#so we must critically analyze what we interact with to not only understand ourselves

[pooma-education]

INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE

(Resources: T. Rajesh, Nahid Raza, Madhumita Jana, Dr. Parvati, Leader. Leena Rai Kalra and Azeez)

T. Rajesh:

We acquire knowledge predominantly through these 4 ways;

1. By reading (offline or online media)

2. From teachers/gurus

3. From any other person who has knowledge about that particular matter.

4. From experience

Nahid Raza

Everything we come across in info. We convert info into knowledge when we retain. Knowledge is generally confused with wisdom. It is therefore the we use it.

Info is very essential component of human civilization. Without info we cannot move. We learn innumerable things through info. It is era of info. We could percolate and climb the ladder of success. Information is power. It helps mastery. We need to look for Information required. We need to discover ourselves and search for Information need to enhance our capability.

Survival could be immensely difficult in absence of Information. Various channels are at play to inform us. The more informed we are the more quality life we may live. In case of catastrophe we curiously look for info. Installation of the machine we need info. For various processes we need it.

Madhumita Jana:

We also acquire knowledge through our regular interactions with people of different strata of society. Through reading & listening .

Dr. Parvati:

Through observation too we get knowledge

Leena Rai Kalra:

Knowledge is what but the information, it all depends how we perceive it, either to make it let go or retain it

If it is retained it's knowledge, talent, skill

Knowledge is never taught , similarly information is never taught but passed like knowledge so a person's ability to work with the information either to convert into the earning source is knowledge.

Imagine, the information of use of stethoscope for example is passed but to use it practically understanding its concept and the right process of usage is knowledge and that if practised makes you skilled.

Different media do pass the information it depends when it is converted into knowledge.

And the same information can be knowledge for one and only the information for another

Look at the weather forecast which is just an information for us to know the day to day temperature variations however it can be a knowledge if we take it in contextual form of our day plans or the geospatial scientists must be studying the same forecasting so deeply leading to further wind speeds, moisture content etc to let it be saved as knowledge.

The major difference comes when we see some graphs figures or charts they are just information but when we are studying them deeply to gain insights to deduce some conclusions that is our knowledge based on our experience and learning of no of years.

Azeez:

▪️Nature

Information refers to data or facts that are organized and communicated in a structured manner. It consists of raw facts, figures, or content.

Knowledge is the understanding, awareness, or comprehension gained through information.

▪️Context

Information is context-specific and focuses on providing data or details about a particular subject or event. It can be fragmented and lacks interpretation.

Knowledge, on the other hand, is more comprehensive and holistic.

▪️Creation

Information is generated through data collection, processing, and organization. It can be obtained from various sources, such as books, articles, databases, or the internet.

Knowledge, however, is the result of analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting information. It requires critical thinking, reasoning, and personal experience to develop a deeper understanding and insights.

▪️Application

Information is primarily used to provide details, answer specific questions, or fulfill immediate informational needs. It can be transmitted and shared easily.

Knowledge, on the other hand, goes beyond the immediate application. It is the understanding that enables individuals to make connections, solve problems, make decisions, and apply insights in different contexts.

▪️Transferability

Information can be transferred from one individual or source to another relatively easily, either through written or verbal communication.

Knowledge, however, is more complex and personalized. It is influenced by an individual's background, experiences, perspectives, and cognitive abilities. While knowledge can be shared through teaching, mentoring, or guidance, the transfer may be limited as it requires a deeper level of understanding.

Therefore information forms the basis for knowledge. It provides the raw material, while knowledge represents the processed and assimilated understanding gained from that information.

While information is factual and specific, knowledge is broader, contextual, and involves critical thinking and comprehension.

[vowled]

Unpopular Opinion: Johnlock edition

So, I am, as invariably suggested by my blog and username, a major Sherlock fan. I absolutely love it. The first time I watched it, I immediately related to it, and my peabag brain instantly saw a friend in John Watson. Sherlock’s character, on the other hand, was quite unconventional to me. I couldn’t bring myself to quite like him for the first 2 episodes. He was.....different. I knew I wanted to watch the series just for the dynamic duo and their and sweet friendship. The cases I couldn’t at first care for much, but eventually that changed too. I always was completely amazed by how well they had managed to adapt the series to the 21st century and their subtle winks to the original canon too was quite impressive. Eventually, I fell in love with it, and proceeded to watch the entire series thrice. in a row. I was, and still am, completely obsessed. 

Then came the thought, which was also somehow initially suggested subtly by the show itself, ” What if Sherlock and John are in Love?” I must agree, I had read too many conspiracy theories about certain celebs being closeted to not come up with that question. 

At first it was just a thought. But then, critical analyses on tumblr came up. I couldn’t stop reading them?! and so many of them were thought-provoking and persuasive and honestly, I was living for it. The phone = heart theory is still one of the best Theories I’ve read among all the fandoms I’ve ever been in. And that is just one among many. JohnLock was everywhere. Other ships were persistent, but none could reach the amount of fervor as JohnLock. And I was living for it too. I still really enjoy all the adorable fanfics and the ever-interesting theories, and honestly, at this point, my motto is “I’ll find homoerotic subtext even if it kills me”.

Shipping is ok, shipping is good. But here’s the deal we need to talk about:  we shouldn’t justify our ships to the point of interpreting every action as romantic. This propagates unrealistic expectations and results in harmful stereotypes.

Yes, I’m talking about the unending debate on Johnlock. 

From season one itself, Johnlock was phenomenal. It is widely argued that  the show-runners themselves inserted subtle hints, and hence, birthed this beast on their own. The Sherlock fandom remains one of the oldest fandoms in the world, with its beginnings rooted in the Nineteenth Century when ASiS was published, and since then many have argued about the latent homosexual subtext embedded into the writing, my point here being people have been shipping Johnlock for well over a hundred years. Hence, It’s not really a surprise that people are still drawn to this ship. But to be shipped by this magnitude of people? This invariably suggests that there’s material provided to us by the creators themselves that is very blatantly obvious about the relationship. And while in most cases shipping two characters is completely okay in itself, according to me, shipping Johnlock has further validation in the fact that there is proof of intent of it becoming canon eventually (at least in the first two seasons).

Like I said before, shipping is OK, shipping is good. 

But is shipping okay if we take it to the point of over-analysing every move?

Sherlock is a comfort character for me. God knows half of my maladaptive daydreams are about him being a father figure towards me. My entire twitter tl and Tumblr dashboard is stuffed with cutesy or angsty things about him, and that’s great! But being in the fandom for about eight months, I’ve realised how this sort of feed eventually resulted in me completely forgetting the original storyline, and more importantly, in me forgetting how flawed a character Sherlock is!

Everyone(including me, the first time) freaks out in HLV because of how Sherlock isn’t listed as John’s pressure point. I, however, think we should question ourselves: Why should John still consider Sherlock that tantalizingly close to himself as he was in the beginning? John learnt his best friend had died, and he decided to do the bravest thing he could: make peace with it and move on. BUT NO! The Ghost of the man who loved him returned from the grave to haunt him! Here I talk about the other possible reasons why Sherlock wasn’t a pressure point for John in HLV. 

I am tired of this constant sugarcoating of Sherlock’s character. I am tired of seeing constant posts about how Sweet and caring Sherlock is and how much he loves John and how he loved her more than Mary. I am done with over analysis of every single shot where Sherlock looks at John, completely done. This shot below? It’s been overused for so many fanfics and cheesy romantic lines that I forgot that it’s supposed to be a look of GUILT.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love sherlock so dearly because he’s a very unlikeable character. That is precisely what sets him so far apart from the other characters. Sherlock started off with a hateful and dismissive character, but through the course of the events he undergoes a lot of emotional development. And that is truly noteworthy. In TFP he said for Mycroft, “ He did the best he could (for Eurus)...” and that is truly sentimental. This sort of development is always heartwarming.

What I want people to understand is that Analysis is, obviously, important. And CRITICAL ANALYSIS more so. And it’s saddening to see so many people glossing over the critical part of the analysis. Why is it so wrong to point out HOW HURTFUL SHERLOCK’S ACTIONS TOWARDS JOHN HAVE BEEN?  Why is it wrong to to point out Johnlockers borderline bully other shippers? 

Can we finally talk about the problematic aspects of Johnlock, or rather Johnlockers?

Even though I’m relatively new to the fandom, I’ve noticed how dismissive people are of anything negative said about Sherlock. In the beginning, it was endearing, really; but now I see this pattern of constantly singing praises of Sherlock’s character, and it has lead me to realize how detrimental it can be to the relatively younger audiences. Sherlock is Rude, period. There’s no question about it. And this constant glorifying of his rudeness and arrogance and dismissing it as  a quirk could very well possibly give the impression that arrogance and vanity are in fact not so bad, and hell, it might make one seem a little cooler even ! Oh, don’t be mad if I act like my comfort character ! I’m quirky like that !

Constant bashing of the creators. And when I say constant, I mean it. This sort of bashing about is never-ending. And when I say this, I don’t mean that the creators were perfect; some of their mistakes were, quite frankly, blatantly ignorant ( like Irene the Canon Lesbian falling for Sherlock), but I don’t see enough people praising it for what it is. Even now there is so much slander against the creators ( and personally I feel bad for Mark Gatiss because he’s actually on twitter and is constantly spammed). Is it really a surprise that the creators hate the fans and especially the Johnlockers? Was it supposed to be so shocking when Martin said that being in the show wasn’t very fun anymore because of the fans?

We just don’t actually analyze anymore! I get that we haven’t got any new content for FOUR muheffing years but please I literally don’t see anything that’s actually interesting or analytical anymore and that kills me because that was the reason I joined this fandom- to read and comprehend the subtext, and the AMAZING META!  All I see are cute couple-ish pics of ben and Martin and tbh we can do so much better than that?!

Johnlockers have so much actual stuff to talk about? There is literally so much going on Subtextually, and yet all I see is people losing their mind over any interaction between Sherlock and John. This is so unfair! AND it’s detrimental too! With people painting every interaction as romantic in nature, the younger teenagers in this fandom who might not have experienced Love or Attraction may glean unrealistic ideas about them! It is difficult as it is to navigate oneself through romantic entanglements, let alone being fed such rose-colored ideas! And I say this because although I don’t know much about the audience on Tumblr, but Stan Twitter is like, (at least) 50 percent teenager-fuelled. It actually isn’t healthy for them at all.

Stop with the Benedict-worshipping for God’s sakes. Are you only in here because of him? We all get it, he’s absolutely stunning but come on, we’re here for the stories too right?

Romantic love is important, no doubt. But you know what’s completely overlooked? The platonic sort of love. And it’s tiring. Sherlock and Molly/Janine/Irene/John are all amazing duos and each pair has it’s own uniqueness and tang to it! Let’s not constantly dissect everything in the name of shipping, shall we?

lol looking back at it, I feel like it’s a vent rant for the prevailing circumstances on Stan Twitter. I apologize if anything I said hurt anyone, it wasn’t meant to. I completely understand that shipping people is for...recreation (?) but this was just my opinion. Let me know what you think about it!

[hamiltonlindley]

Building a Resilient Team

Resilience is a shield protecting us from perpetual change, persistent stress, and constant pressures—it leverages our most challenging situations towards our growth. The story of the donkey and the farmer illustrates the power of resilience.

One afternoon, a farmer’s donkey fell into a pit. The creature bellowed for hours as the farmer analyzed how to get his donkey out of the well. He decided the animal was so old that he wasn’t worth retrieving. And the pit was dangerous. So he decided to cover them both up with dirt. He would bury the donkey alive.

The farmer and his friends grabbed shovels and began to throw dirt on the donkey. When the donkey realized the farmer was burying him, he roared horribly. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the donkey calmed down. That donkey must have surrendered to his fate. They kept shoveling.

After loads of dirt down on the donkey, the farmer looked down in the well, expecting to see a layer of soil where his old donkey used to be. But instead, he saw his donkey on top of the fresh dirt. With each shovel of earth, the donkey shook it off and took a step up. Eventually, with enough dirt, the donkey stepped over the edge of the well and trotted off to safety.

Life shovels dirt on us. We can either surrender and get buried alive or shake it off and step up. Each of our struggles is an opportunity. That obstacle may be the way out of your pit of despair. When life shovels dirt on you, or something stinkier, shake it off and take a step up. You can get out of the deepest wells by not giving up.

What does a resilient team look like?

Researchers at Harvard Business School have identified four main elements of resilient teams.

Humility: Can your team ask for and accept help from other team members? Resilient teams admit when a problem is unmanageable and ask for help. They do not conceal their failures but lean into the team for finding solutions.

Resourcefulness: When confronted with difficulties, does your team develop practical and creative answers? Resilient teams bounce from setbacks. They remain focused on outcomes no matter the external conditions.

Candor: Does your team honestly share feedback? Resilient groups vocalize truth to teammates, collectively identifying and solving challenges they face together.

Empathy: Does your team authentically care for teammates in both failure and success? Resilience is a devotion to elevating the team instead of seeking personal recognition. Talk with your employees frequently and actively listen. Help them recognize triggers of stress that are affecting their work and wellbeing. Social support is vital for managing stress among groups. Empathy creates a loyal and committed team. It also teaches us to be present, improves happiness, and cultivates collaboration.

How do I build a resilient team?

Create bonding activities. Your coworkers need to know about each other’s lives outside of work. Without a bond, they will fail to rally around each other in a time of difficulty. When your team lacks a dose of social interaction from the workplace, the leader must keep them feeling that they are a vital part of something greater than themselves. In team meetings, start them off with both a professional and personal update.

Encourage your team to give positive feedback daily, play remote games, or enjoy virtual coffee breaks together. Make sure that they are taking advantage of video calls and chat applications to foster interactions. Share a funny meme daily. Ask a group question of the day to foster discussion about something other than work. People need to know they are not alone.

Encourage collaboration. A resilient team is a supportive network. Reassure your employees that they can rely on each other When an employee is faced with a difficult situation, ask her to think who on the team could help. That will build resilience in both the person seeking help and the worker providing it.

Communicate with certainty. When your team lacks information, they will begin to let anxiety take over. In uncertain times, we can become more anxious and almost obsessed with the unknown. No matter how bad the news is, don’t hide information from your team. People would rather know reality instead of being kept in the dark.

Consistently make your team members feel valued and appreciated. Promote the appreciation of the gifts that each team member brings to your group. Make sure that you compliment each individual for their specific accomplishments. Create a place that celebrates the whole person by paying attention to your workers. Did someone mention a new hobby? Ask them about it. Buy supplies for them. Remind them that you deeply value their contributions.

Reframe your employees’ insecurities  

Give a positive spin to the circumstances that frustrate your workers. Help them look at change as an opportunity instead of something to fear. In the book How Great Leaders Think: The Art of Reframing, the author advocates that we should only focus on what we can control. Encourage your employee to spend her energy on concerns within her influence while letting go of things outside of her control.  

To reframe our way of seeing a situation, we should ask ourselves whether there is a genuine loss or just guessing an adverse consequence? We cannot get our minds stuck on how things ought to be. Ask ourselves what we can improve for next time. What was within our control and what was not?

Perfectionism is the enemy. Trying to be perfect will erode the resilience of your team. For years, I strived for perfection to hide my shortcomings. I believed that I needed to project an ideal image to dodge criticism. But perfection is unattainable. As my desire for perfection grew, I risked explosion or collapse. It requires a tremendous amount of energy, with no energy left over for a crisis. Your team will be awash in a sea of fear if you expect perfection from them.

