Babies are sometimes described as self-absorbed or aggravating but the fact is that they know the difference between right and wrong at merely three months old. Suppose I have presented your six-month-old child with a scenario, a little girl is struggling to, let’s say, open a box. One character will come along and help the little girl to open the box but another one will pass her kicking the box over. Research from Yale University shows that your child will have an undeniable preference towards the ‘good character.’ Children as young as three-month-olds show a preference for the ‘good guys’ as opposed to ‘bad guys.’ Today, when someone participates in an action that is considered wrong, for example, murders, parents are blamed for that action just as much as the individual is. They are blamed ‘for not raising their child correctly.’ While that can be true to a certain extent, as parents are essentially role models for their children, from a young age, they have a sense of morality, So when psychopaths or someone participate in unethical behaviours it is a brain development problem. Therefore, nobody should be blaming the parents of psychopaths or the individual themselves for the immoral actions.
Every individual develops a sense of wrong and right before they even turn one year old. Research is stating that no matter the gender or age they show signs of empathy, compassion, and equality. According to David Derbyshire in the article “We’re born to be moral.” states that after an experiment was done by Yale University where children are shown two characters - a good one and a bad one and the ‘five-month-olds preferred the good guy [...] the one who rolled the ball back.’ (Derbyshire, 2010) This shows that even when they are young they can distinguish the difference between right and wrong, most likely based on the actions they observe society practices. Essentially, this shows as that, as a sense of morality is embedded in them from birth, it is not likely to simply grow out of that and as a result, start performing immoral actions. However, immoral actions can be triggered from a lack of care received from a parent. Christopher Bergland from Psychology Today states that “childhood neglect increases the adult risk for morbidity and mortality” (Bergland, 2013) However, this doesn’t mean that they don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Anyone, psychopath or not, committing these unethical actions is sure to feel guilt and a feeling that they have done something wrong. This brings us back to the point that babies have a sense of morality since birth, and that is built on while growing up. Take a maternity ward as an example. It is loud because all of the babies are crying but it is not necessarily because they miss their mother. Paul Bloom says that ‘babies cry when others do out of compassion. It isn’t a dumb reaction to noise.’ (Bloom, 2013) None of those babies are even slightly aware of what they may be in the future, a psychopath or psychologist. Logically it makes sense too. If I put you in a situation with one other person, let’s call them Person A. You see Person A in pain; you want Person A’s pain to go away; then your pain, for Person A will go away too. So, the reality is that psychopaths aren't cold-blooded and they can and do know the feeling of remorse regardless of a parent's presence in their life.
As we have seen, babies are born with a sense of morality, so why do psychopaths go around performing actions that are considered immoral? The fact is that they have a brain development problem and they simply are not able to feel associated with the emotions that the aftermath of committing a crime. A researcher from Yale University - Paul Bloom, author of Just Babies : The Origins of Good and Evil states that ‘psychopaths may understand the difference between right and wrong but doesn’t feel any connection between those emotions.’ (Bloom, 2013) This is the reasoning behind their absurd actions and the lack of guilt they feel after committing a crime. Ultimately this is why psychopaths continue to do iniquitous things without thoroughly understanding that what they are doing is hurting others. In fact, ‘psychopaths can’t recognize fear let alone react to it.’ This is essentially another reason as to why psychopaths act the way they do. Fear is a triggering emotion for many. If someone is afraid of them in a given situation, chances are they will feel guilty and be much more empathetic and compassionate towards that one person. So, how do you expect to react and empathize with the fear or distress of others if you have never experienced it? Christian Keysers from Psychology Today in the article ‘Inside the Mind of a Psychopath’ proves this after showing evidence after an experiment was done on psychopaths. The results showed that ‘their empathy [in certain brain regions] was reduced, [which explains] why they committed such terrible crimes without feeling guilt.’ (Keysers, 2013) On the other hand, this doesn’t justify the actions psychopaths perform which are undoubtedly wrong. They can, in fact, empathize with people if they choose too. It’s like they have a switch which nobody can control. How exactly does that work? Just like we feel more empathetic towards our friends feeling as opposed to someone’s feeling across the globe. It just goes to show that a parent has little impact on what their child becomes when their child already does not feel associated with emotions that should determine who they become. And that they can’t control the ‘switch’ between their child’s emotions.
