Category: World

Lessons By the Greatest Teacher

How We'll Live With Covid After the Pandemic | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

We hear or see quotes or statements through social media posts, stories, messages, etc. We find these readings sometimes meaningful or sometimes it is very cliché. However, they do have a lot of importance or have come true in our daily lives even if we do not realize it. Today my topic is going to be something along these lines. Whether we accept it or not one of the greatest teachers in our life is our life itself. Nobody can teach us better than our own experiences in our lives. What we go through as individuals is something that will help us grow, develop, and change for our betterment. Today we are going to discuss the life lessons that we have learned during the pandemic.

Life during the pandemic

Our life during the pandemic has been nothing but a big, dangerous, and very long roller coaster that nobody was ready for in their fast pace life. The pandemic is responsible for the changes that we see in our lives. Nothing is the same anymore. The pandemic has been there for almost two years now and we as human beings are still trying to adapt and get in touch with the new normal. The pandemic is responsible for teaching many new things and even remembering the things that we first made a point to learn and follow and then eventually we human beings forgot about it. The pandemic is one situation that is responsible for reminding us that though we consider ourselves the superior and most powerful creatures, there is nobody that can stand against nature, not even we human beings.

 The pandemic made us realize that we are not something away from nature rather we are a part of nature and mother earth. Pandemic acts as the harsh mirror that we had to face at some point in time. During the pandemic, people have had a large amount of suffering and pain, which has no comparison to anything. We had so many things that made us happy but there were much more things that made us all sad and think about human beings being the smartest animal in the world. It might sound that I am exaggerating but life during the pandemic is very stressful. One of the most important reasons for this is because stressors that have a negative impact on individuals not just were internal but also external that too with a lot of intensity. A person regardless of their class, caste, country, religion has had a really tough and unimaginable amount of things affecting them during the pandemic. The pandemic shows us that the things that we are so selfish, greedy, and proud of will be nothing if human beings cannot look after their nature and mother earth.

The other thing that needs consideration is that this is not the first pandemic that the human population has come across during their existence on this planet. As and when man has attempted to overpower nature and its cycle, we as human beings have seen the consequences. Yet, we still seem to be making the same mistake even after we have had our part of consequences. Yes, the making of the vaccines to these various pandemics is a big milestone in human evolution but what we fail to understand is that most of the pandemics happen because of our actions of messing with nature and mother Earth. A famous saying written by us human beings ourselves is something that has been forgotten and needs to be put out there which is “Prevention is better than cure” I do not have to go on and on about life during the pandemic because each one of us has had a first-hand experience of it. However, what I would like to go about is how important it is for people to realize their mistakes, make changes that will help us connect to nature and our surroundings, etc so that the future generation will at least remember them as history and be more confident and proudly works towards things that help avoid further pandemics.

The pandemic has been a part of all our lives and therefore has been responsible for teaching some lessons that we should make a point to never forget and make a discipline that is a part of our daily lives.

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Life Lessons we learned during the pandemic

  1. Kindness: One of the most important life lessons that we learned again as human beings was about the importance of kindness. Every single individual during their childhood has learned in their textbook that being kind is a part of good manners that we should inculcate with time. However, as we grow up we forget what we learned as kids because as we grow up we learn more complicated things that we need to remember to score well and do well in life. The pandemic taught us how none of the things matter if we are not kind not just to other people but also to ourselves.
  • Generosity: Another important lesson that we learned during the pandemic was generosity. We understood the importance of being generous so that everyone gets basic facilities during tough times. Being generous does not make a person great, it just makes them humane and normal. When a person is generous, there is a sense of happiness that is no comparison with anything else. I think we understood the true meaning of generosity during the pandemic.
  • Compassion: A very important life lesson we learned during this pandemic was compassion. Love and understanding are some of the things that we forgot about in our mechanic lives. We during the pandemic realized the importance of love and understanding that we need to have not just for other people but also more importantly for ourselves. We learned to be compassionate towards animals during these tough times. Street dogs would have had a tough time living during the lockdown if it is not for the compassionate people giving them food and shelter.
  • Trust: Trust is something we had lost tremendously during our life when there was no pandemic. The pandemic made us realize the importance of trusting people. We learned to trust doctors with our lives and the lives of our loved ones. We learned to trust the immense research done by scientists who made the life-changing vaccines. We learned to trust our instincts and ourselves during the pandemic. We as human beings learned to trust the process even though it was difficult, painful, and life-threatening every single day.
  • Importance of Family and Friends: While we all were, confined to the four walls of our house, we understood how easy and granted we had taken the people around us such as our family and friends. We understood the importance of time and how need to take some time off from our busy schedule to spend time with people who mean everything to us and play a role in our personal life. During this pandemic, we have lost a lot of people who we love, value, and respect, therefore; we have to learn to value our time and our people.

I have just mentioned the five most important life lessons that I have seen, learned, and observed during the pandemic. I am sure everybody else has learned much more than this. Yes, the experience we have had is the most terrible one however, we should use this experience of our pandemic to make sure things get better for everybody and life becomes much more peaceful, harmonious, and worth living not just for us human beings but every single living thing on this planet.

To conclude, let us remember the things we learn through life and experience so that, life slowly gets better for us and every single person gets their happiness, fulfillment comes back.

References

  1. Google searches and quotes

The Right Kind of Freedom

English Version | Fashion for Freedom | Vogue.pt

 As Maya Angelou rightfully says, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without calming it, she stands up for all women.” Everyone must be wondering why I choose to write articles that mainly revolve around equality, freedom for women most of the time. The reason is that we are moving so rapidly in the world and yet slow when it comes to feminism, equality, and freedom for women. I believe by writing some articles I have at least some kind of contribution towards speeding up this process that needs to change for a better future. This is not just for women but for society and the world as well.

Today the topic that I am going to talk about is something that every woman, a girl goes through daily. It is about how women are supposed to dress. It is very sad and disheartening when I realize that I have gone through similar instances myself and while writing about this topic, I have a flashback of several instances. It is time we realize that the only person who can decide what to wear is by the individual and nobody else. Let me ask all the readers out there a question. How many times have you seen or even had an experience of family members or relatives or friends or anybody else questioning the attire you are wearing? It is sad and disheartening how women or girls do not have complete control over their attires and clothing while under several circumstances men and boys have all the control over their attires and clothing.

Another thing that I have come across is that men or boys of any class, race, religion, and economic hierarchy can wear whatever they feel comfortable. One of the most common examples that I can give is shorts. However, that is not the case with dressing sense with women or girls. There are certain rules regulations that they need to follow while choosing to wear what they want. I am not specifying any one religion, caste, race, or ethnicity. It is seen everywhere. While women and girls are dressing up so many external factors that play a role and often whatever they choose to wear has to pass through these factors. One of the biggest reasons for this gender clothing discrimination is patriarchy. It seems to root itself in every single aspect. Unfortunately, patriarchy and the rules and regulation of women’s dressing sense seeps in not just men but also women. It has come to a pathetic state where the way one treats a woman is according to how they dress.

The fault does not lie just with the common people but also with the way movies, series, etc represent women according to the way they dress. To show a shy, timid, and introverted woman or girl they dress in ethnic wear, or with glasses, hair tied into a braid, etc. While to show a so-called “out of control” woman or girl they wear shorts, dark color clothes, hair left open, etc. The basis for ideal and non-ideal dressing for women is about in this way to the society, which needs to change. Over the years, we have had politicians and other famous people make the horrendous connection of rape to women’s dressing sense. It is a frightening reality of today’s world. Even if it is burning hot summer and men roam around with a sleeveless shirt and shorts, women still cannot do that. The reason is not because of choice but because they would have to deal with snarky comments, catcalling, etc. I am not saying this will happen to everybody but I can say that a majority of females will have to face this. Labeling of women happens even today according to the way they choose to dress and it is not surprising. Let any woman or girl dress the way they want whether it be jeans, pants, tops, kurta, or sari, the society still manages to give them a name and a label.

