Mourning of a Kitten on baby's death (Mother' Love)

In one night I heard a weeping sound. In the silence of night the sound torned my heart. Oh! what is this sound. I thought that a child is crying. But in the morning my wife told me that the it was a kitten who is mourning painfully on the death of her baby.


I feel very much sorry and my mind also cried as i could imagine what she is facing the destiny.


As she was away from a baby the dog caught her baby and eat it. The death of a child in front of the Mother's eyes ! What a painful event in mother's life. Parting from loved one is a death for the loving person. The life becomes baseless and dry. What is the purpose of living without our loved ones? I prayed for the kitten from my heart.

The same story of a sad gorilla mother from the zoo in Muenster, Germany, has sparked a wave of interest among the public in the strength and depth of emotions in animals. Reactions to the events in Muenster ranged from very emotional expressions of sympathy, through dry scientific statements that gorillas surely feel sorrow for losing their relatives similar to people but it is hard to bring scientific proof of that, to a resolute rejection of such an idea and claims that people are only projecting their own emotions into gorilla behaviour.

Who can judge? If you ask how we can know that animals have emotions, we can answer with another question - how can we know that they have not? According to the widely accepted Darwin's theory of continuous evolution of species, emotions evolve, too. If we feel jealousy, so do chimpanzees, gorillas, and wolves, for instance. Animal emotions may differ from ours but there is no reason why they should not exist. We can imagine them as shades of grey. However, we cannot establish their intensity.
Human life is so much comfortable as compare to other animals. Let help animals by not disturbing their living cycle and killing them ruthlessly.

- Mahaveer Vibhute

See also :
http://www.rozhlas.cz/therevealed/comments/_zprava/498161

Baby's First Emotions

Pessimism Make You Sufferings

Pessimism is the natural inclination to look at things with a negative perspective. As the old saying goes: the glass isn't half full, it's half empty. For most, such an outlook on life has significant side effects. The effects of pessimism and negativity are discussed in this article.

Effects of Pessimism on Behavior
The direct effects of pessimism are related to your behavior. Having negative thoughts naturally causes you to act differently than if you have a positive attitude. Some behavioral effects of pessimism include:

Complain frequently
Lose hope in the future
Feel a lack of control
Avoid challenges because you expect failure
Put down new ideas
Resist change
Effects of Pessimism on Self
Ultimately, the behavioral effects of pessimism will compound and take their toll on your emotional health. Oftentimes, negativity results in chronic depression and a general feeling of self-doubt. Other emotional effects associated with negativity include:


Feeling of being alone or isolated
Devaluing yourself
Feeling useless
Constantly blaming others for betraying or cheating you
Finding yourself frequently overwhelmed or defenseless
Using self-pity
Social Effects of Pessimism
Oftentimes, depression and emotional health are further exacerbated by how others react to negativity. Negative people are frequently perceived as "wet blankets" and may be avoided. If this is the case, it is important to understand that people are not rejecting you or your personality, but rather your outlook on life. As such, you shouldn't displace your anger or negativity onto others. Rather, it is recommended that you focus your efforts on reducing the negativity in your life. When this is done, your natural personality will shine through and it will be easier for others to see all the reasons why they want to be around you.

How to Stop Pessimistic Thinking
The first step toward eliminating negativity in your life is to admit that it is an ineffective behavior. Once you have the desire to change the behavior, the next step is to become more aware of it. This can be done initially by discussing your pessimistic behavior with friends, family members and coworkers. If you desire, a professional therapist or psychologist may also be helpful.

Through conversations with others and by becoming more self-aware of your pessimistic actions, you can then take conscious steps to eliminate them. Negativity and pessimism are typically a result of irrational thinking. If this stems from depression, it will likely be necessary to treat the larger disorder.

Your Personality Type Defines Your Health

Personality types are the sort of subject you might glance at while flicking through a magazine in the GP's waiting room. Pretty frivolous stuff, you perhaps think.

However, new research suggests our personality traits are more significant than previously thought, and can play a key role in future health.

It's long been reported that people with socalled Type A personalities - hostile, highly competitive and impatient - are more prone to heart problems.

But now researchers are increasingly finding that a wider range of personalities and traits are linked to a host of medical problems, from stomach ulcers and viral infections to Parkinson's disease.

When it comes to forming our personalities, it's increasingly accepted that early life experience plays a key role. Most human traits are also linked to genes, says Dr Dean Hamer of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, a world authority on the subject. For instance, neurotic behaviour is associated with the serotonin gene, or 5-HTTLPR.

Quite how personality then triggers increased vulnerability or resistance to disease is unknown, although there are various theories. Here we look at the personalities and their ailments - and what the scientists believe is going on.

IMPULSIVE

You might expect impulsive types to be at risk from accidents but, in fact, their big health danger is stomach ulcers. Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied more than 4,000 people and found that those who had an impulsive personality were 2.4 times more at risk.

It's thought that impulsive people tend to respond to stress with higher than normal rates of acid production, triggering peptic ulcers.

Research at the University of Wales has also shown that impulsiveness is associated with poorer control over eating.

CHEERFUL

One of the most surprising findings is that cheerful people are more likely to die early.

'Children who were rated by their parents and teachers as more cheerful, and as having a sense of humour, died earlier in adulthood than those who were less cheerful,' say University of California researchers. 'Contrary to expectation, cheerfulness and sense of humour were inversely related to longevity.'

One theory is that cheerful people underestimate life's dangers and may also be more likely to have difficulty coping when things don't go as anticipated.

ANXIOUS

People with anxiety disorders are three times more likely to be treated for high blood pressure. A study from Northern Arizona University found stress hormones may be the reason.

Meanwhile, women with phobic anxieties, such as fear of heights, were at higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Although behavioural differences - like a greater tendency to smoke among people with anxiety - go some way to explaining why this happens, they do not explain it all.

Here's something else to worry about: a University of Antwerp study found that within ten years of heart treatment, 27 per cent of anxious types were dead, compared to 7 per cent of others.

AGGRESSIVE

Hostile types are prone to a range of serious health conditions, and there is plenty of research to back this up.

People who suffer from artherosclerosis - furred up arteries - are more likely to have hostile personalities, according to a Scottish study based on almost 2,000 men and women.

An American study showed that aggressive types are at greater risk of chronic inflammation throughout the body, which is linked to a number of diseases including heart disease (inflammation is involved in the build-up of fatty deposits in the inner lining of the arteries).

This could be because this personality type has higher levels of an immune system protein linked to inflammation.

Another theory is that hostile people respond more quickly and strongly to stress, both mentally and physiologically, increasing blood pressure and heart rate which results in more wear and tear on the cardiovascular system.

Angry types also take longer to heal. Researchers at Ohio State University created small wounds on the arms of healthy people, and after four days, only 30 per cent of the angry patients' wounds had healed, compared to 70 per cent of placid patients.

Aggressive types are also at higher risk for recurrent bouts of severe depression, according to another American study.

SHY

Socially inhibited people are more vulnerable to viral infections, suggests research from the University of California.

In animal studies, scientists found that gregarious types had more active protective lymph nodes than shy types. Lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system and help to destroy infectious germs, such as viruses like the common cold virus and bacteria.

OPTIMISTIC

People who always look on the bright side live, on average, 7.5 years longer than those who take a gloomier view, according to work at the University of California.

And the risk of dying early from any disease is 55 per cent lower for optimists, say researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands who followed 1,000 people.
One theory is that optimism may increase the will to live, while another is that greater sociability plays a role; these in turn may lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh say that optimism boosts the immune system and protects from psychological stress.

An American study showed that over a 30-year period, optimists had fewer disabilities and less chronic pain.

TIGHT-LIPPED
Distressed types (also known as Type D personalities) suffer from a high degree of emotional suffering, but consciously suppress their feelings - and as a result may be at higher risk of cancer and heart disease. And once Type Ds develop coronary artery disease, they are at greater risk of dying, according to a Harvard University study.

The authors suggest that these people have poorly regulated stress hormones, meaning their hearts beat faster, blood pressure rises and blood vessels tighten - all bad for the cardiovascular system. Such types may also have more active immune systems, and therefore more inflammation, which results in damage to blood vessels.
CONSCIENTIOUS

This is the personality trait most associated with long life, according to a University of California study. It has as significant an effect on longevity as maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, research from Nottingham University suggests.