Taken as a whole, it is important for society to stop seeing psychopaths as monsters and stop blaming parents for the actions of any individual. Everyone should start to understand the psychological aspect of the actions of our own. It must be understood that parents are not responsible for one’s belief system. The situation I have put your baby in and the choice they make is entirely up to them. After I have shown your six-month-old child with the scenario, I’ll ask you to cover your eyes as to not have an impact on which character your child will choose. Despite the lack of guidance, your six-month-old will receive, they will still choose the good character ; the one who help open the box. In addition, when your child grows up and sees Person A in pain they will want their pain to go away as a natural human feeling. Yet, they are similar to psychopaths in a slight way as they can use their ‘switch’ to change the level of empathy they are giving people. All in all, psychopaths are not responsible for their emotions as it is something they can not control. They also do not have a strong moral core so their parents have nothing to do with their actions and should not be blamed for the things they do. Instead, society needs to start understanding these people who, at the end of the day, are still human and we should be willing to help them reach a better place because it is a problem that can be fixed.
- MailOnline, David Derbyshire for. "We're Born to Be Moral: Babies 'can Tell Good from Evil at Six Months'" Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 10 May 2010. Web. 12 June 2016.
- Bergland, Christopher. "Parental Warmth Is Crucial for a Child's Well-Being."Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, n.d. Web. 12 June 2016.
- Keysers, Christian. "Inside the Mind of a Psychopath – Empathic, But Not Always." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, n.d. Web. 12 June 2016.
- Bloom, Paul. Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Showing posts with label Megha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Megha. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Sunday, March 20, 2016
The Liars Weakness
Teenagers. When adults describe them, they’ll say things like ‘obnoxious,’ ‘rude,’ ‘self-absorbed.’ That just isn’t the reality of the situation. In actuality, teenagers are on a road to find themselves. This road is infinite and on fire. It is hell. So, when they reach the end, they are bound to have learnt some vital lessons. E. Lockhart’s poignant novel ‘‘We Were Liars’’ and Ryan Padovani’s poem ‘‘I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’ is quite possibly the story of a teenager's life. The narrators, through the use of metaphors, are demonstrating one running from their weaknesses and failures, convincing themselves that they’ll be alright, even if it is not true. But how does one go their entire life without an inch of doubt haunting them? In ‘‘We Were Liars’’ and ‘’I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’, through the use of metaphors, we learn that when we feel like failures and feel the weakness that comes with it, we must remember that it is only a barrier on the road we are taking to find ourselves.
86400 seconds in a day, 1440 minutes and 24 hours. Your mind is never at rest. The emotions you hold captive in your head are completely your own. So, how do you expect anyone to understand them? Lockhart and Padovani use metaphors to help the reader understand the captive thoughts. Lockhart uses this technique to help reader delve into Cadence’s intricate mind and fully understand her. We are able to acknowledge how crucial moments in Cadence’s life impact her. When her father left her, trampling on any pride or strength she had left and he ‘pulled out a handgun and shot [her] in the chest. [She] was standing on the wall and [she] fell. The bullet hole opened wide and [her] heart rolled out of [her] rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood rushed rhythmically from [her] open wound, then from [her] eyes, [her] ears, [her] mouth. It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of [their] house, the bricks of the path, the steps to the porch. [Her] heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout.’ The pain Cadence feels, in this extended metaphor, is so immense that it resembles a bullet in the heart. The immense pain and ‘shame of being unloved’ is eventually what built up Cadence’s personality and the inner conflict she faces on a daily basis. It sprouts the idea of her tendency to run from anything that may make her vulnerable, which carries through the entire book. None of us are truly able to express ourselves in a way that makes perfect sense to others. We are angry, sad, confused, excited, irritated. And we just do not know how to explain what we are thinking. If an explanation meaning having an expressive outlet. Padovani and Lockhart use metaphors to help readers relate. Padovani’s speaker feels a ‘war within, moves [moving] around with nowhere to hide.’ This is supporting the idea of inner conflict. A war is essentially two or more sides fighting for something they believe in. A war inside one’s head is two or more contradicting thoughts fighting to influence one’s actions. The speaker and Cadence both have so many thoughts crossing their mind and they can not seem to push it away. Much like you, the reader. The metaphors in both of these texts represent the complex thoughts individuals have that do not seem to make sense to others, but they also represent the light at the end of the tunnel. When people finally understand you, through the use of universal emotions.
