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tipsycad147 · 3 years

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Ares – Greek God of War

The son of Hera and Zeus, Ares is the Greek god of war and one of the twelve Olympian gods. He’s often seen as a representation of sheer violence and brutality and was considered inferior to his sister Athena, who is the representation of tactical and militaristic strategizing and leadership in war.

Although he was successful in war, his worship by Greeks was ambivalent, and he was the least loved of the gods.

Who Is Ares?

Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Described by Hesiod in his Theogeny as ‘city-sacking Ares’ and ‘shield-piercing Ares’, Ares perfectly represented the bloody and more brutal side of war. He’s often depicted in the company of his sons with Aphrodite, aplty named Deimos (Terror) and Phobos (Fear), or with his sister Enyo (Discord). According to Homer, his fellow gods and even his parents were not very fond of him.

In early times in Sparta, human sacrifices were made to Ares from among those captured from war. In addition, there was also a nightly offering of dogs made in Enyalius in his honor. At Athens, he also had a temple at the foot of the Aeropagus or “Ares’ Hill”.

There is no extensive account of Ares’ life, but he has always been associated with Aphrodite from the earliest times. In fact, Aphrodite was known locally in Sparta as the goddess of war, cementing her status as his lover and mother of his children.

Ares’ Roman counterpart is Mars, God of War and the father of Romus and Remules (though his rape of the virgin Rhea), the legendary founders of Rome.

The most famous myth that involves Ares is his battle with the demigod, Hercules. Ares’ son Kyknos was notorious for stopping pilgrims on their way to Delphi to consult the oracle. This earned the ire of Apollo and to deal with this, he sent Hercules to kill Kyknos. Ares, enraged by his son’s death, engaged Hercules in a fight. Hercules was protected by Athena and wounded Ares.

Ares vs. Athena

Ares has a rather small role in Greek mythology, and this is perhaps because Athena was always considered superior to him. As such, the two always had this rivalry between them and they were in constant competition with each other.

Both were powerful deities and to some extent gods over the same field, but Ares and Athena couldn’t be more different from the other.

Athena represented the general attitude and beliefs which the ancient Greeks deemed appropriate, as an individual who was intelligent, calm, and skilled in warfare. She was a dedicated scholar and a fierce warrior. She takes decisions like a general in war, with patience and diplomacy. As such, Athena was loved and revered.

On the other hand, Ares was the embodiment of what the Greeks did not want to be, brutal, vicious and unempathetic. Ares is also intelligent, but he is driven by brutality and violence, leaving behind him death, devastation and destruction. He represents all that’s reprehensible in war. His cruelty is symbolized by his chosen throne – a seat made of human skin with knobs to represent human skulls. This is why Ares was hated and the most unloved of all the gods.

Ares in the Trojan War

Ares was always on his lover Aphrodite’s side and he fought for the Trojan prince Hector until he was pierced with a spear guided by Athena, who was on the side of the Spartans. He then went to his father Zeus to complain about her violence, but he ignored her. In the end, Athena’s Greeks defeated the Trojans.

The Unloved God

Because he was the ferocious god of war, he was universally detested. When he was wounded in battle by Diomedes and his father Zeus even called him “the most hateful of all gods”. Zeus also said that had Ares not been his son, he would surely find himself in the company of Cronus and the rest of the Titans in Tartarus.

Unlike other gods, he also never developed beyond the image of a battle-frenzy butcher who slaughtered left and right. As a consequence, there are only a few epithets about him and most are unflattering, such as “the bane of mortals”, and “the arm-bearing”.

Symbols and Symbolism of Ares

Ares is often depicted with the following symbols:

Sword

Helmet

Shield

Spear

Chariot

Boar

Dog

Vulture

Flaming torch

All Ares’ symbols are connected with warfare, destruction or hunting. Ares himself is a symbol of the brutal, violent and physical aspects of war.

Inasmuch as he loved warfare, he could also be seen as someone who was trying to prove himself not only to his parents but also to his fellow gods. It would not be unusual for someone who was always cast aside as inferior to want to achieve great things.

Lessons from the Story of Ares

Brutality – Wanton brutality will not lead to love, admiration, and appreciation. This is an important story that Ares must have also learned himself when his parents and the other gods chose to keep themselves away from him and men refused to worship him. Brutality can only get you so far, but it won’t win you the respect of people.

Sibling rivalry – jealousy, fighting, and competition among siblings can be frustrating and stressful. It is filled with physical aggression that can be damaging. The rivalry between Athena and Ares is a perfect example of negativity that goes on when siblings are pitted against each other.

Ares in Art

In Ancient Greek and Classical Art, Ares is frequently depicted with full armor and helmet and carrying a spear and a shield that it is difficult to tell him apart from other warriors. His battle with Hercules was a very popular subject in the 6th century BCE for Attic vases.

Picture https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0ngYwG

Ares in Modern Culture

Ares appears extensively in modern culture in several video games such as God of War, Age of Mythology, Spartan: Total Warrior, and Injustice: Gods Among Us. There are also various sports clubs in Greece which are called Aris, a variation of Ares, the most famous of which is Aris Thessaloniki. The club also has Ares in its sports emblem.

Ares Facts

1- Who were Ares’ parents?

Hera and Zeus, the most important gods of the Greek pantheon.

2- Who are Ares’ children?

Ares had several children, most notably Phobos, Deimos, Eros and Anteros, Amazons, Harmonia and Thrax. He had more children with mortals than with gods.

3- Who is Ares’ Roman equivalent?

Ares’ Roman equivalent is Mars.

4- Who are Ares’ siblings?

Ares has several siblings, including many of the Olympian gods.

5- What did Ares represent?

He stood for the negative and unpleasant aspects of war, including sheer brutality.

6- Who were Ares’ consorts?

Ares had many consorts, of which Aphrodite is the most popular.

7- What powers did Ares have?

Ares was strong, had superior fighting skills and physicality. He caused bloodshed and destruction wherever he went.

In Brief

Savage and unrelenting, Ares was the embodiment of all the terrible things about war. He remains in intriguing character in the Greek pantheon.

https://symbolsage.com/ares-greek-god-of-war/

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breakingarrows · 4 years

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The Outer Worlds Doesn’t Want a Revolution

Partnering with publisher Private Division, Obsidian had the freedom to make whatever they wanted. Best known for licensed properties established by other developers (Bioware with Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Bethesda with Fallout: New Vegas), Obsidian had the chance to do something completely new. With The Outer Worlds they successfully created another Bethesda game. This is an iteration rather than a revolution. While that is not bad in and of itself, it is the lackluster execution that makes it a disappointment, specifically to their previous work on iterating upon existing games.

Obsidian had proved themselves superior to Bethesda back in 2010 with Fallout: New Vegas. This was a follow up to Fallout 3 utilizing the same graphics engine but transplanted back to the western territory of the original two Fallout games. It improved upon Fallout 3 greatly with its humanizing of formerly mindless enemy types and allowing the player to pick and choose what factions to support with a reflexive loss of reputation with their enemy. You couldn't please everyone. If you have played any of the Bethesda Fallout games, and even to an extent The Elder Scrolls, you have essentially played The Outer Worlds. Character creation, skill allotment upon leveling up, perks, weight encumbrance, a slow-motion replacement for V.A.T.S., factions with reputations and oppositions, and mowing down enemies that exist soley to be killed by the player, all of this can easily be seen as a 2019 update of Fallout 3, a now 11 year old game. It is clear Obsidian was not interested in revolutionizing the Bethesda format, and instead made slight alterations and updates.

All these years later and I am essentially playing the same fundamental game with a change in aesthetic from alternative history post-apocalypse to corporate owned space colonies. There is a possibility here for that aesthetic to breathe new life into the now rote gameplay style, but this is where the deeper disappointment stems: the writing.

Role-playing games frequently employ the separation of main quest and side quests as a tiered to-do list for the player to check off in order to accrue experience, gear, and see all that the game has to offer. After over thirty years of these kinds of games, the fundamentals have been established: Fetch quests. Killing special named enemies with higher stats than your average bullet magnet. A succession of conversations with a split choice at the end. The best games hide these simplistic tasks underneath flavor text: a way to get the player invested in the goings on by expanding on the fiction of the world or the introduction of unique and likeable characters (or love-to-hate ones). Here is one of The Outer Worlds greater failings.

Edgewater, in the region of Emerald Vale, is the first major town you come across and the source of a good amount of side quests to engage with. As far as introductions go, Edgewater leaves a terrible taste of what is to come. As mentioned before, the standard goals appear, and their flavor text fail to disguise the monotonous nature of these tasks. Retrieve a book. Find some medicine. Find three books in separate locations. Kill three named enemies. Kill a robot. Collect gravesite fees. Find a missing person. These descriptions are overly simplified but the game does not do a great job at disguising their simplicity.