Is hate speech legal? - FIRE

In the millennial world of social media where people are trying to bring about some change and create awareness about how it is time for women and girls to dress according to their ideas and perspectives without keeping any factor in mind. However, often even these people face backlash, mean comments, rape, and death threats by people who do not even know them. The idea of culture and tradition is always brought up while making such horrible comments. Limiting women’s choice of dressing in the name of culture, tradition, and even upbringing is visible even today, which is sad and painful.

Under several circumstances, I have seen people justify this behavior saying things like ‘we stop or object women from dressing the way they want for their safety and protection.’ To everyone who says this, I would like to ask shouldn’t the safety and protection of women and girls be a priority regardless of what kind of dress they choose to wear. The other thing that we fail to recognize is that the idea of protecting and safe keeping that is done by the society is towards something that comes by the society. Society, community, government, every single person is responsible for the emergence of these evils in the society that threatens and plays a role in the way women and girls choose dress. It is high time we stop blaming women’s attires and rather hold the problems into account and find solutions to bring about a better change in the society rather than making it a normal thing.

It is high time women get their freedom and equal opportunities to dress according to their wish and will they choose to without any restrictions or barriers. Women and girls should be able to dress the way they want at any time, place, or event and should not face any negativity because of that. This is not something that needs to be asked for rather that should be naturally present as it is for men and boys. This article today revolves more about the freedom of women’s dressing choice than men though men also suffer the same kind of problem under several circumstances is because the percentage of women and girls going through this still a higher number than men and boys. This does not mean men do not deserve their freedom or equality to dress but it sure means that the press and requirements for women are needed at a faster rate.

To conclude, with just a single line that I read and says, “All women and girls should be respected regardless of their clothing.”

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

The Stream of Judgment

Streams After 10th - Arts (Humanities), Commerce & Science

Before I start with the topic of this article, I would like to quote a great man’s wise words where he says, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you use to change the world.” The great man is none other than Nelson Mandela. I would like to ask all the Indian readers specifically out there. How many times have you come across criticism and comments about choosing the arts and humanities stream? I do know a lot of people would have because I too have seen and come across criticism, comments, statements, judgments for choosing the arts and humanities stream and not science, medical, engineering, or commerce stream like people around me.

Importance of the Stream of Arts and Humanities

Though we all know that all streams of education are important for society, community, and the world we still seem to be shunning and showing negativity to the stream of arts and humanities. Not many people realize this but, the stream of arts and humanities is so very important in human society and its well-being but people still seem to show negativity towards it due to prejudice and assumptions. I also have to put it here that people who graduated from the stream of arts and humanities and took the role of psychologist, journalist, dancer, painter, comedian, or any other job with this stream played an equally important role like doctors, biologists, engineers, and investors during the tough and gruesome time of the pandemic. That is something we should not forget. This stands as proof of how equally important the stream of arts and humanities is in the world.

The stream of arts and humanities has equal importance like any other stream or sometimes even more in other countries. However, in India that is not the case at least, this is what I feel. I will also agree when people say that things are slowly changing and people have become more accepting with the stream of arts and humanities. This has been possible because the younger generations are standing for their choices, breaking the stereotype, creating more awareness, breaking the chain of choosing to engineer, medical or science stream like everyone else in the family and so much more. This has been possible not just because of a certain age group but also because of the collective work of the community, society, government, and people of the country. Nevertheless, this is not enough. There is still a lot that needs to be done so that all streams are considered equal in the eyes of the people.

Let me tell all the readers out there something very important that we need to remember before we make critical statements and judgments about the stream of art and humanities. Our daily lives would be incomplete even till today had there not been people taking the stream of arts and humanities. Let me explain. We would not have content in the newspaper if people had not chosen to become news reporters, journalists, editors, or even for those matter writers. Yes, with the use of science and technology, people invented the machines that print newspapers but then what is the point of that invention if there are no people who have taken arts and humanities stream and decided to become a part of writing and bringing the news to people. We all enjoy and entertain ourselves with movies, TV shows, OTT series, and so much more these days. However what we fail to understand is that without people choosing the stream of arts and humanities there would not be actors, cinematographers, content writers, makeup artists, costume designers, production houses, etc. psychologists, therapists, etc play such a massive role during the pandemic and in our daily lives. If these people would not have chosen the stream of arts and humanities and pursued psychology then our mental health would have a negative impact on our physical and emotional health.

I can go on and on for a long time by giving basic and daily life examples about the importance of the stream of arts and humanities. It is high time now that we stop giving our judgment and criticism about the people who have chosen this stream and this stream in general.

Petition · Put a stop to all negative views , bias and criticisms against the Humanities/Arts Stream. · Change.org

Is the Stream of Arts and Humanities easier than other streams?

Let me ask all the readers out there, how many times have people around you, ask the question “Did you choose arts because science was tough?” or questions like ‘Did you choose arts because you don’t like it or you are weak in math?” or something like “Did you score less in your board exams and that is why you took arts?” I for sure came across all this. I still do under so many different circumstances. The prejudiced idea that arts are something very easy and people who study this do not have to work hard is one of the biggest reasons for these kinds of questions.

However, what people fail to understand is that there is nothing easy about arts. If you ask me, it is tougher than the other streams. Let me tell you why. The reason is that in other streams there are definite notes, definitions, diagrams, tables, etc. Yes, some streams of arts and humanities have these too, for example, psychology. However, there are still many more subjects under this stream that do not have these definite things. Students who study the course of arts and humanities have to do their research, go through different sites and read about different things for their answers, should know the information of the past, present and sometimes even the future to be able to write their answers. These are just some of the things I mention that arts and humanities students do most of the time. There is so much more.

I have even met people who say “Arts is so easy and you still do not score well why?” This statement comes not just from outside people but sometimes even from our parents. This is because of the belief that arts and humanities are easy. Nevertheless, the stream of arts and humanities is over the years has become more complex with the rapid growth and changes in society and the world. The other thing, which many people are not aware of, is that students cannot get the complete marks for their answers even if their answers have everything that needs to be there. This is something that is often omitted and not taken into consideration by people who are not part of the arts and humanities stream. Just because answers do not get full marks, does not mean some people score above 95% and just because some people do does not mean everyone can.

The stream of arts and humanities is so important in society. Students who study through this course are aware not just of the information that is there in their syllabus but also so much more than that. This includes everything that is happening in society and the world. I can go on and on about the benefits of the stream of arts and humanities stream. The reason I chose this topic for my article is that it is high time that this stream is not judged and rather accepted with an open mind and heart.

 To conclude, with a quote by Michelle Obama where says, “The arts and humanities define who we are as people. That is their power to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common. To help us understand our history and imagine our future. To give us hope in the moments of struggle and to bring us together when nothing else will.”

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

The Chosen Family

Family vs. Friends: Comparing Key Relationships | LoveToKnow

 I was going through my phone and, I read these meaningful and deep lines that say, “A Friend is someone who accepts who you are, but also helps you become who you should be.” By this, everyone knows what my article is going to be about today. Yes, today the article is all going to be about friendship. Let me ask all the readers out there.