A perfectionist is prone to ask himself questions that are reactive and unproductive, for example, “who is at fault for us not outperforming our competition?” To avoid perfectionism as a leader, ask yourself, “What am I missing? What actions might I take?”

The opposite of a resilient team is a fearful team

Fear causes more errors. Rather than use common sense, workers attempt to read their boss’ mind. So the employees drop the ball over and over. Constant criticism has the same effect.

Resilient teams are not fearful. If your team is continuously afraid, it is not resilient. Do you fear making a mistake? A team that isn’t resilient is consistently afraid of reprimands, demotions, or firings. That isn’t an environment that fosters innovation. Fear is an awful motivator. It drives us to make irrational decisions. When we are motivated by fear, we react without thinking things through, lash out in anger, and isolate ourselves. A workplace awash in fear won’t last long. Fear focuses on the short term instead of the long term.

Resilience requires a psychologically safe workplace

To be resilient, we must understand what we cannot control. We need to remain calm to make responsible choices for things we can control. We must stay positive.

To build resilience in the workplace, teams need a psychologically safe atmosphere where the following conditions are met:

Workers trust that supervisors won’t penalize them for individual mistakes – don’t create a tattletale culture.

Employees are held accountable for their good and bad actions.

Teams uplift each individual’s strengths rather than concentrating on their weaknesses.

Workers feel respected so that they raise their hand when something could be improved or is not right.

People are accountable for the organization’s prosperity and share praise.

Teams uplift each individual’s strengths rather than concentrating on their weaknesses.

These qualities are the way a resilient workplace keeps focused on the company’s vision. Resilient teams have the mental toughness to respond to crises. With a resilient group, a catastrophe goes from a volcano to a speed bump.

Conclusion

Building resilience where fear has deep roots takes skilled effort and leadership. Organizational leaders must direct change without rigid solutions. We must master collaborative leadership to sustain our organizations in an increasingly complex, ambiguous, and volatile world.

[sumukhcomedy]

The Duke Lacrosse Case: A Generation’s Example of Systemic Racism

In March 2006, I was a couple months away from graduating from Miami University. This is when the event known as “the Duke lacrosse case” began. I was in college just like these players were. I was on a campus a lot like Duke University (and that probably wishes it was Duke University). Now, 14 years later, I can look back and know that my fascination and frustration with the case at the time was based off something I can describe now a lot better than I could then: systemic racism.

For ease, if you would like to read up on a summary of the case, the Wikipedia article will suffice.

In the wake of the news of this story and how much press it was getting, Black and Brown people across the country reacted in anger and frustration. We saw this as an example of rich white young men wielding their power to violate a young Black woman’s body. This is a practice as old as the start of the slave trade and it was now on the front pages of every newspaper. As a result, there was a desperation for justice to be served in this case much like the desperation we see now with the many Black lives that have been killed.

But the great failing of the Duke lacrosse case was of course its fabrications. The story by the accuser, Crystal Mangum, was not accurate. These young men did not rape her. These young men were subjected to months of scrutiny and their reputations tarnished as a result. Sure, if I hear the name, “Reade Seligmann,” I’ll think “Duke lacrosse case” or “rape” immediately. It’s certainly unfair but it’s how we became to be programmed.

But how all of us became to be programmed is why the Duke lacrosse case is such a fine example of systemic racism, an example of Black Lives Matter years before it existed, and an example of how racism works hand in hand with class oppression and the patriarchy.

We must first understand that our entire interaction with the case was based off the optics presented to us of it and even to this day those optics have been skewed. At the time, we looked at it pretty simply: rich, young, drunk white kids rape poor Black stripper. Our reactions and our anger were affected by however we may react to that sentence. We separated not just by race but also by class and even by our judgment of the profession of exotic dancing.

When it became apparent that Ms. Mangum’s story had too many discrepancies and the case was dropped, the attention now turned to Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. Nifong, possibly for political motives to ensure his re-election, was disbarred for the various ethics violations he committed in handling this case. Whatever Nifong’s underlying reasons may have been, he used the media and the feelings of Black people victimized their entire lives by systemic racism in an attempt to benefit himself.

When we look back at the Duke lacrosse case, our reactions are likely very simplistic and not focused on the systemic racism that pulsates through the whole story. Even the 2016 30 for 30 ESPN documentary, Fantastic Lies, did not capture it properly. Much like the documentary, our reaction is to focus in on how bad it must have been for the white players to go through such a false accusation. It focuses in on how terrible of a district attorney Nifong was. It focuses in on the racial dynamic on the campus as compared to Durham. It focuses in perhaps, in a small way, on Mangum’s mental illness. But we have never actually cut to the depths of this case and how it is perhaps my generation’s finest and most accessible example of systemic racism.

First, we must ask ourselves why our primary focus is on the Duke lacrosse players? Yes, they were not deserving of being falsely accused. No one should have to go through that. But do we focus and feel bad for them because they are white and privileged? Even in the documentary, a player says, “Not a month goes by when I am not reminded of the damage those accusations have had on my reputation and the public's perception of my character.” That’s true and that’s terrible but the accused have gone on to formidable lives. They’ve gotten advanced degrees in law school or Wharton Business School. While they endure a lot for the accusation, their lives were able to progress on the same trajectory as would have likely happened without the case and they still have the same privileges.

How do we then look at Nifong? Simply a power-hungry, media-obsessed District Attorney? Why don’t we actually look at him as yet another white man in the system who used Black people and, in particular, one Black woman for his own advancement? There has been no criticism of Nifong on that aspect nor any culpability on his part for those issues.

Mangum is now serving time in prison for killing her ex-boyfriend. She claimed she did it in self-defense. We look back at Mangum as simply a tragic tale. She is a woman who has mental health issues and was an exotic dancer. She could not get herself out of those issues and ultimately ended up in prison. For some, it’s a sad tale. For others, she is a liar and the sadness should only be assigned to the lacrosse players who were accused of rape.

But, as we begin to examine ourselves and how we interact with systemic racism, we should use the Duke lacrosse rape case and its 14 years in our lives to retrospectively and currently examine how we felt and how we analyzed it.

I can say that, at age 21, I immediately assumed these lacrosse players were guilty and I wanted to see justice for this young woman. Why did I feel that way? Because I also have been a victim of systemic racism. Because I also was of Brown skin on a predominantly white, upper middle class campus. I saw guys on my campus just like the Duke lacrosse players every day. I certainly knew that those type of men were capable of such behavior. So I reacted emotionally and presumed guilt. Once I was made aware that the story had holes, I accepted that this was unfair to these young men and that they were innocent and I accepted that it was unfair because I believe in proper justice. I agree that they didn’t deserve to go through what they did. Even my look at Nifong has progressed over the years. I went from thinking “Why would he do this?” to realizing he is yet another white man wielding his power for his own gain and the feelings and the lives of Black people in his process to do that did not matter.

As for Mangum, there’s nothing to do but to feel bad. Her life to begin with was subject not just to systemic racism but also to the patriarchy. She had whatever reasons for becoming an exotic dancer, but that occupation in our society also subjects an individual to even more heightened levels of systemic racism and the patriarchy. As a result, it only could have intensified her already present mental health issues. Now she is yet another Black person that is incarcerated.

If we want to accept racism’s existence in our society then we must accept the fact that while the young white men involved in the Duke lacrosse case were innocent of rape, they were not innocent of systemic racism. None of us know what truly happened on that night at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. in Durham. But, just understanding the party was filled with white upper middle class men, the fact they shared emails referencing American Psycho, their age, their consumption of alcohol, and the fact they ordered strippers, the behavior was not perfect. The power dynamics involved touch issues of potential racism, classism, and sexism. So, yes, even though I was not there, I believe some insulting things were likely said by these men to these women. I’ve heard insulting things in my life under far less difficult circumstances and I’m a middle-class Brown man. And, once you heave enough insults at an individual at one of the lowest realms of systemic racism, classism, and the patriarchy, it’s unclear what the possibilities could be. In this case, it was an accusation of rape. It later sadly became her incarceration.

If my generation truly wants to think deeper on race, then we must reflect back on the Duke lacrosse case. Think about what you thought about then. Think about what you think about it now. But, most importantly, ask yourself this question: who is the real victim here? Your answer could help you understand your place in systemic racism and systemic racism’s place in our society.

[justine-alingalan-uts-blog]

Philosophical perspective of self

The philosophical framework of self was first introduced in ancient Greece particularly Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. It Intends to give a wider perspective in understanding the self. Different views from different philosophers both old and new regarding the nature of self are discussed. Although there are a lot of disagreements on how philosophers view the self, yet most of them have one goal in mind, which is self-knowledge will result to a happy and meaningful life. Socrates believes that the self is synonymous with the soul which leads to his philosophy which is “An unexamined life is not worth living”, According to him man must live an examined life and a life of purpose and value. He invented the Socratic method which is known as introspection which leads to carefully examining Ones thoughts and emotions to gain self-knowledge. Plato however believes that a person has an immortal soul which is divided into three parts:  Reason which enables people to think and make wise choices, the physical appetite which indicates to Humans biological needs, and the spirit or passion which includes emotions. Aristotle Describes that the rational nature of self is to lead a good and fulfilling life. Augustine believes that that the body is united with the soul, Descartes suggests that the act of thinking about the self or being self-conscious is proof that there is self, Locke believes that our conscious is awareness which can earn from our past experiences, To David Hume Personal identity is the result of a persons imagination and by carefully examining his experiences through introspection, which according to him will result a person to discover that there is no self, Kant describes self as a constructor of its own reality creating a world that is predictable and familiar, Sigmund Freud states that the self has three layers the conscious, unconscious, and preconscious. Gilbert Ryle believes that the self is a pattern of behavior which makes a person behave in a certain way in certain circumstances. Paul Churchland advocates the idea of eliminative materialism or the idea that the self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body, and lastly Merleau-Ponty all knowledge about the self is based on “phenomena” of experiences. These are the philosophical and non-philosophical frameworks of self which will surely help you if you are still questioning yourself.

Social perspective: the self as a product of society

Introduced by Charles Horton Cooley the looking-glass self describes the development of one’s self and identity through interactions with others, If a person interacts with himself or herself he or she will start to create what Charles is calling self-identity or self-image. In order to achieve this one must go through this threefold event which begins by conceiving an idea of how a person presents himself or herself to others, Next is through analyzing how others perceive him or her, A person can change for him or her to fully accept oneself. And lastly by conceiving and analyzing oneself a person can finally apply those positive traits he or she can the create an image that is more likely accepted by Him or Her, if the person is criticized or judged he or she will develop a negative self-image. Rather than being offended by the opinion of others we must accept criticism and use it to make ourselves a better person. The "I" self as subjective and the "me" self as Objective. the "I" represents a Person’s physical appearance and attributes, It's the first thing that you see in a person. His or Her gestures, looks and how he or she dresses. The "Me" self describes the true personality of a person, once both of you get to really know each other you both will show your true selves to one another which means that both of you trust each other and will not be ashamed of your true selves. Mead also has three stages the preparatory, play and game stage, this stages indicates the development of the self where in the game stage the self is present.  According to Lanuza our self-identity continuously change due to the demands of social contexts, a great example of this are new information technologies and globalization, In Baudrillard however is focused on self-identity to achieve higher standards and goals, examples of this are multimedia fame whores who constantly seek attention and fame even if it cost it their dignity and pride.

The Anthropological conceptualization of the self as Embedded in culture

The Self can be recognized or be viewed in two ways: egocentric and sociocentric, egocentric self is focused mainly on our basic and personal needs. yourself is your main priority when it comes safety and other factors that can help yourself flourish, some call it being greedy but before anything else we humans are hardwired on focusing on our self rather than others when it comes to life or death situations. In the sociocentric self we focus more on the social aspects of ourselves. we move more socially and we tend to think about others rather than ourselves, an example of these are group works, since I'm a college student we are always tasked to create a group or be grouped by our teachers. since we work with one another our sociocentric self is being used rather than the other one for us to fully communicate and help one another within our group. One of the most common when it comes to our cultural self is our names, each of us are given unique and wonderful names. Some of us even have meaning embedded in our names, names give us our identities and it serves as our trademark and defines who we are. Its up to you to give meaning to your names since we can improve it through achievements, a lot of people have achieved lots of feats in the past few years or so an example of this are Albert Einstein and Bill Gates, both of these people work hard to achieve what we call today as innovations, by setting up a major goal we can also give meaning to our names and thus encouraging us to work hard for our dreams in life for the better future. Our culture made us who we are today we give meaning to our lives hence the self is embedded in culture.

Psychological perspective of the self

This chapter focuses more on what we see ourselves, we will start it all with William James concept of "I" and "Me" self. the I self or also known as thinking self reflects the persons true identity. It describes the persons characteristics and explains a lot about the person with his actions and speech. the Me self however is Different from the I self, It develops overtime due to experiences and is divided into three sub-categories the material, social and spiritual self. Being materialistic can change a person, it gives us inspiration to strive more and aim for greater heights, Society can also change a person since being social can improve your charisma and talking skills and finally the spiritual self can help us to be a great and overall good person and it requires introspection to fully acquire. In Carl Rogers theory about the real and ideal self, Humans have major standards for ourselves whether it is personal or private. The ideal self represents what you want to be and your major goal in life physical or mental the real self on the other is your current state and status. Both of these needs to be balanced in order for us to be happy and contented in our live because if both of these are imbalanced you might end up being sad and depressed. We also have multiple selves hidden within us. The purpose of this self-variations is to help us cope up with the certain demands and criteria that our environment needs, when being with a serious friend that does not like jokes and horsing around you must treat them the way they want to be treated by you, same goes to your fun and loud friends since they want you to join them in their daily crazy activities you might as well participate with the self that you created for this kind of relationship. Ourselves can be affected emotionally and mentally so we must strive to be happy and learn to know ourselves better

The Western and Eastern concept of self

Western self relies more on proof rather than beliefs and unproven theories, both analytic and individualistic western people give an edge compared to other races. They think for their actions and prioritize their selves before anything else. Compared to others westerns are monotheistic, they believe in only one God unlike others, people of this kind are also materialistic. They need material proof to be given if you want them to understand things that you want to explain, a great example of this are supernatural creatures and witchcraft. Compared to the concept of western self the eastern one is filled with wonder and beliefs, four of its major religions the Hinduisim, Taoisim, Buddhism and Confucianism have a lot of different gods compared to its western counterpart. Hinduisim is based on karma which is their most important doctrine, doing bad things will lead you to nasty situations and events that resolves the awful things that you have done while doing good will bless you with all things beautiful that you deserve for doing what is right. Buddhism as founded by Siddharta Gautama means “To be awake” everyone can be a buddha even You and I by following the four noble truths and by practicing the eightfold paths. Suffering can be managed and eliminated by buddhism, given the right path can help he person greatly in his or her life by awakening them to what is right. Confucianism is based on the golden rule which is “Do not do to others what you don’t want others do unto you” it helps you to act kindly to others since you are thinking of the cause that will be contributed by your actions. Following the golden rule will help you greatly in life, by following it you will live a better and peaceful life without someone hating you. And lastly is taoisim, it is defined by nature which is according to this religion is the foundation of all that exists, we are just following the natural order which indicates to yin and yang. Western concept of self relies more on reason and indiciduality while the eastern concept of self relies more on emotion and a lot of people are involved.