Failure : Noun
Lack of success.
86400 seconds in a day, 1440 minutes and 24 hours. Your mind is never at rest. The emotions you hold captive in your head are completely your own. So, how do you expect anyone to understand them? Lockhart and Padovani use metaphors to help the reader understand the captive thoughts. Lockhart uses this technique to help reader delve into Cadence’s intricate mind and fully understand her. We are able to acknowledge how crucial moments in Cadence’s life impact her. When her father left her, trampling on any pride or strength she had left and he ‘pulled out a handgun and shot [her] in the chest. [She] was standing on the wall and [she] fell. The bullet hole opened wide and [her] heart rolled out of [her] rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood rushed rhythmically from [her] open wound, then from [her] eyes, [her] ears, [her] mouth. It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of [their] house, the bricks of the path, the steps to the porch. [Her] heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout.’ The pain Cadence feels, in this extended metaphor, is so immense that it resembles a bullet in the heart. The immense pain and ‘shame of being unloved’ is eventually what built up Cadence’s personality and the inner conflict she faces on a daily basis. It sprouts the idea of her tendency to run from anything that may make her vulnerable, which carries through the entire book. None of us are truly able to express ourselves in a way that makes perfect sense to others. We are angry, sad, confused, excited, irritated. And we just do not know how to explain what we are thinking. If an explanation meaning having an expressive outlet. Padovani and Lockhart use metaphors to help readers relate. Padovani’s speaker feels a ‘war within, moves [moving] around with nowhere to hide.’ This is supporting the idea of inner conflict. A war is essentially two or more sides fighting for something they believe in. A war inside one’s head is two or more contradicting thoughts fighting to influence one’s actions. The speaker and Cadence both have so many thoughts crossing their mind and they can not seem to push it away. Much like you, the reader. The metaphors in both of these texts represent the complex thoughts individuals have that do not seem to make sense to others, but they also represent the light at the end of the tunnel. When people finally understand you, through the use of universal emotions.
Failure : Noun
Lack of success.
We have all been there. That dark place where our self-doubt takes over our mind. There is no way to control it. Musky echos that poison our poise. Failure feels like regret, disappointment, and an incompetent performance. In both texts, the speakers share this common feeling of failure. In Cadence’s life, ‘no one is a failure.’ Except Cadence feels like she is. While they both share this idea of being a failure, what is different is the way they both handle it. Ryan Padovani's speaker feels like it isn’t necessary to acknowledge it. The speaker thinks it is best to just ignore that feeling. ‘Anger within, but no need to look back.’ The speaker is filled with regrets, frustration and ineffable emotions and doesn’t want to even acknowledge the mistakes they have made. On the other hand, Cadence, like any other teenager, is on the road to accepting feeling despite it being very hard. When she says ‘I [She] will prove myself [herself] strong’ she wants to convince herself that she can overcome the feeling she has of being a failure in the Sinclair family. The feeling of failure is incredibly common amongst teens, whether you feel like you failed your mother, your sibling or yourself, teens need to remember that like Cadence, accept it and prove that your are more than that mistake you made. Despite what people say, one or two mistakes doesn’t make you a failure.