Retrieving a book is done for a vicar, a religious counselor who views his flock with contempt and laments that the book is in a different language. Finding medicine serves as an example of the cruelty of Spacer’s Choice, the corporation behind Edgewater’s existence. Finding three books is for an up and coming engineer who deserted Edgewater due to its cruelty. Killing three named enemies is not even worth further explanation as there is none. These names exist to be crossed off and nothing else. Much like the Marauders and animals you come across on every planet: they exist to be killed. Killing a robot is their stab at comedy, with the quest giver being paranoid about a lone robot outside the town walls and stashes his prized weapon in a bathroom. I promise the actual text is no more comical than my dry description. Collecting gravesite fees is another example of the cruelty of Spacer’s Choice and Edgewater. Finding a missing person is the only worthwhile side quest and even then that is not saying much. Zoe, another deserter, has gone missing. You find out she wanted to join a marauder gang to become their queen, and surprisingly, was successful. You find this out after murdering everyone to make her appear so you can convince her to return to watch some new serials she loves.

As far as being a template for what is to come in the rest of the game, Emerald Vale is a terrible introduction and future regions only marginally improves upon it.

My main disappointment in Emerald Vale is within its main questline. Your ship needs power, and in order to obtain that power you need to decide whether to direct a Geothermal plant’s supply away from Edgewater, or away from the deserters. Some of the side quests before served as examples of the inhumanity of working under Spacer’s Choice in Edgewater. The town is experiencing a plague, where the sick are sentenced to death in a “sick house” full of corpses, while Reed, the town mayor, hoards all the medicine for the hardest workers. Sick time is nonexistent and has to be worked back. Employees must pay their burial fees upfront and suicides are punished collectively. It is an irredeemable monument to the brutalism of capitalism, or at the very least corporate greed (though there is little difference between the two). This is further reinforced by the Geothermal plant, the source of power.

Upon entering the building you begin to discover through text logs that the plant was once under human supervision before Spacer’s Choice took out a life insurance policy on all of them, installed new robot helpers, and then programmed those helpers to kill all the employees. One worker survives, though in a strange oversight you cannot release him from his basement life even after clearing out the plant and reprogramming the robot’s directive. You get to the point of no return but before you can stamp out Edgewater your companion for the past few hours, Parvati speaks up. She tells you the deserter leader, Adelaide, only wants to see Edgewater destroyed, but that the workers are just living the only life they know how and do not deserve to be stripped of that life.

Curious about how this decision would play out I made a hard save and shut down the power going to Edgewater. Doing so dooms Edgewater and its remaining workers to slowly die out. Adelaide refuses to take those in who will not recant their loyalty to Spacer’s Choice, and presumably even then does not help others as the ending slides explains she died soon after having never shared her fertilizer formula to grow natural food with anyone. She is a bitter old woman who delights in the suffering of Edgwater and Spacer’s Choice’s workers. Her reason? Her son got the plague and knowing medicine was available but denied by Reed, left after her son died despite it being a preventable death. The game treats this legitimate source of rage towards the established order as petty.

The opposing choice, providing power to Edgewater, means the deserters must return to be grinded to dust or die in the wilderness. However, if you talk to the right people a third way will open up after this decision. You can convince Reed to step down and Adelaide to take control. Doing so results in the cannery, the town’s main reason for existence and source of sustenance, to flourish in the aftermath. There was no need for such drastic change, all Edgewater needed was the correct person in charge, a kinder boss than that asshole Reed. This is an observation shared by others, though unlike them I never compromised when real change was possible.

This ethos of “reform from the inside” is made more explicit within the region of Monarch, and the second major decision point of the game. Here a company called Monarch Stellar Industries, and its leader, Sanjar, used to have membership on the Board, the group in charge of the entire colony. Sanjar wants back in, with the idea that he can promote a kinder, more ethical ruling from the top. You see, he is part of upper class/management, but the ethical kind who do good without having to revolutionize the status quo. His opposition lies within the Iconoclasts, those who fully reject the Board and their rule and live in a form of collectivist society. Their flaw is that their leader Graham is more concerned with spreading his ideology than with taking care of his people. This fault is even more manufactured than Adelaide’s justified hatred towards Reed and Spacer’s Choice. Within New Vegas, the NCR, the closest to a “good” faction, have a major flaw in the form of their bureaucracy. This is much more believable than an irresponsible leader whose second in command is too lax to depose him until you step in. You can either lead the Iconoclasts to violently overthrow MSI, force the Iconoclasts to break up and integrate with MSI, or you can kill Graham and have his second in command Zora work with Sanjar to provide workers with an alternative to the Board. Another potential status quo change comes with a recommendation to reach a middle ground.

At the very least The Outer Worlds does not fuck up its final major decision, between the Board’s Lifetime Employment Program and Phineas’ revival of Hope colonists. The former has the lower class put on ice for potential future use, freeing up even more resources to be hoarded by those at the top, and the latter has you overthrowing the Board and bringing in new blood to work towards producing a sustainable colony of cooperation. There is no third way here, and the choice is obvious.

Throughout The Outer Worlds the absurdity of the corporation’s power over people is routinely on display, whether in text conversations or the aesthetic of loading screen images and various NPC barks while running around the towns. All of it is screaming that the way things are is actively killing people and dooming the colony, but when it comes time for revolution the game would prefer you compromise until the finale. There, compromise with the Board, the highest source of everything wrong, would be incapable to stomach by even a sycophant.

Fallout 3 endures in our memories for its revolution to RPGs, while New Vegas endures due to its improvements within that new standard. The Outer Worlds does neither. As Eurogamer states, this is comfort food. That sentiment is not a condemnation, though with the games never stopping, a lesser entry in the Bethesda style is an easy pass. The Capital Wasteland with its hyper violence beckoned the player to go ham with slow motion close ups of splashes of blood and cleanly amputated limbs due to your gunfire or pummelling. New Vegas reoriented that mindset by largely removing the mindless raiders, super mutants, and ghouls, with their residences filled with hooked limbs and hives of bloody organs, and replaced them with humanized factions. The Outer Worlds regresses back to the former with a smaller scale overall, though sans the overdone gore. Exiting town means everything that moves now becomes something to kill, loot, and accrue experience from. It makes movement between quest markers mindlessly mechanical, which bleeds over into everything else about the game and what it is trying to accomplish.

I last played The Outer Worlds on November 9th and it has only been viewed less favorably the more I think about it. The combat is complete filler, there is nothing motivating behind the generic and tired numbers-go-up leveling process, gear you earn via quests may as well just be money or gear parts, entering a room means walking along the walls pressing X to gather everything you can carry to be sold/broken down later, skill checks are just numerical goals, you can rarely press X to talk to someone without your gun being pulled out, and a majority of the writing is just the essence of tweets like this extended through 15+ hours. The game consistently observes, “Man, shits fucked huh?” In spite of this, when it comes time to redistribute power, it backs away. And all of this comes from Obsidian, a developer who once outdid Bethesda at their own game is now stumbling through a poor imitation. Walking around Monarch’s wilderness, the ambient music frequently made me mistake what I was playing for Fallout: New Vegas. And I really wish I was.

#The Outer Worlds #Video game criticism #Obsidian Entertainment #Xbox One #Criticism #writing

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ibookbm · 4 years

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The book of force versus coercion.

<<< MY SUMMARY OF THIS BOOK WITH SOME EXPLICATIONS >>>

Human recognition may be divided into several ranges with a map.

The map is a line from 1 to one thousand and divided at two hundred degrees (critical point).

Anyone beneath 2 hundred (the susceptible region) will sense vulnerable and pass most effective to continue to exist and their motivations can be selfish.

He who is over 200 (the area of electricity) will not fear others and could be happier in his lifestyles in widespread.

Levels of human recognition Let's discover approximately these levels in more detail:

Class 20 / shame

It is the lowest degree of cognizance and poses a danger to its proprietor, no one at this stage can stay or develop his existence. In it the individual is dead whilst he is alive.

Shame is related to weak spot and cruelty

Poor vanity makes someone forget about himself and turn out to be reclining, introverted and shy

It is likewise cruel to himself and human beings, kids who experience shame, are more violent with other children and even with animals.

Class 30 guilt

Whoever feels guilt consciences reprimand him, and always blames himself, that will have psychological and physical lesions and suicidal tendencies.

He might also try to escape guilt by using denying, however you'll usually find him punishing himself for it.

Class 50 indifference

Indifference is one of the maximum vital traits of depression.