The physical self

The physical self refers our bodies Since it defines who we are. when Seeing someone for the first time humans are hardwired to judge people by their physical appearance since we cannot know other peoples personalities in first sight, one of the major factors that affects us are our environment and heredity, the environment changes us as we grow older, growing in an environment  where nutrition is top most prioritized will end up to a healthy person compared to those who does not get a lot of nutrition when they are growing, comparing both of this the well fed ones will look greater compared to those who are not taken care properly. Our body type also plays a major factor in our physical self, like being fat or what we call endomorph will result to an easy going and sociable person while being muscular will result to an energetic and courageous person and slim persons ends up being artistic, quiet and restrained. Our body image also plays a vital role, what we people think about ourselves will greatly impact our mood and perceptions, if we accept our body image we will end up happy and content while if we hate our physical appearance we will end up hating ourselves and will always be discouraged. Beauty also play a major role in our physical selves it helps us to attract others and look appealing to them, beauty is one of the major issues in our society today. Because of social media beauty is given a lot more criteria to be filled like in order for you to be beautiful you must have fair skin and a perfect face and nose, since this beauty trend is getting a lot of high standards people resort to cosmetic surgeries in order to look beautiful. Our physical self is first viewed when meeting someone. We must take good care of it and must not abuse it for our undesirable purposes.

The sexual Self

Our sexual selves are differentiated by our sexual organs, Males having a penis vagina for Females. The purpose of the male reproductive system is to produce dna infused cells to the females thus making a new form of life, in order to do such a feat one must find a partner for life, this is where attraction tags along. All of us are attracted to someone of course and this is the first of these three steps, second is love. because When you love someone you open up your heart and accepts that person as your love one. The third one is attachment. Once you are attached to the person and both of your feelings are mutual you can then plan on getting together soon. There are two types sex characteristics, the primary and secondary. Primary sex characteristics are present at birth mainly our reproductive organs while secondary sex characteristics are preset at puberty, girls breasts and hips grow larger while boys voice deepen and hair starts growing at most parts of our body. Sexual orientation is also a thing, where we have homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality. Heterosexuals being attracted to the opposite sex heterosexuals to the same sex and bisexuals to both sexes. Phases of sexual responses are also present during sexual intercourse first the excitement phase where arousal and increase in blood pressure rises second is the plateau phase where the breathing becomes more rapid and a sudden increase in blood pressure increases a lot during this stage the third one is the orgasmic phase this is where pleasure is achieved and can happen multiple times. And finally comes the resolution phase where both the male and female reproductive organs return to their normal state. Since having sex is quite common when reaching sexual maturity stage sexually transmitted infections and disease are also lying around the corner, these includes HIV/AIDS, Genital herpes and Genital warts, in order to prevent sexually transmitted diseases from entering our body we must focus on one partner. RH law or also known as Reproductive health act of 2012 focuses on sexually related problems. Given by God to reproduce and fill this world we must learn to control and protect our sexual self in order for us to flourish and avoid major complications.

Material self

Possessions are one of the major pride and joy of a person, it represents wealth, hard-work and status. Not getting what we want will incourage us to work hard so we can obtain the things that we want. Once we achieved what we want we will still strive to acquire even more greater feats much grand than the last one that we have just accomplished. A persons material possession is the manifestation of ones identity through his material possession, its like a different part of yourself that lives by gaining a lot more materials for your needs and bragging purposes. Mass media also influence young people to be materialistic. Great examples of this are new clothes and item trends that really catch the eye of modern teenagers, since adolescents worry about their bodies and physical appearance they tend to buy things that will make them look cool and awesome. One of the greatest example of this are clothes. Since we believe in the saying “dress to impress” we buy clothes just to impress others by how we dress. Pets are also included since it shows status, having an expensive breed of pets will surely make you famous since large amounts of money are used to buy such a thing. Materials also symbolizes the person owning it since it reflects to the persons dedication in life just to obtain a certain material. Consumerism is one of the greatest problem in our society, it makes a person buy more than what he or she needs even if its not necessary for them, this can cause dissatisfaction to a person since the state of needs and wants of a person tends to be endless, being a materialistic person can be good if we put it right. It can serve as a motivation for us to achieve such a goal that it will make us happy and content if we do. Yet we must not buy such extravagant things that we don’t need because it will be deemed useless and a waste of months hard work.

Spiritual self

When we talk about spirituality the first thing that will come to our mind are religions and having a good personality towards others. Taken from the Latin word spiritus meaning breath or life force spirituality can be defined as searching for the meaning and purpose of ones life. Since religion is one of spiritualities major contributor it helps us feel comfortable about ourselves since it includes prayer and forgiveness. It can be a source of hope love and affection. Linked through religion spirituality is a major contributor of ones kindness and goodness, since all of us search for meanings about our life spirituality will be there to guide us in a way of achieving what we want to learn about this mysterious and beautiful world of ours. Logotheraphy is linked to spirituality to explain our search for answers through suffering. Suffering can make a person feel down and depressed yet there are ways on finding meaning in our lives, first is by doing a deed, through achieving accomplishments we can see our use in this world were living it can be by helping your classmates with their school problems to bigger achievements like saving  some from committing suicide. Second is to be loved, love is everything to this world once you experience love you will surely find meaning why you existed its to be loved and to love. And the final way is to suffer, there is a point in our lives that we suffer yet after the grueling pain there is always a rainbow in every rain, through dedication and not giving up we can overcome our own suffering and turn it into something more desirable. Animism also helps in spirituality. It is a belief that things and places are alive. Here in the Philippines we practice this kind of belief. We believed that supernatural creatures live on huge trees and we believe that places hold great secrets from their past. Spirituality overall gives us faith in finding the meaning of this so called life. It helps us accomplish good doings and helps us become a better person.

Political self

Politics start from us citizens, it starts as early as we are born. As a person we belong in a family and politics start from the family, we can compare the father as the president the mother as the vice president and the children as the citizen. Politics is made to make the world a better place and for us to have peaceful and well structured society, in order for that peace to be achieved we must need leaders that acquire power in order for all to follow the rules implemented by them. Politics is the central component of the self, you can help with politics all you want  by joining student governments in your school and participating in voting for your leaders, According to the social learning theory, a person can acquire learning through observations, a great example of this is listening to the opinions of the people about the candidates for politics. By that way when you can vote you know who has more supporters and who is more deserving based on the work he had done his good deeds and all the capabilities that he can do once he acquires power. Mutual trust in the society must be achieved for politics to work, if everyone trusts the plans the politician are trying to provide then there will be no more problems acquiring the said plan. Any form of governance can be link to politics, examples of this are classroom officers. Five theories are present in the political self, first is social learning theory where a person can learn politics through observation, political socialization also helps with politics through barangay and schools, cognitive theory suggests the interpretation of the meaning of politics, symbolic interaction any symbols that represents politics can be used here and finally the theory of social participation where we participate in political events like voting. Politics means having the power to govern the only downfall of it is it can be abused rather than using it properly.

Digital self

The digital self is gained and shared through social interactions since technology is widely used in the world today, due to social media we start creating our own accounts so that we don’t get left behind. It’s the best place to share your achievements, likes and dislikes, important events in their lives and the places they have been through. Most of us love the feeling of being appreciated and liked by someone that’s why we post pictures on social media about ourselves or achievements so that we can be appreciated by our social media friends and followers, despite being loved by all there are still people who don’t like you, especially on youtube. You get hate comments every once in a while and sometimes it hurts but as time goes by you can start to accept your wrongs and try to improve them the second time. Digital technology is very important for us. Back in the old days when there is still no technologies you have to go places to find information like going to the library for your assignments, going to the theatre to buy tickets and going to resorts or beaches to reserve a cottage or hotel, after technology is added it makes a assignments a lot more easier, ticket buying and reservation are just one call away and you can browse for different beaches you can go to in order to save time and money. Even though it has a lot of positive contribution to our generation it still have a dark side. From black markets, cyberbullying and illegal sites these are just some of the bad sites when it comes to the internet. Although it has some good and bad contribution for us we must learn how to properly use it, since we know what is right and wrong and will make this world a better place.

[thesydneyfeminists]

Five Things This Bisexual Feminist Wants You to Know About Pride

As I’m sure a lot of you are aware, June is celebrated as Pride Month in many parts of the world. These celebrations often include parades, rainbow colored EVERYTHING and heaps of social media posts reveling in everything LGBTQIA+. For a lot of people, Pride is a party – and rightly so. In a world that blatantly aims to keep us down, rejoicing in our lives and livelihoods is a form of resistance in and of itself. It’s important for us to let loose and have fun sometimes, to recharge and remind ourselves why we fight the good fight. However, during Pride Month (and really, all year round) it is equally critical to remember the painful parts of our history. Pride exists because people fought and died for a future we have yet to fully realize. As a part of this remembrance, it is imperative to highlight the ways in which various oppressed identities overlap and interact with LGBTQIA+ identities. By this statement, I simply mean we must remember and celebrate the black, trans, bisexual women who started Pride and continue fighting every day to ensure a safer future for all LGBTQIA+ people.

My last point is also significant to our understandings of feminism. Feminism must include a space for people from different oppressed minorities. My personal feminism is so tightly entwined with my identity as a bisexual person, it is nearly impossible to extract them. And those are only two of my many identities (which range from highly privileged to marginalized). So, while this piece isn’t directed specifically towards gender equality, I believe in my heart it is still “feminist”. Feminist movements must inextricably bind themselves to LGBTQIA+ rights movements. In the same vein, they must also join with anti-racist activism, disability activism, etc. As the famous slogan goes, our feminism must be intersectional, or it is bullshit. Whether you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or are just trying to better ally yourself with us, this article will hopefully resonate with you. It is only a short list and would benefit from additions from our lovely readers. So, feel free to comment things you want the world to about the LGBTQIA+ community. But, without further ado, here are my top five things I want everyone to know about Pride!

Image Description: The bisexual flag, which has a fat red stripe at the top, fat blue stripe on the bottom and a thinner purple stripe in the middle.

1.     All M-Spec identities are valid and deserve a place in Pride celebrations. For those of you who don’t know, M-Spec is a term used to describe the multi-gender spectrum of attraction. It’s another, more inclusive way of talking about identities which fall under the “bi umbrella.” It includes bisexual people, pansexual people, polysexual people and anyone else who is attracted to two or more genders and wants to be included! There’s a lot of discourse about this subject, even within the LGBTQIA+ community. But Pride was started by a bisexual woman and I firmly believe she would have been inclusive of her M-Spec family (https://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2014/06/17/remembering-brenda-ode-%E2%80%98mother-pride%E2%80%99).

2.     No cops at pride. This point is another tenuous topic of discussion and has ended more than one friendship. But I think it’s important to state and even more important to analyze. The original pride was a riot, a protest specifically AGAINST the police state. It was meant to bring light to the very real, very visceral harm cops have done (and continue to do) to LGBTQIA+ people, especially BIPOC (black, indigenous people of color). I have heard all the counter-arguments and, for the most part, understand where people are coming from. But LGBTQIA+ people have the right to be fearful and distrustful of cops. Large masses of cops at pride don’t actually help keep any of us safe. There are better ways of creating and maintaining safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community (http://www.aaronxrose.com/blog/alternatives-to-police).

Image Description: Photo of a crowd of people holding up protest signs and the LGBTQIA+ flag. They are standing behind red police tape. Two police officers are standing in the road on the left side of the photo. 

3.     Our Pride celebrations absolutely MUST be accessible. This means, at the very least, wheelchair accessible venues and toilets, sign language translators, accessible parking spots, among many other examples. I would also personally love to see accommodations made for autistic people at Pride events. The crossover between autistic people and LGTQIA+ people is huge, and we deserve to feel comfortable and safe at big events like Pride.

4.     Please don’t assume “straight-looking” people are just allies and/or don’t belong at pride. I personally don’t mind cishetallo (cis, hetereosexual, allosexual, aka the opposite of asexual) people attending Pride events if they are aware of their place there. I enjoy bringing my straight boyfriend to Pride festivities and sharing that part of my life with him. However, just because you see a couple comprised of what you assume to be a “boy” and “girl”, it does not mean they aren’t part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Firstly, people you perceive to be one gender could be another/ non-gendered. I’m thinking especially of my nonbinary pals here. Second, one or both parts of a couple could fall under the M-Spec umbrella. Lastly, people could be questioning their sexual and gender identities. It’s not your (or our) place to judge people or interrogate their reasonings for being at Pride. As long as they are being respectful of the space, just live and let live!

Image Description: Photo of someone holding up a large, white sheet attached to two wooden poles. The middle of the sheet is painted messily in the colors of the rainbow. White, black letters are stenciled in the paint. They read “Love is love.” 

 5.     If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, whatever that means to you, you deserve love, happiness and to feel safe. I wanted this last one to just be a shout out to my fellow LGBTQIA+ folks. I see you, I hear you, I want to validate the fuck out of you. Pride isn’t always a feel good, amazing time for all LGBTQIA+ people. If it’s not for you, please don’t feel bad. Whatever you need to do to protect yourself and your emotional state, do that. If celebrating who you are means watching your favorite show on Netflix all weekend in bed, that’s perfectly alright. No two of us are the same, and we are every single one of us amazing and wonderful. Yes, you too. Sending my love your way and hoping you find it in your heart to love yourself a bit more this month.

By: Brittany L. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

[quietdaysco]

The Process: Research

Ever wanted to make something, but didn’t know where to start? We too. In this second installment of The Process, we’ve finished forming our idea and now it’s time to inform it. 

2. Research 

Mind you, this isn’t a “step two” per se. Here’s the big kicker on what we soon discovered about this part of development:

Research is an active, ongoing process, whose goals change throughout pre- to post-production.

We may have created the idea of Primrose Path but our research didn’t stop at the end of pre-production, as if to say we’ve got everything we need and now it’s time to dive into making it. During production, we still had questions. Research is the only reason that, if you stopped us on the side of the street, the topics of future biomaterials and methods, dynamic UI design, and historic architectural eras could all pop up in the same conversation.  

And all of that is valuable information to us, because researching is relevant in every area of the process! But what kind of information did we look for? 

Our five categories are Community Canvassing, Story & Character Development, Team Management, Game Design, and Marketing. 

Let’s break it down:

A. Community Canvassing

Identifying and learning our target audience.

Identify personal wants from our game.

We have to stop and think: what kind of game do we want to play? If you want something, chances are, there’s a group of people out there who want the same thing. They are our audience.

Identify the type of media and genres relevant to our game.

Our video game is a visual novel, and its market genres are predominantly adult, drama, and romance. Because the medium of visual novels originated and is popular in Japan, we use the term otome (Japanese for “maiden” or “girl”) or otoge (portmanteau of “otome” and “game”) in our genre list. So, our game is an adult, drama, romance, otome—or focused on a female main character who deals with a cast of potential male partners.

Case any census data and statistics on target and related communities’ research blogs.

This one was important to us because we like considering quantifiable data that gives us the bigger picture. Statistics blogs and databases helped us get a clearer view of different demographic subsets of the visual novel community. It’s also important that we read material about sister media like the general interactive fiction community, as both deal with reader input and resultant story-branching.

Inquire fans in those genres for game recommendations and any opinions.

Community hubs are a click away. We connected with others via forums like Reddit and instant messenger servers like Discord that specifically revolve around fans and game developers of the visual novel medium.

Read game reviews in those genres by other fans and critics.

The most interesting thing for us when we read these reviews is not so much what someone did or didn’t like, but what aspects of the game they focused on, and what other topics they decided to connect to their original answer. You may be surprised how people decide to expand on their answer and where tangents lead, which is very telling, valuable associations.