As mentioned earlier, teenagers are on a road to find themselves. So while they are travelling they are simply confused teenagers feeling the aftermath of external pressure. Pressure from peers, parents, media are all elements that shatter teenagers confidence and cause the weakness that is ever so present in their life. Looking at Cadence’s story, we see the progress she made from being closed off and sensitive to ‘not actually caring.’ When teenagers pass the part of the road that, like Ryan Padovani’s speaker is passing, is filling them with the thought that ‘controlling [yourself] will keep [you] from being weak.’ They learn important morals that ultimately stick with them throughout their life. At the end of ‘’We Were Liars’’, Cadence, after reaching the end of her road, learns quite possibly the most important lesson in her life. That is to ‘be a bit kinder than you have to.’ Whereas, in the poem ‘’I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’, by the end of it, all the speaker has learnt is ‘controlling [yourself] will keep [you] from being weak.’ Which is not the right thing to take away from everything that you’ve dealt with. We are human. We have struggles in life. We have regrets, fears and haunting memories but after you let go of your past, come to terms with it, you are going to reach the end of your road much faster.
In both ‘’We Were Liars’’ and ‘’I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’, the authors, E. Lockhart and Ryan Padovani show the conflict teenagers face daily and by reading the end of both texts, you can see the difference it makes when you finally accept who you are, mistakes you’ve made and lies you’ve told. As a teenager myself, I’m still on the road to finding myself and letting go of my past. It is not easy. But what I hold onto is the hope that the end of my road will teach me as many things as it did to Cadence. Ultimately, no one can tell you if you’re reaching the end. The end of your road depends on the kind of person you are and the actions you choose to do. Even though we all want to reach the end of the road, only you can decide if like Ryan Padovani’s speaker, you want to be stuck with a closed mindset or if you want to be like Cadence and reach the end a better person.
As mentioned earlier, teenagers are on a road to find themselves. So while they are travelling they are simply confused teenagers feeling the aftermath of external pressure. Pressure from peers, parents, media are all elements that shatter teenagers confidence and cause the weakness that is ever so present in their life. Looking at Cadence’s story, we see the progress she made from being closed off and sensitive to ‘not actually caring.’ When teenagers pass the part of the road that, like Ryan Padovani’s speaker is passing, is filling them with the thought that ‘controlling [yourself] will keep [you] from being weak.’ They learn important morals that ultimately stick with them throughout their life. At the end of ‘’We Were Liars’’, Cadence, after reaching the end of her road, learns quite possibly the most important lesson in her life. That is to ‘be a bit kinder than you have to.’ Whereas, in the poem ‘’I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’, by the end of it, all the speaker has learnt is ‘controlling [yourself] will keep [you] from being weak.’ Which is not the right thing to take away from everything that you’ve dealt with. We are human. We have struggles in life. We have regrets, fears and haunting memories but after you let go of your past, come to terms with it, you are going to reach the end of your road much faster.
In both ‘’We Were Liars’’ and ‘’I’m Only as Weak as I Think’’, the authors, E. Lockhart and Ryan Padovani show the conflict teenagers face daily and by reading the end of both texts, you can see the difference it makes when you finally accept who you are, mistakes you’ve made and lies you’ve told. As a teenager myself, I’m still on the road to finding myself and letting go of my past. It is not easy. But what I hold onto is the hope that the end of my road will teach me as many things as it did to Cadence. Ultimately, no one can tell you if you’re reaching the end. The end of your road depends on the kind of person you are and the actions you choose to do. Even though we all want to reach the end of the road, only you can decide if like Ryan Padovani’s speaker, you want to be stuck with a closed mindset or if you want to be like Cadence and reach the end a better person.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
The UWCSEA Community Stands Up Against Cancer.