It's thought conscientious people avoid risk and are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours.

NEUROTIC

If being a neurotic type wasn't hard work enough, it's also associated with asthma, headaches, stomach ulcers and heart disease, according to a University of California study.

It's suggested that neurotic types often employ less effective coping strategies, with lots of selfblame and hostility, rather than seeking help and support.

They therefore may become more stressed, resulting in a less effective immune system and greater vulnerability to disease. Another theory is that neurotics are more likely to be depressed, and depression lowers the immune system.

EXTROVERT
Like optimists, they are less likely to get heart disease, according to a Milan University study. Italian researchers found that the biggest extroverts were 15 per cent less likely to get disease.

They are also more likely to recover quickly from disease, and less prone to infections.
One theory is that they have more effective coping strategies so fewer stress hormones. They may also be more likely to seek medical help for symptoms.

But one downside is that, according to research at Yamagata University School of Medicine in Japan, they are more likely to be obese than neurotics.

Theories range from behavioural differences, with extroverts more likely to be sociable and therefore eat more, to genes.

PESSIMISTIC

Those who always expect the worst will find that when it comes to health, they're right: pessimists have a 19 per cent increased risk of dying early compared to optimists.

Researchers in America have also found that people who have high levels of pessimism and anxiety have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease decades later.

'What we have shown for the first time is that there's a link between an anxious or pessimistic personality and the future development of Parkinson's,' says neurologist Dr James Bower from the Mayo Clinic.

'What we didn't find is the explanation for that link. It remains unclear whether anxiety and pessimism are risk factors for Parkinson's disease, or are linked to Parkinson's disease via common risk factors or a common genetic predisposition.'

Origin of Terrorism

By Sean McCormack
Terrorism is an ever-present threat of modern society. In order to find effective counter-measures for terrorism, one must first understand its history, modern tactics and underlying principles. Only then can effective counter-terrorism policies be developed.

TERRORISM DEFINED

The first problem with "terrorism" is that the term itself is subjective in nature. It, along with terms such as "fanaticism", "guerilla warfare", "fundamentalism", "extremism", "rebels", etc., are preconditioned political terms applied in a manner that satisfies the needs of the user.

Within a modern context, the term "terrorism" has come to mean something negative, whereas the concept of guerilla fighters, freedom fighters, etc., often carries a positive connotation. Unfortunately, the ability to utilize such terms interchangeably, and to automatically apply preconceived concepts through the application of such terms, allows groups to categorize organizations with a few words. (1 Pirates and Emporors, pg. 15-39.)

A second problem is the limited scope in which terrorism is defined. Numerous history books and studies fail to recognize the application of terrorism prior to the French Revolution. According to many historians, this is the origin of terrorism.

In actuality, the concept and application of terrorism existed prior to man's first recordings. To classify terrorism as a modern phenomenon fails to recognize its role throughout humankind's history. This can be a dangerous error; the exclusion of terrorism from history prevents us from adequately studying its causes and, ultimately, its prevention.

A third problem with terrorism is that it is often associated with an "extreme form of violence."(2)However, terrorism can take place in forms other than violence. Especially within a modern context, the face of terrorism is rapidly changing. From passive resistance, to technological and economic terrorism, terrorism no longer necessarily requires the spilling of blood to be effective. (2) The Morality of Terrorism, pg. 15.

A fourth problem with terrorism is that it is not a catch-all phrase. It can be divided into two distinct categories -- namely, terrorism of the state and terrorism of the individual. The tactics employed by both, although utilizing many of the same principles, are distinctly different in their execution.

a. Terrorism of the individual is normally focused on disrupting a government to the point that individual liberties are gradually rescinded and a more authoritarian regime is put into place, which as history has shown, is more vulnerable to uprising and will aide the terrorist in achieving revolution. Terrorism of the individual also aims at drawing international attention to its plight, and to diverting resources of the state until they can no longer adequately cope and thus become weaker.

b. Terrorism of the state, in contrast, seeks to quiet the masses and harshly suppress any rebellion. Its supreme goal is unchecked authoritative power.

For the purposes of this paper, a more linear, non-traditional definition for terrorism will be employed, focusing on terrorism of the individual. We will deal with the various terms in relation to progression. Terrorism is the first stage of rebellion. It is an act of unconventional aggression with the goal of sending a strong political message to the recipient.

From terrorism, if properly executed, emerges a guerilla army capable of guerrilla warfare. From guerilla warfare emerges a true rebellion and, in the end, revolution. This is by no means an all-encompassing definition, but will adequately satisfy the needs of this paper.

THE HISTORY OF TERRORISM

As previously mentioned, it is a common historical fallacy to limit terrorism to events of the 18th century and beyond. From the earliest of times, man has engaged in acts of terrorism and rebellion. Josephus, the famous Roman historian, tells us in his writings of the Sicarii and Zealots who "successfully induced a massive revolt against Rome in 66-70 CE." In a vivid account he notes that (3 - Ibid. pg. 14.) :

When the countryside had been cleared of bandits, another type sprang up in Jerusalem known as the Sicarii who committed murders in broad daylight in the heart of the city. The festivals were their special seasons, when they would mingle with the crowd, carrying short daggers concealed under their clothing, with which they stabbed their enemies. Then, when they fell, the murderers joined in the cries of indignation and, through this plausible behavior, where never discovered.

The first to be assassinated … was Jonathan the high-priest, after his death there were numerous daily murders. The panic created was more alarming than the calamity itself; everyone, as on the battlefield, hourly expected death. Men kept watch at a distance on their enemies and would not trust even their friends when they approached. Yet, even while their suspicions were aroused and they were on guard, they fell; so swift were the conspirators and so crafty at eluding detection.

Numerous other historical examples exist, similar in nature, ranging from the Islamic Assassins (Ismai'ilis), to the American Revolution. What is important to note, however, is that terrorism is an integral part of history. This is an important point, because failure to recognize the role of terrorism will limit our study of it.

Throughout the majority of history, terrorism has often taken the face of violence. The Russian Bolsheviks, French Revolutionaries, Ismai'ilis and numerous other groups are all fair representations of using violence to accomplish their means. As David C. Rapoport notes in his book The Morality of Terrorism, the use of violence, or more specifically "atrocities", is one of the most effective means of terrorism, because it fulfills three key aims (4 Ibid., pg. 15-16.) :

1. Produce pure terror or paralyzing fear

The Sicarii assassinations serve as an excellent example of this aim. By inflicting overwhelming fear on a target audience, the terrorist is able to cripple the movements of its targets, and even society at large. According to David Rapoport:

It is most effective when directed against specific critical groups. In the 20th century, for example, successful terrorist movements following the example of Michael Collins, (IRA leader after World War I) paralyzed the police early usually by systematic assassination policies. (5 Ibid., pg. 14 )

2. Publicity to gain sympathy

This is a critical component of terrorism, because it satisfies one of the Principles of Terrorism, which shall be discussed in a later section. The ability to gain sympathy helps the terrorist to create support locally and abroad. Without public sympathy, it is extremely difficult to progress from the terrorism stage to the guerilla warfare stage. Likewise, without international sympathy, the acquirement of arms, etc. is virtually impossible.

3. Stimulation of indiscriminate hostility

The stimulation of indiscriminate hostility is the cornerstone of Miraghella's revolutionary manual, Minimanual of the Urban Guerilla. By enraging the establishment to the point that it begins to violently attack the passive populace, it is able to garner the support of a horrified society, that otherwise may not have sided with the guerillas. Miraghella notes : (6 Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla. )

The people refuse to collaborate with the government, and the general sentiment is that this government is unjust, incapable of solving problems, and that it resorts simply to the physical liquidation of its opponents…

…watching the guerillas, the people now understand that it is a farce to vote in any elections which have as their sole objective guaranteeing the survival of the dictatorship and covering up its crimes. Attacking wholeheartedly this election farce and the so- called "political solution", which is so appealing to the opportunists, the urban guerillas must become even more aggressive and active, resorting without pause to sabotage, terrorism, expropriations, assaults, kidnappings, executions, etc.