Connect with other developers for support and networking.

The Western visual novel community is a small community, but commercial success is not confined to said community. Building a rapport with other hardworking devs is important, as it follows us in such a small space—for better or worse. There’s a lot to learn from the wider indie development community, too.

B. Story & Character Development

Creating an organic experience.

Real-world parallels to inspire for or reference in game direction.

Whether we take a trip to the city with a camera and sketchbook, rent and buy books from libraries and bookstores, or visit Google Maps in satellite view, we are pulling up everything we need to inform our game’s locations, people, and events.

Observe and converse with people.

The behaviors, quirks, appearances, opinions, and feelings of people are abundant, and it’s not until we observe and sometimes familiarize ourselves with others that we catch some of the concerted expressions that create a nuanced individual. 

Interacting with others is first-hand experience, and listening to or reading others’ experiences is second-hand. If we can't write from first or second-hand experience, we must inform ourselves with other sources, as it’s crucial in writing characters with whom we may not directly or easily identify. We often defer to interviews and documentaries to start.

Psychology and sociology research.

Sometimes reading from experts about general trends and triggers of the human condition makes it easier for us to understand, verify, and better portray things like addictions, behavioral disorders and mental illnesses, fetishes, and cultural stigmas for our character development and world-building. Though this isn’t limited to negative or abnormal things we cannot identify. It can also be in what ways the values of a person or society evolve, or how players interact with video game avatars!

Read and deconstruct critically-acclaimed novels in our genres

It’s understood that if people want to become better writers, they have to become better readers. Being able to settle down with some traditionally-published, well-received books relevant to our interests will help us build on our knowledge of suitable writing conventions, as well as analyzing broader narrative elements, like plot pacing. We even have a list of writing resources saved to help us break it all down!

C. Team Management

Standardizing ways to increase workflow efficiency.

Pipeline development.

Know a general end-date to keep in mind for the finished product. Setting a scope for our project and a timeline for production challenges us to keep on task as we work towards that date. We’ve set ours up by month and refer to that document for phase estimation.

Time management, task delegation, task tracking, and work logs.

Whether your team is me, myself, and I, or made of employees and contractors, it’s important to stay synchronized and keep record of that progress. Quiet Days has our own GitScrum board to help us with assigning tasks, timing how long a task takes us versus the amount of time we expected it to take, and streamlining the process from start to finish. It also keeps track of percentage of overall project completion and key performance indicators (KIP), or the metrics of a user’s personal contribution and work ethic over a period of time. There are a plethora of other task management sites and apps available to use too.

Style guides to standardize writing and art.

Between the two of us at Quiet Days, we both work on the 2D art and writing, and we both default to different visual and writing styles. So, we’ve set up and continue to add to our respective guides, keeping the art style and narration and character portrayals consistent. This is especially helpful should we take up other artists or writers, so that they can easily assimilate into our workflow. 

Account delegation for social media and company correspondence.

Understanding who does what for cohesion under a company brand is important for its image. We share all accounts under the company name, so technically both of us have access, which works well for our team of two. It’s early, but so far “delegation” seems to have taken on a natural division between Coda and Elm—the former taking to micro-blogging, and the latter to streaming and forum correspondence. While this dynamic may change in the future, we both refer back to each other under the Quiet Days brand.

Potential for contracting help.

We’ve considered that there may be a time in production where a helping hand is needed. Additional considerations like the freelancing market and pricing are kept in mind for the future. 

D. Game design 

Scrutinizing game elements from a developer’s lens.

Consider for which platform to design.

PC? Mobile? Console? Cross-platform? While we are primarily designing our game to be played on PC, should we want to capitalize on popular handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch, for example, things like game engines and builds, game optimization, resolution, encryption, touch capabilities, and content guidelines for their private company platform all need to be considered. These things change between platforms.

Consider designing globally.

There are people different from us who would like to enjoy our game too. We consider the user experience (UX) for things like the possibility of game translations and using fonts types that read well for different language characters like Chinese or Russian. We also consider how to customize the experience to accommodate for players with different cognitive abilities, which falls under accessibility features.

Play what’s commercially un/successful and community-recommended.

We can learn a lot from both good and bad game design, and what the community mostly consumes. We engage with these games and take notes on graphics, accessibility features, user interface (UI) designs, game mechanics, soundtracks, and overall presentation and aesthetic. What did we like and what would we have preferred?

Stay updated on game design development tips from industry heads

There are people who have been doing it much longer than we have, and a number of them are setting industry standards. We can learn a thing or two in how they handle a problem and find solutions.

E. Marketing 

Methods for optimizing outreach and return of investment.

Social media strategies for engaging and involving our audience.

We’ve laid the groundwork for character accounts on social media to launch as a way for our audience to interact with characters from our game. While role-playing is a fun marketing and meta world-building device, we’re exploring other cool avenues like exploitable images and audience challenges to drum up future participation. 

Types of advertising and promotional materials.

There may come a time when word-of-mouth may not be enough. Would we consider purchasing ad space on different sites for greater visibility, or spend money on “promoting” features on social media? Would we commission or create and sell promotional merchandising for our audience?

Crowdfunding platforms and prospects.

Popular ones like Patreon, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo all have their draws and their drawbacks for creators and supporters alike. For what expenses would we crowdfund? What additional rewards would we provide for the financial support, if any? Do we want financial support for our project, or continual financial support as a company creating content? Some developers don’t actually use these platforms to request funding, but as another way of advertising their game. Would we do that?

Cross-exposure with other devs.

Interviews, public events, and collaborations with other game developers is a win-win situation with everyone involved. We want to be able to not just network, but allow each other to introduce our products and skills to a greater audience, creating and sharing a unique, dedicated fanbase in the overlap.

The Takeaway

At the time of this post, we’re still in the production phase, so some of this information isn’t applicable right now, but no knowledge is wasted: these things will always be handy to know and consider for later. We’re making our decisions in lieu of—and even despite some of—our research, in order to create a game that we’ll love and hope others will too. It’s important that as a game developer, you too keep yourself informed!

Speaking of ongoing research, Western otome is a largely indie market with many small, tenacious teams and hardly any corporate studios. If you are a Western otome developer, please contact us! We’d love to interview you in a Q&A, get your input on your process, and feature your story on our blog! 

[inside-aut-blog]

Through the Learning Glass: Worldshaper

When you get right down to it, education’s really a pair of glasses. Not just any old pair, mind—your first pair. The ones you peer through when you first realize, my god, you can see the leaves on that tree, and, perhaps more importantly, when it hits you that everyone else has always been able to see them.

They press into the bridge of your nose as you stare, mentally recalibrating, because suddenly the world seems clearer in more ways than one—transformed, even. That feeling, green blur shifting to leaves, that recalibration, that sudden clarity where there was none—that’s the core of learning, the true value.

So educational experiences are glasses.

And each one is your very first pair, conceptually speaking. Each one is a lens, as it were, through which to view the world writ large; each grants you awareness of new details and concepts; and each serves as a catalyst for insights which bring more nuanced and clear understandings of the world, your community within it, and yourself.

After reading extensively about autism from autistic perspectives, for example, I found myself noticing autism-related things everywhere—among them, the prevalence of functioning labels in allistic, or non-autistic, discussions about autistic people. I’d been aware of the trend before, but with my blurry view had seen nothing wrong with it. After researching and strapping on my “autism glasses,” however, it became crystal clear, and I began to form connections between research and reality. The connection, in this case, allowed me to see that functioning labels are both inaccurate—autism is like a circular color spectrum, not a linear gradient from “tragic thing” to “basically normal”—and disrespectful—they are often used to dismiss autistic people’s voices on the grounds that they are either too low- or high-functioning to have an opinion.

On a broader level, I formed a connection between this inaccurate disrespect and the concept of ableism—and began to see, in this and many other ways, how ingrained it is in our society. I also came to understand that my previous perception of both it and disability had been fundamentally flawed—blurrier than a park in a snowstorm at ninety miles an hour—though it now seemed clear as day, my world transformed and its pervasive inequality laid at my feet.

In short, I developed a clearer, more nuanced understanding of both disability and its relation to society, and so my worldview shifted—explicitly because my increased awareness of recently-amassed facts caused me to see related concepts everywhere and interpret those with said facts in mind.

In this way, education gives people new frameworks which better enable them to understand the world around them by spotting patterns related to the education-subject and analyzing them on both narrow and broad conceptual levels.

Education doesn’t limit itself to only the world writ large, though; the frameworks it gives us are as applicable narrowly as they are widely, and can be used on smaller scales, to make further connections within, for example, one’s own community. These connections can be—and indeed often are—the same as the societal discoveries, but in miniature. When I looked at my personal community through my autism glasses, for example, I discovered ableism in places I’d never expected: my sister using the aforementioned functioning labels, my mother claiming that “everyone is a little autistic,” and my doctor supporting hate-group-disguised-as-charity Autism Speaks. Critical framework application revealed that each of these examples mapped onto ableist ideas in larger society; in this way, education enables one to see connections not only between what they have learned and their communities, but between said communities and the world.

Yet the new connections formed on this level need not be related to such overarching themes; they can occur on entirely new tracks, and are just as often based in individual details. Such was the case when I looked at other individuals through my autism glasses: I recognized echolalia in my younger sister—that being a fancy word for repeating things you’ve heard others say as a means of communicating, and often easier for autistics than creating novel sentences. Before I recognized it, I often found myself somewhat unsure how to figure out what my sister wanted. Afterward, though, it was easy to see that I just needed to take a more active role in the conversation, both to understand her and to give her new words to echo. In this way, I made a connection not only between the information I’d read about autism and my own autistic sibling, but between her experiences and my actions—specifically, the ways my actions could affect her experiences.

Thus, education as a framework enables people to form more nuanced understandings not only of the other people in their communities and said people’s relationships to the framework-subject, but also their own relationships to their communities and the ways in which they can interact with them.

This holds true regardless of the subject matter, because human nature demands that we apply new information to old, to compare and contrast, and above all to do so with the things which matter most to us.

Relatedly, and perhaps most importantly, the various frameworks education provides us with can be—and often are, consciously or otherwise—applied to ourselves. This is due to the aforementioned human tendency to personalize everything and interpret information through the doubled-up lenses of the framework in question plus our own experiences. Such application often results in new insights into ourselves, on a variety of levels ranging from minor to overwhelmingly significant.

For instance, while researching autism, I found myself applying the framework to my own life. In doing so, I discovered that autistic experiences—and indeed the official diagnostic criteria—mapped easily onto my own life, habits, and personality; among many other things, I discovered that I use echolalia like my sister, just in a more delayed fashion; that I favor repetition in all aspects of life; and that my social skills are learned. I discovered, in short, that I am autistic.

This discovery completely altered my self-perception and sense of identity as I went from a fuzzy sense that I was weird and somehow broken to the crisp realization that I am disabled, certainly, but need no fixing—am merely different, not less, as per the disability theory aspect of the framework. And so, as a direct result of my research, my sense of identity shifted utterly and for the better—perhaps in a more dramatic fashion than that of the average educational experience, but nonetheless in a manner exemplary of education’s potential to alter our understandings of ourselves.

This potential, it must be stressed, holds true even in more rigidly academic settings, as seen when history students grasp parallels between their own actions in the present day and others’ from decades past.

Education in all its forms and degrees of personal intensity, then, encourages us to examine ourselves as well as our various surroundings, resulting in insights which allow increased clarity, nuance, and connection to new concepts in our self-perception.

Said insights don’t end there, however—they often extend beyond ourselves and back to other perceptual shifts, to encompass our understandings of ourselves in relation to our communities and broader society.

For example, after I discovered that I am autistic, I proceeded to reexamine my interactions with others in this context. This reexamination revealed that my communication style is more different from most people’s than I’d realized, given my repetitive speech and difficulty saying what I mean; in this way, the educative framework allowed me to more accurately view myself in relation to others—and to accept this view as per the aforementioned disability framework. This combined realization and acceptance enabled me to discover how to better express myself in ways that are comfortable to me and understandable to others.

Thus education can influence interactions with one’s community, not just understanding of it and oneself. Likewise it can influence interactions with one’s world writ large by better illuminating one’s place within it—in my case, allowing myself to be visibly autistic in defiance of a primarily ableist society, but in other cases, of course, different interactions and roles.

In this way, education functions as a framework for understanding not just the world and not just ourselves, but our roles within it and the ways in which we interact with it.

Thus, in myriad ways, education serves as a framework, a positioner, and a pair of glasses to hold up to each subcategory of our personal universes and to the relationships between them, the better to understand them and their intricacies in ways we previously had not considered.

Education clarifies, it illuminates, it diversifies, and it does so with attention to the smallest detail, bringing our experience of life into a newer, sharper focus. And with every educational experience we have, we gain another framework, another pair of glasses, which we can consider separately or together, swapping frames and stacking them, continuously, to gain ever-more-nuanced understandings of our worlds and our lives and how they might relate.

This understanding, this nuance, this continual growth—it is, above all, why we should learn, why we must learn—because there is always more of it to be found, and it comprises, in essence, the true value of education: it is the eternal worldshaper.

[deliadexaerisofficialuniver-blog]

Gendered Communication and the frustration of trying to communicate with TERFs from a perspective of inferred masculinity

I feel like a frustrating thing trying to have any semblance of impactful dialog with TERFs is that they act like gender doesn’t exist when it’s convenient for them, but then also like it does exist, and is irrevocably tied to genitals, also when it’s convenient for them. Example: Any education major, which I once was, psych major, or gender studies major has to take courses which at some point will cover gendered differences in communication between men and women. When I was taking this course (that’s not the content of the whole course, just a significant portion of it,) I had to give a presentation on this specific topic. When I did, it was a uniquely awesome experience as a transgender woman, even not being fully out at the time. I had a habit of coming to that class dressed in my more feminine attire/stylings, as it was on the same night as drag nights I went to at the time. I was often wearing a women’s shirt, women’s bondage pants, and nail polish, without makeup, had long hair, tied back, but went by my deadname and male pronouns. It was in the bible belt, so I found it odd that people didn’t harass me at the time, but it was obvious they were never quite sure what to think of me.

Anyway, when I was going through the presentation, I struck a huge chord with the other women in the class (most of whom were straight), by focusing on how those differences often create conflicts in heterosexual relationships which could be easily avoided by each member of the relationship learning the subliminal languages of the others communication style, and how they differ from their own. The men seemed like someone had lit a light bulb over their heads and smashed a brick over them simultaneously in this sort of series of “OH!” moments, while the other women were just a constant sea of nods and “mmhmms,” punctuated with laughter. I hadn’t really piped up much in the class, I was pretty quiet and liked to keep to myself, but after the presentation I was expected to be a social butterfly of a public speaker on gender when all of the attention of the class suddenly turned to *my* gender, which the other students presumed must be female. They all saw me as a transgender woman, even though I hadn’t come out, brought it up in any way, or made any outward indication that I identified this way. Everyone, even the cishet guys, was legit just reading my mannerisms and communications style, and matching it with I’d gone over in my presentation, which I was conveniently enough actively demonstrating literally just by communicating the way I’ve always communicated, which they’d also been able to observe in what limited interactions they’d had with me up to that point, and realizing that they internally coded me as feminine based on my communication style and mannerisms.