 How many times have we told out of anger, dismay, or sadness that we can stay alone and we do not need any friends? I am sure we all have said that at some point of time in our lives. Nevertheless, this entirely cannot be true. We human beings are social animals and therefore, we cannot be alone for long. We constantly need people around us even if we say otherwise. It is not necessary that we need to find our friends with human beings themselves. It can even be animals, plants anything that helps us have a strong bond and connection

Our progress and development over the years have always been about bringing people together, keeping them connected, meeting new people and so much more about just making things for humanity. Friendship is such an important thing in everyone’s life. Friendship plays such an important role in our lives. The reason I say that friendship is a chosen family is that it is you who decide with whom you want to spend your time. We tend to spend many hours outside our houses. Hence, what kind of friends we have plays a very important role in how things pan out for us. Yes, this might sound very cliché but it is very true. Friends tend to influence your actions, behaviors, thoughts and so much more. Sometimes we can see it but most of the time this happens unconsciously. When I say that one needs to see whether they are good people or not I do not mean it through their religion, looks, ethnicity, color, etc that one sees to judge a person. By right people, I mean through their thinking, actions, behavior, and goodness in their heart. These are true judges of the characters of a person.

There is another thing that one needs to keep in mind concerning friendship. Even if the friendship ends, people should not have any negative feelings about it. They should not speak badly about those people or have a sense of revenge. Rather I would suggest that they could cherish the good memories and move ahead positively about it. Friendship is a balance. If one takes it for granted then it is bad but if one takes it so seriously that it negatively affects them then that is also bad. This article is not to lecture anybody about their friendships rather just different perspectives, ideas, and thoughts that are present in the world.

Happy Friendship Day 2021: Wishes, Messages, Quotes, Images, Pictures and Greeting Cards | The Times of India

Is there a right type of friendship?

Often there is confusion about whether there is a right type of friendship or not. According to me, it is both yes and no. Let me explain the answer. Yes, there is a certain type of friendship. A friendship is something that helps people in it grow and move forward and in the right manner. If only one person is moving forward and the other one is facing the negative impact of being in that friendship then it is clear that it is not the right type of friendship. Again, this might sound very cliché but friends are often those people outside your family that help you grow and become better individuals in society.

 Friendship is one of those relations where people do not judge you for your actions and at the same time if your judgment is wrong then they guide you show you a new path. Friendship is so precious because this relation helps you have your individuality and at the same time bring about the right changes in each other’s lives. The right type of friendship is when there is a positive impact on everyone’s life that is a part of the friendship. The decision of the rightness of a friendship should not be a decision made by someone outside the friendship. These are decisions that one has to make take on their own after seeing all the factors that play a role in their lives. Another thing, which makes any friendship right, is when mistakes are made by anyone in those relations they apologize and make sure that these do not happen again. If the idea of personal ego exists in a friendship negatively between anyone and that friendship is not right for anyone. There is nothing wrong with apologizing when you make a mistake, especially in a friendship.

When I say no there is no there is nothing like the right type of friendship I mean in the things that go about in the friendship. There is no certain type of friendship. People in a friendship do not necessarily have to talk every day to be under the category of friendship. People can talk once in a blue moon and still have the same feelings and connections in their friendship. People do not have to meet every day or see day to be in a friendship. When there can be long-distance relationships they why cannot there be long-distance friendships. People do not need to have alike thoughts, ideas, or perspectives to be friends and share a good relation. There are so many more things that society has set labels for good or strong friendship that do not necessarily have to be true. Though in friendship certain needs to be in mind and should follow however, there is no rulebook for friendship.

Yes, some friendships last for years together and some friendships last only a few years, weeks, or months and that is completely okay and natural. It is high time that we understand and normalize growing out of the friendship. It is completely okay to have two friends, as it is completely okay to have ten friends in your friendship circle. Friendship has and does not have limitations and boundaries. Some are crossable and some are not crossable. The decision is all of the individuals.

To conclude, with a beautiful quote by Invajy where he says, “A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

Realism

Realism has been the most important approach of international relations over the years. It has been the dominant way of explaining international behaviour. Realism emphasizes relations among nations, as they have been and as they are. It is not concerned with the ideal world. It is the international interpretation of human behaviour. Individuals are essentially selfish, and they seek power to serve their interests and to prevail over others. As Morgenthau wrote in the 20th century, power is the control of men over the minds and actions of other men. And, there is constant strife leading to conflicts and clashes between individuals having divergent interests and seeking to acquire power. Thus, there is an ever-present struggle for power in the society. The same is the tone of nations that are guided by the same considerations as individuals.

Political Realism
Realism, or political realism, as an approach of international relations has evolved over the centuries. Prominent among its earlier advocates were Indian scholar Kautilya, Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, and Greek scholar Thucydides. Much later, Italian scholar Nicolo Machiavelli and English philosopher Thomas Hobbes also contributed to the evolution of realism. Their ideas may be called classical realism, though Morgenthau is now considered the principal classical realist. However, according to the view expressed by Robert Jackson and George Sorensen (1999) and many others, Morgenthau’s theory may be described as neo-classical realism. But, Morgenthau was the most systematic advocate of realism. However, British Professor E.H. Carr, who wrote The Twenty Years’ Crisis (1919-39) had prepared the ground on which Morgenthau developed his theory of realism.

Carr criticized democracies like the UK and France for their failure in defeating the designs of dictators. He blamed the democratic countries for failing to recognize the power realities in the world. Carr divided the scholars of international relations into two groups. These were ‘utopians’, or ‘idealists’, and the ‘realists’. He described the utopians as optimists- children of enlightenment and liberalism. The liberals held the view that reason and morality could structure international behaviour of the states towards peace. Wilson and (his) League of Nations were cited as main examples of utopians. Carr, who himself was a a realist, described realists as pessimists, or children of darkness, who emphasize power and national interest. Commenting on Carr’s views on power, Michael G Roskin and Nicholas O Berry wrote, ‘This does not necessarily mean perpetual war, for if statesmen are clever and willing to build and apply power, both economic and military, they can make the aggressors back down…’

Political realism is a significant theory in the field of international relations that seeks to explain state behavior under a set of specific and rigid assumptions. At its core, political realism is guided by three S’s: statism, survival, and self-help.

Statism asserts that states are the only entity on the international stage that matter and that they are unitary (acting alone) and rational (acting in its best interests) actors. Survival identifies the state’s primary goal is to survive in an international system characterized by anarchy. The final S, self-help, conveys the assumption that states cannot trust others in their pursuit of survival and must secure their security.

Political realism is further delineated into sub-theoretical frameworks, including:

Classical realism
Liberal realism
Neorealism
Neoclassical realism
While each sub-framework has its own nuance within the broader political realist theory, all forms of political realism fundamentally believe world politics is a field of conflict among states pursuing power.

Structural Realism
Structural realism, also referred to as neorealism in the academic community, is a major branch of political realism derived from classical realism. While the latter incorporates analysis of human behavior within state decision-making, structural realism focuses predominantly on the anarchic structure of the international system. In other words, structural realists see global conflict as inevitable because there is no supranational body that could prevent or mediate conflict between individual states. Therefore, structural realists assume that states must always be preparing for conflict because war could break out at any time.

Structural realists believe that understanding the international system is guided by the three S’s of political realism. However, they do incorporate analysis of inter-relationships between distinct state entities, particularly regarding power relationships. A key concept in structural realism is polarity, the balance of power within the international system. Today, international theorists often describe the world as unipolar, with the United States acting as the sole superpower endowed with the ability to dominate international relations via their economic, political, and military supremacy.