A highly anticipated event brings the UWCSEA community together as students and teachers alike shave their head for cancer with help of The Cancer Awareness GC during their lunch time to take time and cherish those who lost to hair loss cancer on March 20th. UWCSEA is definitely making a change in this world as many others need to do too.
High school, middle school and primary school students of UWCSEA gathered together in the plaza to support the 48 participants who were shaving their head for cancer awareness and more importantly to share why they we taking part in this event. Student Ali Shah from 7PGu said that he was doing this for years and now he is attached to it. Weeks before, participants we required to go around collecting donations bring the UWC community together for the greater good.
A passionate crowd stood for the duration of all 3 lunch times supporting the contributors showing their admiration for their bravery. The students came onto the stage in the tent plaza and shared a message as to why they were participating. One of the youngest students, a grade 3 child Morgan Radford-Gray participated said he was shaving his head for his friend who was currently battling cancer. After they finished, they left the stage with a smile earning a roaring applause from the audience.
This event raised over SG$ 65,000 and went towards Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in Mumbai, India. Over the 3 years that this event has been added to the UWC community it has raised over SG$ 125,000. In addition, 19 girls shaved their long hair for the Singapore based Recycle Your Hair which makes wigs for cancer patients in Singapore.
Students are not being forced to do this in any shape or form, they are wholeheartedly, doing this out of their own will. Students find the motivation to do this for people close to them they have lost due to cancer.
Schools like UWCSEA are taking action for this deadly disease and it is bringing people closer together. Highly awaited events like these are making a difference and raising awareness about fundraisers like these in the world we live in. The world needs more events like this to make our world a better place.
High school, middle school and primary school students of UWCSEA gathered together in the plaza to support the 48 participants who were shaving their head for cancer awareness and more importantly to share why they we taking part in this event. Student Ali Shah from 7PGu said that he was doing this for years and now he is attached to it. Weeks before, participants we required to go around collecting donations bring the UWC community together for the greater good.
A passionate crowd stood for the duration of all 3 lunch times supporting the contributors showing their admiration for their bravery. The students came onto the stage in the tent plaza and shared a message as to why they were participating. One of the youngest students, a grade 3 child Morgan Radford-Gray participated said he was shaving his head for his friend who was currently battling cancer. After they finished, they left the stage with a smile earning a roaring applause from the audience.
This event raised over SG$ 65,000 and went towards Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in Mumbai, India. Over the 3 years that this event has been added to the UWC community it has raised over SG$ 125,000. In addition, 19 girls shaved their long hair for the Singapore based Recycle Your Hair which makes wigs for cancer patients in Singapore.
Students are not being forced to do this in any shape or form, they are wholeheartedly, doing this out of their own will. Students find the motivation to do this for people close to them they have lost due to cancer.
Schools like UWCSEA are taking action for this deadly disease and it is bringing people closer together. Highly awaited events like these are making a difference and raising awareness about fundraisers like these in the world we live in. The world needs more events like this to make our world a better place.
The Problem With Girls Self-Esteem
The teenager will avoid eye contact with the rest of the class while doing a presentation.
She’ll speak quietly to avoid embarrassment not wanting to attract attention to herself.
And it’s not because she’s shy.
‘3/4’ girls admit to being affected by what people think of them.’ Says student from Oregon State University. ‘ And it increases to 98% by the time they are 20.’ She says researching the behaviour of girls aged between 12 and 20.
Middle and high school students are constantly stressing about other people’s opinions of them. Unknowingly lowering their self-esteem and increasing their insecurity. Everyday they are hiding their tears pretending to be as happy as a child walking into The Magic Kingdom. It is showing us that they are pretending to be okay when they really are not.
The students of Oregon State University initially learnt about the insecurity among teen girls when one students relatives talked about her fear of getting judged in school. After noticing what a large issue this is she surveyed many girls and found out the 85% of girls are insecure. And more than 50% say it’s because of external pressure from others.