At the time, the concept of transness was in and of itself very new to me, and I was carrying a lot of internalized transphobia. The way that people in the class tried to put the way *they* perceived it was generally vocalized as “So you were born a boy, but you’re really more of a girl on the inside,” and I was happy to leave the understanding at that, but my the point is that they were able, just from watching a trans person give a presentation on gendered differences in communication, and analyzing how that person communicated, determine my gender, even if their language was off/not entirely accurate. Okay, cool, so what does this have to do with trying to have any kind of productive debates with TERFs, and how their treatment of gender as existent when it suits their purposes and non-existent when it doesn’t? Well, first, let’s establish that gender is a thing. It’s a social construct which people align to based off of who we find ourselves as similar to throughout our lives along it’s spectrum, and those who study gender generally agree that gender is much more about culture and psychology than it is about sex, and is also an independent factor from sex, just many people within a given sex align with the same gender, but it’s not always that way. Some people, like me, differ from this expectation.

I’m not talking about what kind of clothing you like to wear, and how you like to present yourself in order to express the trappings our society associates with gender, right now, even though those are still a part of the larger social construct, because those are the ways we learn to express a way in which we desire to be seen to others who have not yet had a chance to interact with us and “feel out” our gender, I’m not talking about arbitrarily gendered interests, like who is taught to like cars and sports and who is taught to like fashion and domestic interests, because 1: It’s just as stupid as gender coding colors and styles of clothing, and 2: this is more an effect of society sexistly deciding that some interests are only appropriate for one gender, and inappropriate for another.

I’m talking purely about how we interact with other members of our gender vs. members of other genders, and the interesting web of communication difficulties and misconceptions that can create in a world where we are constantly shifting between interactions with other members of our gender, and members of other genders. IE: How I decided “Ew, ‘other’ boys are grotty and weird and bullies and I would rather spend my time with my sisters or alone” long before I entered school, how I decided “Wow, girls make a lot more sense, and I’m going to make friends with the girls, and screw the boys” when I first entered daycare and elementary school,” how my bullies in middle school decided that I was to be attacked for “being a girl,” and how my friends in high school decided that I was “such a girl.”

Once we have felt out someone’s gender, we either flow with it, or fight it if we decide that the person we are interacting with is not gendering “properly,” according to our expectations. The problem I tend to see in interactions between transgender women and TERFs is that it seems like TERFs frame their expectations as “Penis = Male = Man = Read everything this person says as though a man is saying it.” Now, there are a lot of differences in communication styles between men and women, and I’m not going to go into an in-depth discussion right here, right now on every single difference in the ways that men and women use, or don’t use different words, gestures, tones, subtle vocalizations, or lacks thereof to “say” different things in combination, how much of a conversation each gender takes part in and how we break in and bow out when we are in shared physical space/setting, because this is online communication and many of those things are eliminated, and we get down to pretty much just words, with no real limits on what we can say, how long we have to say it, etc., but still, even when reduced to written words, a man and a woman using the same words can be saying two completely different things. The intents behind those words, the message they are meant to carry, in a conversation in a shared space, or even over an audio or video medium are much easier to read because we can take advantage of other portions of the message that we are missing online, and so, when we are reading something, in order to infer those subtle signs we are missing, we have to rely on what we know of the gender of the person speaking to try to perceive meaning properly as just one of many things that we should know about the person who’s message we are reading. In a debate between a woman who is trans and a TERF, often the individuals communicating are strangers, the TERF reduces all missing context to gender, and a man’s tone, intent, and meaning, which were never placed by the woman writing are instead forced on by the TERF in order to accomodate her lack of understanding for the fact that she is in fact speaking to a person who genders as a woman. The transgender woman has two choices at this point, she can get into a lengthy series of having to try to re-explain everything she’s saying, and break everything down to the most idiot-proof, lengthy-ass detailed as fuck version she can to spread every feminine coded message in between the lines of the words selected, which tone, gesture, and other more subtle forms of communication would have carried had she been having a face-to-face conversation, and force that understanding past the masculine coding the TERF has chosen to forcibly apply to the message even in it’s initial absence, or she can throw up her hands, roll her eyes, and walk away, which the TERF will take as a “victory,” even when it represents a fundamental lack of understanding, and generally amounts to actually shoving words in the other woman’s mouth. This is an example of how TERFs, even subconsciously acknowledge gender, but assign it as irrevocably tied to genitals when it is convenient for them. If they can tack an unintended, and absent male coding onto words from another woman just because she is trans, and the written word may lack the necessary context clues to indicate they should instead be reading the attempted communication with the female coding which would have been more easily readable in a face-to-face interaction, they can use their own misinterpretation as a basis to portray the woman as exhibiting “masculine behavior,” even when none is present, and was only inferred by a complete lack of comprehension based on an improper, internally applied coding, which was assumed based on the genitals of the individual speaking. Conversely, in repsonse to this discussion a TERF may argue that gender has no impact on the way in which we communicate, because they are critical of whether gender is even real, even as they themselves continue to assign male gender coding to a woman’s words. While the irony at this point is a bit unfathomable, it is useful to remember that gender, while it does play an immense role in the way we communicate is not a binary, and is a social construct, and that everyone relates to gender uniquely, pieces our own gender together out of a complex upbringing in a society in which the meaning of each gender is continuously changing in ways from subtle to gross from generation to generation, and again, very importantly, that how we gender, in the end, as described by experts in the study of gender, has little to do with our genitals, and much to do with psychology and culture. Therefore, when I say that communication has gendered differences, a TERF may read “all people with vaginas communicate one way, and all people with penises communicate another way,” or, even, if being perceptive, “all women communicate alike, and all men communicate alike,” and apply the idea that there are only two groups, when neither of those things is what is being stated, and there are in fact not only two groups to belong to with some universal set of coding, and they are not inherently linked in any way to how an individual would be sexed in an also false binary on the basis of primary and secondary sex characteristics. What must be understood is that these differences simply exist, and occur in broadly definable ways, which most people can relate to well enough to be able to say when educated on these differences “Oh, I relate more to this particular aspect of gendered communication styles than this one,” for each of the various aspects of human communication we use beyond mere verbage in a dialog. Essentially, one, when made bluntly aware and properly educated should be able to see that spectra exist in the ways we communicate, and that most people who identify with a gender can roughly see how we line up with most other people who identify as we do. This is not without complications however, and these complications go beyond the vast differences in the most masculine styles and codings and the most feminine styles and codings of communication, to the fact that an individual can definitely have a “mixed bag” of codings. Furthermore, styles of communication are not strictly gender defined, and are influenced by an array of other factors, nor are they gender-defining. In general, we do tend to communicate better, at least in face-to-face settings with members of our own identified gender than with other genders, although this can obviously be improved through education non these differences and practical application, as men who spend a great deal of time around women, or women who spend a great deal of time around men can very easily learn to decipher, and speak the languages better, and often do, and we all develop our own unique languages based on who we spend most of our time around, but at the same time, who we spend most of our time around and communicating with doesn’t change our gender. Examples include a woman who might have many interests society deems “male,” and be identified as a “tomboy” who might have more male friends than female friends growing up may learn the masculine coding better than the feminine coding, and be a bit lost among the more feminine women and more comfortable communicating with men and other women who’ve had a more male social circle, and her identity as a woman is still valid. A man with more traditionally feminine interests who may have therefore spent more time associating with other women may have an easier time communicating with women and other men who have had a similar social surrounding, but his identity as a man is still valid. Trans people are often a bit caught up in the middle somewhere, which can be a strength in facilitating communication in groups of mixed gender, as it was in my presentation, or can be a frustration when we are intentionally mis-read on the basis of our genitals being used to apply an assumed gender, even, at times, in a way which may be used to intentionally override any broadly gendered communicative styles we present and express, even in face-to-face interactions in a way which completely derails communication, and can, again, really make a woman want to throw her hands up, roll her eyes, and walk away from the conversation regardless of whether it’s with a man, or another woman. In the end, neither genitals, nor identified gender is strictly determinative of how we code our communications, and what subliminal messages should, and should not be read into the spoken, or written word. Genitals in fact, have no impact at all past perhaps gonadal hormones impacting how patient we may or may not feel in a given moment, but gender is still a massive factor, and one which should not be ignored or erased, and communication can almost be guaranteed to be mistranslated when those codings are ignored, even more so when a present coding is erased, and an inferred, non-present coding is implied. This, combined with the way TERFs seem to enjoy acting like gender is ever-present in a dichotomous binary determined by genitals when it is convenient to their understanding makes it likely that having a reasoned conversation with a TERF online, or, perhaps even in person, is simply impossible when coming from a position in which masculinity will inevitably be inferred and applied to every word as even as present femininity will be ignored by the TERF, all while she may even claim that gender simply doesn’t exist if it suits her argument, a belief which could be influenced by a misunderstanding of the reality of gender as a social construct in preference for an over-simplified take on what this means, or, in some cases, even the uniqueness of her own experience, development, presentation, and expression of her gender, which may not have been explored past the idea that vagina = woman = all women must participate in gender identically, otherwise gender itself is invalid. This is not at all to say that she does not gender herself correctly, merely that she may ignore the complexity of gender and the fact that not all members of a gender adhere to some cookie cutter mold of gender, regardless of what genitals we were born with, and that the cookie cutter is in fact what is invalid, because society attempts to apply gender not only in a strict binary, but also in a way which attempts to force every aspect of personality, identity, interest, motivation, drive, behavior, sexuality, etc. into one of only two available all-consuming templates, only one of which is considered “appropriate”/available to each gender, which does not indicate that gender does not exist, merely that society is sexist and discriminatory in the way in which it establishes expectations of performance on individuals on the basis of gender. This could become it’s own entire conversation. The point remains that until a TERF can become willing and able to acknowledge the feminine gender of a trasngender woman, and read her words with the intentional assumption of a female communication style and meaning, choosing to hear the words with the intended tone and subliminal, “between the lines” messages, we might be better off just throwing our hands up in the air, rolling our eyes, and walking away the same way we would talking to a dense man who doesn’t understand what we’re trying to say, even if we are in fact attempting to communicate with another woman. It just doesn’t work when an intentional road-block is put up by the party intended to understand, regardless of shared gender.

[glassy-star]

Eleventh house;

In the 10th house we’ve done our job. We’ve built a reputation for ourselves using the skills we’ve accumulated over time as we passed through the astrological houses. We have finally found our place in society, the role that only we could perform. Now it’s time to gather all of our honours, our privileges and our influence in the name of the greater good: a 11th house matter.

Having reached the top of Capricorn’s mountain, we may look down to contemplate how perverted the world actually is. Dealing with society, in the 10th house, opens our eyes to social, 11th house problems like injustice, prejudice, inequality et cetera.  And it is essential to understand how the opposition to the 5th house plays a critical role in this. This opposition symbolizes how our attention, when faced with these social issues, is no longer centered on our own individuality and our talents; in the 11th house, we see past our individual lights to see how brightly we can shine as a community.

People with an 11th house emphasis are able to see the social strings that connect each and every one of us. Because they’re able to see past the differences that makes us individuals, they discover a whole new plane where we’re all immersed in Uranus’ energy flux, and thus can gather all humans to make a single humanity. The 11th house allows us to understand where we are headed and what lacks for us as a community, and, because of this, the 11th house person holds the collective’s dreams and aspirations in their careful hands.

Naturally, not all of us are concerned with this house’s involvement with social issues on a daily basis. A more intimate application of this house, then, is friendships, and again the opposition to the 5th house makes itself very clear. In Leo’s house, we adore others with intensity and possession; it’s much more about what we want than about other people’s desires. It’s about the light of our own star. In Aquarius’ house, however, we become equals with our pairs. The relationship ties are certainly there, but in the 11th house they become airy, light and free. It’s about how the constellation that we can build together.

Finally, planets and especially signs involved with this house describe what kind of activity or energy the individual correlates with their ability to collaborate with others towards a common good. It informs what is attractive in a friendship and also how one contributes to the construction of relationships of this kind, while also pointing to what is the ideal behind a brighter future for humanity and, because of this, points to what kind of organizations or political interests the individual might feel attracted to.

Sun in the 11th house: distilled by the kind drops of an afternoon spring rain, the oblique sunlight becomes an airy rainbow. The centre of this individual’s personality, the Sun, revolves around their interaction with society, and so they can be quite perceptive of other people’s problems, especially those with an underlying social impact. Their sense of individuality is intimately tied to their experiences with their friends and their community as a whole, and, yes, this is an odd combination: this Sun discovers his brightness when he looks to neighbouring stars; when he feels he’s part of something greater. Moreover, in a community or in a group, these people can easily stand out. Because they can synthetize the group’s essence, people with an 11th house Sun can lead the group to where it needs to go. Like the brightest star of a wide constellation, the luminosity of these people’s rays illuminates the world for others, showing us striking visions of a brighter future.

Moon in the 11th house: a lost traveler wandering at night, suddenly illuminated by moonlight, finally finds their path again. Much like the Sun, the Moon in the 11th house is also perceptive of other people’s struggles. However, people with this placement tend to be sensitive to these issues; more than personally involved, they feel emotionally part of other people’s conflicts too, and usually invest their soul into doing something to ease other people’s burdens. Helping and attentive, the Moon in the 11th house baths society in the pale light of her sensitivity, proving the importance of this trait and inspiring people to open up and let their guard down, even if for a limited time. The Moon being a symbol of popularity, people with this configuration often form friendships wherever they go, and thus grow to be quite popular and well-known.

Mercury in the 11th house: a secretary minutes the main points of an organization’s meeting. Blessed with the winged-god ability with words in the 11th house field, people with this placement can be the voice of the group, easily translating feelings, dreams and intentions into words. Mercury here symbolizes curiosity and intellectual interest towards 11th house matters like social justice, friendships, community efforts and listening to what others have to say. Furthermore, people with this configuration don’t relate so personally with others like the people with Moon in the 11th do. They may transit freely between the groups, which can be many, and the relationship with the people in them tends to feel free, impersonal and sweetly lighthearted. Still talking about Mercury’s duality, people with this placement will prefer groups and organizations that see the world’s multiple possibilities and are willing to incorporate multiple types of people. This is also a reflection of this Mercury’s amazing ability to work well with others, despite differences between individuals.

Venus in the 11th house: a hopeful figure arranges a dinner between their friends so that can apologize to each other. Venus here symbolizes great aesthetic power towards friends and social groups. People with this placement are able to use their knowledge on harmony and beauty to dissolve conflicts and bring people together towards a common goal. Also sensitive to people’s struggles, Venus in the 11th can be especially attentive to those issues related to justice or material affairs, such as poverty and famine. This configuration also signifies that the individual’s affections towards others is easily available and accessible to what would otherwise be considered an impersonal relationship, and so unknown people can be easily charmed by this individual’s care and warmth. Moreover, even in more romantic relationships, the lover will be perceived and treated much like a friend, and the relationship will be permeated by a sense of freedom and respect towards differences.

Mars in the 11th house: a warrior leads their friends and comrades in a battle for their freedom. People with this placement experience their aggressiveness and desire to win whenever they’re involved in social issues or problems concerning their friends or community. Because of their impetus, they can easily become leaders of these movements, even if their initial intention was not so. A lover of doing justice by his own hands, this Mars has some issues when it comes to respecting differences between people, since this is a symbol that tries to make one’s will prevail over others’. In this sense, the social concerns in this Mars are somewhat limited to what he, as an individual, thinks is fair. Justice here seems to be, then, a personal concept. Despite maybe lacking the more broad view of other placements in the 11th house, no other configuration can match this individual’s determination and bravery to do what must be done.