The individual who lives at this level of recognition does now not mean the world to him something and does no longer has the electricity to do something!

He movements in existence without being prompted through any stimulus and does no longer reply to any spark of desire.

The degree of indifference is the level of homeless people on the street, maximum of the aged and incurable illnesses, all people who are not inquisitive about changing their lives is well-known.

Distressed 75th grade

Then comes the level of grief - the extent of grief and loss - human beings right here whose lives are full of remorse, mourning, and grief during the last.

This is the diploma of losers who used to be defeated as a manner of life

At this degree, the person sees that what he'll lose will no longer be able to update him. A person who loves him has lost, as an instance, and he is considered to have misplaced all love.

Class 100 worry

At this degree, there's power in comparison to previous stages.

Fear is quite a cause for motion - fears are standard, life-shifting. Most businesses, as an example, push us to shop for their products due to the fact they play against our fears.

But the trouble of worry is that it can join its owner to a high diploma of tension and delusional wondering, and this can inhibit his development due to the fact he will push him to create mental defense mechanisms that prevent him from life.

Class one hundred twenty-five desire

Desire moves and leads the guy to make an incredible effort to attain his goals.

The preference for money, prestige, and strength is what manages the lives of many humans who have controlled to bypass the cause of fear after being restricted to their lives.

But the trouble is that desire can:

To grow to be addictive, you addict, as an example, the desire to draw attention - which gives others the energy to control you. Just because it isn't satiated, you can not fulfill the desire and you may retain to update obtaining something that has been done with getting something else that has now not been performed ... To infinity. Class one hundred fifty anger

Anger has two aspects, one is negative and the other is perennial.

But it at least takes humans out of indifference and grief and makes them pass the barrier of worry and do something.

Sometimes anger is a fulcrum that enables the oppressed to visit freedom. Anger over social injustice, deception, and inequality has brought about useful modifications for people.

Class one hundred seventy-five Pride

This is the level common to maximum human beings nowadays

It is considered accurate compared to its predecessor (guilt, fear, and shame, as an instance), however, if we examine it to the higher degrees it'll not be enough.

The hassle of delight is that it's far a susceptible situation, which may be effortlessly demolished, and depends on outside factors if it is not present then we will fall to decrease ranges.

You can be destroyed and fall immediately to the extent of disgrace or maybe remain inside it, but you may feel the diploma of worry (diploma one hundred) afraid, for example, to lose the factor you're proud of.

Therefore, it's far crucial which you overcome delight and update it with genuine repute and supremacy within the coming levels.

Class 200 Courage

Courage is the watershed that separates nicely from poor and coercion from power.

In the decrease tiers of it, the individual sees the world as an area of melancholy, unhappiness, and terror, however within the levels that observe it the individual sees the arena as an interesting and stimulating undertaking.

Courage approach on the brink of dive into the depths of the new and the preference to deal with life's usual downs. This level is complete of energy to analyze new abilities, which reasons the person who has reached it to face matters, cope with it extra successfully, face his fears, locate solutions and develop your lifestyles regardless of the tension.

Class 250 neutrality

It is at this degree that someone begins to do away with the traits of the preceding fanatic ranges who see the whole lot as either white or black.

This creates variety and ends in greater variety and distinction

Neutrality approach now not related to results, it will not care a whole lot approximately failure, fear or anxiety because it isn't always associated with effects.

For instance, he will not be afraid that he will not get the activity she is being presented because he'll get another, not the give up of the world.

At this stage, the self-self-assurance is beginning to shape strong and the man or woman at this stage is difficult to threaten with anything, and he might now not be inquisitive about proving something to all and sundry.

Class 310 willingness

Willingness way overcoming the inner resistance of life. Ready to stand something

Who is it allowed the departure of pleasure and oldness, so he has become innately prepared to look at his faults and connect them and examine from them and others, research from everything?

He has a process task, there's no problem to just accept! he's going to begin his enterprise or paintings with different people, he has no problem starting the paintings from scratch.

Ready for something

Because his vanity has to turn out to be high and he does not suffer from any obstacles inside the getting to know the procedure so he learns speedy

Class 350 admission

At this degree, a terrific shift in cognizance happens, and a person will see that he is the supply and reason for everything he reviews in his life.

(In it a person considers that happiness comes from within and there may be no such aspect as an outdoor).

Acceptance is not a form of indifference, however instead an engagement in life without trying to subjugate it

With recognition, the character lives in a nation of psychological calm, and his recognition widens due to the fact he has gone past denial, he sees matters without distortion or false impression and this expands the context of his experience and turns into capable of seeing the entire picture

At this degree, the guy realizes that others have rights as his rights, thus glorifying equality, not like human beings at lower tiers who embody bigotry and hate what differs from them.

Class four hundred thoughts

In the diploma of mind, emotions go beyond the decrease stages; intelligence and purpose replace it and take the lead.

A character will not inject emotion and mainly negativity in his life, so the thoughts might be pure and this is what makes the character capable of address a complex amount of information and rent it to reap speedy development.

But the disadvantage of this stage is that the thoughts itself are poor

The mind is constrained and can not distinguish the essence and crucial factor of complex issues and regularly forget the context

He can grasp ideas and theories (he sees the tree and ignores the wooded area)

Class 500 love

Love as a definition here isn't intended as love circulating among humans, i.E. The emotional feeling which includes physical enchantment and the choice to possess, that love is an oscillating and converting feeling, but the meant love right here is everlasting and constant love due to the fact its supply is inside

Love is a shape of life and has transcendence above it, and when you attain its degree it will make you forgive, expand the effective and treat negativity instead of attacking it and acquire the very best movements with a pure motivation

Class 540 Joy

Joy is not a brief, surprising pleasure like the one we feel is the supply of external elements -

But it's far a steady feeling that accompanies all of your actions and emanates from your self with none external reason.

What distinguishes this degree is staying power to face whatever, irrespective of how negative, if you could attain it you will see in everything that reveals the love and to God and you may experience which you are part of the universe and the universe is a part of you

You may have the ability to love all people as you love yourself, and you will have a desire to benefit the whole life instead of precise humans.

The rating is between seven-hundred and one thousand peace and enlightenment

Very hardly ever, it is easy to attain these levels because they may be the peak of human focus

He who reaches them will exceed time and space and his ego will disappear completely, he'll not see himself as a separate person but an embodiment of general awareness and could give his existence for the gain of all mankind.

Projection Previous ranges of attention are what demarcate the boundaries of your expertise of the sector - and to form the manner, you see existence.

Let's see an instance:

Imagine a beggar sound asleep on the road. Let's see how extraordinary humans will decide him in step with their level of focus

At level 20 the level of shame: the person will now not see the beggar as a human however rather as a disgraceful and disgusting grimy aspect

At stage 30, the extent of guilt: he will see that a beggar is a lazy person and he's responsible for the circumstance he has reached.

At level 50 the level of indifference: he will see depression in the life of the beggar, that his ordeal has no given up and that it's far proof that society is impotent and corrupt.

At level seventy-five, the extent of distress: he will see that the beggar lives in the tragedy, without support or help.

At stage a hundred the level of worry: he'll see in the beggar a danger that he has to inform the police about.

At stage 125 the level of desire: he's going to see that the beggar poses a problem and could marvel why no person is trying to help him?

At level a hundred and fifty the extent of anger: he'll see that the beggar may be a thief and be angry for being in society

On Level one hundred seventy-five Pride: He will see that the beggar is a source of embarrassment where he sits.

At level 2 hundred the level of courage: He will seek and ask whether or not there may be a shelter for the homeless and is trying to clear up the problem.

At degree 250, the extent of neutrality: he will no longer have a final hassle with the beggar. He will now not harm all of us if he leaves him within the occasion of his course. Live and let others live.

At level 310 the extent of readiness: he'll determine to visit him and try to assist him or volunteer to assist his ilk.

At Level 350 Level of Acceptance: The beggar will see it as thrilling. He may have a story well worth listening, as he's in his area for a few motives.

At the 400 level, the good judgment level: he's going to see that the beggar is a symptom of social and financial issues and maybe the issue of a psychological have a look at and merits a central authority grant.

At better ranges: the beggar might be seen outdoor the limits of stereotypical visions and social barriers - he'll see it as an expression of the internal self of people or his wisdom will see from him his point of view which isn't always interested by material matters

Explanation Seeing things and your awareness are what make up your life

Imagine a collection of humans dwelling in a stressful surrounding - a prison, as an example - when you watch them, you will see them have interaction with the identical enjoy distinctly.

