new again.
In many of our cultures and societies of years past, when a death occurred we outwardly displayed our mourning with jewellery, black mourning arm bands or buttons. Many people also wore black for a period of time.
An Irish mother and her three daughters who has experienced the loss of so many of their loved one's has revived this old tradition as a result of a conversation between them. During the conversation one sister who had been to a wake of a friend's grandmother explained how uncomfortable and embarrassed she felt as a result of not being able to locate her friend who was not in the house at the time, and not knowing the immediate family with whom she should sympathise. Each of the sisters gave examples of wakes and funerals that they had attended and experienced similar, uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. They also recalled their own family wake of their father explaining that some visitors had walked past them not realising that they were daughters and how uncomfortable that felt. They talked about the embarrassing whispers of people asking who was who and the stories that are lost about the deceased as a result of missed opportunities to share their cherished memories.
We use signs and symbols in our daily lives all the time and that symbols are important to help steer people in the right direction. She also said that after the funeral families like to wear the bereavement pins as an outward expression of their grief, its unique design and unspoken message provokes conversations of what the Pin signifies... allowing those who are mourning to share the memory of their loved one.
The family believe that reviving and preserving this true tradition provides a symbolic and special significance in remembering the departed, respecting the grieving at what is a very difficult time. The family are passionate in reviving this old tradition using a respectful symbol to enhance the funeral experience not only for attendees but families who benefit from wonderful stories that would have been lost.
The elegant pins, which also serve as treasured keepsakes, are offered in either black or white enamel in the shape of a cross or, as a non-denominational option, a circle. Both have a center image of a dove in flight and are presented on a card with the expressive poem, "It's My Time".
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8249908
Poverty As a Fuel for Rage
Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society.
~Muhammad Yunis~
Recently a newspaper ad offered up to one percent interest on a one year bank certificate of deposit, described as a bargain. Of course it was taxable as well. On the next page I found an article describing banks as swimming in money. It is estimated that about sixty or so families control half the wealth of the world.
Various news stories in recent months saw many cities simmering in unrest and increasingly boiling over into downright violence. Sometimes the violence relates to concern about police brutality but other times no clear provocation is evident.
It seems to me that much more effort goes into controlling and reacting to violence than into understanding and preventing it. Communities often react with outrage and repressive attempts to contain the surge of violence.
In recent years, police departments have acquired a wide range of non-lethal weapons to stem the tide, but there are all too often incidents of over-reaction by police and a disturbing number of deaths among agitated but unarmed citizens.
Is this a problem among undisciplined police officers or something larger? In my view, we are asking the police to handle a problem often created and ignored by the larger society. We shake our heads over the violence but don't do a great deal on a personal or societal level to understand why people are restless and agitated.
Imagine being born into a family in which none of your relatives have completed high school. Your relatives try to help each other survive but no one has much to share with each other. You can't remember your parents living together. The best you see around you is quiet desperation. At worst you see neighbors engaged in outright battles. You can name three people from your block now rotting in jail.
How easy would it be for you to be the least bit optimistic about your future? Could you even dream of a college education or a good job when no one you can name has escaped the poverty which surrounds everyone you know?
We live in a society where the elite few grow richer by the day. Legislators constantly pass laws making it easier to become even richer while cutting programs to aid the less fortunate.
To be fair, the newspapers have also celebrated the few poor people who have been given the opportunity to change their lives and have gained a sense of pride. What about the rest of those mired in poverty?
Our world community contains the resources to eradicate poverty. The problem is that we do not think as a community responsible for each other. Even in our democratic society, freedom has come to mean everyone for themselves rather than collective responsibility to care for each other. Maybe it is time we rethink what it means to be a human being and how we can all have the chance for a satisfying life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8967623
~Muhammad Yunis~
Recently a newspaper ad offered up to one percent interest on a one year bank certificate of deposit, described as a bargain. Of course it was taxable as well. On the next page I found an article describing banks as swimming in money. It is estimated that about sixty or so families control half the wealth of the world.
Various news stories in recent months saw many cities simmering in unrest and increasingly boiling over into downright violence. Sometimes the violence relates to concern about police brutality but other times no clear provocation is evident.
It seems to me that much more effort goes into controlling and reacting to violence than into understanding and preventing it. Communities often react with outrage and repressive attempts to contain the surge of violence.
In recent years, police departments have acquired a wide range of non-lethal weapons to stem the tide, but there are all too often incidents of over-reaction by police and a disturbing number of deaths among agitated but unarmed citizens.
Is this a problem among undisciplined police officers or something larger? In my view, we are asking the police to handle a problem often created and ignored by the larger society. We shake our heads over the violence but don't do a great deal on a personal or societal level to understand why people are restless and agitated.