Jupiter in the 11th house: alone in their office, a studious judge analyzes the social situation of their country. The broad view of social issues that was lacking with Mars in the 11th comes to its full potential with Jupiter in the 11th. Like Jupiter, these people study these situations from afar before jumping into action. Jupiter is also the planet related to culture and morals, and the knowledge of these things is especial when applied to a house that deals with society. This also means that the individual can be interested in the collective issues outside of their initial home, and they seem to present a specific interest towards anything related to collective justice. These people can easily find common traits between differences and so they excel at bringing people together towards a common, hopeful goal. Moreover, Jupiter being the planet related to optimism and expansion, the individual with this placement has the potential to inspire those around them towards an objective, nurturing the flame of faith in a better future and convincing people to continue going forward, believing in that ideal. Naturally, their friendships are usually many and very strong, and tend to be affected by the influence of Jupiter’s moral ideals too.

Saturn in the 11th house: after the earthquake, apparently miraculously, houses and buildings are still intact. Saturn in the 11th house contributes with his careful eye to details and failures in the structure of groups and ideals. This a very interesting placement, because here one’s individual efforts towards collective goals and working alongside others are ways in which one grows wiser and more mature. Saturn in this house symbolizes the fear of losing oneself in the collective, and thus these people can be very private and isolated, holding their friendships and relationships towards groups under a very strict control, and this is why this placement is usually considered to be the mark of a lone-wolf. However, these are the ones that can bring order and discipline to the group. Very wise people considering justice and social movements, they usually know what must be done to reach a certain goal, and their timing hardly ever fails. Because Saturn in the 11th may represent some issues with tolerance and working in large groups, the lesson here usually revolves around accepting differences and respecting that each individual matures at a different time.

Uranus in the 11th house: a president watches from their palace as the people of their country approach, marching on the garden. People with this placement can be the best expression of archetypal Uranus. They are usually way ahead of their time, and can intuitively understand the subliminal necessities of the society they live in. Like an angel annunciating the change of something great, they are divine messengers to humanity, revealing not only the truth of underlying social issues, but also voicing human dreams and pointing the way things should go in order to achieve a common goal. Because people with this placement seem to be tuned to this heavenly frequency that talks about freedom and improvement, they’re very creative and efficient, even if using inconvenient methods, especially if they’re trying to help a collective effort. In their friendships, people with this placement are always helpful and attentive to others’ struggles, but there may be issues with over idealization of friends and groups. Despite the usual immense tolerance and acceptance of differences, inconvenient methods may prove too harsh or extreme and may backfire to the individual’s reputation.

Neptune in the 11th house: a shipwrecked figure suddenly wakes up to find themselves surrounded by a complex, perfect society of merpeople. Neptune’s idealization in the 11th house creates the beautiful illusions of utopias. These people have no problem accepting differences that separate individuals and, in fact, may completely ignore them, bringing everyone together under the banner of a charming vision of humanity. Very sensitive to social issues, people with this placement are intrigued by the worlds suffering and will usually do their best to remedy the collective’s pain. Furthermore, Neptune’s presence is inspiring and helps people to continue dreaming on and on that, one day, things will get better. A more common manifestation that this Neptune assumes is the idealization of friendships and groups, and thus the individual with this placement only sees in others what they want to see, whatever that is.

Pluto in the 11th house: after the tidal wave, it is time to construct new buildings; safer, stronger, better. People with this placement put Pluto’s investigative abilities at the collective’s service. Few things go unnoticed by this person, as they are always alert for any kind of social injustice of demonstration of perverted morals. And when they see something’s corrupted, they have no fear in poking at the wounds of their friends or groups, all for the sake of helping them grow as better versions of themselves. They’re definitely not innocent, especially when it comes to dealing with these groups, friendships, dreams, politics or any other 11th house matter. More than anything, people with Pluto in the 11th desire a profound involvement in their friendships on in the groups they’re in, and can be rather aggressive when this desire is not fulfilled. Maybe this display of violence is way of checking in there is anything deeper in the hearts of those around them?... Anyway, it would be interesting to respect the differences between people at all costs, so that the transformations they promote take place as naturally as possible.

Detail: John Singer Sargent, “Apollo and the Muses”; 1921.

[archereation]

5 Ways to Create a Holiday You’re Ecstatic With Minus Money

Photo Credit: Uncommon Goods

Holiday.

We all know the term. What does it mean? How do you create a “holiday” from a regular day? 

Sure, some of us have time off from work, some of us are automatically going to be around friends and family and celebrate or have a party. What makes a holiday different from a regular day though? What makes any day more special than another? This is the question I am seeking to answer on this day after Christmas, as we reach towards 2019 with hopeful hands.

Not only this, but what makes our frustrations and even anger with our loved ones especially intense on these days that are fed to us through society and the media as the happiest times of the year? Does the pure expectation clashing with reality create this discomfort and stress?

To me, the whole difference between holiday and a regular day is a break from the norm. It has certain special elements that make it unique:

When we eat, it’s food that is special in the way that we don’t normally get to enjoy it. Even the way we eat is different. In most cases, we allow ourselves to indulge more than we would on say, a Monday in April.

People also create a holiday. We make sure we are around people we love. In a lot of cases, people that we don’t normally get to see- therefore, it’s a break from the mundane in this way. Either you make sure you are around people you love the most or people you rarely see or both.

The activities make the holiday. Themed, seasonal, and different than what you do everyday. Do they need to be planned? Extra special to make it worth it? Let’s see...

The setting is the final element that matters. Are you cuddled around a fire? Out on a snowy mountain? A friend’s house? “The condo” or the “cabin”? The home that you miss so much? The setting is key to holiday happiness, or is it?

So, I have settled on these simple ideas, for the sake of understanding, that a holiday is a holiday because it is different than an ordinary, average day. 

Now onto the darker, not so obvious aspects of a holiday.

If you have ever been sad or even depressed around the holidays, you know that it can be exacerbated hugely by these “merry” days. My conclusion about why has to do with the expectations that are slathered on thicker than your average day around the holidays. It’s the most wonderful time of the year damn it! Be happy! This notion can make an already down person slide into a spiral.

You don’t necessarily have to be depressed; the feeling doesn’t need to be quite that intense or critical. You could just have the most common human feeling there is: dissatisfaction. You could feel like your life is especially mundane lately, and the expectations of the holiday are making it worse.

Of course, money troubles never help the holidays. When you can’t afford gifts and everything else that our society tells us we must need to make the holiday special, you can feel like your holiday is doomed. There is a pressure, especially when you are showing up at a gathering where you have family and friends that you don’t see all the time, to look a certain way. You feel like you need to sport a new outfit, be fitter than last time you saw them (slim for women, and big and buff for men), and fit into societal “norms.” Maybe you should take the nice car and not the junker because otherwise Uncle Skip may judge you. Should I talk a certain way? you ask yourself. And the list of worries and expectations goes on.

So here is the key question: how do we overcome societal expectations and norms that ultimately make us feel dissatisfied? How do we create a holiday that is special to us personally and therefore satisfying? What elements do we need?

This Christmas, I had a fantastic time. Here is the kicker though: I had no extra money to spend on anything. I couldn’t even afford homemade gifts or a tree. So how, you ask, did I possibly have a great Christmas?

The only gift I received was a bead bracelet purchased for me with 5-25 cent pieces from a man on the street who was trying to get donations to help his Buddhist organization build a temple. I was ecstatic with it. Gut busting laughter filled the rest of the day. But how was I, with nothing, so happy? That is what I am trying to analyze here as we lead into New Years to make sure that this next holiday, and therefore the start of 2019 is just as great.

 Here is my guide to a holiday that is satisfying and fun with literally zero expenses (other than $1.25 to buy that beaded bracelet, some gas station and 7-11 sustenance from this same resource along with some much needed and very appreciated gas money from another loved one less):

This holiday guide to satisfaction takes a lot of elements I have learned through research and experience about feeling content in general: this is just a microcosm example of the macrocosm of life. Holidays are like the concentrated elixir of all the elements that make daily life satisfying or dissatisfying. That’s why our dissatisfaction can be so exacerbated during this time: it’s concentrated! Like a shot of whiskey versus a sip of wine or beer, the effects are greater. So here is my humble opinion about what I have learned especially through this last Christmas. Hope they can help you in either these concentrated moments or the larger ones that make up life in general.

1. DON’T COMPARE to past holidays or holidays of others:

Our original plan was to go to my family’s house in the mountains where everyone would be gathering. I was so excited to see the kiddos in my family’s faces light up with the promise of Santa and be around a Christmas time essential: snow! However, in my haste to leave something happened that would surely ruin most people’s holidays: my car almost broke down a quarter of the way through our four hour drive into the Colorado Mountains, and 

we had to turn around. That means going back down the mountain we were climbing, back to a non-plan of a Christmas. My internal planner panicked. 

I’m not going to lie to you, I was not an image of happiness, enlightenment and calm when this happened. I cried, I got frustrated and used blame on everything up to and including my own haste to leave which was ultimately the culprit of disaster. Originally I thought about sulking and accepting that Christmas was ruined. However, it made me come to this conclusion instead:

Don’t have a perfect image in your mind of what your holiday should be. Become more mindful and I guess you would say Buddhist-like or Christ-like and enlightened in decision and in thought.  You want to be like a river: flowing over rocks and obstacles with the natural flow of how things are, not how you “think” they should be.

In our circle on this Christmas, there was a death in a family that we knew of. The mother of the family, the matriarch, had passed away. After the Subaru “Vessel” that has taken me around the country several times, that I lovingly call “The Turtle,” decided to flop out of Christmas and take a time out from the holidays to do turtle things, we took a different path.

We decided to take the Jeep to visit this family that had just adopted three children before this untimely death. We were able to express our sorrow for their loss to them in person. We flowed into this option instead of being secluded in the mountains. We chose to extend into our surrounding community and give our condolences in person. We wouldn’t have been able to do this had an unexpected seemingly tragic thing, (my turtle sleeping), had not happened.

2. Take time to be mindful in your interactions:

If a holiday was ideal and back to its core values, we would take a holiday as a time to make sure we were treating these people we choose to be around in a special way. Not just through gifts, but through words and actions, taking a time to check ourselves and say, I appreciate these people hugely in my life. Let’s show them!

You will get appreciation in return. It will also make the day feel special if you are actively trying to be nicer and make others happy.

 3. Do what you need to do to let go and relax without substances.

This does NOT mean I am saying, “you must stay sober this holiday season in order to be happy.” No, not what I mean at all. I am saying find out in your core what relaxes you and lets you go freely into the day without substances first, and then do what you won’t regret.

This part is ESSENTIAL for my personal happiness. This doesn’t mean I am necessarily an “addict” in “recovery”. I don’t need the label and don’t think I am one. However, we both know that we had the option to indulge in substances this holiday and struggled with that. We could have drank, or whatever else, and felt relaxed and good MOMENTARILY, but it would have been fleeting.

It came up while driving around where we had a fleeting “holiday idea” to stop by a liquor store or dispensary (after all, we live in Colorado) where we knew vices would be galore. We considered it and almost did. We made our final, always easy on other than “holiday” decision by asking ourselves this simple question which I think would help anyone, struggler or not, with whether or not to bend their mind this holiday season: Will we regret it more than we would regret NOT doing it?

Our conclusion, led by my partner, was that we would regret going more than not going, so although the tug of war was a struggle momentarily, we ultimately were happy with our decision and had a laughter filled night even though it was also a very satisfying and sober night.

4. Appreciate what you have, and in this way become an open antenna for positive energy input and output.

This can mean the setting you live in, which costs nothing. I am spoiled in this aspect because I live in Colorado. It’s easy to have free happiness when you live at the base of the Continental Divide with 300 days of sunshine or more a year, I know. Yes, I’m bragging.

This appreciation truly can be practiced anywhere though. Find beauty in life and source your happiness from it. (Thanks, Oriah). Concrete can be beautiful. For example, this Christmas, we later decided to walk around downtown Denver, and without being planned, the setting was perfect. It was cloudy and close to dusk, so the sunset was colorful. There wasn’t an abundance of people crowding the streets, just a few people having fun. The lights were beautiful. Overall, I felt awesome, and the setting played a big part in that feeling. I felt the happiness of those around me because I was open to appreciation. And this is now something I would like to carry with me daily.

 5. Do something you have been wanting to do that you put off on a normal day. Treat yourself essentially, except it doesn’t have to be with money:

To me, this meant simply wearing a dress that I never have the opportunity to wear in my normal daily life, where I do a lot of moving and work such as when performing the rigors of construction and remodeling.

The pink and white lace detail made me feel pretty and gave me a chance to try a new hairstyle too. This cost zero money. I already had the dress and had even worn it to a celebration before, but with zero cost to me, I styled it differently and therefore I felt awesome.

My example doesn’t mean you have to look or dress a certain way. Some other examples of treating yourself with no cost are below:

Visit a new local place you never go, eat something different, take a walk with a friend you don’t normally see, go walk a dog at the animal shelter that you can’t adopt but want to hang out with, etc, etc. It could be anything, and it absolutely does NOT need to cost money or be the normal routine holiday that you have become and allowed yourself to be accustomed to. There’s a great saying that my partner recently added to this arsenal of quality-of-life knowledge, and that is: “Change your thinking, Change your life.”

So there are my thoughts, ideas, and realizations about why my holiday was so great. I am no guru and am not denying the real depression that can hit all of us during the holidays. If anything, use these techniques to manage your feelings. 

I hope I can help with my insights in some ways, and help you to know that the best things in life truly are free. Happy New Year!

 Thanks for reading, and let me know how do you have a content and satisfying holiday? Please comment with your ideas!

◈ Check out the new splash page on Forever Customs and Forever Performing Arts ◈

[designandinteractivity]

A theory of fun - textbook

What are essential questions?  Read the assigned chapter and compose an essential question based on the chapter, or use Honoria’s sample essential questions. In class, present a brief summary of the chapter, ask the class your essential question and lead a discussion on the topic. Prepare follow up questions on the topic to faciltate the discussion with 2 different contributing students.

Theory of Fun (2nd edition) Raph Koster

Game Design 2 - Theory of Fun from Jay Crossler

Chapter 1 Why write this book?

How has your experience of fun and learning changed over time and levels of maturity?

Contrast how you have experienced the same game at different ages.

As a popular game ages, what kinds of changes are made to new versions?

Chapter 2 How the Brain Works

Start with the definitions of games on page 14. Develop your own definition,

Describe one of the patterns in a game or games that you enjoy, or are really good at.

Chapter 3 What Games Are

Describe what you find fun about your favorite game.

Analyze 2 things that ruin the fun in a game you don’t enjoy.

Describe your favorite challenge in all of your game-playing history. (How old were you? Why is it your favorite challenge? How did you succeed or fail at this challenge?)

Chapter 4 What Games Teach Us

Describe the “possibility space” (page 56) of a game you have played in the last year. 

Many games encourage “othering” the opponent (page 68). What kinds of stories and games can we design based on insights into how the modern world works?

Chapter 5 What Game Aren’t

Describe the game system and the story of a game you like. Why does that combination of system and story satisfy? Check out page 88 for some descriptions of game sytems in relation to game stories.

Koster defines fun as “the feedback the brain gives us when we are absorbing patterns for learning purposes.” (page 96) Koster describes why school is not thought of as fun. Describe a memory in which learning academic material was fun. 