Some of them will attempt to dedicate suicide, Someone will continue to be silent, Someone will cry Someone becomes violent Some people will be nice and observe his lifestyles otherwise and will begin looking after them... No longer some began getting to know from prison and there are books in the international of politics that have come to be the most influential written in prison The identical environment and situations, but each person interacted with it consistent with his degree of focus

Raise awareness Most human beings use their lifestyles experience to elevate their focus level, but this isn't enough, you need to deliberately choose a sincere and tolerant method to existence

In trendy, distinguish between vulnerable and robust strength patterns - your know-how of the differences between them will help you in developing your awareness.

There are a few ideas and values that weaken you once you bring them and will make you drop stages, you have to take away them and replace them with values that raise your levels

If you possess the cost of forgiveness, for instance, you become a strong character, and in case you bear revenge, it'll be weakened.

Also, be cautious because you could see the values wrongly.

Some people see love and affection as a weak point but in reality, it's miles energy

On the alternative aspect, revenge and sentencing appear to be energy, however, in truth, they may be a weak point.

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joeahj · 6 years

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Engagement

Pity: Pity is a feeling of discomfort at the distress of one or more sentient beings, and often has paternalistic or condescending overtones. Implicit in the notion of pity is that its object does not deserve its plight, and, moreover, is unable to prevent, reverse, or overturn it. Pity is less engaged than empathy, sympathy, or compassion, amounting to little more than a conscious acknowledgement of the plight of its object. Sympathy: Sympathy (‘fellow feeling’, ‘community of feeling’) is a feeling of care and concern for someone, often someone close, accompanied by a wish to see him better off or happier. Compared to pity, sympathy implies a greater sense of shared similarities together with a more profound personal engagement. Sympathy is the act of feeling for someone (“I am so sorry you are hurting”). However, sympathy, unlike empathy, does not involve a shared perspective or shared emotions, and while the facial expressions of sympathy do convey caring and concern, they do not convey shared distress. Sympathy and empathy often lead to each other, but not always. For instance, it is possible to sympathize with such things as hedgehogs and ladybirds, but not, strictly speaking, to empathize with them. Sympathy and empathy often lead to each other, but not always. Sympathy should also be distinguished from benevolence, which is a much more detached and impartial attitude. Empathy: Empathy can be defined as a person’s ability to recognize and share the emotions of another person, fictional character, or sentient being. It involves, first, seeing someone else’s situation from his perspective, and, second, sharing his emotions, including, if any, his distress. Empathy has been defined as the state where people (i.e., perceivers) represent the same emotion they are observing or imagining in another person (i.e., social targets) with full awareness that the source of their own experience is the other's emotion. Empathy involves feeling with someone (“I feel your disappointment”). With empathy, one shares another’s emotions. Empathy involves not just feelings but thoughts, and it encompasses two people—the person we are feeling for and our own self. One cannot empathize with an abstract or detached feeling. To empathize with a particular person, one needs to have at least some knowledge of who he is and what he is doing or trying to do. As John Steinbeck wrote, ‘It means very little to know that a million Chinese are starving unless you know one Chinese who is starving.’ To put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we must strike a balance between emotion and thought and between self and other. It demands the mental dexterity to switch attunement from other to self. Pause, put one’s interpretation on hold, and explicitly check in by observing, “Wow, that sounds really important. Tell me more of the story.” If others question why one is acting differently, talk openly about the changes. “Sometimes I get so caught up in your feelings, I forget about my own. I’m trying to get better at balancing that.” Don’t worry about hurting someone else’s feelings. If the person has empathy for one, the conversation can lead to a closer connection. What turns empathy into a true high-wire act is that its beneficiaries find the attention deeply rewarding. That puts the onus on us to know when to extract ourselves from someone else’s shoes—and how. Recognizing and sharing someone else’s emotional state is a complex inner experience. It calls on self-awareness, the ability to distinguish between your own feelings and those of others, the skill to take another’s perspective, the ability to recognize emotions in others as well as oneself, and the know-how to regulate those feelings. Reining in overempathy requires emotional intelligence; its underlying skill is self-awareness. Emotional intelligence always requires being empathic with oneself. And that paradoxically allows one to be even more present for those you love. Empathy, compassion, and loving kindness need special protections. One needs always to be prepared to explore and meet their own needs. If one is not used to thinking about them, one might not even be fully aware of what those needs are. Whenever one’s empathy is aroused, regard it as a signal to turn a spotlight on one’s own feelings. Pause (taking a deep breath helps) to check in with oneself: What am I feeling right now? What do I need now? Once one knows what one needs, one can make a conscious decision about how much to give to another and how much to request for oneself. It helps to nurture relationships with people who are mindful of the needs of others. Taking action on one’s needs calls on the skill of self-management. Once one starts noticing the ways in which one becomes absorbed by other people’s intense feelings, especially their negative ones, one can create some distance—even insulate oneself if necessary. To help manage the mixed feelings that a surge of empathy may create, one can change the way one communicates. Clearly state that one cannot meet another’s expectations at the moment if necessary: “You know, I’d really like to talk to you about this, but not tonight. I am completely wiped out myself. Can we find time tomorrow?”. This is to avoid neglecting one’s own feelings; avoid feeling as if being held hostage by the feelings of others; avoid being overly empathic which leads to the loss of ability to know what one wants or needs, diminished ability to make decisions in their own best interest, experiencing of physical and psychological exhaustion from deflecting their own feelings, lack of internal resources to give one’s best to key people in one’s life; avoid regularly prioritizing the feelings of others above their own needs often leading to generalized anxiety or low-level depression, a feeling of emptiness or alienation, or dwelling incessantly on situations from the perspective of another. It is normal and necessary to be tuned in to someone else’s feelings, especially when one is very close to that person. The empathic understanding of the experience of other human beings is as basic an endowment of man as his vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The desire to be heard, known, and felt deeply never disappears. It is a part of the human experience to put someone else’s feelings before your own once in a while, but not consistently. Empathy is often confused with pity, sympathy, and compassion, which are each reactions to the plight of others. Conversely, psychopaths with absolutely no sympathy for their victims can nonetheless make use of empathy to snare or torture them. Empathy works like a spotlight, highlighting certain people in the here and now, making their suffering salient to you; only lights up what you point them at as a spotlight; is vulnerable to bias and indulgence. Empathy is limited in scope. Empathy is innumerate, favouring the one over the many through the “the identifiable victim effect”. Empathy often focuses attention on short-term rather than long-term consequences. How empathy picks favourites is through corresponding to the experience of empathy brain areas’ sensitivity to whether someone is a friend or a foe, part of one’s group or part of an opposing group; is through corresponding to the experience of empathy brain areas’ sensitivity to whether the person is pleasing to look at or not and much else; through people’s tendency to feel for those who look like themselves. + Cognitive empathy can be a great source of pleasure, involved in art, fiction and sports; can be a valuable aspect of intimate relationships by making you kinder to the person you are empathising with (Giving—and getting—empathy is essential in intimate adult relationships. In successful adult relationships, the flow of empathy is reciprocal: Partners share power equally and move back and forth between giving and receiving. When one partner does more of the giving, however, resentment is likely to build.); is personal human contact. - Empathy is a poor moral guide. (To the extent that we can recognise that the numbers are significant when it comes to moral decisions, it’s because of reason, not sentiment. Empathy can be exploited for emotion.); grounds foolish judgments and often motivates indifference and cruelty; can lead to irrational and unfair political decisions; can spark violence as our feelings for the sufferer can motivate anger towards whoever caused the suffering (Rejoice to see the sufferer attack their adversary in their turn, eager and ready to assist them. People who are highly empathetic tend to be more violent and punitive when they see someone who is suffering. Although highly empathic people are good at spotting the emotions of others, they do not necessarily interpret those emotions correctly. They might spin an inaccurate narrative about why someone else is having a particular feeling, or they may get stuck in feelings arising from within. Empathy tilts the scale too much in favour of violent action.); impoverishes psychological well-being when empathy becomes the default way of relating; is imbalanced between partners who give or receive empathy in situations of unequal power (Those in the low-power position are more likely to defer to the needs of those in the high-power position, as it helps them hold on to the attachment at the cost of becoming the architects of their own disenfranchisement.); capacity can be strained in situations of concentration on someone else’s needs (important for all caregivers to find support from people who can offer the same kind of support for them).