The role of the urban guerrilla, in order to win the support of the population, is to continue fighting, keeping in mind the interested of the people and heightening the disastrous situation, within which the government just act. These are the conditions, harmful to the dictatorship, which permit the guerrillas to open rural warfare in the middle of an uncontrollable urban rebellion.

Despite such defined aims, terrorism in and of itself has been quite ineffective. Seldom has terrorism resulted in noteworthy change unless it is able to progress to stage two, i.e. guerilla warfare.

A survey of terrorism within a historical context brings about three noteworthy generalities:

1) Almost all terrorist movements have failed under truly totalitarian regimes

Few, if any, examples exist of a terrorist movement that succeeded under totalitarianism. The brutality and swift violence of such regimes quickly debilitates any such efforts, effectively preventing them from progression to the guerilla warfare stage.

2) Almost all terrorist campaigns have failed to overthrow any truly stable democratic country Almost all terrorist campaigns fail to garner adequate support in truly democratic societies. As the oppression of the regime decreases, so often does the popular support for revolution. The few cases in which terrorists have been successful, within a democratic framework, were under newly found democratic states that had not yet achieved stability.

Major General R.L. Clutterbuck, an acknowledged expert on terrorism, notes that : (7 Ten Years of Terrorism, pg. 60.)

It is interesting that to my knowledge no Marxist or anarchist revolution has yet overthrown an established pluralist [democratic] society. They have sometimes overthrown one that is in the process of becoming pluralist, as in the French Revolution, but not an established one. It always starts with an authoritarian regime, or, if it had started as a pluralist or liberal society, it turns into an authoritarian one first.

3) In almost all successful revolutions, the moderates are quickly overthrown by extremists

The majority of terrorist campaigns begin in the face of a perceived injustice. If a terrorist movement is able to garner popular support, and progress ultimately to the revolution stage, it is normally composed of both moderates and extremists. Once the revolution is successful, the majority of the time moderates will take power, only to be overthrown by extremists before true stability is achieved. Major General Clutterbuck states : (8 Ibid., pg. 60 )

The historical pattern can be depicted by reference to the French Revolution, with the Bourbons being overthrown by an alliance of moderates such as Mirabeau and Talleyrand, with extremists like Robespierre. When the apparatus of the state is dismantled without being replaced by another, we have a situation in which the extremists are then able to oust the moderates.

But once in power the extremists (like Robespierre) find that they have to discipline by the use of terror. This inevitably leads to some kind of dictatorship; whether it is in the name of the Left, led by Stalin, or of the Right, led by Napoleon, is really immaterial. The same pattern can be seen either way. In the same way in Russia, Kerensky was ousted by Lenin and Trotsky, and the terror led to Stalin. We saw the same pattern in Portugal. The authoritarian regime was overthrown by Spinola and some other…liberals…

The study of the history of terrorism is a vital component for the success and/or failure of terrorist campaigns and counter- terrorist initiatives. Both Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin, leaders of the Jewish Haganah and Irgun respectively, valued the lessons that history offers.

Fearing that history would repeat itself, they carefully restrained their forces from fighting each other, fearful of another Jew-on-Jew war, which would distract them from their ultimate goal of forcing the withdrawal of the British. Their efforts were successful, and the British eventually withdrew. Their success, in a large part, can be attributed to their study and knowledge of history. (9 The Morality of Terrorism, pg. 30. )

THE CHANGING FACE OF TERRORISM

Although knowledge of the history of terrorism is imperative to develop effective terrorist and counter-terrorist policies, the "art" of terrorism is an ever-evolving system. Recognizing the victories and defeats of the past, terrorists continue to modify their craft, ever-seeking new, more effective ways to achieve their ends. Within the past few centuries, seven distinct features of terrorism have evolved that go beyond simple violence.

1) Passive resistance

The tactic of passive resistance does not at first appear useful to terrorists. However, it is an extremely effective tactic that has a very set role within terrorist movements. Miraghella devotes an entire section of his manual to strikes and work interruptions. By orchestrating targeted forms of non-violent resistance, which are capable of crippling a countries infrastructure, transportations systems, etc., the terrorist can weaken the intended target. This tactic was used in Brazil during the campaigns of the 1960s.

Likewise, it was used by resistance movements during WWII to disrupt the flow of Germany arms and supplies via the European railways. It is noteworthy, however, that this tactic cannot be used in isolation against an authoritarian regime. It must be only one of several varying tactics in order to be useful.

2) Playing to the Media

The concept of playing to the media has grown with the spread of newspapers, TV and radios. Terrorists can now affect the emotions of millions of viewers in hundreds of countries by simply tailoring their message for the media. The Palestinian intifada is an excellent example of this tactic. Although the intifada started as a grass roots movement, groups such as the PLO quickly attempted to assume leadership, because they saw the public relations value of such a movement.

When Palestinian children are shown on American TV throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, only to be countered by artillery and gunships, American sentiment is quickly swayed. Use of this tactic continues to bring about harsh condemnation of Israeli response methods. Although the Palestinians are capable of arming their people, the intifada is much more effective in discrediting the Israelis and gaining support for the Palestinians.

3) Technology

Perhaps the most notable advancement in terrorism has been the introduction of sophisticated technology. As technological capabilities increase, the required human resources decrease. In the past, a large group of individuals was required to pull off a successful campaign. Now, one individual with the proper equipment can achieve the same degree of mayhem that previously may have required 100 individuals for the same effect.

The introduction of the computer has further enabled covert communications between terrorist organizations, and allowed groups to conduct cyber attacks on key electronic targets from remote locations. A terrorist in Libya, equipped with a laptop and modem, can now wage war against US Department of Defense networks. As technology progresses, so will terrorist capabilities.

4) Economic Terrorism

Although not a new tactic, economic terrorism is beginning to gain favor among terrorist groups. A hallmark of the American Revolution is the Boston Tea Party, in which large amounts of tea shipments - a staple for the British economy - were dumped into the sea. Its overall contribution to the American Revolution is questionable, but its PR value is not.

Currently, in Israel, a progressive campaign of economic warfare is taking place. Israeli soldiers continue to destroy olive tree crops in Lebanon and Palestine, delivering a harsh blow to the Arab economy and mentality.

Through its policy of multi-containment, the Jews have separated areas such as the West Bank and Gaza Strip into multiple sectors, preventing movement in between them. The effect has been devastating, essentially ruining the Palestinian economy by forbidding Palestinians to go to work, school, etc.

Islamic terrorists in Egypt have utilized this tactic by attacking tourists. The result has been a sharp decline in the tourism industry, which is a cornerstone of the Egyptian economy.

5) Transnational Targets

In the past, it was quite difficult to attack targets internationally. In order to attack the Chinese, terrorists most likely had to operate inside China. Colonial powers were easier to target, but still could only be reached within their native or occupied lands.

In light of global economic expansion and transnational treaties, it is now much easier to attack targets abroad. The US can be attacked by bombing its embassies in Nigeria, or ramming its ships in the UAE. Israeli businessmen can be assassinated in London. German companies can be attacked in Japan.

This is a key progression, because it allows terrorists access to targets that may otherwise not exist. The chances of smuggling a bomb into the US are slim. The ability to smuggle a bomb into Nigeria, however, and still attack the US is much more appealing.

6) Transnational Cooperation

A byproduct of global expansion is that terrorist organizations are also beginning to cooperate on the international level. Central Asian terrorists can be trained in Afghanistan, only to be recruited by Chechnyan rebels.(10) Palestinian terrorists have received training from the Russians, asylum in Africa, arms from the IRA, and logistical support from European terrorist groups in attacking Israeli targets.

The terrorist networks continue to grow more and more complex and intertwined, because cooperation is needed to adequately facilitate the flow of arms, equipment, people, training and money between the seven continents. ( 10 Stratfor.com, "Shanghai Five: Tackling Terrorism in Central Asia". )

7) Increased funding

Terrorists of today are receiving vast amounts in international funding. The IRA has been the recipient of funds from Irish Americans. The Jewish terrorist groups, Haganah and Irgun, which emerged shortly after WWII, had countless funds sent to them from European and American Jews.

The Arab states are avid supporters of Palestinian movements, donating huge sums of cash to their cause. With such funds at their disposal, terrorist groups are able to buy more sophisticated equipment, training and identification, and even purchase the protection of governments themselves.