Page 100 lists resasons other than fun to play a game with a system: practice, meditation, storytelling, and comfort. Describe your experience with one of these other reasons for playing a game.

Chapter 6 Different Fun for Different Folks

Psychologist Howard Gardner developed a theory of multiple intelligences

In addition Koster mentions the Five Factor Model

On page 106 Koster poses the question. . .

What does this all mean for game designers? Not only will a given game be unlikely to appeal to everyone, but it is probably impossible for it to do so. The difficulty ramp is almost certain to be wrong for many people and the basic prmises are likely to be uninteresting or too difficult for large segments of the population.

How can designers use empathy for their target audience to best design a game that can potentiate a “change in the culture ... towards greater equality . . . and teaching alternate ways of thinking.” (page 108)

Chapter 7  The Problem with Learning

On page 120 Koster states

(Games) teach us things so that we can minimize risk and know what choices to make. Phrased in another way, the destiny of games is to become boring, not to be fun. Those of us who want games to be fun are fighting a losing battle against the human brain because fun is a process and routine is its destination.

In the end, (it’s) both the glory of learning and its fundamental problem, once you learn something, it’s over. You don’t get to learn it again. (page 128)

Based on your own experience can you describe a game that was really fun and become boring? 

How and why did that shift in enjoyment happen? 

How can your experience apply to your creative career in the entertainment industries?

Chapter 8 The Problem with People

On page 134 Koster ponders:

Sticking with one solution is not a survival trait anymore. The world is changing very fast, and we interact with more kinds of people than ever before. The real value now lies in a wide range of experience and in understanding a wide range of points of view. Closed mindedness is actively dangerous to society because it leads to misapprehension. And misapprehension leads to misunderstanding, which leads to offense, which leads to violence.

Consider the hypothetical case where every player of an online role-playing game gets exactly two characters: one male and one female. Would the world be more or less sexist as a result?

What do you think about Koster’s 2 character game question?

On page 140 Koster observes:

The most creative and fertile game designers working today tend to be the ones who make a point of NOT focusion too much on other games for inspiration.

What other sources have you noticed in current games?

What other sources of inspiration can be the basis for a game?

What other discipline can you study that might enhance your game design potential?

TIP Research a discipline such as games inspired by art history. 

Chapter 9 Games in Context

Koster observes a number of contexts in which we experience games.

Alone or with others

Any given activity can be performed either by yourself or with others. If you are doing it with others, you can be working either with or against each other. I call these three approaches collaborative, competitive, and solo. (page 142 and 143)

Levels of game interaction

Some forms of interaction are constructive (modding a game), experiential (playing a game) or deconstructive (hacking a game). (page 144)

Koster defines ways in which games can become art.

Mere entertainment becomes art when the communicative element in the work is either novel or exceptionally well done. It really is that simple. The work has the power to alter how people perceive the world around them. (page 150)

Since games are closed formal systems, that might mean that games can never be art . . . But. . .I think . . .we need to decide what we want to say with a given game -- something big, something complex, something open to interpretation, something where there is no single right answer -- and then make sure the player interacts with it, she can come to it again and reveal whole new aspects to the challenge presented. (page 150)

The game would be:

thought provoking reveletory contribute to the betterment of society force us to reexamine assumptions give us different experiences each time allow each of us to approach it in our own way forgive misinterpretations would not dictate would immerse and change a worldview (page 152)

After comparing game design to other artforms Koster concludes:

The designer who wants to use game system design as an expressiver medium must be like the painter and the musician and the writer, in that she must learn what the strengths of the medium are, and what messages are best conveyed by it. (page 162)

What games do you think of as art? What do your chosen art games have in common with specific examples of painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, literature, film, or music.

How can you use Koster’s definition of art on page 148 So what is art?. . . to design games for powerful self-expression and communication?

Chapter 10 The Ethics of Entertainment

Visual representation and metaphor are part of the vocabulary of games. When we describe a game, we almost never do so in terms of the formal abstract system alone; we describe it in terms of the overall experience. (page 166)

The problematic case is a game that contains both brilliant gameplay and offensive content. (page 174) 

In this chapter Koster continues to compare games to other art forms such as literature and film and suggests that the lessons learned in those storytelling media can form a constructive lesson for the art of storytelling in games.

Think of an ethically problematic story or character in your game play experience. How would you change that problematic storyline or stereotypical character in order to align with your values?

Chapter 11 Where Games Should Go

. . .other humans have typically been our greatest predator. Today we have come to realize how interrelated we all are, even when the left continent doesn’t know what the right continent is doing. We have come to realize that actions we undertake often have far-reaching consequences that we never anticipated. (page 176)

But, while we’re bemoaning the lack of maturity in the field, we need not to miss the forest for the trees. Too much sex and violence isn’t the problem. The problem is shallow sex and violence. (page 180)

What are the merits of Koster’s argument when he recommends:

We should fix the fact tht the average cartoon does a better job at portraying the human condition thatn our games do. (page 180)

Ideate ethical and exciting victory conditions for a game that you would like to see in the world.

Chapter 12 Taking Their Rightful Place

Koster’s call to action:

It’s time for games to move on from only teaching patterns about territory, aiming, timing, and the rest. These subjects aren’t the preeminent challenges of our day. (page 188)

- Games do need to present us with problems and patterns that do not have one solution, because those are the problems that deepen our understanding of ourselves. - Games need to be created with formal systems that have authorial intent. - Games need to wrestle with issues of social responsibility. - Games need to develop a critical vocabulary so that understanding of our field can be shared. - Games need to push the boundaries. (page 192)

Pick one of the calls to action and do some research on the topic. 1. Explore arguments both for and against Koster’s calls to action. 2. State your own opinion on the subject with your own supporting arguments.

[dana-tapia31-blog]

How do cultural expressions (photos, poetry, traditions and games) give any citizen their identity?

Because they are talking about who he/she is, what he/she likes to do and how those expressions make him/her feel as a person. The euphoric or sad way in which you react to situations that arise taking into account what you have learned at home and the attitudes of the people around you. All those factors form the identity of each one of us, since we have tastes, traditions, customs, etc. that are characteristics of our social group What are the main elements of my daily life that define me as part of a community? What are those elements and characteristics for others? How can I use critical thinking skills to read different sources from my culture and that of others, integrate the information and apply it to arrive at a multiculturally appropriate response? What experiences shaped my perspectives?

What are the main elements of my daily life that define me as a part of a community? What are those elements and characteristics for others?

1. Rules: to enter a community and have good contact with its members, you need the basic rules of coexistence so as not to cause conflicts. Understand them and know when they should be used

2. Commitment: Every community has a goal and all members of the community must be attentive and committed if they are to be taken seriously.

3. vocabulary: Despite the fact that countries have already established languages, within small communities like our home or El Barrio where we live there are some words that we use that may well be difficult for outsiders to understand.

4. behaviors: such as closing your mouth when eating, thanking when someone helps you with something, asking for things please, being empathetic, organizing your room, etc.

How can I use critical thinking skills in order to read different sources from my and other’s cultures, integrate the information, and apply it to reach a multiculturally appropriate response?

I consider that in addition to researching about the subject we should also seek to interact with other people. It is true that the theory could help us too much to understand why, but being in contact with people close to that culture and even people who are not so close but who have the same concerns that you can give you a 360º perspective while before only with research barely and you reached 180 degrees

We must never stay with “a single story” and we must always question ourselves, learn to listen, analyze in order to reach a good conclusion.

What experiences shaped my perspectives?

As I mentioned before, being in continuous contact with people who have different perspectives than yours will make you a person with a better learning capacity. We are social beings and we cannot close ourselves to a single idea, one of the most difficult things I have learned is to know how to listen to people before judging them for their ideologies. We can acquire prejudices that are not even true and that is why we should not just stick with what an internet page tells us, we must always look a little more and thus we will realize how multicultural we can become even when behind computer. We have in our hands the tool to know, appreciate and understand millions of thoughts. We must not waste this opportunity

[ericvick]

The Final Guideline To Turning out to be A Doer

At times, we devote an inordinate sum of time chatting about our tips, desires, and aspirations. It is effortless to content material ourselves with simply obtaining lofty suggestions and not acknowledging their sheer abundance.

Anyone who has taken a breath has most likely experienced an notion that could have pretty much improved the program of his or her existence in a revolutionary way. Regrettably, these types of ideas almost never get implemented. According to Mark Twain, “the key to receiving ahead is having begun.”

If you are drained of inactivity robbing you of your prospective, then below are 15 means to be a doer.

Goals and Mental Preparedness

Cultivate Your Dream

What would you attempt to do if you realized that you could not fall short?

In so a lot of conditions, your remedy will account for a mere fraction of your likely. This is critical.

In order for just one to unlock such possible, he must be equipped to transfer past mental limitations. Appropriately, meditate on what profitable will come to feel like for the up coming 30 times. Saturate your thoughts with the future stage, but don’t prevent there. Produce the vision. Make it simple. Unlock your dormant dreamer and doer!

We are inclined to shift in the route of our most dominant considered.

Really don’t be contained by minimal considering. Your dreams really should encourage you to transfer further than your comfort zone and into action. Your dreams should also inspire awe from observers.

No matter if your desire is prosperity and wealth, aiding thousands of individuals, health or a phenomenal career, cultivate your desire. Recall that the desire is the gas and your plan is the map!

Relinquish Regret

Regret is commonly a waste of time – Thomas Crown.

Languishing in regret and despair around past faults is counterproductive. It will just rob you of your pleasure. The electrical power expended on regret could be set to substantially greater use, like knowing your goals.

Every person will make errors or missteps at times, but the vital is extracting the classes from blunders and reducing or even evading future losses. To err is human, but to forgive is divine.

Forgive on your own now.

See Also: How to Steer clear of The Regret of Yesterday And The Concern of Tomorrow

Enable Go of the Stigma of Failure

In the same way, you should not enable the worry of failure quit you from performing on your targets. John F. Kennedy stated those people who dare to fail miserably can realize considerably.

Dave Ramsey, Robert Kiyosaki, Suze Orman, and lots of other individuals have tasted what numerous would characterize as failure, only to afterwards accomplish amazing accomplishment. The critical lesson is that there is an additional act to your life’s engage in.

In How to Enjoy the Soreness of Monetary Difficulties, I mentioned how failure can be instructive and how it’s just typically temporal. It is simply a make a difference of belief that can unleash your creative imagination.

Really do not let the stigma of failure end you from achieving your objectives, even if you knowledge an initial setback. If you made a error, you are in great firm.

Know By yourself

Figuring out you is so essential to obtaining the greatest return on your attempts. You are one of a kind and have tremendous value. Sometimes, we begrudge our distinctions from other individuals rather than embracing them.

For case in point, when I was in pharmacy school, I discovered how I favored to master. Sometimes, it was different from the many others in my courses.

However, knowing my studying preferences ended up getting a great gain to me because I commenced to cater to them. Experienced I not understood and embraced my individuality, content material that I now devoured easily would have ongoing to take me a extended time to have an understanding of, analyze or appraise. It is essential that each doer honor his discrepancies and use them to his competitive benefit.

Goals and Planning

Program to Win

To Type-A personalities, it may seem intuitive that creating a strategy significantly raises the odds of accomplishing. Nonetheless, so many of us are unsuccessful to systematically strategy our funds, careers, wellness, and our relationships.

Failure to approach is organizing to fall short.

What is your accomplishment plan?

Often, what is missing is a system of action specifying precisely what we want our life to seem like in the upcoming a few several years and what 6 techniques we will choose to realize our goals. A goal with out a approach of implementation is a pipe aspiration. Determine on a study course of motion now.

Prioritize

Making an attempt too much is just as risky as not trying anything at all. Emphasis is blinding. By focusing on your priorities, you can block out interruptions. Often, that means putting down a little something that is essential for a passion that need to happen.

Thomas Edison reported that he has extra regard for the person with a single plan who develops it than the human being with 1,000 thoughts but does very little.

We should not unnecessarily dichotomize every little thing into “good” or “bad” when it comes to targets. Sometimes, it’s merely a matter of “now” compared to “later”.

Harness the power of concentration to unleash a perseverance and enthusiasm for your goals that will make you unstoppable.

See Also: Do You Have As well Numerous Goals? Here’s How to Prioritize Them

Start off Small

Do not despise smaller beginnings.

How do you try to eat an elephant?

The reply is just one chunk at a time. Just simply because your purpose is to drop 40 pounds this 12 months doesn’t necessarily mean you are a failure for getting rid of 10 kilos in the very first a few months.

In actuality, even if you only decline five pounds but have enhanced your cardiovascular conditioning, food plan, and muscularity, you have designed considerable development.

Don’t be discouraged by the need to have to tweak your approach to account for daily life. As a substitute, accept your progress and carry on transferring in the correct way. Try to remember, persons can’t usually be what they are not, but they can grow to be what they are not.

Established a Time Limit on Preparation

I love planning as a lot as everyone, but doers frequently set a restrict on preparation time.

The downside with shelling out way too significantly time planning is that you might in no way get began. In Poke the Box, Seth Godin argues that it is quick to slide so in enjoy with beginning that we in no way start out. If you truly are progressively relocating in direction of your targets by means of preparing, go for it.

There are some matters (and even selected professions) that need decades of preparation just before they are realized. Even so, make guaranteed that you are not making use of preparing as an excuse to avoid action.

Placing practical anticipations on how much time really should be allotted for laying groundwork is a excellent way to retain preparation time acceptable.

Admit the Joylessness of Over-achieving

Even though I appreciate setting audacious objectives, I also have to warning you regarding intention-location exhaustion. If you are continuously more than-achieving, then you hazard burnout.

You can nonetheless stretch on your own and have phenomenal ambitions without being perpetually miserable due to the fact your ambitions are so massive that they demand miracles to accomplish.

Never make it possible for your drive to wane because you established on your own up for disappointment. Take care of these kinds of extend goals as just that: goals built to force you out of your consolation zone.

Know that they are a section of your general achievement prepare, but do not despair if your programs from time to time choose longer or go in a unique direction than you at first anticipated. By pushing by yourself over and above your consolation zone, you are generally nevertheless greater off than the choices, presented that your ambitions do not rob you from encountering any contentment in the method.

Interactions

Banish Eeyore

Dream-killers, aka “Eeyores”, are some of the most hazardous people that you know. They function as saboteurs to productiveness. Regardless of irrespective of whether they act with the intent of maliciousness, banish (or restrict) this kind of disastrous associations if you approach to be a major doer.

Individuals furnishing constructive criticism are high-quality, such as those people providing suggestions on currently being goal with your projections. Nevertheless, these who generally hinder your development thanks to their constrained vision have to have not be bundled in your elite team.

Network With Achievers

If you want to move beyond your comfort zone, one particular of the fastest ways is to network with achievers. In truth, even though I’m writing this, I have just returned from spending a 7 days with people today in my field who are rock stars.

Staying immersed in that ecosystem compelled me to take my sport to the up coming stage more rapidly and grander than I experienced originally planned. When you network and become accustomed to interacting with the up coming degree, it will make you unpleasant with in which you are currently at. Strategically, spot oneself in predicaments that stretch you.

Get an Accountability Spouse

Though “head knowledge” is superior, part of the top secret to thriving transformations, these types of as those people found by well known eating plan courses, is accountability. Your marriage with partners is strong in attaining your plans. This is because fantastic partners have already gone by the same journey, can see by way of the lame excuses, and will encourage you throughout the down times.