Compassion: Compassion is a caring concern for another’s suffering from a slightly greater distance and often includes a desire to help. Compassion is the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. Compassion is when feelings and thoughts associated with our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person include the desire to help. Compassion (‘suffering with’) is more engaged than simple empathy, and is associated with an active desire to alleviate the suffering of its object. With compassion, one not only shares another’s emotions but also elevate them into a universal and transcending experience. Compassion, which builds upon empathy, is one of the main motivators of altruism; “loving kindness” with distance from their pain and perspective. When one feels compassion, their heart rate slows down, one secretes the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in one wanting to approach and care for other people. One way to ensure one is taking care of someone one loves while keeping track of one’s own feelings is to convert excess empathy to compassion. When a friend is distraught, instead of assuming the feeling of distress oneself, take a breath and a step back and say, “That sounds so awful. Is there something I can do for you?” Reason and self-control can go well with compassion. Compassion is not "about doing a favour for anybody but ourselves. Since self-worth comes from doing something worthy for yourself, be mindful of compassion. People’s capacity for compassion is a defining feature of what it means to be human (societal compassion?). How do people navigate the essential struggle of everyday life? The fundamental conflict of everyday social life is when to put your own needs above the interests of someone else – and when not to. People are always trying to figure out that balance. Finding the balance of managing compassion, fear of the person and fear of compassion is a shared responsibility. It is about whether individuals can do a little more on a daily basis. Compassion can be an intuitive form of high-risk altruism (impulsive) or thoughtful maintenance lasting years (considered). Compassion consists of thinking, acting, the goal on the other person’s welfare, one’s actions having consequences for the other person, likely possibility one’s actions will diminish own welfare (putting self at risk), no reward or recognition anticipation. Compassion is the strongest instinct in humans, surpassing self-interest. Compassion isn’t something you’re born with or not. Compassion can be strengthened through targeted exercises and practice: look for commonalities; cultivate mindfulness; encourage cooperation not competition; see people as individuals (not abstractions); remove blame; think one is capable of making a difference; curb inequality; be receptive to other people’s feelings without adopting those feelings as one’s own. Compassion is contagious. + Compassion can improve health. Compassion makes us feel good. Compassionate action activates pleasure circuits in the brain, and compassion training programs, even very brief ones, strengthen brain circuits for pleasure and reward and lead to lasting increases in self-reported happiness. Being compassionate—tuning in to other people in a kind and loving manner—can reduce risk of heart disease by boosting the positive effects of the Vagus Nerve, which helps to slow our heart rate. Compassion can improve well-being. Practicing compassion could make one more altruistic, helping one to overcome empathic distress and become more resilient in the face of others’ suffering. Not regulating compassion works for self-interest by not forcing trade-offs within the individual’s moral self-concept. Being (consistently?) compassionate increases social adeptness, decreasing vulnerability to the harmful effects of loneliness and depression. Compassion can improve relationships. When people experience compassion, their brains activate in neural systems known to support parental nurturance and other caregiving behaviors. Being (consistently?) compassionate increases optimism and supportiveness when communicating with others. Compassion increases satisfaction and growth in friendships. Feeling compassion reduces vindictiveness. Compassion can increase positivity and work commitment while a compassionate work culture increases work satisfaction and teamwork with less burnout.

#life perspectives

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creepbuzz-blog · 6 years

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Top 10 Scariest Facts About History That You Weren’t Taught in School

Today we are talking a few things your teachers left off your lesson plans at school! Join me as we talk about the Top 10 scariest facts about history you weren’t taught in school. Before we get started I just want to remind all of you reading this to subscribe or push that notification bell if you love this website. #10 Heroin

Used to be used as a Children’s cough syrup. German drug company Bayer made a heck of a lot of money off selling heroin to parents. Get a load of these babies! Heroine was a prescription drug in the US until 1914 and was then banned in 1924. Can you imagine how the children would be after a sweet dose of Bayer's Heroine? #9 Hugo Boss Designed Nazi Party Uniforms

Hugo Boss is a luxury German Fashion house that now sells its product globally and is frequently seen on runways. The designer brand started up in 1924 and originally supplied the Nazi Party before and during World War 2. Comedian Russell Brand was ousted from the GQ Men of the Year Awards after making Nazi jibes at the brand in 2013. Remember Thomas Edison from your history lessons…you know… the light bulb guy… well he had a very "Dark Side"… your teachers didn’t tell you about He murdered an elephant, now did they! #8 Thomas Edison devoted his life to working with electricity

Unfortunately he got pretty brutal when he needed to prove a point. In 1903, the American inventor murdered an elephant to prove that alternating current was a bad idea. He invited 1500 people to watch him murder "Topsy" the Elephant at Luna Park Zoo on Coney Island. He also filmed it and released the footage to the public. It is heartbreaking! #7 Ring a Ring of Roses Song

Remember that song you used to sing as a kid in the play ground- Ring a Ring of Roses …. Yeah!.. well ….it’s a death song. Ring a Ring o Roses is a song about people dying from the plague. Ring o roses refers to the rash that plague victims would develop. The pocket full of posies refers to herbs that people would carry to protect themselves from plague…and the atisho atisho bit is the sneezing of a sick person…and the we all fall down bit is where…you know….people physically drop down dead and die. Fun. In Europe, a lot of us are very proud of our monarchy and the centuries of history behind it, but not one taught us at school that King Charles II of Spain was severely inbred. King Charles the II was the last Habsburg ruler of Spain. He was the product of 16 generations of ruler-ship in Europe, but also 16 generations of inbreeding. The Habsburg were a lot like the fictional Lannisters; they were very concerned in keeping their bloodline pure. Awkward. In school, I was taught a lot about the Roman Empire, but I was never taught this…. #6 Romans Used Humane Urine as Mouthwash and crushed mouse brains as tooth paste

Well, what a treat! I guess they had to keep their breaths fresh somehow! They also used urine to clean their clothes. This is basically because ammonia, which is found in pee, takes out stains…so…they were more concerned with having white teeth than fresh breath! I personally would pass on cleaning my teeth with pee and brains…. Just a personal choice. #5 Saddam Hussein was given the Key to the City of Detroit

History paints Saddam Hussein as a bad guy, mainly because he was indeed a bad….er…guy. None the less, after making a donation to a church in Detroit in 1979 because a Reverend praised him, he was handed the city keys. The American history books aren’t so proud of that one. #4 Christopher Columbus Raped Children

Oh well, that kind of extinguishes the "yey" for Columbus and his explorations party. In some places, people even goes as far as to celebrate a Christopher Columbus day. The problem is, not only was he awful to the indigenous people, he also raped them, including the kids. He would often give his lieutenants sex slaves and wrote that girls from 9 to 10 years of age were the most desirable…. Urmmm. #3 Nazi Twin Experiments

I don’t know how much history has shielded people about the kind of experiments Nazi War Lords did on concentration camp victims. Obviously, we know that they gassed innocent people, but the school history books leave out a few choice facts. I know a lot about the Josef Mengele experiments, because I have done extensive research on that area of history , but a lot of people don’t about the veteran Nazis sick experiments on twins and other such horrific medical tests. Mengele would inject chemicals into their bodies, especially their eyes to try and change their colors. Another Nazi, Isle Koch allegedly made lamps from human skin and that's why it gets to our Top 10 scariest facts about history you weren’t taught in school. #2 The Extent of Japanese Cruelty in World War II

Possibly because Hiroshima and Nagasaki were so horrific to humanity and the pain echoed throughout Japan for a great deal of time, the extend of Japanese killing in world war two is somewhat brushed over by history. Of course all countries involved inflicted pain and suffering, but did you know that Japanese torture methods were considered to be the most severe, that the Japanese killed more Chinese soldiers than the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust , and that Japan wounded more American’s in Alaska than at Pearl Harbour? There were also swathes of reports of Japanese cannibalism. Of course, this far in the future, we have to live and let live, but Nazi Germany got the lions share of the blame for atrocities, and Japanese war crimes are largely glossed over. #1 Russia and Japan are Technically Still at War

Finally….just when you thought we were sort of semi living in a time of peace…. You may not know that Russia and Japan are technically still at war. Two powerful countries who are still sour post World War Two. Eeesh!!. Even though the countries haven’t been engaging in hot war for over 70 years, they never signed a peace treaty officially indicating peacetime. The pair still disagree over the Kuril Islands. SO that was the top 10 scariest facts about history you weren’t taught in school. I actually really enjoyed this list. Love me a lil bit of history! Did any of you guys already know some of this stuff? What did you find the most shocking ? Let me know in the comments section below. The teeth brushing with mouse brains and urine was a personal highlight I think. Read the full article

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trevorbailey61 · 6 years

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Rhiannon Giddens

Town Hall, Birmingham

Sunday 19th November 2017

Kaia Kater peers nervously out at the audience. Two songs into her short support set and she pulls the banjo that provides her only accompaniment close to her, she feels she needs a barrier between her and the nearly full hall of people who have arrived early to hear her. It has been going well so far, a period of study in the Carolinas has helped this Canadian to become well versed in the American roots music and the precision of her playing is enhanced by the depth and quality of her voice, reminiscent in tone to Gillan Welch. The audience quickly warm to her and the songs have generated an enthusiastic response but she now feels that she has to face that awkward challenge over which so many artists from North America stumble; she has to mention the place she is visiting. She has obviously been warned and each syllable is formed slowly, carefully, deliberately; “Birm……ing….” then the final one, make or break time, they will either accept you as one of their own or the rest of the set will be spent winning them back - “ham”, with the emphasis on the “a” - damn - rehearsed to the point of tedium but it still wouldn’t come out right. She gazes at the faces in front of her; “was that right?”, silence, she didn’t have to ask, she knew it wasn’t. She makes another attempt, slower, the sounds being formed even more deliberately but this only served to make that final vowel even more prominent. With the confidence that she had shown so far starting to look increasingly fragile, she seeks reassurance and asks again “was that right?” It wasn’t but we like her and the word “yes” is heard from different parts of the hall. She smiles, the challenge may not have been met but we were all happy to move on.