Imagine being born into a family in which none of your relatives have completed high school. Your relatives try to help each other survive but no one has much to share with each other. You can't remember your parents living together. The best you see around you is quiet desperation. At worst you see neighbors engaged in outright battles. You can name three people from your block now rotting in jail.
How easy would it be for you to be the least bit optimistic about your future? Could you even dream of a college education or a good job when no one you can name has escaped the poverty which surrounds everyone you know?
We live in a society where the elite few grow richer by the day. Legislators constantly pass laws making it easier to become even richer while cutting programs to aid the less fortunate.
To be fair, the newspapers have also celebrated the few poor people who have been given the opportunity to change their lives and have gained a sense of pride. What about the rest of those mired in poverty?
Our world community contains the resources to eradicate poverty. The problem is that we do not think as a community responsible for each other. Even in our democratic society, freedom has come to mean everyone for themselves rather than collective responsibility to care for each other. Maybe it is time we rethink what it means to be a human being and how we can all have the chance for a satisfying life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8967623
Current Affairs News Online - Information About The World Available At Your Home
News can be transmitted faster through technology all over the world.
People can have complete control of what news they want to read about. Traditional newspapers convey local news more than international news while online newspapers from different countries can be accessed for free through the internet. There are many advantages for people to convert reading from traditional newspapers to online newspapers.
Any news around the world can be published online within a matter of few seconds. People can be more updated with the help of online newspapers. Current affairs news can be viewed immediately through the internet rather than waiting for a day in order to read it on the printed newspapers.
The online newspapers are updated every few minutes and the headlines keeps changing as and when new incidents occur in the world.
Most of the news that is available online is free of cost. People only need a computer and internet connection for browsing through the world news.
It is easy and convenient to read news online and people can multitask while they read online newspaper.
With the help of technology, customization of the news can be done. People, who are interested only in certain sections of news like business news or Sports News, can be provided with options on the website to display only that specific section instead of the entire newspaper.
Certain websites provide the viewers with the ability to discuss the news and events of the world among the peers. The interaction while reading news can make it more interesting.
Different viewpoints can be discussed by people all over the world for specific news.
The online newspapers provide the medium for the society to communicate back to the media. It can help them improve their ways of publishing news.
As traditional newspapers are printed on papers, the invention of online newspapers helps to create a greener environment by preserving the trees that are used for papers.
Purchasing newspapers can use up plenty of time and money which can be minimized by reading online newspapers.
Any news from all over the world can be viewed with just one click of the mouse from the comfort of each person's home.
People prefer updated and comprehensive news. The unlimited space available on the internet can publish a variety of news and events from all over the world in order to attract as many viewers as possible. Gradually, people are converting themselves into avid online news readers.
Find the latest technology news, internet updates, computer news, recent tech information, analysis on web, blogs, at latest news 360.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8966666
People can have complete control of what news they want to read about. Traditional newspapers convey local news more than international news while online newspapers from different countries can be accessed for free through the internet. There are many advantages for people to convert reading from traditional newspapers to online newspapers.
Any news around the world can be published online within a matter of few seconds. People can be more updated with the help of online newspapers. Current affairs news can be viewed immediately through the internet rather than waiting for a day in order to read it on the printed newspapers.
The online newspapers are updated every few minutes and the headlines keeps changing as and when new incidents occur in the world.
Most of the news that is available online is free of cost. People only need a computer and internet connection for browsing through the world news.
It is easy and convenient to read news online and people can multitask while they read online newspaper.
With the help of technology, customization of the news can be done. People, who are interested only in certain sections of news like business news or Sports News, can be provided with options on the website to display only that specific section instead of the entire newspaper.
Certain websites provide the viewers with the ability to discuss the news and events of the world among the peers. The interaction while reading news can make it more interesting.
Different viewpoints can be discussed by people all over the world for specific news.
The online newspapers provide the medium for the society to communicate back to the media. It can help them improve their ways of publishing news.
As traditional newspapers are printed on papers, the invention of online newspapers helps to create a greener environment by preserving the trees that are used for papers.
Purchasing newspapers can use up plenty of time and money which can be minimized by reading online newspapers.
Any news from all over the world can be viewed with just one click of the mouse from the comfort of each person's home.
People prefer updated and comprehensive news. The unlimited space available on the internet can publish a variety of news and events from all over the world in order to attract as many viewers as possible. Gradually, people are converting themselves into avid online news readers.
Find the latest technology news, internet updates, computer news, recent tech information, analysis on web, blogs, at latest news 360.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8966666
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Humans and Humanity
What are the critical elements that make us human? Do these elements transpond time and space, cultures and continents, communities, families? We breath the same air, occupy the same planet, live and die, but beyond these how similar are we? Genetics play a grand role in determining our human characteristics such as hair and eye color, stature, other physical traits along with many capabilities such as brainpower and physical dexterity. Our environment also plays a special role. Where we were born, the time frame, our parents and extended family begin us on our journey and then comes all of the other potential encounters and experiences. It is nature versus nurture and so much more.