Absolutely everyone is not acceptable to be your accountability associate which is fine. Come across the individual who will empower you to push earlier the frequent to achieve the extremely hard.

Delegate

Not every thing involves your core competencies, so it is not usually beneficial to do almost everything you. The ubiquity of businesses this sort of as Elance, Angie’s Record, and Fiverr will make acquiring reasonably-priced freelancers and contractors to delegate to much less difficult.

It’s one particular issue to do duties that are not central to your concentration because you take pleasure in them or lack the finances to hire support, but it is an additional difficulty entirely if you are stuck carrying out one thing you despise only due to the fact you have not inventoried the sources offered to you.

Delegation can be a highly effective exercise. It’ll let you to produce your strongest places when relinquishing interruptions and expanding your in general productiveness.

Deal With Obstacles to Motivation

Generate an Motion Atmosphere

Your natural environment issues to your efficiency, normally additional than you notice. It’s essential that when you sit down to function, you are not bombarded with distractions. It is sometimes complicated to get enthusiastic to do something effective in the 1st place.

Thus, the final point just one requires is to get began only to have his or her time squandered on some thing which is unimportant.

Creating an action atmosphere may well signify shutting off the computerized notification element on your mobile phone or electronic mail at specified moments during the working day. It could signify getting rid of the sweet jar from your desk or logging off of Fb.

Regardless, create an atmosphere that encourages you to get points done.

Document and Celebrate Your Development

Acknowledging and celebrating your triumphs can provide as large commitment to keep on in your endeavors. Achievers do not just operate challenging achievers enjoy tricky also.

When I grew to become personal debt-free, I threw a substantial social gathering just as I would have celebrated a milestone birthday or a graduation. Major furry audacious aims demand time, so when you are victorious, why not celebrate your successes?

The regulation of recognition says that what you are unsuccessful to recognize will not be effectively acknowledged. What you regularly are unsuccessful to accept will at some point go away your life.

If you worth your successes, rejoice them!

Closing Views

Inactivity is a person of the greatest burglars of prospect. Never be articles with simply getting a fantastic concept. After all, an strategy is normally just a modest portion of the journey. It’s what you do with your thoughts, goals, and passions that rely.

Try to remember, as your views come to be more, you turn into a lot more. For that reason, commit to pondering on a bigger degree, build superior targets and plans of implementation, create and preserve associations that incorporate to your daily life. As you utilize these techniques continually, you much too will be a doer.

Prepared by Roshawn Watson, a writer at Watson Inc. on reducing personal debt, investing cash, and developing prosperity. Get my free Ebook Your Foundation to Wealth by signing up for my e mail updates (no spam I assure). Get my RSS feed and join with me on Twitter @roshawnwatson too.

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[geeksfromfuture-blog]

Can Technology End Architects?

If architecture is the study of structures and buildings, can technology end architects? What is this technological evolution that we are moving towards and what are its implications for us? We can look to the world of entertainment, sports, finance, science and medicine, in which digital elements are inherent. On the surface, technology may appear merely a functional tool to help us accomplish a specific task, but it's much more than that. As an architect, you are a "technician" - something that has been traditionally regarded as a person who merely cuts down a building in order to construct a new one. There is something else that you do as well. You act as a mediator. Technology has made our lives simpler in many ways. We no longer have to dig holes or work with heavy machinery, but we do have to build our homes and offices around technology and software. We have automated processes to automate us, allowing us to enter data without human intervention, and allow us to develop software programs and systems that can run on a computer network. Engineers have also become more important. In other words, there is much more of a dependence on the expert in the field. Even in the arts, those who seek to develop their craft, even art critics have become more involved in technology. Even those who perform in the performing arts have begun to analyze the evolution of technology. Technologists play a crucial role in the development of society and in the way we perceive the world. Technology and science have revolutionized the way we think, and in many cases how we interact with one another. Computers and their applications in medicine are in effect catalysts for innovation, for change, for new ways of thinking, new ways of feeling and new ways of living. We live more intensely and almost often prefer to immerse ourselves into a system or environment where we are constantly exposed to new ways of thinking and acting. Education is just one facet of this transformation. In fact, the online education programs we have today have not only changed the way we study, but the way we learn and are now often less dependent on the traditional classroom environment. Moreover, we often find that technology-based education helps us to be more creative and innovative. Today, it is easier to achieve higher standards of learning through the medium education. So, the needs of schools, and the demands of the market, have forced some of our best architects to go into the realm of online education. For example, design and architecture students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, use the Adobe Suite program in combination with hypertext and image documents to create a virtual online environment to impart the best learning experience possible. Further, what we see in this world today is an emphasis on practicality and realism through virtual life simulation programs that are accompanied by very real graphics and sound. There is a clear emphasis on hands-on learning with instruction using the keyboard, mouse and other familiar peripherals. Architecture and design are used as an inspirational medium to illustrate principles of relationships in nature and in human-technology interaction. This is not a new concept, but recent developments have led to greater use of technology in architecture to achieve and ultimately promote, improved knowledge and a more successful world. Architects and designers, both, will have to remain concerned with the changing environment. The world of architects will have to become aware of how technology may change our interactions with one another and with the environment. And architects must understand that technology is an essential part of our lives - from televisions and video conferencing to computers and database systems.

Will Technology End Architects?

Will Architects and Engineers not only continue to exist in the future but will also become more computer savvy? To answer this question let's take a look at the nature of the job of an Architect and Engineer. The job description of the architect is quite simple, as they work to make the buildings that we are familiar with to meet our requirements for safety, comfort, and protection. Architects and Engineers do not design buildings; their job is to design solutions for solving problems. For example, in a home, an architect will design the building with the highest levels of insulation, sound proofing, fire proofing, and security for protecting the residents. Once the design has been completed the architects and engineers sit back and wait for a client. Then the process starts all over again to get the client signed up for the project. Engineers will be responsible for installing the systems needed to bring all the various components of the building up to spec and start up. This is done by providing the client with designs that include the features that the client wants. While waiting for the client to sign up, the engineers and architects are up against many challenges including contractors and buyers. As we age, we'll see the trend towards more responsibility being placed on the shoulders of the engineer, and the position of Architect becoming less important. However, technology will evolve beyond the capabilities of both the engineer and the architect. As we progress into the 21st century, we will have computers will control everything from factories to homes. In order to have a well functioning company, one must get the product right. Engineers will continue to be responsible for designing the buildings that we live in, however, with the advancement of computer science, the engineer will not have the skills needed to design and build. Therefore, it becomes an engineering problem for a client to hire an engineer to design the building. After the project is installed, the engineer will often need to go through a remodeling phase to re-enforce the building. This is another engineering problem for the engineer to solve. In the end, we will see the role of the engineer as not only a design expert, but one who has developed skills in information technology and operations management to manage a construction project. Architecture and Engineering will continue to exist within this century, however, the roles of the two disciplines will differ. As we evolve into the next century, architects will become more computer savvy, while engineers will learn new areas of computer technology. Within a decade or so, the concept of the architect and engineer will become a redundant concept. It will also become very interesting to see the transition from the architect and engineer creating a building, then transferring it to the design stage of the project, to the architect and engineers designing the building from the ground up. We will see the architects and engineers responsible for the designing of the building at the very beginning. However, over time as computers start taking on more of the job of the architect and engineer, it will become unnecessary for the architect and engineer to be in control of the design and construction. Even so, the architect and engineer will be required to continue as architects, and engineers for a variety of situations. For example, the engineer will be responsible for helping design the building's environmental controls, to ensure that there are no air pollution issues when the building is operating. The architect will continue to be the engineer, as they will create the mechanical components of the building, including the roof, floor, plumbing, lighting, and the electrical systems. In the end of the design process, the architect will make suggestions to the engineer to ensure that the building meets the specifications of the client. Architects and Engineers will continue to exist in the future, but the roles will change. The relationship between the engineer and architect will evolve into a consulting relationship, instead of an engineering project. It will be an engineering project that involve the engineer from start to finish of the project, and a construction project that allow the engineer to consult with the architect as to ensure that the building meets the specifications. Will architects and Engineers continue to exist in the future? The answer will only become apparent when we start looking back into history. the history of architectural design.

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[visualcultureconference2019-blog]

Abstracts: Day 1, March 19

Seeds of Knowledge: The Power of Beautiful Animation (Mimosa Wittenfelt) 

In order to create a constructive discourse about nature from one generation to the next, I believe that one must first enable an understanding of nature itself. One of the ways to do so is through the media that children consume. Animation has unique possibilities in how it expresses its core messages to its audience. It can and has been utilised as a pathway to encourage the younger generation’s innate curiosity and strive to learn through their entertainment. In my paper, I will explore how the film My Neighbour Totoro uses the beauty of animation to encourage children to learn about nature. Rooted in Japanese Shintoism, the portrayal of nature in My Neighbour Totoro is one of spirituality and mystery, beauty and comfort. By using aesthetic theory and analysing what the fan anime community has dubbed “sakuga” (here meaning “beautiful animation”) as well as Célestin Freinet’s pedagogical ideals, I will show how My Neighbour Totoro gives a template for how to encourage its younger demographic to learn by giving them an example that plays into the wondrous imagination of children, while still being planted in reality.

Visualizing Space: Visual Investigation from Saturn to the Moon (Emily Hsiang)

Modern science such as physics and math are becoming progressively abstruse, in this array of studies, one field stands out for its abundant visual images - space exploration. With growing numbers of unmanned spacecrafts exploring the Solar system, astronomical images captured by spacecrafts become not only important tools to visualize scientific concepts, but also as proof for successful discoveries. Could these images be a new type of landscape? Could they be the force of communication between the widening gap of abstract political and scientific discourse? What does the commodification of space images mean for humanity’s view of the Universe? Using images from unmanned spacecraft Cassini-Huygens mission and images taken from the Moon, I attempt to address these questions using WJT Mitchell and Verschaffel’s theories on landscape, as well as Arendt’s “The Conquest of Space and the Stature of Man”.

 Analyzing Visual Representations of Climate Change on Social Media (Victoria Grant) 

Visual communication across social media platforms is a critical but frequently underestimated contributor to the social and cultural life of environmental issues. My presentation hopes to use content and discourse analysis to examine visual representations of climate change on social media within the US. The US is currently one of the leading polluters, whilst simultaneously having a large population of climate change sceptics. I will examine images that appear on social media in distinction to 3 areas - science, politics and society. My presentation, which focuses on image- language interactions, leads me to determine that climate change is being inconsistently narrated to Americans through social media platforms. Although research suggests that social media can be an agent of positive impact by encouraging greater knowledge, enabling the mobilization of activists and providing an online forum for discussion through visual communication, it rarely galvanises sceptics into becoming agents of change for the environment. To combat this, I suggest that a modification of visual imagery in one area alone can positively impact science-society-policy interactions in regards to climate change.

Art, Ecology & Science (Kerstin Jakobsson and Jasmine Cederqvist)

ARNA is the only organization in the world to develop the Cultural Dimension of Sustainability as a tool for storytelling about a changing world.

They connect all their work to The Avian Kingdom, now the planned core for a new UNESCO biosphere reserve in Sweden, called Vombsjösänkan. The area is a rural valley, rich in history and ecological values. Rooted in this specific landscape ARNA's projects explore subjects in connection to Man and Nature with the aim to support a sustainable development. Their vision for Vombsjösänkan is for it to become the world's first UNESCO biosphere reserve to include the Culture Dimension of Sustainability from start.

With the starting point of Vombsjösänkan, the ARNA-project Art, Ecology & Science explored the connecting points, if there are any, between two different worlds; the nature in a biosphere reserve and the high-tech science facilities for material studies at Brunnshög just outside Lund. The project involved artists, natural scientists and children through the theme Perspective through details. The outcome is a rich variety of art works, photos and reflections through films and texts. All adding their story to Art, Ecology & Science.

HIDDEN LIFE AND DEATH (Ninette Koning)

As an artist nature is of great interest for me. I become aware of the subtle stuff which lies outside the focus of attention. For me it is a way to develop intuition, the unknown. My main field of art is within site-specific installations, which means that I take location and cultural history into account while planning and creating my artworks.

At ARNA I went out in the countryside with my gardening tools, bucket, gloves, bags for collecting materials and making photos. My way of thinking and exploring is through my hands. Thinking about a topic = thinking in material = thinking with my hands. I worked in the forest and made physical sketches on the beach of Vomb with materials as leafs, twigs, stones, sand, fish scales and fish bones.

The outcome of this artist in residence is the connection that I have made between life and death in Skåne; the burial sites, the presence of the army in the landscape, the birds in the Avian Kingdom, the use of colours in science technology, ancient Skåne-weaving and astronomical photography. Hidden life in the ground, in the sky and in the material at MAX IV.

  From mystery to mastery: a human perspective of nature through photography (Ana Laura Bezzi)

The need for images began with the simple fear of the unknown. Before any photographic image, the unknown nature was sacred. Mountains and oceans were here when we arrived on this planet - and they will most definitely see us leave. Even with all its greatness, humans tend to see Earth as a subject - to be lived on, to be discovered, to be exposed. Photography came as a proof of that. Somehow, the visual knowledge of nature makes us feel like we are conquering - instead of belonging. Landscapes end up connecting us to ourselves, rather than to nature. Jean Baudrillard used to say that “between reality and its image, there is an impossible exchange” - meaning that we are never actually in the real presence of an object. Because the more images we have, the more the idea of landscape becomes a cultural construction. Perhaps the only absolute truth in nature is seen through vivid experience. Therefore, if art is made by humans to humans, photography should not be seen as a solid form, but as a value.  

Living with Nature – A dichotomy between the wild and the tamed within eco-aesthetics (Fannie Baden)

In the past few years there has been in increasing trend incorporating plants and other green vegetation as home décor. The rise of eco aesthetics can not only be measured by the greenery in the home but also in the popularity of rustic furniture and other natural elements in the home. The act of including these ‘genuine’ ‘raw’ materials perfectly represents of the sublime through environmental materiality can be conquered. This power dynamic, in regard to physical ownership, is especially depicted by the ‘showing off’ culture on Instagram. This presentation will question the power relation between man and natural elements in the living space. It asks key questions to determine how the visual scheme corresponds with the environment: Do natural-based material goods really increase nature’s aesthetic value or does it decrease by shallow nature appreciation? With the use of aesthetic theory, the presentation looks at the subject form a contemporary point of view. With the use Instagram for visual evidence and notions from historical sources, the presentation enlightens the dichotomy between the wild and the tamed ecoaesthetics. What happens to our homes when we bring in nature, asking what kind of knowledge we need to appreciate nature as is or at home? 

Rootless Trees will Fall A brief history of Skåne (Loek van Vliet)

In the past ten years I’ve been exploring landscapes as a visual artist through the medium of photography. How we experience specific landscapes (Sacred Grounds), how through visual representation we identify with landscapes (Natural Climatebuffers), how the landscape is being experienced differently in different eras (Earthly Windows), and in this most recent body of work (Rootless Trees will Fall) our experience of an area through details, distance, perspectives and abstractions. The short stories created in this body of work are an exploration of what happens within the landscape. Landscapes, either in the experience of walking, or in the form of painting and photography, have always fascinated me. In many ways they show how we as a society see and use the world. These ‘stories’ are created as part of a one-month Artist-in-Residence in Harlösa, Sweden. As part of the project Art Ecology and Science. While being guided through the area, and meeting different experts in the field of science, physical geology and archeology a research question arose. How can a photographic approach give a new perspective on the Skåne landscape?