It is not just about phonetics, there is also the other Birmingham, the metropolis that forms the largest urban area in the state of Alabama, the place with the exaggerated vowel. Founded in the early 19th century, the shared name is no coincidence. Planned as a centre of industry, its founders wrapped up their vision by using the name of one of Britain’s and possibly even Europe’s first industrial centres, home to the furnaces and foundries that had built an empire. Despite this shared name and heritage, however, there is little that connects the two cities to the extent that when Birmingham England was looking to twin with a US city, its namesake was possibly never even considered. Clearly status was important and a provincial backwater would never be considered the equal to a major British city but there was also the problem that the American city along with the state in which is is situated often appears to embody all the worst aspects of the Deep South. Attempts to break down segregation following the war saw rising levels of Klan activity and the racially motivated bombing of the homes of black families in an attempt to force them out of areas of the city. The most callous and shocking of these was the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963 which led to the death of four girls but despite those responsible being known to the police, none were prosecuted until over a decade later. This was because support for the Klan and its activities was to be found throughout the state legislature up to the Governor, George Wallace, who through the 60s and 70s made Alabama his own fiefdom. Ironically he first ran for office as an opponent of the Klan but after losing heavily, he adopted a hard-line segregationist stance which allowed him to remain in office until 1979. In the years that have followed, it is easy to think that little has changed; Trump carried the state comfortably and the current race to be the state Senator could be won by a man facing multiple accusations of predatory sexual behaviour, assault and harassment of women, some of whom were as young as 14 when the incidents occurred. That he is completely unfit for office should be beyond question but whilst being gay or seeking an abortion will result in hellfire and damnation, using a shopping mall to prey on young girls is something bible belt Christians find easy to forgive.

All this plays to the stereotype of the bigoted, white supremacism of the the south, a place proud of statues of slave owners and rebel generals where cars carry bumper stickers of the confederate flag, the people mocked by Neil Young in the song “Southern Man”. It is part of the story but not the whole one. The greater the suppression, the more determined the attempts to resist and some of the most significant events in the Civil Rights Movement were to take place in the state. It was in Alabama that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and also where the Selma to Montgomery marches took place to demand equal voting rights. Whilst politics and structures suppressed their voice, music provided a means through which black people could make themselves heard and tell their stories; the creativity of the southern states being expressed through blues, jazz, gospel, soul and rock ’n’ roll. One of the most distinctive of these voices was that of Odetta, a singer of extraordinary range and power born in Birmingham in 1930 who was often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement”. There were many remarkable things about Odetta, one of which was her operatic training, something she received whilst she was also working as a cleaner at the college she attended. Realising that her opportunities were limited, she found her training was better suited to the folk scene; in the words of Martin Luther King, she was “the Queen of American Folk” and in the film “No Direction Home”, Dylan cites her as one of his key influences. Admired as she was, however, there were few who were willing to take on the same songs and invite comparisons between their voice and hers, there would only ever be one winner.

At about the midpoint of her set, Rhiannon Giddens explains the inspiration Odetta has provided for her own music. Giddens also received a classical training, at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio although she was able to take advantage of this without having to also scrub the floors, before finding that she was better able to express herself through folk. Giddens mentions this as she introduces her interpretation of the song “Waterboy”, a traditional folk song that Odetta frequently included in her live shows and the one she is seen performing in “No Direction Home”. It is quite simply stunning. With the accompaniment limited to a series of thuds on the bass drum and sharply strummed chords, the emphasis is very much on Giddens voice and she is able to unleash the fearsome power that the song demands. To a person, the audience sit in silence, mesmerised by the Giddens absolute mastery of the song, the silence held for a moment at the end before the richly deserved ovation. Inviting comparisons with some of the greatest American voices is something that Giddens is not daunted by, the set also includes an Aretha Franklin song, “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and as an encore she honours Sister Rosetta Tharpe with joyous interpretations of “Lonesome Road” and “Up Above My Head”.

“Waterboy” was undoubtedly included as a spectacular tour de force but its subject shows that there is way more there than empty technique. Built around a cry for water from a gang of labouring men working as slaves on the plantations or possibly in a chain gang, its desperation shows how power is maintained through the deprivation of even the most basic human needs. “History in my teacher”, Giddens explains and through traditional songs and her own writing she shows an impeccable grasp of how people hold onto their dignity and spirit in the face of barbaric oppression as well as how they find the strength to fight against it. The harrowing “At The Purchases Option” is based on advert from the 1830s announcing the sale of a “smart healthy negro wench” who had a child of about nine months. When even the youngest children could be sold, the child was advertised as being at the purchases option. Whilst there is no escaping the pain, the song is a fierce cry of defiance, “you can take my body but not my soul”; she may have been abused and humiliated but there is still something there that they are unable to touch, regardless of the cruelty. “We Could Fly” is a tender song about a mother explaining to her daughter how she uses her imagination to escape the drudgery and degradation of her life and see a better future. The traditional “Pretty Saro” is sung completely a cappella whilst the song “Better Get It Right the First Time” takes a more contemporary theme in addressing a gangland killing and also features a burst of rap.

For someone who is such a charismatic and engaging performer, Giddens has seemed surprisingly reluctant to front her own band. Her recordings have often been as part of a group, whether with her her sister, who provided occasional backing vocals, in the band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, where she first worked with guitarist Hubby Jenkins, or as part of the “New Basement Tapes” that added music to lyrics Dylan had abandoned in the late 60s. Her most recent visits to the UK have been part of the transatlantic sessions that also included those who form her backing band. This, however, is her first solo tour and she seems genuinely surprised that she has sold out a venue the size of the Town Hall. Her set, however, still includes excursions into the roots music covered in the sessions featuring some bluegrass banjo and a cajun waltz. The light jazz swing of “The Love We Almost Had” lightens the tone a little and shows that she can also deal with personal themes in the challenges of trying to share your life with another. The set concludes with a rousing interpretation of the civil rights anthem, “Freedom Highway”, the song written by Pops Staples for the Selma to Montgomery marches. The themes covered in have been drawn together in one last moment of defiance.

The subject matter may sound as if this was a worthy but solemn show, stories it may be important to know but hardly the stuff of great entertainment. The civil rights battles of the 50s and 60s should be part of the past but with white supremacism once again on the rise and receiving official endorsement it is important that the stories in these songs are kept alive. What lifts it, however, is Giddens impeccable musical instincts and the contagious sense of joy that she can bring to even the darkest songs. In some way, Giddens may be a custodian and curator of the rich heritage of black folk music from the deep south but she is also a mesmerising and gifted performer who is able to bring this to life. Her voice stands comparison with the greatest and there were several moments where she used it to spine tingling effect. Alongside this is an instinct for arrangement that the band had were able to rise to. It may have taken her a while to step out to the front but now she has, it seems unlikely that she will settle for the anonymity of the collective and her next visit may well be to a venue larger than the Town Hall. It was therefore a privilege to see her at this moment, the intimacy of a small venue but on the verge of something special. She sang, “We Can Fly”, perhaps she is about to.

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dairynewsin-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Dairy News India

New Post has been published on http://dairynews.in/a-study-on-role-of-self-help-groups-in-woman-empowerment/? utm_source=Tumblr

A STUDY ON “ROLE OF SELF HELP GROUP’S IN WOMAN EMPOWERMENT”

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A STUDY ON “ROLE OF SELF HELP GROUP’S IN WOMAN EMPOWERMENT”

(A special reference to STEP project dairy co-op societies which is farmed with women SHG in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Districts)

By NALLA VIVEKANAND PhD in Psychology Dravidian University KUPPAM-AP

ABSTRACT

The self help group replica which became popular in India, and gathered an enormous response, in rural woman empowerment through various project initiatives of the government agencies, which are appreciate and recognized. The impact of self help groups in many districts which provide an employment and facilitate them to run their day to day life. Dairy cooperatives have provided fillip to the rural women their deserving share. SHGs can enhance the equality of rural women status as participants, decision-makers and beneficiaries in the democratic, economic, social and cultural spheres of life.