Magical Words For The Sign Of Birth

zodiac | Symbols, Dates, Facts, & Signs | Britannica

We all have seen or read fictional movies or books where people can go into the future or be able to see the future and so many more things like that. Just imagining this coming true in the real world makes us go into our imaginary dream world or brings a big smile to our faces. What if I told you that we do something similar like this then how would you react? Wondering how with a feeling of excitement? The answer is the topic that I am going to discuss is zodiac signs. Though it is a casual topic, it has a lot of depth and understanding. I feel it has a sense of mystery, myths, and stories, histories that we can learn and enjoy at the same time. Let me ask all the readers out there how many times have you looked into the newspaper or sites that speak about zodiac signs? We all have done it at some point in time that piques our interest and puts a sense of mark in our heads.

Types of zodiac signs readers

Many might know this but there are different ways people read their zodiac signs. These are some observations I have made.

  1. True Believer: These zodiac sign readers make it a point to check their horoscope every single day without fail. They make it a point to read the different interpretations that people have made about their day according to their zodiac signs. Their ideas, perspectives, action, and activities influence whatever they have read about their zodiac sign to some extent. If you are wondering that, only a few people do this. Then you might want to think again. Many people whether rich or poor have made it a habit to read their zodiac signs and go about their day.
  • Special and Important Days: These zodiac signs readers are a little different from the first one. These people make it a point to read their horoscope according to their zodiac signs only on important days or special days such as job interviews, birthdays, difficult exams, etc. People under this category might or might not believe the interpretation. However, the influence is not as high as the true believer is.
  • Just for fun: These zodiac sign readers just read their horoscope about their zodiac sign just for fun and have the interest of reading about it casually. They do not have a specific time, date, month, or year. They just read if it comes on their search page, or while scrolling through their social sites, and so on. The influence of the interpretation is very little on the readers. However, there are high chances that these readers may slowly become true believers or special or important day’s kind of readers.
  • Sense of Identity: These zodiac sign readers feel a sense of connection with the things that tell about their zodiac signs. They see what it tells here is right or wrong about them. They usually tend to have the quality of reading different sites like a true believer and at the same time have the quality of believing or not believing about the things that tell about them in their horoscope. These readers are very intriguing because they show a sense of influence and at the same time, they show very little influence.
  • Do Not Care: Some people might consider them as part of zodiac sign readers and some might not. The reason is that these people do not care about zodiac sign interpretation and horoscopes at all. The reason I do include them in this category is my idea of inclusion. Just because one is not part of the main different types of the group does not mean they cannot be a part of it at all. These people do not search for things or even read about their zodiac sign for fun. Either if someone around them reads about their zodiac signs or they happen to see or read a post regarding it, they skip it, or even if they read a few lines there are no effects on their actions, thinking, etc. I find these people interesting because I wonder how things like these do not have an effect on them or do not bother them.

These are just a very few important ones that seem to be present in large numbers during my observation. There are many more types of zodiac sign readers that I have not mentioned. Who knows maybe in a few more years more people will start reading about their zodiac signs and many more types will show up that are not there now. 

Horoscope Today, Dec 28, 2021: Check astrological predictions for Aries, Scorpio, Libra, Cancer and other zodiac signs here

Kinds of Zodiac Signs

The most common zodiac sign horoscope is the American version of the horoscope. Many people might not know this but there are several other cultures, ethnicity, religion, and country that have their different horoscopes and zodiac signs. The Chinese have separate zodiac signs and horoscopes. In India, there are so many different religions, cultures, and ethnic groups and each has unique and different zodiac signs and horoscopes. Not just India and China there are so many more countries that have different zodiac signs and horoscopes. This is because they celebrate New Year on a different date and not on 31 December. Though they might be different in names or dates they all are similar and are connected in some sense.

This is also a gentle reminder that please read your zodiac signs and horoscopes; there is no harm or problem in that. Nevertheless, do not let these interpretations or sayings harm you personally so much that it creates an imbalance in your mental and emotional health. The way prediction of zodiac signs is done has many factors playing in it. Some might be true some might be not. Therefore, we must read and look into the source of these zodiac signs or horoscope interpretation in detail before we dive into it completely.

To conclude, I would like to say that whatever we do in the end we should make sure that there is peace, harmony, and contentment not just with ourselves but also with the society, environment, and world so that we can reduce the number of negative things that we will have to deal with.

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

A Non – Negotiable Protection

Data privacy expectations in 2021: Trends to watch | 2020-12-28 | Security Magazine

Just a few days back, I decided to open a Facebook account. To my surprise the moment I created my account, it showed my personal information. Information that I had not even filled. To everyone reading this it might sound very scary. Being scared of such things especially when you hear them from people it becomes even more truthful and genuine. Today the topic that I am going to cover is something that has been a problem and issue for people all around the world. With this article, I hope to speak about the existence or non-existence of privacy in one’s life and the role of social media tech giants in it.

The word “Privacy” creates a mix of feelings. Gary Kovacs rightfully says, and quotes “Privacy is not an option. Therefore, it should not be the price we accept for just getting on the internet.” The reason I am stating this quote is that the world is slowly moving from the real to the virtual world at an uncontrollable pace. At the same time at a much faster rate, we tend to provide or give out all our information into the virtual world while also losing a sense of identity of oneself in the real world. It is a fact that, in the real world people do many things to protect their privacy and personal information but unconsciously tend to do very little about their privacy in the virtual world. The reason for this may be that people cannot see each other physically. This, therefore, brings in a sense of feeling in an individual that the person is not around me and hence they do not know things about me.

Does privacy exist or not?

I think that this question needs to be taken into consideration and find answers for it as we are moving constantly ahead in the field of technology every single day. When I question myself about the existence of privacy, there is only one answer that I get. Privacy does exist but not with the intensity that needs to be present in the 21st Century. Privacy is such an important thing in everyone’s life. People get to decide what information about themselves they want to put out to the world and what they do not want. Any other person regardless of what kind of money, power, influence, etc they have cannot decide this. In recent years, privacy is slowly losing its importance and value. Therefore, we must decide what kind of information we want to put in the virtual world.

Cyber crime seems to increase every day. Let me as you this, how many times have you or people around you have had an experience of your fake account being opened, which you have asked people to report and block? I am sure we can think of one or two instances in our head, which stand as proof of how our personal information is lost and later seen for the use of wrong things. This is just one of the incidents that I have brought out. There are many more incidents whose intensity of danger and trouble is at a much higher rate.  Through various ways, we give out our information that we would think twice before doing it. We would not tell everyone where we stay or where we are going to be all the time. Often we tend to let go of our location in the virtual world without even realizing it. Our privacy happens to be the invisible protective shield that will protect us from uncalled dangers. This shield cannot be negotiated for anything else whether it is the real world or the virtual world.

Social Media and The Power of Big Tech Companies | Shift - Living in the Digital Age | DW | 15.01.2021

Role of Social Media Tech Giants concerning Privacy.

I think we all are aware of the recent incidents taking place in the social media world. We all remember the controversies of Whatsapp, Facebook, and other social media platforms regarding their privacy policy and the threat of information of common people. Talking about the incident in a few lines, these social media tech giants want to make our personal information more public to gain more productivity and revenue. We all remember Whatsapp putting out on different newspapers on the front page saying that their privacy policy is completely secure and nothing will go wrong. A lot of governments and the public itself were not okay with the new privacy policy that has questionable statements that had to be accepted by the people if they wanted to continue as members of the app. The reason many people agreed to the policy even though they were not okay with it was that a lot of people’s daily lives and activities whether they were students or people working had a lot of reliance and dependency on being an active member of Whatsapp. The most shocking part was that when that the US Senator asked the CEOs of these Social Media Tech giants about their work towards privacy and protection they did not have an answer to the question and rather kept revolving around how it is not that simple. These CEOs have been made to come to court several times to answer and provide an explanation in the lapses of their app but they just do not do enough to make things better for people and it is the people who face the consequences of these lapses.