These emerging features of contemporary terrorism are important because they help to form the basis for the Principles of Terrorism.

PRINCIPLES OF TERRORISM

Mao Tse-Tung laid down three stages of development to achieve revolution, namely the organization stage, the guerilla warfare stage and the mobile war stage.(11) This model was followed by individuals such as Ho Chi Minh, and was quite effective during its time. Unfortunately, within a modern context this simple three-stage approach is no longer applicable.

The fundamentals are still present, but for contemporary purposes some adjustments must be made. In order for terrorism to progress from its inception to the ultimate goal of revolution, five general Principles of Terrorism become apparent. Understanding these principles allows for suitable development of counter-terrorism policies. (11 Guerrillas and Terrorists, pg. 31. )

1) Grassroots Support

According to Mao Tse-Tung, "the guerrilla is the fish and the people are the sea." (12 Ibid., pg. 25 ) Mao was quick to recognize the importance of the general population in any terrorist campaign. For terrorists to be truly effective, they must have the support of the general population both for their cause and for their tactics. A terrorist group that fails to gain popular support will not be able to progress to the stage of guerilla warfare, because there will not be enough people to fill its ranks. Such is the case of the right-wing militants in America.

Timothy McVeigh and the like fail to draw the support of the general population, and therefore will never be successful in their ultimate aims. Likewise, a terrorist group that has popular support, but whose actions are not supported, will most likely not achieve victory.

The Algerian Islamic extremists had huge popular support in their campaign against the Algerian government, which they quickly lost after pursuing a campaign of slaughtering entire villages. (It is important to note here that, based on the definition of terrorism provided at the beginning of the paper, the success of terrorism is measured in its ability to progress to the second stage of guerilla warfare.

To claim that Timothy McVeigh was successful as a terrorist because he succeeded in the Oklahoma bombing would be incorrect based on the current definition. Although that isolated attack was successful, the ultimate goals of the right-wing militants have not been achieved, and neither has the progression to guerrilla warfare. The same would apply to most terrorist attacks.)

2) Intelligence

Accurate intelligence is vital for any strategic attack, and the same principle applies for terrorism. Terrorists who accidentally attack a hospital, rather than a military base, will quickly lose support locally and internationally. Accurate, on- time intelligence is vital to carry out any mission effectively.

3) Propaganda

Propaganda is critical for gaining support. A terrorist organization that does not advertise its cause will find few followers. Propaganda, however, must be focused both internally and externally. Support from the local population, but condemnation from the international community, will do little to ensure success. Perhaps this is one of the largest failures in regards to the PLO.

Although campaigns such as the intifada have been successful in gaining international sympathy, on a whole they have been ineffective in gaining support outside of the Arab world. The Jews, in contrast, have been extremely successful in propagating their views to the point that it dominates the Western media. This is largely a logistical and/or public relations failure on behalf of the Palestinians, for they have failed to gain a public voice to the international community.

4) Technology

As previously discussed, technology is rapidly enabling the terrorist communities. As countries such as the US become more and more reliant on technology, they will be more susceptible to terrorist attacks. Stratfor, a private intelligence corporation, noted in a recent analysis that : (13 Stratfor.com, "United States: Vulnerable to Cyber Attack".)

The United States is the most electronically integrated and dependent country in the world, while many of its potential adversaries have yet to be extensively wired. Ironically, the expanding information battlefield favors nations that do not rely on information technology for their national well-being. In fact, cyber warfare could allow a relatively weak country to damage a much stronger enemy.

The use of cyber warfare has taken the spotlight during the recent Palestinian uprisings. Both Jews and Palestinians alike have launched extensive attacks on their counterpart's electronic infrastructures.(14) Through Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, virus propagation, etc. both sides have been extremely successful in their endeavors. The Palestinians managed to bring down the Bank of Israel, the Israeli governments main website, and even disrupt the operations of Israelis largest ISP. The Jews have had similar victories. (14 Wired.com, Several articles pertaining to "cyber-jihad". )

An inverse relationship exists between the sophistication of technology and the amount of people required to perform a mission. One individual, armed with a laptop or nuclear device can achieve significant results - something that previously required large armies.

Most importantly, the technology of the terrorists must be on par with the targets' technology. Bare-foot guerilla fighters attacking a government who is willing to use biological agents will most likely not succeed. Terrorists armed with knives will do little in the face of automatic machine guns. Since terrorist organizations are relatively small, they must have advanced technology to outbalance their limited numbers.

5) International Support

The final principle is international support. In the modern world, international support can be key for the success or failure of a revolution or terrorist campaign. Although the Russians, after their invasion of Afghanistan, regarded Afghani rebels as terrorists, the Afghanis had the support of the Western community and were able to receive arms and training.

In contrast, the Taliban have succeeded in capturing the majority of Afghanistan, but have failed to gain international recognition and are therefore politically and economically isolated. It is questionable whether the Chechnyans, if they achieve victory, would be recognized internationally due to the intricate politics involved.

Failure to receive international support and recognition could ultimately lead to their defeat. For the Palestinians, the voice of the people was not heard for many years because the world refused to recognize the PLO. International support is a critical component of success. Terrorists that gain internal victory, but neglect to gather international support, may never truly succeed.

MODELS FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM

Based on the history of terrorism, the changing face of terrorism, and the principles of terrorism that have been developed in this paper, three general models emerge that can successfully diminish the success of terrorism.

MODEL A: TOTALITARIANISM

History has shown that in a truly totalitarian regime terrorism has a negligible success rate. Due to the comprehensive control afforded by totalitarianism, and the brutal nature in which uprisings are suppressed, four of the five principles are immediately interdicted. Intelligence is not available, since almost all actions are controlled and monitored. Propaganda cannot occur openly, so its effect is minimal.

Technology is not available to the masses in an unrestricted manner, and international support matters little since it will never be advertised to the general populace. The one principle that may be satisfied is grass roots support, but due to overwhelming fear, few citizens will act on this.

Saddam Hussein's regime is an excellent model of totalitarianism. All media and communications are controlled by the government. As a result, propaganda does not take place. Technology is not available to the masses, and intelligence gathering is extremely limited in scope. Although some groups, such as the Kurds and Shi'ites, have managed to mount rebellions, they were quickly suppressed with overwhelming force. The general population lives in fear for their lives, and is unwilling to stage a rebellion.

Pockets of resistance still exist, such as the Kurds in northern Iraq, but their survival is completely reliant on allied control of the no-fly zone. Once this protection is removed, their presence will be short lived. The only way for such groups to succeed would be through international support, supplying them with technology, arms and intelligence. If equipped with these things, they may achieve limited propaganda and be able to mobilize their grass roots followers. Without such interdiction, however, success is not possible under the current conditions.

Fortunately, for many countries in the world, totalitarianism is not a viable or humanitarian option.

MODEL B: ISOLATIONISM

Countries that are able to remain completely isolated technically, politically and economically will be quite successful in combating terrorism. Bangladesh, for example, has no technical infrastructure so it would be a poor target for cyber warfare. Its limited media prevents terrorists from gaining a true voice to the people. Lack of economic value diminishes international interest. Due to its political isolation, it is able to carry out its own policies and actions without concern for political fallout.

For many countries in the world, however, isolationism is not a viable option, either, because they are too internationally intertwined technically, politically and economically.

MODEL C: PLURALISTIC EXPANSIONISM

History has shown that democratic nations, like totalitarian regimes, are seldom toppled by revolution. Unfortunately, due to the free nature of pluralistic societies, they are much more susceptible to terrorist attacks. Freedom of the press allows for intense propaganda and grass roots campaigning, along with the weighing in of international opinion. The proliferation of technical equipment and manuals allows for the creation of advanced weapons. Freedom of movement allows for unrestricted intelligence gathering.

The goal of democratic nations must be to limit terrorist attacks, while at the same time maintaining individual liberties. History testifies to the fact that authoritarian regimes are most vulnerable to revolutions. The goal of any terrorist group, within a democratic society, is to strike it until it begins to withdraw individual freedoms. Once this occurs, the population at large becomes enraged, and the terrorists are able to gather grass roots support and progress down the path of a revolutionary campaign.