Key word: SHG, economic, social, political, social, psychological, legal, health and community

Introduction:

Self help group is a model which is giving an opportunity for women more empowerment, in terms of well being and economic independence through self employment and entrepreneurial development. Economic independence makes the woman more confident, increases the self esteem. Rural India woman is facing Poverty and unemployment is the major problems. In India at the end of ninth five year span 26.1% of the population was living below poverty line. In the rural area 27.1% of the population was living under poverty. The overall unemployment rate is estimated to 7.32%. The female unemployment rate is 8.5%. The rate of growth of women unemployment in the rural area is 9.8%. This is because of the low growth rate of new and productive employment. Government is implemented various schemes to reduce poverty and to promote the gainful employment. But the more attractive scheme with less effort (finance) is “Self Help Group”. It is a best tool to remove poverty and improve the rural woman life through dairy farming.

Since history to today the rural woman life from womb to until the death, they are facing grave consequences; it starts from the stage of pregnancy, baby, adulthood, puberty, young age, and in older age. Woman live with series of hurdles; starts from pregnancy sex selection, foeticide, forceful treatment at the time of delivery, coerce pregnancy, child abuse, mental, bodily pressures, difference in diet and health safety, Physical slit incest, sexual harassment, disparity in diet, health, study, teenage trafficking, family femininity inequity, love and affection cheating, thriftily forced sex, sexual abuse, harassment, rape, enforced prostitution, exploitation of women by close associates, marital rape, dowry violence and murders, spouse murder, psychological, sexual abuse at the office, work area, Physical disable girls suffered from cruelty, harassment, exploitation of widows, and older abuse. Still, rural woman’s face struggles alone without the support of family, community and all.

As per the Indian rural woman social-distress background sorrows, it is evidence that their dependence, desperation, unfair in gender, social and psychological suffering. These all go to be converted into post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorders, depression, sociopaths, and other mental illnesses. After that it may be reflected in many other problems, like social problems, aggressive behavior aligned with women, moribund teenager gender ratio, anticipation of teen wedding, Woman trafficking, physical condition, hygiene, intake Water, Sex ratio budget, associates cruelty, violence, brutality, family fall down, then the individual will enter into lack of food, poverty, cruelty, work too hard, sexual, reproductive nastiness, family, society will face, national conflict and severe trauma situation.

Apart from this rural woman is faced with different challenges and hurdles, like personal, family, supervision, corresponding work and obstacles, woman’s isolation into lower-paid work, the disparity of pay between men & women, the feminization of poor quality of life, and added brutality against women. The above said all unfair practices from all sides putting the woman under psychological depression, so she is unable to move towards personal development. If it cannot avoid conflict, harmony situations, the above said hurdles need to be understood at a deep level of rural woman’s ability to adopt. Accessible approach and mechanism need for success in this order.

SHG’s philosophy:

A SHG is a small economically homogeneous affinity group of the rural poor voluntarily coming together to save small amount regularly, which are deposited in a common fund to meet members emergency needs and to provide collateral free loans decided by the group. (Abhaskumar Jha 2000). They have been recognized as useful tool to help the poor and as an alternative mechanism to meet the urgent credit needs of poor through thrift (V. M. Rao 2002) SHG is a media for the development of saving habit among the women (S. Rajamohan 2003).

Empowering Women through woman cooperative societies:

Cooperation is human instinct and crucial from the civilization. To take cooperation from fellow members is the need of an individual and consequently to offer cooperation is quid pro quo, cooperation is recurring cyclical informal practice society is doing since ages. Cooperatives have empowered women through its economic activities. Generally politically & socially sidelined women are factually full time engaged in farm & dairy activities. Rural woman Empowerment cannot be possible with enthusiasm and, confidence of woman, which can built up by SHGs, when women can fight against injustice and unsecure rights and help to self-empower themselves.

Community chattels of Dairy Co-operatives:

(Jayachandra & Naidu, 2006) have studied the impact of dairy co-operatives on income, employment and creation of assets of marginal and small farmers in Rangampet milk producer co-operative society (Chittor DT, Andhra Pradesh). The study had identified significant increase in income, among marginal and small farmers after joining the dairy farming through the co-operative society. Farmers have been able to get new (full-time and part time) employment opportunities through dairying. The values of their assets have also increased after engaging in dairy activity. The findings of the study has indicated that dairying offers a vast scope for increasing the income, employment opportunities, and assets value of marginal and small farmers whose marginal and average productivity is low and dairying could be identified as an appropriate and beneficial occupation to increase the purchasing power of rural farmers.

Indian Rural woman traditionally associate with agriculture and dairying, nearly 70 % households keep animals a part of regular income, which take care by the woman, Dairy production is an important income source of an integral part of crop live stock production.

The dairy industry is one of the best suitable tool for explore millions of rural women, who can be brought into the mainstream of dairy development, with access to training and employment at the household level. And their economic well-being and self esteem empowerment. The women’s need to access training in modern dairying and cooperative management system is essential.

The employment of women is an index of their economic and social status in society. In India, women constitute 90 per cent of marginal workers, with some regional variations.

Dairying at the household level is largely the domain of women

The products and income from dairying can be controlled by women

Dairying can be practiced on a small scale.

Review of research literature:

A research review of the literature has given insights on various aspects of the role of self help groups on women empowerment. Even though the concept of women empowerment through women self help groups is relatively new, the academic community has shown substantial interest by exploring the extent to which such groups facilitate women empowerment. However, the concept of empowerment with its varied definitions processes and outcome does not have a systematic procedure to be measurable. There have been a number of attempts to conceptualize empowerment and various authors have proposed different frameworks. The domains by which empowerment can be measured has of late gained some unanimity; however, is not exhaustive and different frameworks propose additional domain which perhaps might then include new avenues.

The field of women empowerment in modern societies has gained critical significance even more so in developing nations of the world. There have been systematic efforts from various agencies and governments of the world to empower women, however whether such efforts contain be victorious in bringing about a significant alter inside the plight of women across the world cannot be objectively assessed for lack of clarity of domains as well as a systematic process of measurement.

Thus, empowerment of women is not a one-way process; empowerment involves women are being empowered and where women empower others. Women by being agents of change-to-change in their own plight have great significance; it’s not only for women but also for societies as a whole and future generation. Economic and Social empowerment have been widely studied and been reported. The role of psychological domain gains much significance as it has a property to influence all other domains as well as affects the comfort and excellence of existence of individual women.

Objectives of the study

To assess the extent to which psychological factors such as self-efficacy, self-esteem and general well-being has improved among women self help group members after joining the self help group.

To determine whether membership in self help groups facilitate improvements in key discriminating psychosocial factors such as self-efficacy, self-esteem and general well-being in comparison to the non-members.

To determine whether membership in self help groups facilitate improvements in various facets of empowerment by comparing self help group member with non members

Need for the Study:

“Educate a man and you educate an individual; educate a woman and she educate a family ’.

Women by being agents of change-to-change their own plight have great significance not only for women themselves but also for societies as a whole and future generation. Economic and Social empowerment have been widely studied and been reported. The role of psychological domain gains much significance, as it has a property to influence all other domains as well as effects, the individual well-being, and quality of women.

Study significance:

Thus, empowerment of women is not a one way process; empowerment involves women getting empowered and where women empower others. Women by being agents of change to change their own plight has great significance not only for women themselves but for societies as a whole and future generation. Economic and Social empowerment has been widely studied and been reported. The role of psychological domain gains much significance as it has a property to influence all other domains as well as affects the well-being and quality of life of individual women.

This study therefore intends to assess the level of change brought about in various domains of empowerment by joining self help groups. Additionally, it purposively investigates the level of change self help groups were able to influence on certain key psychological factors related to the self.

Methodology: As this paper seeks to explore how SHG’s are relatively works in co-op societies.

Method of study:

The present study has covered the villages from north districts of Tamil Nadu Viz., Vellore District, and Thiruvanamalai District, These 20 villages were selected for these study, because of the SHGs are converted in to Dairy co-operative societies as functioning for milk producers society with successful manner.

The review of the literature on various perspectives on Empowerment, Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy and General Well-being and provided valuable insights on the role of different self-help groups in empowering, its members especially women with regard to the variables under study. Based on the review of the literature, several hypotheses were formulated and the research, the redesign was finalized to meet the key objectives of the study

Hypotheses:

Based on the review of the literature, the following hypotheses were formulated.