Our humanity is influenced by the civilization in which we live, the morality and mortality factors that affect our lives and living, the human condition that surrounds us, and the variables of life. Humanity is also the characteristic that presents itself through our kindness, compassion, and sympathy for others. Having been brought up in a loving, two-parent home, with terrific sisters as role models, I was taught to love the out-of-doors and nature, physical fitness, and education, my family and friends, and to live with generosity and goodness toward others. Because my family likes each other, we can also love each other, forgiving the errors we make and embracing the wonders of family. I think this solid foundation of mutual respect set up much of the personal life I live now.
Because of my upbringing and experiences, I model my behavior in certain ways but I also know that others live differently and I work hard to accept that that is their right. While I feel relief that I never was put in a situation where I needed to consider an abortion, I respect that that is a decision that others might make. I live in a loving heterosexual relationship but I understand that others might desire to live in a different style. As a woman I have freedom to go and do and choose, but I realize that this is not true everywhere in the world and while this is hard to accept, I appreciate that other women live a different life. I embrace the freedoms that are provided to me in this country and see them as quite wonderful, but I realize that others live differently and that these freedoms appear altogether wrong. In my recognition of the variation of humans and their lifestyles, I believe I exemplify compassion and consideration to all humankind.
I found it interesting to read that some communities that have been overtaken by ISIS forces are quite content to have these soldiers present. One man stated that at least with ISIS there is no corruption and no greed and as long as he stays within their good graces, he lives a safe and secure life. The murders that surrounded him just seemed to be the way things are and he is neither alarmed nor particularly interested. He feels his life is in better shape under what I view as a reign of terror than his previous life, which I would also view as a life of terror. The article mentions the fact that ISIS and similar forces may win out in the end simply because citizens are satisfied with this less terroristic lifestyle and acceptance of current conditions.
This type of life and ideology are alien to me but if I am human and a true member of humanity, I must accept that for some, freedom is valued differently and is not necessarily the government and life choice they want. Who am I to judge? I do not live in these nations, I have not been brought up in these cultures, I have little understanding other than brief visits abroad, reading, and listening to the news. And so as a human, while I am willing to help and education, it is not my job to interfere with criticism or moral degradation. I am fortunate to live where and how I do, but it is not mine to subject upon others.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9111287
Our humanity is influenced by the civilization in which we live, the morality and mortality factors that affect our lives and living, the human condition that surrounds us, and the variables of life. Humanity is also the characteristic that presents itself through our kindness, compassion, and sympathy for others. Having been brought up in a loving, two-parent home, with terrific sisters as role models, I was taught to love the out-of-doors and nature, physical fitness, and education, my family and friends, and to live with generosity and goodness toward others. Because my family likes each other, we can also love each other, forgiving the errors we make and embracing the wonders of family. I think this solid foundation of mutual respect set up much of the personal life I live now.
Because of my upbringing and experiences, I model my behavior in certain ways but I also know that others live differently and I work hard to accept that that is their right. While I feel relief that I never was put in a situation where I needed to consider an abortion, I respect that that is a decision that others might make. I live in a loving heterosexual relationship but I understand that others might desire to live in a different style. As a woman I have freedom to go and do and choose, but I realize that this is not true everywhere in the world and while this is hard to accept, I appreciate that other women live a different life. I embrace the freedoms that are provided to me in this country and see them as quite wonderful, but I realize that others live differently and that these freedoms appear altogether wrong. In my recognition of the variation of humans and their lifestyles, I believe I exemplify compassion and consideration to all humankind.
I found it interesting to read that some communities that have been overtaken by ISIS forces are quite content to have these soldiers present. One man stated that at least with ISIS there is no corruption and no greed and as long as he stays within their good graces, he lives a safe and secure life. The murders that surrounded him just seemed to be the way things are and he is neither alarmed nor particularly interested. He feels his life is in better shape under what I view as a reign of terror than his previous life, which I would also view as a life of terror. The article mentions the fact that ISIS and similar forces may win out in the end simply because citizens are satisfied with this less terroristic lifestyle and acceptance of current conditions.
This type of life and ideology are alien to me but if I am human and a true member of humanity, I must accept that for some, freedom is valued differently and is not necessarily the government and life choice they want. Who am I to judge? I do not live in these nations, I have not been brought up in these cultures, I have little understanding other than brief visits abroad, reading, and listening to the news. And so as a human, while I am willing to help and education, it is not my job to interfere with criticism or moral degradation. I am fortunate to live where and how I do, but it is not mine to subject upon others.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9111287
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