That is what should worry people. Insecurity is also shaped from how you are treated at home, the kind of environment you live in. ‘Insecurity is very present in the 21st century’ say a researcher from NYCU. ‘And it only drives people away from you. People won’t want to spend that much time with you anymore. ‘
Indeed, experts say insecurity and peer pressure can limit your opportunities and make it more difficult for you to make friends. In addition, insecurity will add stress to you lifestyle therefore causing more people to judge you. And they also suggest that when you are an insecure teen who cares about others opinions on you, it last fir many years and will not just disappear.
3/4 teens worry about others opinions and only 1/4 teens acknowledge that everyone is good at something and bad at something which is why ‘no one should judge anyone.’ The teen continued saying ‘ I could easily judge you on something you’re bad at, but I don’t.’
For the most part girls go around everyday without anyone knowing that they are insecure. 6/7 say they think they hide their insecurities well and 80% of girls say they don’t notice if their friends are insecure about something.
These girls don’t know themselves why they are so insecure, or why they care about what other people think of them. But the girl who walks through the crowded hallway with her head down looking for any sign of judgement among peers. However this same girl is being admired for her bravery and her confidence by one of her peers, completely unaware of her insecurities eating her alive.
But now, students are fed up with their insecurities and are getting help from their friends to make them more confident and less worried about what others are saying. One child from UWCSEA writes down things the feels good about everyday. Another student remembers all of the great things she has done whenever she feels like she hasn’t done something right. These are just simple things that anyone one insecure can do too.
And if nothing works, just remember that you are not alone.
She’ll speak quietly to avoid embarrassment not wanting to attract attention to herself.
And it’s not because she’s shy.
‘3/4’ girls admit to being affected by what people think of them.’ Says student from Oregon State University. ‘ And it increases to 98% by the time they are 20.’ She says researching the behaviour of girls aged between 12 and 20.
Middle and high school students are constantly stressing about other people’s opinions of them. Unknowingly lowering their self-esteem and increasing their insecurity. Everyday they are hiding their tears pretending to be as happy as a child walking into The Magic Kingdom. It is showing us that they are pretending to be okay when they really are not.
The students of Oregon State University initially learnt about the insecurity among teen girls when one students relatives talked about her fear of getting judged in school. After noticing what a large issue this is she surveyed many girls and found out the 85% of girls are insecure. And more than 50% say it’s because of external pressure from others.
That is what should worry people. Insecurity is also shaped from how you are treated at home, the kind of environment you live in. ‘Insecurity is very present in the 21st century’ say a researcher from NYCU. ‘And it only drives people away from you. People won’t want to spend that much time with you anymore. ‘
Indeed, experts say insecurity and peer pressure can limit your opportunities and make it more difficult for you to make friends. In addition, insecurity will add stress to you lifestyle therefore causing more people to judge you. And they also suggest that when you are an insecure teen who cares about others opinions on you, it last fir many years and will not just disappear.
3/4 teens worry about others opinions and only 1/4 teens acknowledge that everyone is good at something and bad at something which is why ‘no one should judge anyone.’ The teen continued saying ‘ I could easily judge you on something you’re bad at, but I don’t.’
For the most part girls go around everyday without anyone knowing that they are insecure. 6/7 say they think they hide their insecurities well and 80% of girls say they don’t notice if their friends are insecure about something.
These girls don’t know themselves why they are so insecure, or why they care about what other people think of them. But the girl who walks through the crowded hallway with her head down looking for any sign of judgement among peers. However this same girl is being admired for her bravery and her confidence by one of her peers, completely unaware of her insecurities eating her alive.
But now, students are fed up with their insecurities and are getting help from their friends to make them more confident and less worried about what others are saying. One child from UWCSEA writes down things the feels good about everyday. Another student remembers all of the great things she has done whenever she feels like she hasn’t done something right. These are just simple things that anyone one insecure can do too.
And if nothing works, just remember that you are not alone.
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