Perhaps the best way to combat terrorism, and still maintain some semblance of humanity, is through the proliferation of democracy and economic well-being. By utilizing the Trojan Horse approach, and spreading the economic, political and technical prowess of the West, non-Western nations will become more reliant and involved with Western nations and terrorism will find less of a foundation.

Almost no noteworthy threats to the US currently come from the Western world. Even technically and economically advanced nations such as Japan and China offer little in the way of terrorist threats. The majority of terrorist organizations are rooted in economically deprived countries, or countries with an authoritarian regime. In order to adequately combat such groups, two key areas must be pursued:

1) Economic stability

A large majority of the revolutions that have taken place, although bearing a political message, have focused on class struggle. This is the central theme of Marxism, and has even played a role in the Arab-Israeli conflict (rich Jews vs poor Arabs) and the Irish conflict (rich Brits vs. poor Irish men). Nationalism is key in numerous campaigns, but it is questionable how much of an issue nationalism would be if all the parties involved were economically equal. The lines of nationalism become more distinct when they're unofficially drawn based on economic vitality. The same would apply for religion, etc.

A central requirement for adequately combating terrorism is to assist third world nations with the development of their economic infrastructure. This does not mean opening these countries to Western capitalism. Doing so would only increase anti-Western sentiments, because the local populace would quickly see rich Americans taking over their country, with little benefit to the natives. Economic enhancement means offering the guidance and training to allow these countries to foster their own economies. This will help to sway grass roots support in favor of the West, limit the effect of propaganda, and withdraw support for intelligence activities.

2) Technical stability

It has been noted that the US and its Western counterparts are most vulnerable to electronic attacks. This is because non- Western nations lack similar infrastructures. By assisting fellow nations to develop similar infrastructures, we are not only facilitating their economic viability, but we are integrating them with our own infrastructure. Once that is accomplished, foreign terrorist attacks may become less attractive, because an attack on US system is also an attack on their native system.

Technical proliferation provides a level playing field for all parties, thereby removing the exclusive vulnerability of the US. With global technical infrastructures, the vulnerabilities are shared.

Critics would be quick to point out that such a move would offer enhanced technology to the terrorists themselves. However, this is an incorrect assumption, since the technology is already freely available to terrorists. A hacker in Libya has access to the same tools as a German hacker. What differs is the infrastructure supporting them. The German hacker is much more open to attack, even though they both may have the same tools. The Libyan hacker can disrupt the daily life of the German--the opposite does not hold true.

Truly democratic societies have little to fear in relation to revolution, as long as they continue to protect individual liberties and avoid authoritarianism. In an effort to ensure stability and minimize the threat of terrorism, energy should be expended in helping other, less-developed nations to improve their economic and technical infrastructures.

Terrorism is a phenomenon that can never be expunged. It is a part of history that will be ever-present. Yet, through the study of history, and attempting to limit the progression from terrorism to revolution, nations can at least limit their vulnerability to attack. An important foundation in counter- terrorism is understanding of the Principles of Terrorism, and how to adequately stunt the growth of each one. Three successful models exist for doing so, with Pluralistic Expansionism being the most promising and humanitarian.

The Fire Yogi of Tanjore

- Article By R. Rosen

The Fire Yogi is a 47 minute documentary exploring a Yogi who has the extraordinary ability to use a unique breathing technique to get into union with Fire. This documentary portrays a rare and unusual Fire Ritual performed by the Yogi and the subsequent chemical analysis of his clothing & physical tests that examine this supernatural phenomenon. The Yogi has performed this Fire Ritual for a total of 1000 days over the last 45 years. The Yogi, weighing a mere 94 pounds (43 kilos), has been able to survive on only two bananas and a mere glass of milk with a few drops of water twice a day for the last 28 years. Many aspects of the Yogi are on the edge of unbelievability, while at the same time highlighting the power and endurance of human mind, body and spirit.

Yogi Rambhauswami, the 63-year-old yogi, claims that in 1975 he stopped drinking more than a few drops of water each day, that two years later he began limiting his daily diet to a banana and a cup of milk, and that he sleeps only three hours each night. By all rights the Sanskrit scholar should be malnourished and dehydrated, but in director and producer Mike Vasan's documentary, he appears to be a relatively normal, if somewhat slender, senior citizen. Rambhauswami's real claim to fame, however, is his elaborate fire ritual.

The ritual begins with his taking a bath, then moving on to meditation, pranayama, and a ceremony honoring Ganesha. The fire portion of the ritual is conducted over a sunken pit, into which Rambhauswami offers rice, coconut, sugar cane, and gallons of ghee. As he's doing this, he goes into a deep meditative state. He enters the blaze and rolls around, protected by only a wool shawl, and remains there, in the fire, for up to 10 minutes at a time.

When Rambhau emerges from the flames, though, there's little evidence that he's just been charbroiled. Even his shawl is intact, its preservation credited to a protective aura. The shawl was later tested for fire retardant, and results showed that the material hadn't been treated.

Introduction to Socrates - A great philosopher' video

Socrates himself was born in Athens around 470 B.C. During the early part of his life, he seems to have followed in his father's footsteps, working as a sculptor.
As for his education, it is said that he was a student of Anaxagoras, one of the famous early philosophers of Greece. At first he spent his time studying cosmology (or the study of the nature of reality) but later abandoned this field in order to devote himself almost exclusively to ethics. He came to believe that it was his mission to act as a kind of "gadfly" to the Athenian people, provoking them into recognizing their moral ignorance. Needless to say, his constant interrogation did not endear him to all of the citizens of Athens. While Socrates developed a following among many of the more idealistic young men of Athens--Plato, for example, was a devoted disciple of his--he soon incurred the wrath of some of the most powerful men in the city.
In 399 B.C. Socrates was put on trial for atheism (not believing in the gods of Athens) and corrupting the youth of the City (by teaching them to question everything).

The Mirror of Relationship - 1st Talk by J. Krishnamurti

- Jiddu Krishnamurti Talks

People come to these talks with many expectations and hopes, and with many peculiar ideas; and for the sake of clarification, let us examine these and see their true worth. Perhaps there are a few of us here whose minds are not burdened with jargons which are but wearisome verbal repetitions. There may also be others who, having freed themselves from beliefs and superstitions, are eager to understand the significance of what I say. Seeing the illusory nature of imitativeness, they can no longer seek patterns and moulds for their conduct. They come in the hope of awakening their innate creativeness, so that they may live profoundly in the movement of life. They are not seeking a new jargon or mode of conduct, smartness of ideas or emotional assertiveness.

Now, I am talking to those who desire to awaken to the reality of life and create for themselves the true way of thinking and living. By this I do not mean that my words are restricted to the few, or to some imaginary clique of self-chosen intellectuals.

What I say may not seem vital to those who are merely curious, for I have no empty phrases or bold assertions with which to excite them. The curious, who merely desire emotional stimulation, will not find satisfaction in my words.

Then there are those who come here to compare what I have to say with the many schools of thoughtlessness. (Laughter) No, please, this is not a smart remark. From letters I have received and from people who have talked to me, I know there are many who think that by belonging to special schools of thought they will advance and be of service to the world. But what they call schools of thought are nothing but imitative jargons which merely create divisions and encourage exclusiveness and vanity of mind. These systems of thought have really no validity, being founded on illusion. Though their followers may become very erudite and defend themselves with their learning, they are in reality thoughtless.

Again, there are many whose minds have become complicated by the search for systems of human salvation. They seek, now through economics, now through religion, now through science, to bring about order and true harmony in human life. Fanaticism becomes the impulse for many who try, through dogmatic assertions, to impose on others their own imaginings and illusions, which they choose to call truth or God.

So you have to find out for yourself why you are here, and under what impulse you came to listen to this talk. I hope we are here to dis- cover together whether we can live sanely, intelligently, and in the fullness of understanding. I feel that this should be the labour of both the speaker and the audience. We are going to start on a journey of deep inquiry and individual experiment, not on a journey of dogmatic assertions, creating new sets of beliefs and ideals. To discover the reality of what I say, you must experiment with it.