Yes, I completely agree when people say that online or the virtual mode whether it is social media or any other apps that we use brings people together, increases production and economy,  continuous learning and communication, progress, development and so much more. However, what we tend to forget is that with advantages there are disadvantages that need to be looked into or else will result in grave loss of privacy. How many times have we heard on the news that Facebook, Instagram, or even food apps like Swiggy or Zomato have been hacked and information of different accounts has been accessed? It is high time we take such matters seriously and take some action towards them rather than leaving them as incidents that keeps happening every other day.

During the same time, we also had seen incidents regarding government-running apps such as the Aarogya Setu app in India. The justification provided by the different governments around the world was that the privacy of the people matters but the security of the people is also more important and the responsibility of the government. My question to this perspective is how privacy can and security is two different things? Only when the privacy rights of the people are taken into proper consideration only then will bring about the proper security of the people.

To conclude, the protection of privacy of every individual should come from themselves, the community, the governments, and the world. Only when we work together as a whole will be able to make the virtual world a safe place for every individual using it in any form. As Bruce Schneler rightly says, “Privacy is an inherent human right and, a requirement for maintaining the human condition. With dignity and with respect.”

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

The incredible journey of Elon Musk’s SpaceX – The engineering masterpiece

The Falcon super heavy launch vehicle was designed to transport people, spaceships, and various cargos into space. Such a powerful unit wasn’t created instantly and it also had its predecessors. The history of the Falcon family of vehicles began with the creation of the Falcon 1- a lightweight launch vehicle with a length of 21.3 meters and a diameter of 1.7 meters and a launch mass of 27.6 tones; the rocket could carry 420 kilograms or 926 pounds of payload on board. It became the first private device that was able to bring cargo into low earth orbit. Construction of the Falcon 1 of only two stages, the first of them consisted of a supporting element with fuel tanks, an engine and a parachute system. They chose kerosene as the fuel and liquid oxygen became its oxidizing agent.


The falcon heavy side boosters landings -SpaceX
The second stage also contains fuel tanks and an engine; though the latter had less thrust compared to the one in the first stage despite the huge launch cost $7.9 million. Totally five attempts were made to send the Falcon 1 beyond the of our planet nut not all of them were successful. During the debut launch of the rocket, a fire started in the first stage engine; this led to a loss of pressure which caused the engine to shut down in the 34th second of flight. The second attempt to start the Falcon 1 incurred a problem with the fuel system of the second stage fuels stopped flowing into its engine at 474 second of flight it shut down as well. The third time of the Falcon 1 went on a flight, it wasn’t alone of the serious cargo the rocket carried onboard the trailblazer satellites and to NASA micro-satellites. In phase one with the first stage he flight went normally but when the time came to separate the stages, the first hit the second when it started engine, so the second stage couldn’t continue its flight.

The fourth and fifth launches showed good results but that wasn’t enough. The main problem with Falcon 1 was low demand due to its low payload abilities. For this reason, they designed Falcon 9; this device can carry on onboard 23 tons of cargo. It’s also a two stage launch vehicle and uses kerosene and l liquid oxygen as fuel. The device is currently in operation and the cost of its launch is equal to $62 million. The first stage of the rocket is reusable; it can return to earth and can be used again. The Falcon 9 is designed to not only launch commercial communication satellites but also to deliver dragon 1 to the ISS. Dragon 1 can carry a six ton payload from the earth, this drone supplies the ISS with everything they needs and it also takes goods back.


The prototype of SpaceX starship had its first free flight on July 25, 2019
The dragon 2 is designed to deliver a crew of four people to the ISS and back to earth. Now there is an ultra heavy launch vehicle with a payload capacity of almost 64 tones. It is the most powerful and heavier device called the Falcon heavy. This rocket was first launched on February 6th 2018 and the test was successful. The rocket sent Elon Musk’s car into space- a red Tesla Roadster. After this debut subsequent launches were also conducted without problem. The launch cost is estimated to $150 million.

The first stage of the Falcon heavy consists f three parts. There are three blocks contain 27 incredibly powerful engines in nine each one. The thrust created when takeoff is comparable to 18 Boeing 747s at full power. The second stage is equipped with a single engine. It is planned that the device would be used for missions to the moon and mars. Currently, SpaceX working on the star-ship manned spacecraft. According to its creators, this device will be much larger and heavier than all of the company’s existing rockets. This device will able to deliver cargo into space weighing more than a hundred tons. The launch of star-ship into pace is planned for 2022 to mars with a payload. Who knows, one of the mankind’s largest dreams may come true within the next year.

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk

A Right Not A Privilege

Menstrupedia Blog | Let's Break the Vicious Circle of Menstrual Taboo - Menstrupedia Blog

Judy Grahn once beautifully said and I quote “Menstrual blood is the only source of blood that is not traumatically induced. Yet, in modern society, this is the most hidden blood, the one so rarely spoken of and almost never seen, except privately by women”. By this, everyone knows what this article is going to be about today. As women are slowly growing stronger and learning to stand up for themselves, it is time, not just women but also men start talking about menstruation, periods, and the entire process that girls, women go through every month for several years. It is high time topics like menstruation are brought out openly rather than hiding among women.

Understanding menstruation and the taboo behind it

Menstruation is the process where girls and women lose blood for a period of five to seven days, every month. This process is the menstrual cycle. The blood is usually old blood cells that detach themselves from the uterine walls. This is a process that every girl and woman goes through around the world no matter which religion, race, ethnicity, countries women belong to. Sounds pretty normal right? Then everyone just is wondering what the taboo is all about. People need to understand that menstruation, menstrual cycle, period cramps, etc are not something that has emerged very recently. These have been there from the time humankind has been existing.

The idea of menstrual blood being impure and something bad for society comes from a place of women idealization, gender discrimination, the gendered identity that has come into creation by the one and only patriarchy. Menstruation has become a medium to suppress women and limit their creativity, intelligence, feelings, emotions, and everything else that makes women as important as men or more in society. Let me ask people reading this. First, to all women and girls, how many of you have covered your pad in a newspaper and or taken your sanitary napkin like a secret bomb to the washroom? In addition, the second question to all men and boys who have seen this and found it weird until you know why women or girls have been doing this? This is how the inclusion of patriarchy happens in society and the idea of impurity and purity seeps into everyone’s lives. The very idea of how girls in co-ed schools and college are only in the class while the teachers are talking periods and the boys are in another class during that period shows how the societal taboo behind them. This is the very reason boys have no education about menstruation and how it works.

Until today, the awareness of menstruation is so less, that a lot of action and awareness is in great need to make things better for women and girls in every district, village, and country. Over the years, the taboo has come down about the menstrual cycle at least in the metropolitan areas of different countries. There was a time when women were in deprivation of communication with other people during their menstruation, and there were places separately for women and girls during their menstruation that was usually away from the house. So many more things were happening that no are longer happening in the developed parts of the country. Nevertheless, there are still so many places that these things take place. These are small villages, districts that have no connection with the mainland. That being said, many castes and religions have a cultural tradition of celebrating the commence of menstruation with great joy and pomp and bringing down the menstruation taboo that has such a strong grasp on the minds of the community.