Formulated Hypotheses

· There will be a significant improvement in Self-Esteem among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Self-Efficacy among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in General Well-Being, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in indicators of Empowerment, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Education, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Social Awareness, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Political Participation, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls.. · There will be a significant improvement in Psychological Strength, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Legal Knowledge, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Health Knowledge, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Economic Status, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls. · There will be a significant improvement in Community Service, among SHG members after joining the SHG in comparison to normal controls

Research Design:

This study followed a Non-equivalent Control Group (NECG) design to evaluate the function of Self-Help Groups in facilitating change in key psychological factors among its members. In a quasi-experimental design, the causal variable of interest is not manipulated, but rather is an event that occurred for other reasons. In an NECG design, study subjects in both the groups need not be similar to the dependent variable and can be non-equivalent. Moreover, randomly assigned to the control group and experimental group is usually absent. Both the groups are, however, matches on factors that might influence the dependent variable in addition to the quasi-experimental variable. In an NECG design both experiment and control groups are measured before and after treatment or an event.

Sampling Design:

Targeting women, self help group members working in dairy cooperative societies. With a purpose to identify the extent to which membership and working in such self help groups facilitate improvements in their self-esteem, self-efficacy, general well-being and domains of empowerment an experimental group of 70 women SHG members were compared with a group of 70 NonSHG members across two points of time.

To assess the empowerment domains such as education, social awareness, political participation, psychological strength, legal knowledge, health knowledge, economic improvement and community services.

Operational Definitions:

Self Help Group usually consists of a few individuals usually less than 20 members with a relatively homogenous factor such as economic status or job status. A self help group is formed based on accessible affinities in addition to common belief wherein WSHGs assemble frequently on a preset occasion in addition to position and work towards a predetermined goal. This study further selected registered self help groups that were a part of women dairy cooperative society.

Statistical Techniques:

It was intended to examine the improvements in the level of psychological factors under investigation after five years of joining an SHG and compare it with on-SHG members.

TABLE-1: The following table presents, the demographic characteristics of women self help group members and matched controls.

Demographic / Group Category Count Percentage Age Self-help Group Below 30 years 19 27.14 31-40 18 25.71 Above 40 33 47.14 Control Group Below 30 years 20 28.57 31-40 20 28.57 Above 40 30 42.86 Marital Status Self-help Group Married 66 94.29 Single 4 5.71 Control Group Married 68 97.14 Single 2 2.86 Education Self-help Group Illiterate 19 27.14 Literate 51 72.85 Control Group Illiterate 20 28.57 Literate 50 71.43 Family Type Self-help Group Joint 21 30.00 Nuclear 49 70.00 Control Group Joint 15 21.43 Nuclear 55 78.57 Community Self-help Group SC 20 28.57 ST 12 17.14 BC and Others 38 54.29 Control Group SC 16 22.86 ST 8 11.43 BC and Others 46 65.71

TABLE-2: Descriptive Statistics for the Two Groups on Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy and General Well-Being

Variable / Group N Mean

Self-esteem Self-help Group 70 17.49

2.84

Control Group 70 18.64

2.46

Self-efficacy Self-Help Group 70 24.96

2.95

Control Group 70 25.34

2.04

General Well-Being Self-help Group 70 8.01

.94

Control Group 70 7.79

1.04

Time 1

Measure

1. Self Efficacy

2. Self-Esteem

3. General Well-Being

Women not in SHG

(Control Group)

Women in SHG

(Experimental Group)

Women in SHG

(Experimental Group)

Women not in SHG

(Control Group)

Assess Change

Therefore, no such change was observed in well-being levels, which indicate that actual change in emotions and

behavior was not observed. It might be then fair to infer that it might take the time to translate perceptions to action.

TABLE-3: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Education:

Group Education Improved Total No Yes Self-Help Group Count 5 65 70 % within Group 7.1% 92.9% 100.0% Control Group Count 63 7 70 % within Group 90.0% 10.0% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their education status has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. Members of the SHG would have improved on their level of education from Time to Time 2 or after joining the SHG at the least by attaining literacy status.

TABLE-4: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Social status:

Group Social Status Improved Total No Yes Self-help Group Count 16 54 70 % within Group 22.9% 77.1% 100.0% Control Group Count 52 18 70 % within Group 74.3% 25.7% 100.0%

The members perceived their social status improved in comparison to those who had not joined a self help group. Access to credit, increased social interaction, better revenue, employment opportunities, better savings habit and better status in the family would have contributed to the improvements in social status.

TABLE-5: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Political Participation

Group Political Participation Improved

Total

No Yes

Self-help Group

Count

% within Group 64.3% 35.7% 100.0% Control Group Count 51 19 70 % within Group 72.9% 27.1% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their political participation has improved was similar in both the SHG and the control group. Women SHG members might not have gained any political roles, even at the local body levels nor any specific leadership roles. This might require more time and sufficient social backing to play a significant political role.

TABLE-6: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Psychological Strength

Group Psychological Strength Improved Total No Yes Self-help Group Count 27 43 70 % within Group 38.6% 61.4% 100.0% Control Group Count 47 23 70 % within Group 67.1% 32.9% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their psychological strength has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. The improvements in Psychological Strength might be due to the improvements in employability skill, better social interaction, the ability to save, feelings of confidence, better status, and acceptance in family and community.

TABLE-7: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Legal Knowledge

Group Legal Knowledge Improved Total No Yes Self-help Group Count 34 36 70 % within Group 48.6% 51.4% 100.0% Control Group Count 52 18 70 % within Group 74.3% 25.7% 100.0%

The number of woman who felt their legal knowledge has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. It might be because NGOs provide frequent training with regard to various legal acts to SHG members. Moreover, training and better social interaction would have facilitated knowledge about various legislations and acts such as dowry domestic violence, women’s rights, child marriage, etc.

TABLE-8: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Health Knowledge

Group Health Knowledge Improved Total No Yes Self-help Group Count 25 45 70 % within Group 35.7% 64.3% 100.0% Control Group Count 52 18 70 % within Group 74.3% 25.7% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their health knowledge has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. Frequent interactions with other members of the community, access to health services through SHGs, training and education on health related matters would have enabled SHG members to perceive that they have improved with regard to Health Knowledge.

TABLE-9: Comparison of the SHG and Control Group for Community Service

Group Community Service, Improved Total No Yes Self-Help Group Count 18 52 70 % within Group 25.7% 74.3% 100.0% Control Group Count 50 20 70 % within Group 71.4% 28.6% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their community service has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. SHGs facilitate participation in community services such as rural sanitization, alcohol prohibition, watershed projects and, protesting and acting against child labor. Moreover, engaging in such activities significantly improve SHG member acceptance in the community and society.

TABLE-10 Comparison of the SHG and Control Group on Economic Status

Group Economic Status Improved Total No Yes Self-help Group Count 9 61 70 % within Group 12.9% 87.1% 100.0% Control Group Count 54 16 70 % within Group 77.1% 22.9% 100.0%

The number of women who felt their economic status has improved was significantly greater in the SHG than the control group. SHGs provide access to micro credit either from their own credit pool or by acting as a go in between members and banks. It would have also facilitated more employment opportunities among its members, improved the employability skills of the members. It would have also contributed to members developing the habit of savings. All of these would have those enabled SHG members to feel that they have improved economically after joining the SHG.

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Conclusion:

It is found that the income of the women has been increased after joining in the SHGs, as well as after joining in dairy society, and gained good knowledge money management. Considerable improvement is found in dairy activities, capacity building and other skill development activates through training. In similarly that the monthly household expenditure also has been raised in considerable level. But the savings is increasing at slow rate, because the incremental expenditure is higher. Mostly they are spending for present consumption needs. Since the repayment of loan is regular, and within the time frame, that the economic activities of SHGs are quite success. In this way SHGs in north Tamil Nadu are very successful to develop women empowerment and rural areas.

That the self help groups played a significant role, in improving educational status, social status, psychological strength, legal knowledge, health knowledge, community service and economic status domains of empowerment. This finding was a result of the comparison of the self help group members’ perception of empowerment with the matched control group members’ perception of empowerment at a Time. In any rural woman empowerment schemes, woman needs more involvement with awareness of their rights and opportunities.

On the whole of this study confirms that women’s status is inferior to men. Women face discrimination within families as well as in society, where society maintains double standards in the case of education, marriage, spousal relationships, domestic violence, laws of patriarchal society, property laws, dowry system, sexual morality, sexual harassment as well as discriminatory social stigma and also less recognition and respect for women’s work.

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