Most of us are held by the idea that by discovering some single cause for man's suffering, conflict and confusion, we shall be able to solve the many problems of life. It has become the fashion to say: Cure the economic evils, then man's happiness and fulfilment are assured. Or: Accept some religious or philosophical idea, then peace and happiness can be made universal. In search of single causes we not only encourage specialists but also develop experts who are ever ready to create and expound logical systems, in which the thoughtless man is entrapped. You see exclusive systems or ideas for the salvation of man taking form everywhere throughout the world. We are so easily entrapped in them, thinking that this seemingly logical simplicity of single causes will help us to remove misery and confusion.

A man who gives himself over to these specialists and to the single cause finds only greater confusion and misery. He becomes a tool in the hands of experts or a willing slave of those who can readily expound the logical simplicity of a single cause.

If you deeply examine man's suffering and confusion, you will see without any doubt whatsoever that there are many causes, some complex, some simple, which we must understand thoroughly before we can free ourselves from conflict and suffering. If we desire to understand the many causes and their disturbances, we must treat life as a whole, not split it up into the mental and emotional, the economic and religious, or into heredity and environment. For this reason we cannot hand ourselves over to specialists, who naturally are trained to be exclusive and to be concentrated in their narrow divisions. It is essential not to do this; nevertheless, unconsciously we give ourselves over to another to be guided, to be told what to do, thinking that the religious or economic expert, because of his special knowledge and achievements, can direct our individual lives. Most specialists are so trained that they cannot take a comprehensive view of life; and because we adjust our lives, our actions, to the dictates of experts, we merely create greater confusion and sorrow. So, realizing that we cannot be slaves to experts, to teachers, to philosophers, to those people who say they have found God and who seemingly make life very simple, we should beware of them. We should seek simplicity, but in that very search we should be aware of the many illusions and delusions. Being conscious of all this, what should we, as individuals, do? We have to realize profoundly, not casually or superficially, that no one particular person or system is wholly going to solve for us our agonizing problems and clarify our complex and subtle reactions. If we can realize that there is no one outside of ourselves who is going to clear up the chaos and confusion that exist within and without us, then we shall not be imitative, we shall not crave for identification. We shall then begin to release the creative power within us. This signifies that we are beginning to be conscious of individual uniqueness. Each individual is unique, different, not similar to another; but by this I do not mean the expression of egotistic desires.

We must begin to be self-conscious, which most of us are not; in bringing the hidden into the open, into the light, we discover the various causes of disharmony, of suffering. This alone will help to bring about a life of fulfilment and intelligent happiness. Without this liberation from the hidden, the concealed, our efforts must lead us to delusions. Until we discover, through experiment, our subtle and deep limitations, with their reactions, and so free ourselves from them, we shall lead a life of confusion and strife. For these limitations prevent the pliability of mind-emotion, making it incapable of true adjustment to the movement of life. This lack of pliability is the source of our egotistic competition, fear and the pursuit of security, leading to many comforting illusions.

Though we may think we have found truth, bliss, and objectify the abstract idea of God, yet, while we remain unconscious of the hidden springs of our whole being, there cannot be the realization of truth. The mouthing of such words as truth, God, perfection, can have no deep significance and import.

True search can begin only when we do not separate mind from emotion. As we have been trained to regard life, not as a complete whole, but as broken up into body, mind and spirit, we shall find it very difficult to orient ourselves to this new conception and reaction towards life. To educate ourselves to this way of regarding life, and not to slip back into the old habit of separative thought, requires persistence, constant alertness. When we begin to free ourselves, through experiment, from these false divisions with their special significances, pursuits and ideals, which have caused so much harm and falsely complicated our lives, then we shall release creative energy and discover the endless movement of life.

Can the mind-heart know and profoundly appreciate this state of endlessness, this ceaseless becoming? Infinity has a profound significance, only when there is liberation from the limitations which we have created through our false conceptions and divisions, as body, mind and spirit, each with its own distinctive ideals and pursuits. When the mind- heart detaches itself from harmful and limiting reactions and begins to live intensely, with deep awareness, then only is there the possibility of knowing profoundly this ceaseless becoming. Mind-emotion must be wholly free from identification and imitation, to know this blessedness. The awakening of this creative intelligence will alone bring about man's humanity, his balance and deep fulfilment.

Until you become conscious both of your environment and of your past, and understand their significance - not as two contrasted elements, which would only produce false reactions, but as a co-ordinated whole - and until you are able to react to this whole, profoundly, there cannot be the perception of the endless movement of life.

True search begins only when there is a release from those reactions which are the result of division. Without the understanding of life's wholeness, the search for truth or happiness must lead to illusion. In pursuit of an illusion, one often feels an exhilaration, an emotionalism; but when one examines this emotional structure, it is nothing but a limitation, the building up of walls of refuge. It is a prison, though one may live in it and even enjoy it. It is an escape from the conflict of life into limitation; and there are many who will help and encourage you in this flight.

If these talks are to have any significance for you, you must begin to experiment with what I am saying, and live anew by becoming conscious of all your reactions. Be conscious of them, but do not at once discard some as being bad, and accept others as being good; for the mind, being limited, is unable to discern truly. What is important is to be aware of them. Then through that constant awareness, in which there is no sense of opposites, no division as mind and emotion, there comes the harmony of action which alone will bring about fulfilment.

Question: Are there not many expounders of truth besides yourself? Must one leave them all and listen only to you?

Krishnamurti: There can never be expounders of truth. Truth cannot be explained, any more than you can explain love to a man who has never been in love. Such a phrase as "expounders of truth" has no meaning.

What are we trying to do here? I am not asking you to believe what I say, nor am I subtly making you follow me in order that you may be exploited. Independently of me, you can experiment with what I say. I am trying to show you how one can live sanely and deeply, with creative richness, so that one's life is a fulfilment and not a continual frustration. This can be done when the mind-heart liberates itself from those false reactions, conceptions and ideas which it has inherited and acquired, the reactions born of egotistic fears and limitations, the reactions born of division and the conflict of the opposites. Those limitations and narrow reactions prevent the mind-heart from adjusting itself to the movement of life. From this lack of pliability arise confusion, delusion and sorrow. Only through your own awareness and endeavour, and not through authority or imitation, can these limitations be swept away.

Question: What is your idea of infinity?

Krishnamurti: There is a movement, a process of life, without end, which may be called infinity. Through authority, imitation, born of fear, mind creates for itself many false reactions and thereby limits itself. Identifying itself with this limitation, it is incapable of following the swift movement of life. Because the mind, prompted by fear and in its desire for security and comfort, seeks an end, an absolute with which it can identify itself, it becomes incapable of following the never ending movement of life. Until the mind-heart can free itself from these limitations, in full consciousness, there cannot be the comprehension of this endless process of becoming. So do not ask what is infinity, but discover for yourself the limitations which hold the mind-heart in bondage, preventing it from living in this movement of life.

Ojai, California
1st Talk in the Oak Grove 5th April, 1936

Find Your Personality Type - Visual Personality Test

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Carefree, Playful , Cheerful

You love a free and spontaneous life. And you attempt to enjoy it to the fullest, in accordance with the motto: "You only live once." You are very curious and open about everything new; you thrive on change. Nothing is worse than when you feel tied down. You experience your environment as being versatile and always good for a surprise.

Independent , Unconventional, Unfettered

You demand a free and unattached life for yourself that allows you to determine your own course. You have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. Your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what expected of you. Your lifestyle is highly individualistic. You would never blindly imitate what is "in"; on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide.

Introspective , Sensitive, Reflective

You come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. You detest superficiality; you'd rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. But your relationships with your friends are highly intensive, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you need in order to feel good. You do not mind being alone for extended periods of
time; you rarely become bored.

Down to Earth, Well-Balanced, Harmonious

You value a natural style and love that which is uncomplicated. People admire you because you have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. You give those who are close to you security and space. You are perceived as being warm and human. You reject everything that is garish and trite. You tend to be skeptical toward the whims of fashion trends. For you, clothing has
to be practical and unobtrusively elegant.

Professional, Pragmatic, Self-Assured

You take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own deeds. You solve problems in a practical, uncomplicated manner. You take a realistic view of the things in your daily life and tackle them without
wavering. You are given a great deal of responsibility at work, because people
know that you can be depended upon. Your pronounced strength of will projects your self-assurance to others. You are never fully satisfied until you have accomplished your ideas.