Yes, things are much better in the metropolitan areas but let me ask you this how many times do we hear jokes or statements made about women “PMSing” when they are genuinely angry or irritated about something at work or home. Linking something as natural as menstruation to religion, caste, and gender is still present in every part of the world whether it is a village or a metropolitan area. People believe that period cramps are nothing because every woman goes through the menstrual cycle. What people do not understand is that though every woman suffers from period cramps the intensity level is very different. If you believe that women who have low tolerance levels have high-intensity pain, then you are wrong. Several studies have proven that period cramp pain is equivalent to the pain of several bones breaking together. Therefore, it is time we think twice before making comments or statements about menstruation.

It's Time We Make Feminine Products Free

Menstruation products and their prices

Though the world is moving forward and developing rapidly, women are still paying a huge amount for menstruation products that are in use for a natural process of losing blood every month. It might seem very surprising that women all over the world have to keep aside a lot of money just for menstrual products such as sanitary napkins, tampons, etc. Basic things like these have become a privilege. Products that are necessary during the cycle are not available for the lower section of the economy because the price of these products is so high. How fair is it that some sections of girls and women get menstruation products and some women and girls cannot? Menstrual hygiene is such an important thing in every single female’s life. If menstrual hygiene is not cared for then it can lead to many physical problems as well. It is time that governments all over the world look into this problem and make things more accessible to women and girls whether they belong to the higher economy or the lower economic class. Scotland and New Zealand are some of the best examples of other countries. These countries have made sanitary napkins free for everybody. These countries have shown that menstruation products should not be a privilege rather products everybody has a right to.

The argument that has been made is that these countries have a lesser population, therefore; it is easier for the government to bring about these laws. To this argument, the only answer can be that, even if you cannot make sanitary products free for everybody, things can at least be done to make them free for people who cannot afford menstruation products. The thing that needs to be kept in mind as well is that the quality of these products should be equally good as the products that are being paid for. The rights of women and girls should not be made into a monetary business from which only the rich benefit. In recent years, awareness, protests, and petitions have been increasing to bring about some change and remove patriarchy from the root so that women can get what they deserve. These actions should not stop until we as people have some change in the community and the world.

I would like to conclude that women do not expect to be treated as supernatural beings or goddesses rather what we do expect is to be treated as human beings who deserve respect, trust, proper treatment, and everything else like any other person living on this planet. Finally, it is time that the people of the world realize that periods are not gross, weird, or inappropriate to talk about.

References

  1. Google searches for quotes and images.

The Natural Self

My fight against body shaming made me aware of how patriarchy feeds this vicious cycle - SheThePeople TV

As Wayne Dyer rightfully says, “Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are.” Today my article is going to be about one of the evilest and most common things that happen in every society around the world. The topic for today is going to be body shaming. It is not surprising if this word rings a bell in your mind. The reason is very simple. It has become so common in our daily lives of listening, experiencing, and feeling negative after we experience body shaming. We in our real-life have also seen how body shaming comes into normalization and justification even today. It is sad and disheartening to know that even though people are aware that body shaming someone will bring about an upsetting consequence and still say or do things concerning body shaming.

Understanding Body Shaming

The definition of body shaming is very simple. When you make a derogatory comment, regarding the shape, size, weight, looks, color, or anything else that defines an individual or yourself for that matter then, it is body shaming. Now, that I have defined body shaming I am sure all of you are having flashbacks of instances where you have had an experience of body shaming yourself. The unfortunate thing is that society has set a certain standard for looks, and when that is not in a meeting, people experience body shaming. The standards are set for both men and women. Women have to look thin, fair, should have long hair, and have to dress in a particular manner, etc while it is nothing less for men as well. They have to be tall, strong, muscular, fair, etc. Body shaming is not just limited to a certain gender, race, age, etc. It is to everybody.

 Body shaming has been there for generations now. Its roots come from prejudice, idealization, male gaze, fantasy-filled standards, and one of the most common things, which is patriarchy. Body shaming initiation in our minds has been happening right from the time we were small children in several ways we now understand.  Let me give you an example. Remember the time when we as children used to watch cartoons like Barbie or Ben 10? The women in both the shows were thin, fair, had long hair while the men were tall, fair, handsome, and even well built. The villains on the other hand had a crooked faces, fat, dark, and so on. This is just one example out of all the hundreds of cartoons that are out there even today. The standardization for body shaming is through this process. Let me give you another example. Next time while watching a movie just give it a thought of why the main characters have the standard body while the co-actors do not.  Pay a little more attention to the subtle, indirect, or sometimes even the direct body shaming that is through dialogues.

People should understand that body shaming could be done by anybody. Your friends, relatives, or even your parents could do it. Whoever does it is wrong and nothing can justify those actions. Another that also needs to be here is that comparing two people for their bodies is also body shaming. Body shaming does not necessarily have to be just about a person being fat. It could even be about a thin person. It is very simple. Body shaming anyone about anything is bad and should not happen. If you are being critical about yourself and questioning your own body then you are body shaming yourself. This is also bad. There are many reasons why one is body shaming themselves. One of the most prominent reasons because of the engraving one has had from childhood about meeting the standards. There are several other reasons such as social media, peer pressure, etc.

Body Shaming Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock

Effects of Body shaming

The effects of body shaming are so many that one cannot even imagine. Suppose someone insults you about something, then the things that one feels are the same when but the intensity is much higher when someone body shames you. When an individual has experienced body shaming then they lose self-confidence, self-trust, a sense of guilt, obsessive thoughts, fear and so much more. These are just some of the small effects that I am referring to. There are so many more. If body shaming is persistent for a long period in individuals, it could also result in mental disorders, eating disorders, etc which is something nobody deserves to suffer. The effects of body shaming are seen physically, mentally, and emotionally. We have seen people justifying body shaming with the idea of helping, fitness, concern for health and so many more things. Let this be clear that the reasons that it is justifying body shaming are the ones that take a toll on the individual. As Laci Green has rightly said, “You do not encourage people to take care of their body by telling them to hate it.”

Yes, there is change because of awareness, people talking about it, the spread of the right kind of information, therapy, change in thinking in society and so much more. This should not stop here. It should go on until body shaming becomes history. Nobody should feel horrible or ugly with the way they look. Everyone deserves to be happy with themselves and nobody should or gets to say otherwise. It is high time standards are thrown away and everyone has their freedom with their own body. It is now that we learn to embrace our natural self and make sure that our future generation does the same too. EVERY BODY IS BEAUTIFUL. I am not going to disagree when people say it is going to take time to unlearn things, but while being in that process one should be able to change and not repeat the same things as well. The responsibility of removing body shaming is not just on one individual or a certain group. Every single person, society, country, government, and world should collectively do it.  A new year is just starting which is giving us time to remove evils and make this world a better place to live. Let us come together and use this year to bring peace, happiness, and harmony not just with others but also with our inner self.

To conclude with a beautiful quote by Eve Ensler where she says, “Stop trying to fix your body. It was never broken.”

References

  1. Google searches for images and quotes.

The Fragile Bridge Between News And Truth

DEFINITION OF NEWS - Mass Communication Talk

Let me ask you a question. How many of you people still watch news channels on the television every day to get an insight into what is happening? I am sure most people will put out their answers that they do, which is quite an expected answer. Now, would people believe me if I tell them that the news channels that they see every day have news that has a sense of bias? Some people might believe in what I am saying and some people might have reservations about it. To have a better understanding of this idea, today’s article is going to be about is ‘Are news channels biased? If yes then does this affect the way the news is interpreted?’