Peaceful, Discreet, Non-Aggressive

You are easy-going yet discreet. You make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. You like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life and enjoy yourself. You need space, so you escape to beautiful hideaways, but you are not a loner. You are at peace with yourself and the world, and you appreciate life and what this world has to offer.

Analytical, Trustworthy, Self-Assured

Your momentary sensitivity represents that which is of high quality and durable. Consequently, you like to surround yourself with little "gems," which you discover wherever they are overlooked by others. Thus, culture plays a special role in your life. You have found your own personal style, which is elegant and exclusive, free from the whims of fashion. Your ideal, upon which you base your
life, is cultured pleasure. You value a certain level of culture on the part of the people with whom you associate.

Romantic, Dreamy, Emotional
You are a very sensitive person. You refuse to view things only from a sober,
rational standpoint. What your feelings tell you is just as important to you. In
fact, you feel it is important to have dreams in life, too. You reject people
who scorn romanticism and are guided only by rationality. You refuse to let
anything confine the rich variety of your moods and emotions.

Dynamic, Active, Extroverted

You are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong committment in exchange for interesting and varied work. Routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you. What you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. In doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced

Belief, Perception and Attitute

- Article By Dr. Kardi Teknomo

Beliefs and perception are just inside our brain, they are not in action. Belief is the root or foundation of our way of thinking. In normal life we do not questions or filter our own belief. We take our beliefs as it is. It includes the values that we have. Perception is the method or way of thinking or point of view. Some people called it paradigm. It is the filter of any input based on our beliefs.

Attitude is what we act or react. How we perform our thinking is our attitude. Our action is depending on our attitude. We usually do not see our own action (except in front of the mirror or in our own movie). Our action is just a show-off of our perception and our belief. In other words, what we act or react is directly influence by our way of thinking, our values, and our beliefs.
We aware about our own beliefs, our own way of thinking, our own values, and what we are doing. Unaware reaction means a reflex action from subconscious level go directly to your action. Without awareness, we will do everything in reflex. We do not think on what we are doing. With awareness, we can think before we are acting or reacting because our awareness controls the three levels: belief, perception and attitude.

Many problem in our life often come from the relation with other persons. We cannot control other person but we can influence others through

• Our own change in attitude
• Our own words
• Our action or reaction

Arrogance - A Spiritual Disease

Arrogance is a painful spiritual disease and it psychologically provides major life difficulties that are hard to address. Arrogance is one of the worst characteristics of human consciousness and is a normal by-product of the mind flying in the stratospheres of its own conceit. The main problem with arrogance is that it only listens to itself, and in that, the mind's light goes out. It has been said that the mind cannot know itself, cannot get out of its own skin so to speak, and yet it is not able to perceive this. When it comes to the heart or to any pure process of communication, arrogance interferes dramatically with communication flow and leads directly to absolute walls of separation between one being and another.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that Gandhi criticized himself and whenever he made a mistake, he would confess it publicly. Here was a man who would say to his people, I'm not perfect, I'm not infallible. Gandhi was considered a great man for this quality of humility. When we confess our weaknesses or imperfections we make ourselves more vulnerable. We open ourselves and are thus able to grow through the confrontation with that which is most weak or negative in us. Arrogance is the opposite of vulnerability; it represents a closeness of mind and usually, a selfishness of purpose. Arrogance hardens the heart. In the end, the only medicine for arrogance is humiliation. Humiliation is the process that brings things that are up high down. Humility is what is most low; it is familiar with the soil. Humble people cannot fall for they are already on the ground and do not want to leave it.

HeartHealth talks much about the dualities below, which are always happening on a continuum. Though Victor Frankl said, “From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in this world, but only these two - the "race" of the decent man and the "race" of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people,” it would be more correct to state that no individual either is completely good and decent, and no individual completely bad or indecent. Arrogance is an extreme and totally indecent human characteristic and does take us into the darker side of mankind.

What marks a person with little or no heart, what we might call the indecent or truly mental man, is an attitude that scoffs at the suffering of others; an attitude that sees others who feel, suffer, cry and experience the occasional agony of being a being on this planet as beneath their dignity. These people loose all sense of compassion and these attitudes block all capacity for empathy. Dangerous to be around, such people truly challenge the souls of the descent people they touch. A great aspect of life and suffering is seen in the struggle between these two groups, the decent and indecent. In the bible and in most films this is framed as the struggle between good and evil. Scott Peck uses the terms sick self and healthy self when referring to the internal nature of this battle that goes on even in the most noble of noble souls.

Definition of Egotism

Egotism is the motivation to maintain and enhance favorable views of self. Egotism means placing oneself at the center of one's world with no direct concern for others.

It is closely related to narcissism, or "loving one's self," and the possible tendency to speak or write of oneself boastfully and at great length. Egotism may coexist with delusions of one's own importance, at the denial of others. This conceit is a character trait describing a person who acts to gain values in an amount excessively greater than that which he/she gives to others. Egotism is often accomplished by exploiting the altruism, irrationality and ignorance of others, as well as utilizing coercive force and/or fraud.

Egotism differs from both altruism, or acting to gain fewer values than are being given, and egoism, a determination to gain and give an equal amount or degree of values. Various forms of "empirical egoism" can be consistent with egotism, as long as the value of one's own self-benefit is entirely individual.

Organizational Attitude

- Article by GANESH SHERMON

Organisational attitude is a summation of the collective feelings, emotions, beliefs, practices and norms (the right way) that exist at the core of an organisation and forms the substance. Collective individual attitudes determine, influence and exist as organisational attitudes. Though various companies come under an umbrella: share group philosophy, espoused values, performance metrics and shareholder focus—the behaviour and attitudes of each could be different.

Attitudinal organisations show their performance emphasis on collectivism and result-oriented actions, share and reveal truth, communicate and inter-personalise to show mutual respect.

Behavioural scientists define attitude as an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a given manner. And that attitude is primarily an inner state than an overt expression. Management consultants define organisational attitude as a collection of behaviours that is consistent, implicit, and in sync with larger goals. It is a determining tendency, a preparatory act, and a potential adjustment towards an individual or an institution that interacts within the organisation. An organisational attitude is always a pre-stated stand or position or a principle that is taken consistently to show-case organisational identity, revealed as performance reflected through a consistent execution of ideas, motives and perceptions.

Organisations that have mastered collective attitudes showcase their performance in multiple ways. People operate in an environment where consultation precedes action; consistency is seen across the lines of command and processes are strong. Where attitudes are absent at the organisational level, managerial responses are unpredictable, leadership is bestowed with short tempers, performance is demanded through threats of reprisal, and younger managers are made to feel small and insignificant.

A performance-oriented attitude at the organisational level is best done when ‘what is in it for the organisation is concurrently dealt with what is in it for the individual’, where organisational crisis is not converted first into a crisis for the individual, where dignity of the organisation is as important as the respect shown to the individual.

An example here is the method adopted by some organisations to let go people post-meltdown. Some organisations saw this as an opportunity to scale up, some to right size and many others to clean up once and for all. KPMG studies on Ready for Future indicates, ‘absence of a clean organisational structure, robust processes and performing culture’ as the top three reasons for organisational inertia in attitudes.

The relationship between a performing culture and organisational attitudes, like that between behaviours and personality, is never simple. Attitudes are the result of combined...

and interactive effect of both personality (inner core) and cultural variables (rituals, norms etc). Thus we hold our beliefs not only because we are conditioned to do so but also because we unconsciously adhere to those attitudes.
Many of our attitudes that show aversions and aggressions are rooted in biased stereotypes and negative ideas concerning others. This degree of dislike could have an imagined, rational or factual basis, but are an expression of a tendency to be suspicious of whatever is different from the familiar. Consultants tend to experience mistrust from organisational members. When a combination of individual attitudes, values and performance-orientation culminate into its culture, formation of an organisational attitude is but an inevitable outcome.

Spirituality as a cure for alcoholism

Jung recommended spirituality as a cure for alcoholism and he is considered to have an indirect rold in establishing the the Alcoholics Anonymous.^[39] Jung's influence can sometimes be found in more unexpected quarters. For example, Jung once treated an American patient (Rowland Hazard III), suffering from chronic alcoholism.