Purpose of News Channels

The main purpose of news channels is to provide or give information about a certain incident to the audience. The main idea of the establishment of news channels is to show what is happening to the audience because they cannot be there in that place, time, or situation. News channels are supposed to show the true things that are happening in the country and around the world. In the process of building the TRP of their news channel company, they should not change the truth according to their wish and will. We have seen many news companies say that when they are showing the news from a certain perspective they are doing it according to the request of the people. This is certainly not true. Even if the majority of the people have put out a request for the news put out in a certain way, the news channel should take into obligation because that is not the purpose of the news channel. The reason the Doordarshan news channel still runs and is famous among many people is that they present the present news in its true form. The news is all about giving information to the people and the details of the news are present on the channel without any kind of perspective behind it.

Are news channels biased?

Well, according to me yes. News channels are biased. There are many reasons for it. One of the most important reasons why news channels have bias is because various political parties buy them. The governing political party and the opposition party may do the buying as well. This is the reason different news channels are in popularity during different political parties’ rule. If one sits back and looks into this matter this reason is clearly in all news channels. The reason why these news channels are biased is that they are corporate companies and there is always constant competition in the news market. Therefore, to stay up with the market we often observe news channels showing news that has high attention and viewers and they stick to that single news until the very end. It is always in the belief that a higher TRP means a better news channel. This is entirely not true and bias seeps into the news channel. Wondering how? The answer is simple. To keep higher TRP news is in such a manner that the majority agrees to the news and thereby bringing about bias to please the viewers. Here, I am not just referring to the bias we see in the news channels that are in popularity but also the news channels that are not popular. News channel bias has often been responsible for news channels skipping some news and showing some news. There are so many more reasons for news channels to show their bias. I have just shown some of the biases that have fallen under my observation, maybe after reading this article, you will spend some time thinking about it, and while watching the news make your observations and interpretation.

Is it impossible for news channels to be non-biased?

Today’s news channels are making it look impossible for news channels not to have any bias. Well, this is something I will not agree to. News had been presented without any bias before and it can still be done today. News channels can present the news without any bias when there is no motive behind presenting that news. When news are shown without any divisions such as pleasing a certain race, ethnicity, religion, etc then it becomes much easier for news channels to be less biased. It is not impossible for news channels not to show any bias. Instead of showing news to a particular incident, if the news channels make their presentation overall then, things will get much easier for these news channels. I am not going to deny that TRP is very important for all news channels. However, in the process of having a higher if news channels prefer to bring in bias in their news then the news channels often become invalid and lose their importance among the larger audience though they are stilling maintaining a high TRP with the majority of people. I am not going to name any political party but we have seen this happening. Over the years, we have seen many news channels showing that they show news without any bias but as they move into popularity then they tend to bring about bias indirectly, and when there is no change regarding this problem, it seeps in and becomes a part of the news channel.

If the news channels move forward or bring about a change in the way news is shown to the people and believe there will be no audience then I believe this interpretation is wrong. Society is changing, people are changing, and their thinking and the way things are being seen are changing. I feel the youth is slowly becoming more aware and open and therefore it is time news is brought about in a new and different way that contains no bias and brings in acceptance among everyone. The process to bring about this change is not going to be easy but it is not impossible.

I would like to conclude with an important quote by Jim Rohn where says, “For things to change, one has to change.”  

References

  1. Google search for images and quotes

Peer Pressure

More Harm Than Good
Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers, or an individual who gets encouraged to follow their peers by changing their attitude, values or behaviour just for the sake of acceptance. The section of society which is most vulnerable to the effects of peer pressure is teenagers. The fact of peer pressure is that when your peers start trying to get you do things which you otherwise wouldn’t do. For instance, in our society we have people who pressurise us to do things we don’t want to do, hence causing us to not being able to think for ourselves. If you neglect being able to think for yourself and let others do that job then it could have a good outcome for them, but for your well being and for you as a person it can turn out to be a disaster.

Ill effects and Impact

Peer pressure can harm the group by making it too uniform. When all the members think and act alike, the group does not have access to alternative opinions creating a barrier in solving problems.

Peer pressure is a rite of passage that all of us go through but its impact varies from person to person. Some are able to brush it off without any issues while it negatively impacts others. Peer pressure affects the lives of teenagers in a number of ways. It can take a self-confident child and make him or her someone who is not sure about themselves and has a low self esteem. It affects their academic skills too because despite being capable of performing well, they choose not to because in the eyes of their peers, it would seem uncool. In an effort to fit in with their peer group, they place more emphasis on being social rather than working on their academics.

Adolescence and Peer Pressure

The desire to be accepted by their peer group is one of the strongest motivating forces during adolescence. The reason that negative peer pressure happens, especially during adolescence, is because humans are social beings and ‘WE’ want to belong. We do what we believe others want us to do for the sake of acceptance and to ‘fit in’. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right, thereby, you end up losing your own identity.

Conclusion
It honestly depends on the people you surround yourself with. Peer pressure is influenced from a members peers. So it is up to you who you hang around with. It is only a bad thing if you make it one.

This Too Shall Pass

Exam Dp For WhatsApp | Downlaod Exam Images | Exam quotes, Exam dp for whatsapp, Exam quotes funny

As the new year of 2022 has arrived after a long triumphant journey of 2021, we all now have the opportunity to write a new story for ourselves. As we start with the first month of January, we all are at the same time gearing up for exams that are going to start very soon. I do not know how many are feeling the stress the moment I say the word “exams” but I for sure feel it every time I think about it. Now that everyone is aware of what I am going to talk about let, we get straight to it. The article is going to be about exam stress and the things we can do to make the situation of exams better for ourselves as individuals.

Why do we stress during exams?

To be very frank and I am not here to blame any government the past or the present, the problem of stress with exams is not just limited to the individual’s ideas and perspectives but the system of education also plays a very important role in it. Today the situation has come to such that if one mug up everything from the textbook and do not understand what they are reading and score well, then people see these individuals with the presumption that they are smart and intelligent. The stress of exams comes from a place of scoring well and not from the place of understanding the subject. I have often heard people saying that if the person has done their entire studying well, then they will not stress about exams. This is not at all true. Every child will stress about exams and it is natural with the competition they are constantly dealing with but what people forget is that each child is different; therefore, the intensity of stressing about exams will also be different. A little amount of stress is good. It helps us be alert and makes sure that we do not take things for granting and put our effort and hard work towards our exams. On the other hand, too much stress about the exam is not good for anybody. It not only affects us emotionally but, also physically and mentally. It might seem very conventional but even till today across the world under so many circumstances students feel a sense of identification with the marks that they score. Therefore, the stress of doing well in exams to meet the expectation of society still exists in the minds of people. I am not saying that people should fail or people should not do well in their exams. What I am saying is that the stress of performing well in exams should not be so much that it creates a sense of fear or over-expectation that will result in something negative. There are several other reasons why one stresses during an exam. It could be personal, familial, cultural, environmental, and so many more. I am not blaming anybody. I am just stating things that are still present in society while we can see slow change and improvement in it. Not many people will agree with what I say and that is completely understandable but it does not mean that this does not exist. It is important for people preparing for exams to understand that exams are not their final ones. We have so much more to learn, understand, and face practically in the real world.

There are so many exams one is going to write in their lives. One cannot be stressing about every exam excessively as it will be harmful to their health not just during that time but in the future as well.