After working with the patient for some time and achieving no significant progress, Jung told the man that his alcoholic condition was near to hopeless, save only the possibility of a spiritual experience. Jung noted that occasionally such experiences had been known to reform alcoholics where all else had failed.

Rowland took Jung's advice seriously and set about seeking a personal spiritual experience. He returned home to the United States and joined a Christian evangelical Re-Armament
movement known as the Oxford Group. He also told other alcoholics what Jung had told him about the importance of a spiritual experience. One of the alcoholics he told was Ebby Thacher, a long-time friend and drinking buddy of Bill Wilson, later co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Thacher told Wilson about Jung's ideas. Wilson, who was finding it impossible to maintain sobriety, was impressed and sought out his own spiritual experience. The influence of Jung thus indirectly found its way into the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous, the original twelve-step program, and from there into the whole twelve-step recovery movement, although AA as a whole is not Jungian and Jung had no role in the formation of that approach or the twelve steps.

The above claims are documented in the letters of Carl Jung and Bill W., excerpts of which can be found in Pass It On, published by Alcoholics Anonymous.^[40] Although the detail of this story is disputed by some historians, Jung himself made reference to its substance — including the Oxford Group participation of the individual in question — in a talk that was issued privately in 1954 as a transcript from shorthand taken by an attender (Jung reportedly approved the transcript), later recorded in Volume 18 of his Collected Works, The Symbolic Life ("For
instance, when a member of the Oxford Group comes to me in order to get treatment, I say, 'You are in the Oxford Group; so long as you are there, you settle your affair with the Oxford Group. I can't do it better than Jesus.'"

Jung goes on to state that he has seen similar cures among Catholics.^[41])

Attitude Can be Changed by Persuasion

Formation and change of attitude are not two separate things, they are interwoven. People are always adopting, modifying, and relinquishing attitudes to fit there everchanging needs and interests. Attitude cannot be changed by simple education. Acceptance of new attitudes depends on who is presenting the knowledge, how it is presented, how the person is perceived, the credibility of the communicator, and the conditions by which the knowledge was received

1. Attitudes can be changed through persuasion. The celebrated work of Carl Hovland, at Yale University in the 1950s and 1960s, helped to advance knowledge of persuasion. In Hovland's view, we should understand attitude change as a response to communication. He and his colleagues did experimental research into the factors that can affect the persuasiveness of a message:
   
2. Target Characteristics: These are characteristics that refer to the person who receives and processes a message. One such trait is intelligence - it seems that more intelligent people are less easily persuaded by one-sided messages. Another variable that has been studied in this category is self-esteem. Although it is sometimes thought that those higher in self-esteem are less easily persuaded, there is some evidence that the relationship between self-esteem and persuasibility is actually curvilinear, with people of moderate self-esteem being more easily persuaded than both those of high and low self-esteem levels (Rhodes & Woods, 1992). The mind frame and mood of the target also plays a role in this process.


3. Source Characteristics : The major source characteristics are expertise, trustworthiness and interpersonal attraction or attractiveness. The credibility of a perceived message has been found to be a key variable here (Hovland & Weiss, 1951); if one reads a report about health and believes it came from a professional medical journal, one may be more easily persuaded than if one believes it is from a popular newspaper. Some psychologists have debated whether this is a long-lasting effect and Hovland and Weiss (1951) found the effect of telling people that a message came from a credible source disappeared after several weeks (the so-called "sleeper effect"). Whether there is a sleeper effect is controversial. Received wisdom is that if people are informed of the source of a message before hearing it, there is less likelihood of a sleeper effect than if they are told a message and then told its source.


4. Message Characteristics : The nature of the message plays a role in persuasion. Sometimes presenting both sides of a story is useful to help change attitudes.

Cognitive Routes :

A message can appeal to an individual's cognitive evaluation to help change an attitude. In the central route to persuasion the individual is presented with the data and motivated to evaluate the data and arrive at an attitude changing conclusion. In the peripheral route to attitude change, the individual is encouraged to not look at the content but at the source. This is commonly seen in modern advertisements that feature celebrities. In some cases, physician, doctors or experts are used. In other cases film stars are used for their attractiveness.

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What can we do to change attitudes?

• In order to produce change a suggestion for change must be reviewed and accepted.
  Reception and acceptance are more likely to occur where the suggestion meets existing personality need or desires.


• The suggestion is more likely to be accepted if:
  a. It is in harmony with valued group norms an loyalties.
  b. The source of the message is perceived as trustworthy or expert.
  c. The message follows certain rules of 'rhetoric' regarding order, presentation, organization of content, nature of appeal, etc.
  
• A suggestion carried by mass media plus face-to-face reinforcement is more likely to be accepted than a suggestion carried by either one of these alone, other things being equal.
  Change in attitude is more likely to occur if the suggestion is accompanied by change in other factors underlying belief and attitude

Human Attitude & Definition of Attitude

What is an attitude? An attitude is a point of view about a situation. An attitude has three components. An attitude is made up of :
1. What you think 2. What you do 3. What you feel.
No matter what situation you are in you always have certain thoughts about it. You also have an emotional response to it, and you behave a certain way in it. To begin changing your attitude you either change your thinking, the way you act, or the way you feel. Two of these choices are easier to influence than the third.

It is easier to change the way you think or behave than to change your emotions. However, it is usually our emotions that get our attention in regard to the situation. It is our emotions that we most want to change. When we feel sad, angry, anxious, or frustrated we don’t like it. We want the feeling to quickly go away. So we start trying to change the emotion. We often begin by trying to change others so we can feel better. It doesn’t work. We engage in behaviors like alcohol and drug abuse to numb the feelings. It doesn't work. Working all the time or excessive shopping are attempts at avoiding emotional distress. They don't work.

Our initial tendency is to focus on the feeling level and to change it first. The feeling or emotional level, however, is the most difficult to work on. You can’t "grasp" a feeling and force it to change. Feelings are powerful but vague. You can not get a grip on a feeling. If you want to change your feelings you must start elsewhere. You must begin with either your thinking or your behavior over which you have more control. The secret in effectively changing your emotions is knowing that feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are all related. When you change one of them ( for example, thinking) the other two (feelings and behavior) will change as well. Since it is easier to get a "grasp" on thoughts and behavior this is the place to begin your work of staying resilient. Change what you think! Change what you do! The emotions will change and you will be creating resiliency.
Definition of Attitude in Wikipedia :
An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for an item. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event-- this is often referred to as the attitude object. People can also be conflicted or ambivalent toward an object, meaning that they simultaneously possess both positive and negative attitudes toward the item in question.
Attitudes are judgments. They develop on the ABC model (affect, behavior, and cognition). The affective response is an emotional response that expresses an individual's degree of preference for an entity. The behavioral intention is a verbal indication or typical behavioral tendency of an individual. The cognitive response is a cognitive evaluation of the entity that constitutes an individual's beliefs about the object. Most attitudes are the result of either direct experience or observational learning from the environment.

Dream of Funeral/Death

Many times i use to see dreams about death. In last week i saw death of unknown person. The people were mourning outside his house. I and the mother of unknow body were there in the inner room. Though the outside persons were weeping the mother seems to be not so much panic or sorrowful. But wanted to minimize the crowd and gossip of death of her son. I was also being the part of that wish.In real life i never like to face such incidents and very few times i attended the funerals.
I found the psychological interpretations about the death and funeral dreams.
These are as follows :
To dream of your own funeral, symbolizes an ending to a situation or aspect of yourself. You may be repressing some of your feelings or parts of yourself and the dream may be a signal for you to recognize and acknowledge those feelings. Instead of confronting a situation, you are dealing with it by burying it and trying to forget about it. If you are nearing death, a funeral dream may relate to your feelings/anxieties about your own death.

To dream that you are at somebody else's funeral, signifies that you are burying an old relationship and closing the lid on the past. You may be letting go some of the feelings (resentment, anger, hostility toward someone) that you've been clinging onto. If your are dreaming that you are at a funeral of an unknown person, then it suggests that something in your life is supposed to put to rest or put aside so that you can make room for something new. You need to investigate further what aspect or component of your life you need to let go.

To dream that you are attending a funeral for a still-living parent, suggests that you need to separate yourself from your parent's restrictions and confines. The symbolic death may give you the courage you need to take the next step toward your independence and autonomy.