326,783 Exam Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

Things individuals can do to reduce their stress during exams

  1. Understanding the concept: It is very important to understand and learn the concept while reading any subject. Be it math, English, or science. When an individual understands the concept, they will not only be able to answer the direct questions that come during exams but also the twisted or indirect questions that come from the topic. When you understand the concept, you do not learn it only for the period rather you will always remember it and be able to use it practically in the real world.
  2. Clear your doubts beforehand: Make it a point to clear all your doubts before the exams. This way the stress of exams reduces because there is very little space for confusion. When all the clarifications are done the concept becomes clear and easy to understand. Do not ask a doubt because everyone is asking and if you do not ask then you will look like a fool. Do not stop yourself from asking doubts because no one is asking and if you do then you will like a fool. It is time we get past these notions.
  3. Take small breaks: Exams can be very hectic and stressful. Therefore, we must remove the notion that taking small breaks is waste of time because that is not true. Small gaps of break are necessary for our brains to grasp the information and retrieve everything that we understand and learn. A small break helps us to relax and stretch our bodies a little before we start studying again. It has been under the recommendation that taking a 20-minute break during our long hours of study helps us a lot.
  4. Do not skip your meals: Often when people are stressing about something their appetite decreases and they tend to eat less. This factor should come to such a level where people do not eat their meals on time or skip the meal and stressfully study for their exams. Three meals a day is very important because we as individuals tend to use more energy when we are studying. Therefore, to study efficiently we must provide enough amount of food to our bodies.
  5. Do things that you like and make you confident: when a person does things they like and makes, them confident regarding their exams it tends to reduce their stress about it. For example, some people like to write and learn which makes them confident about what they learn for exams while some people like to listen to calming music so that they can learn things peacefully which makes them confident about their exams thereby reducing stress about it. I leave it to the individual of doing the things they like, which makes them confident for their exams and reduces their stress regarding it.

I have mentioned some of the things people can do to reduce their stress during exams. There are so many more things that people can do to make exams less stressful for themselves.

Before I end this article, I would like my readers to remember that many exams shall come and go. Even if you do not do well in one exam, it is not the end of the world. I am not asking you to fail your exams, but even if by chance you do then it is completely okay. As long as you as an individual know that, you have put in your hard work and 100 percent that is that matters. I would like to conclude with a quote that is very important and it says, “Do not be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.”

References

  1. Google search for quotes and images

A Resolution On Priority

7 Tips to Make Sure You Actually Keep Your New Year's Resolution This Time | Inc.com

As we are moving ahead to a new and better year, we all have made some kind of decisions or resolutions to make our lives better, more progressive, and more successful. Some people have made decisions regarding their physical health betterment. However, how many of us have been making resolutions or decisions to make ourselves better internally and mentally? The numbers are few and it is growing slowly which I am really happy and glad about. Therefore, my article today is going to be about how it is time for us to look after ourselves not just physically but, also emotionally and mentally. It is important to do this because we have no idea how 2022 is going to pan out for all of us. This year the pandemic is teaching us something important which is, putting aside our industrialized and mechanized world and starting caring for ourselves. Before I start a quote by Jack Kornfield, where he says, “If your compassion does not include yourself then it is incomplete”  

The importance of prioritizing oneself.

There have always been constant assumptions that if one prioritizes them then are arrogant and selfish. This is not true in all cases. It is important to look after one emotionally and mentally as if they do of themselves physically. Let me ask you this question if you are physically incapable of doing things will you take a rest and get better by seeking medications and other help or will you just go about it until it gets worse? I am sure most of you will take a rest and relax until you feel better. Then why does no one do the same when they are mentally and emotionally not in the state to do something? People must start asking these questions to themselves and attempt to do things better for themselves internally. Self-care, self –preservation, and self-indulgence do not make an individual evil, bad, selfish, arrogant, or anything else that they are put in association with. When an individual prioritizes, one then they not only makes themselves better but they also make the society and environment a better place to live for others as well.

When an individual spends time with himself or herself they understand how they can make themselves better to deal and cope with things, it helps them work on their strength and weaknesses, helps them deal with issues and problems, not just the ones they are facing outside but even the ones internally as well. These are just some of them that have been put here but there are many more things that happen during the process.  When one learns to prioritize themselves, they become more confident, strong, powerful, trustworthy, etc with themselves, which is such an important to have as human beings. One of the most important things is when we prioritize ourselves, we see ourselves as human beings and not machines. We learn to be understanding, easy, and compassionate to ourselves just like how we are with others.

The reason I am specifying more on emotional and mental health is that even though we are getting progressive and developing we tend not to give enough importance to our mental and emotional health. Yes, with changing years, things are getting better but we can still do more. We often seem to acknowledge our physical health and problems whether they are big or small however, we do not do the same kind of acknowledgment to our mental and emotional health. There are various reasons for it such as cultural or ethnicity bias, societal taboo, fear, and so many more things that play a role in the way we see things. It is time we get over these and start prioritizing and bettering ourselves positively before it is too late. 

An Important Priority during the Pandemic

As we are moving to 2022 and the Pandemic is coming along with us, it becomes even more important for us to look after our overall health of ourselves. The pandemic is somewhere responsible for us to create more importance and awareness towards better mental health. During the pandemic, we all were confiding into four walls. It is during that time that we realized that time how important it is to take a break from our hectic scheduled life and give some time of relaxation ourselves. This was the time when people realized that things can be overwhelming for everybody and it does not make anyone weak. We realized that anyone can have mental problems and it is not bad to have one and seclude them away from society. The taboo of mental health problems and emotional problems has been reducing over the past years because the problems are increasing and people can come over the myths and disbelief that they are holding mental health and that is thanks to information, awareness, and openness to experience change. Prioritizing things that we like and love has been one of the most important things in the lockdown. It could be the simplest thing as cleaning your house, cupboard, or rearranging your clothes, etc, or more intense such as getting back to things one is passionate about such as painting, singing, drawing, etc. It could even be just relaxing oneself and binge-watching shows. Whatever one does it should make them feel better and relaxing. The pandemic has been responsible for really sad, disheartening, and big scars in our lives, which will never leave us, but it has also taught us some important lessons of life, which we should never forget.

My article is not going to be long and it is not going to tell everybody what he or she should do to prioritize themselves. Rather what I am going to tell them is that they should make a point to put it on their resolution list or just a reminder into their daily lives so that we can make this world and ourselves a better place and people to live. We must realize that money, power, success is not the only things that keep our world running and moving ahead. It is also kindness, generosity, compassion, trust that are responsible for keeping this world and people ahead towards a brighter future. To conclude with a beautiful quote by Mandy Hale where she says, “It is not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It is necessary”

References

  1. Google Image and Searches

CAUVERY RIVER

The Kaveri is an Indian river flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery River rises in the Western Ghats and flows in eastwardly direction passing through the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry before it drains into Bay of Bengal.The total length of the river from source to its outfall into Bay of Bengal is about 800 km.The Cauvery basin extends over states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry draining an area of 81,155 Sq.km which is nearly 2.7% of the total geographical area of the country with a maximum length and width of about 560 km and 245 km.


Cauvery river is the largest river in tamil nadu occupying 765 km.The Kaveri is a sacred river to the people of South India and is worshipped as the Goddess Kaveriamma. The primary uses of the Kaveri is providing water for irrigation, water for household consumption and the generation of electricity.In February 2020, Tamil Nadu assembly passed bill to declare Cauvery Delta as Protected Agricultural Zone, includes Thanjavur, Thirvarur, Nagapattinam and five blocks in Cuddalore and Pudukottai. The bill fails to include Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur and Karur which are geographically included in the Cauvery Delta.The cauvery river is the main source for the delta region for irrigation.It ends in the bay of Bengal.

On 22 June 2018, despite opposition from Karnataka, the Central government constituted the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) as per the provisions in the Kaveri Management Scheme laid down by the Supreme Court.

Acting on the Supreme Court’s direction, the Centre constituted a Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on 1 June 2018 to address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.The central government failed to adhere with the top court’s deadline of within six weeks of deliverance of judgement.